Me & Running

Me and running don't always see eye to eye. Some days it hurts more than others. But it doesn't mean I don't do it. I deal with it and I keep running because not everything that is good for you always feels good to you. Every day is the day.-- Lance Armstrong

Today was that kind of day. I ran 7 miles this morning at the river. I wanted to run on the soft, flat surface because my knees were feeling stiff. I was ready to stop after the first 3 mile lap but I kept going because I know that I'll never make my goal if I start slacking off now. I also know that I do things based on my commitment not based on how I'm feeling at the moment. The truth is that on a day like today, GA asphalt hot, I prefer to stay inside and do nothing. I'm not really a morning person but the heat motivates me to get up and get out before the temp starts to rise.
Running at the river is a great way to start the day.

NYC Marathon Training Begins

It’s official I’m running the New York Marathon November 3, 2007. Why is this significant? Why do you care? Why am I going to hurt myself for five hours? It’s all for the kids, actually for the fat kids. I was always a fat kid and let me tell you it was not a lot of fun. I’m running this race so I wont be fat and to help raise money to prevent childhood obesity.

I picked the NYC marathon because it is exactly one week before my 52nd birthday and I heard that if you are going to suffer for 26.2 miles there is no place like NYC. If I can make there I can make it anywhere, right? I’m running as a member of the NYRRF Team for Kids to fund running-based fitness and character-building programs in NYC, around the country and in South Africa.
Last year at 51 I decided I was tired of being 30 pounds over the lifetime recommend poundage for a 5’7” man. I was tired of not being able to walk the boys without heavy breathing and tired of not being able to breathe heavy for things that really mattered and I just wanted to see my feet and everything between my feet and belly button again.
After joining Weight Watchers and losing 15 pounds I decided maybe it wouldn't hurt so much to run. After 10 years of sitting on my butt I started running in January. In March I ran the ING Georgia half marathon in 2:28:58. I've now lost over 30 pounds and I'm smaller than I was in JR-High.
Now I’m headed for NYC. My training started in earnest two weeks ago when I ran the Garden of the Gods 10-mile run in Colorado. I was worried that I would have trouble running 10 miles at 6500 feet above sea level. It was great and I finished in 1:50, which was an excellent time for me. My theory is that Colorado at 6500 feet has more oxygen than Atlanta at 1200 feet because the air is so polluted here.