The 26.2 Blog

[Zillah]

I used to be in really, really good shape. In the couple of years where I wasn't working at an office job managing financial portfolios, I was a personal trainer at a fitness center. It paid a lot less, but I was a lot happier.

A few years ago, I was in a car accident that was pretty bad. That pretty much derailed my personal trainer career for the long term. Physical rehabilitation, as well as a whole bunch of surgeries, took over my life for a bit. Between that and other personal issues, I hit some low points - mentally and emotionally, as well as physically - that left me in some dark places that I didn't know if I'd get out of.

I've gotten into boxing as a way of getting back into shape. It's only been the past six months or so, though, where I've finally been able to train at it consistently, and at a level I'm happy with. But I want to get back in even better shape, if only to reclaim a small piece of my life back.

My own personal trainer recommended that I take up running, to really improve my cardio. I've been doing that since January.  I'm doing really well, enough so that, well...

... I'm going to try to run in a marathon.

I'm entered in the New York City Marathon in November. I've just started a teasing program geared for peaking for that race. I imagine I'm going to be hitting a lot of highs and lows between now and then. And while I don't know how consistently I'll be able to blog about this experience, I will be blogging about it.

Starting now.

Here goes ...

Today's run: 15k (9.3 miles), 01:11:46 (hrs/min/sec)

[Zillah]

One thing I've learned about running - don't go cheap with sneakers. If you're starting to run, or even doing just a lot of walking to get in shape, having the right pair of sneakers makes a huge difference. The wrong pair may not only be uncomfortable, but can aggravate injury.

Ideally, going to some kind of sneaker/running store is a good idea when you're first picking out sneakers - someone can see what your feet are like, what your mechanics are like when you walk/run, and help figure things out from there. If that's not an option, you can look at the wear pattern on a pair of your own well-worn shoes or sneakers, and go to any number of running websites. That ought to help you determine what kind of runner you are, and what sneakers will work best for you.

I have crazy high arches and small feet, so I have custom orthotic inserts for my sneakers that help make my running more comfortable. I used to get painful shin splints before I got them. I also make sure I check the soles of my sneakers every so often, to make sure they're not too worn down. They're great when the soles are fine, but when they start to wear out, that's when I usually start getting foot/knee pain again. I get about 300 miles out of a pair of sneakers before I need to get a new pair.

Humid run this morning. I was pretty happy with the time, though, all things considered. I haven't sweat that much in awhile!

Today's run: 5k (3.1 miles), 00:23:05 (hrs/min/sec)

[Zillah]

Hotter and more humid today. Still, a great run. That is all. :)

Today's run: 6.4k (4.0 miles), 00:30:07 (hrs/min/sec)

[Zillah]

Long run today was exactly what I needed to purge the negative energy out of me.

Today's run: 22.5k (14.0 miles), 01:50:22 (hrs/min/sec)