Having just returned from 5 nights and 6 blissful 80+ degree days on the beach in Mexico, I was THRILLED to land in Minneapolis to clear blue skies, sun, and 55 degree temps -- after The Coldest Winter In History, it felt like a tropical oasis, despite having just returned from, uh, an actual tropical oasis.I didn't run while in Mexico. Beach running and I don't agree (the loose sand is too tough on my twisty knees and ankles), and due to all the recent reports of civil unrest in Mexico, I was pretty set on not leaving the resort, which meant I listened to my mother's warnings about beheadings and kidnappings and opted for WALKS on the beach instead of runs on the streets. But I watched people running, and I caught the bug again.
Anyway, back to Minneapolis.
On my last day in Mexico, I started to feel a small tickle in my throat... and then I remembered how sick my boyfriend got just before I left, and how sick he was while I was gone... and that against better judgment, I'd spent an awful lot of time kissin' him on Wednesday night before I left... and BAM -- I have the plague.
(I'm getting to a point here, I swear, bear with me).
A chest cough so deep and tight it hurts to breathe. Stuffy nose. Headache. Body aches. I'm whimpery and miserable.
I'd come home from Mexico ready for spring and all the implicit running plans -- but after expending a tiny amount of energy (putting screens on my windows, picking up dog poo in back yard), and feeling completely and totally physically exhausted, obviously yesterday's planned run went out the window.
What's that they say about the best laid plans?
Inspired by The Runner's Lounge and Take It And Run Thursday, I do have some plans for spring and I'm excited at how they are coming together. I'm going to run the First Annual Minneapolis Half-Marathon on 5/31! I've been on the fence about it for a week or so now, because really, I'm not in top running condition (I haven't run much since my elbow break at the end of October), and I've put on a little weight over this long, cold winter (say nothing of all of 2008, which, frankly, was just NOT my year, with three bad breaks -- 2 of my heart, 1 of my elbow).
But after a week on the beach feeling those 10 lbs as if it was 100, I'm ready to work 'em off, and I know the one thing my body responds to REALLY well, is running, specifically TRAINING.
I need goals, plans, direction, and a sense of obligation -- when I ran the full marathon in 2007, part of my motivation was getting paid to write about it for Health Magazine... each week, I was inspired to run because it was fuel for my column; and the column in turn provided fuel for my run.
I'm hoping to do something similar with this blog over the next 10 weeks.
And, happily, I have a training buddy this time -- my friend Kat, somebody who I think is in the same running shape as me -- which is to say... probably not entirely ready for this, but gonna do it anyway, and just do the best we can. Because even "doing your best" burns calories, right?
So, training starts Monday morning, 9 AM, Lake Calhoun. 3.1 miles around.
Remembering the whole time that the journey of a thousand miles (or 13.1, as it were), begins with a single step.
Specific tips? Mine are always the same --
- Hydrate
- Fuel
- Sleep
- Get the right gear
- ENJOY the process
- Listen to your body
- Be disciplined
- TRUST in your training -- it's science! It works!
It's time to get my legs back.
Off and running,
~Jessica
2 comments:
Hope you feel better soon. Good luck with your training!
I'm signed up for a 10 mile run Philadelphia on May 3, and will probably sign up for Twin Cities. Yep, it's good to have goals.
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