One Year on the Pavement



On July 23, 2012, with my wife Michelle's encouragement to "just go out there and run," I started running again after a twenty-six-year break.

 

I woke up at around 5:15am on that hot and humid Monday morning, threw on a pair of gym shorts (not running shorts), a white cotton tee shirt (sweat retaining - not a running shirt), golf socks (not sweat resistant), and what I thought was a decent pair of sneakers I had purchased at an outlet mall (I was wrong). After drinking about twelve ounces of water, I walked out my front door at around 5:30. I had neither Garmin nor running app to track my pace or mileage...and I had no clear-cut plan but to "just go out there and run." 

 

I guess the plan at that time was really about running for weight loss. You see, while I had lost about thirty pounds over the first six months of the year, my dieting had gotten me to a weight loss plateau, which is a dangerous place for a habitual dieter. But rather than repeating past behavior and accepting life at an obese 245 pounds, which would have ultimately taken me back to 275, the guy in this picture was ready for a real change.

 

Late June 2012 - Just a few weeks before the First Run
 

So after a few stretches that I had recalled from my athletic past, I walked to my mailbox and just started running. Immediately, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to keep this up for very long...my breathing was almost instantaneously labored, my fat was uncomfortably bouncing to and fro, and there were varying levels of pain shooting through my body.

I thought to myself, "okay...keep pushing...just make it to Jack and Tina's house, and then you can walk." And I did...so I did. Only later, when checking on MapQuest, did I find out that they were just over a quarter mile up the street.

After reaching Jack and Tina's, I decided that I was going to walk until I felt good enough to run again. Well, when I reached Eric and Bet's house, I figured I would turn around and start running back home. It turns out that they were about a half mile more up the way, so I had gone a total of three quarters of a mile.

I can't recall how long I ran the next time, but I am certain it wasn't another quarter mile. In fact, to the best of my knowledge and memory, I don't know how many run/walk intervals it took to get me through that three-quarter-mile stretch...but I believe that the walking was about equal to the running. At least that's what I tell myself.

That's pretty much how my first month of run/walking went. I ran/walked the same route five days a week for a month, and each time I tried to run a little more than I had the last time...no matter what. I iced my knees and left foot after every run. I took Aleve at least twice a day. I sweat like crazy even for hours following my showers. At times I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep this up. And at others I just wanted to quit.

But I didn't.

I just kept running.

And on a fateful day about a month later, I started running at my mailbox, right past Jack and Tina's, all the way to Eric and Bet's, and then all the way back home. A mile and a half...without stopping!

Over the course of the next eleven months, I worked through two programs on my phone ("Couch to 5K" and "5K to 10K"), ran the entire distances without walking through eight road races (four 5Ks, a 6K, a Five Miler, a 10K, and a 15K), burned over 114,000 calories, and logged over 775 miles on the pavement.

And I found this guy along the way...


Late June 2013 - What a difference a year makes

I'm now lost without my Garmin (pun intended), my shorts and shirts have names like moisture-management Mizunos or dry tech Asics, my running shoes are custom fit at the Jacksonville Running Company, my visor shades my eyes from the sun while absorbing my sweat, my DryMax socks minimize my blister risk levels, and my water (and gels) come with me on something I call a hydration belt.

So I guess this guy's a runner...

 

Hey...is that guy wearing a Garmin?

Speaking of which, here is the marathon training recap from last week, as well as this week's plan...a nine miler on the docket for Friday!

Marathon Training - Week Three (July 15 - July 21)
Monday - 4.10 Mile Run (10:30 Pace)
Tuesday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 7), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps)
Wednesday - 5.15 Mile Run (10:35 Pace)
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Friday - 3.12 Mile Run (9:19 Pace)*
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Family Run of  2.60 Miles

Total Miles on the Pavement - 17.06 Miles (Includes Warm Up and Cool Down Walks)

Total Marathon Training Miles - 57.61

*Fastest pace for any run to this point!


Marathon Training - Week Four (July 22 - July 28)
Monday - 5.18 Mile Run (10:35 Pace) - COMPLETE
Tuesday - Stationary Bike (45 Mins, Hills, Level 7), Abs (4 Exercises, 3 x 12 Reps) - COMPLETE
Wednesday - 4.13 Mile Run (10:09 Pace) - COMPLETE
Thursday - Stationary Bike (45 Minutes, Hills, Level 7), 30-Minute Cybex Circuit
Friday - 9 Mile Run (Target training pace of 12:00)
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Family Run

So year number two on the pavement is underway.

I'm just going to keep running.


Until next time, enjoy your journey...