Little Victories

Half Marathon training Week 2

If I'm being completely honest, Katie is on week 2 and I'm probably more on 1 or 1.5.  I'm running with her on the weekends but we train separately throughout the week and she's definitely been more committed to the program than I.  I think my "half marathon veteran" mindset is screwing with me and I'm just praying it doesn't hurt me in the long run.

We ran 4 miles yesterday and I am continually proud of Katie and the progress she's made. After the run yesterday we talked about the longer runs coming up in the next month and she remarked how strange it is to think of 4 miles as "nothing" when even one mile was a chore a short time ago. As I expected, she's pushing me now when it was the other way around.  I'm looking forward to the race and I'm enjoying my training but frankly it's too freakin' cold outside.

The majority of miles logged since 2011 began have come on the treadmill and I loathe the treadmill.  I don't feel like a runner when I'm on a treadmill, I feel like a hamster.  I like being warm and I like running but I just can't reconcile my feelings with my options.  I'm ready for sun that not only shines but warms.  I'm ready for spring.

Now that I'm thinking about warmer weather I'm also thinking about global warming and how much energy it takes to power a treadmill.  Throw a hamster into that mental mix and here's my idea: a human-powered "treadmill" that not only powers itself but gives energy back to the electrical grid.  Hook up all the cycles in a classroom to a cache of batteries and you could store quite a bit of energy.  I guess if I'm going to feel like a hamster, I should take it to the extreme and put my legs to good use.

So here's to the sun and to warmer temperatures on the way.  Until then I'll just keep running outside as much as my body can stand.

Ryan

2011...Here we go.

Happy New Year!  We enjoyed a wonderful week down in Florida with Katie's family, took advantage of the warmer weather and got some good runs in.

As 2011 begins I'm thinking a lot about what's in store for the year. Katie and I registered for the Raleigh Rocks half marathon on April 10th and she's already ahead of me in training.  With the influx of "tourists" at the Y (who will hopefully become "locals") it's going to be hard to find 10 minutes let alone an hour or so for runs.  Add into that the lack of sunlight and frigid temperatures and this training is shaping up to be mentally tougher than my last go-round in the fall.

I'll keep you posted on our progress. Thanks for reading and I hope 2011 brings many blessings your way.

Ryan