A Day of Firsts!

Today (actually Monday July 16, 2007) I officially kicked off my first day of marathon training for the Tulsa Route 66 Marathon, which I plan on running in November. The reason the “Firsts” in my title is plural is because this is also my first blog Well, sort of. A friend of mine convinced me to set up a profile on Myspace last year so I posted a few entries there, which has been a lot of fun so far! After this weekend where I met up with a bunch of friends with their own blogs, I decided to give in and start my own. Plus it’s a great way for me to let all of you know how I’m doing… should you be interested!!

As I mentioned, I began my marathon training today. A little background:
- My first “runner’s high” was when I was hiking in Kentucky as a teenager, but I didn’t realize what it was- I just thought it was cool and never forgot about that
- I began running in college to fulfill my physical training requirement, around age 20
- When I began to run, I realized that I no longer had dreams about running without feeling tired…they had became reality
- While training for my first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon in 2003, I got shin splints and had to cut back on my mileage
- With the cutback in mileage, I tried to make up those miles later in training but then got patellar tendonitis
- It didn’t heal in time for the marathon so I ran (um, actually limped) for 15 miles. That hurt a lot.
- Whatever I did to my knees during that marathon messed them up for a year or so and had to give up running for over a year
- But I never gave up the idea of running a marathon!

And now you find me here today, running the first 3 miles of an 18-week training schedule from www.halhigdon.com! I’m following the Novice 2 schedule as I’ve already completed (well, mostly stuck to) the Spring Training schedule from the same site. With being in school it was hard to follow the regimented running schedule and to find time to run nearly every day! But I did run some fun races around the Chicago area. I’d have to say my favorite was the Run for the Zoo 10 K so far since the course went through the Lincoln Park zoo and up on the Lakeshore trail. Plus the shirt is this cool camouflage. But the race where I surprised myself the most was my first 10 mile run, the Solder Field race that ended on the 50 yard line. That morning was a perfect overcast, cool day and though I underestimated my ability and saved too much, it felt great. And of all the races I’ve run so far this season the photographers have managed to miss getting a photo! I only mention it since I’d post one here on my first blog, but, alas, you’ll just have to take my word for it

How was my first 3 mile run of my first day of my first marathon that I’m actually going to finish injury-free? Well, it was hot and humid but that’s how Chicago’s been lately. Plus I’m a night person and thus a night runner so I wait until the 7-8 PM cool off to lace up my Asics. I really should learn to wake up early and get it done before the sun superheats all the breathable air, but I highly, highly doubt that will happen. Three years of a 5 AM job in college and from January-March of this year I had to get up even earlier for my surgery rotation…and I am still not a morning person. So there it is. I run at night.

Today I discovered that the song “Tarantula” from the new Smashing Pumpkins album “Zeitgeist” was the perfect tempo to match my stride so I listened to it about 3 times while rounding back towards my apartment. But I still keep Daddy Yankee’s “Impacto Remix” as my iPod’s secret weapon when my energy is totally spent. At least I didn’t have to pull that song out today!

Yes, well, I believe that should be enough for today. I can already feel the procrastinator in me pleading to keep typing and not go study up on EKGs but this is all going to be an exercise in willpower as well. Adios to blog numero uno!