The Goal

Off and on I've been interested in running. I've always found it a quick but not so easy way to lose weight. After Luke was born, I got serious about wanting to drop some serious poundage (I needed to and we'll leave it at that).

It took a long time for me to get into any kind of exercise routine. It really wasn't until this past fall that I decided I needed to set a goal and stick to it. So I chose the 5K Gobble Wobble I blogged about. I've been sticking with it and decided to chose a more ambitious goal: a 10 miler. The hard work is paying off. I actually enjoy running now and since Luke was born I've lost 58 pounds. Yup, impressive.

I've hired my esteemed running husband as my coach. I'm training to do the Broad Street Run because it sounds like tons of fun. Last year Tom said the crowds were fantastic. He loves to tell the story of the crazy guy shouting to the runners "You're all losing!" It starts in North Philadelphia and you go all the way down to the Stadiums. As I type this, that sounds very, very far. . . .

We've plotted out a training schedule and I'm running 6 days a week. Having Tom as a coach has been really helpful because I think in the past I was running all wrong. I think I was running entirely too hard and getting drained, or hurt, or just deciding it was too damn hard. I've had some issues with my Achilles which is frustrating but overall I've stayed healthy. I attribute this to my coach.

My schedule now really works for me. 4 days a week I have easier runs of 45 minutes. By easy, I mean I don't breathe particularly hard and don't push the pace. Sometimes it's on the treadmill or, if it's nice, I throw Luke in the jog stroller and head out when I drop Grace at school. I can run about 4.5 -5 miles in that time. One day a week is harder and faster--about a 50 minutes to an hour. I tend not to overly enjoy that day but I've decided I don't want to just finish the race. I want to feel strong and enjoy it. Not just heave myself across the finish. Sunday is my favorite run because it's nice and long. I'm up to 7 miles and I'm always a little disappointed when it's over. I like to listen to podcasts on these runs and just let my mind wander.

Yesterday's long run was pretty hard because it was so insanely windy. At one point it got really dark and I was pretty far from home. I prayed it wasn't going to pour but instead I got a snow squall. It was kind of cool but very stingy on the face. And honestly? It so much better than dealing with the whiny kids. Tom's face said it all when I got in, and I felt terrible they were so nudgey, but he then promptly got his mileage in.

This week is damn cold so we'll see how it goes. I'm hoping to get some good outside time in and that my Achilles is more and more on the mend.