Run Fatboy Run

Last weekend, while we were spending most of the time drinking it up in Bend, Oregon, I took time out on Saturday morning to make sure I got my 3 mile run in. I couldn't miss out on this run; I was on a very aggressive training schedule for a half-marathon in October and any missteps could severely affect my preparation for this run.

Prior to the run, I had been doing all of my training indoors, on the treadmill at our neighborhood gym. I started off with a mile, working my way up to 2 miles by the end of the week. I got there, but I was still out of shape enough that I had to break for a short walk at the 1.5 mile mark. Last week, my training started off with a 1.5 mile run, working up to the 3 mile run in Bend. I struggled that week as well, and by Saturday's run, I was already questioning whether or not I was going to be able to do this.

I didn't want to admit defeat. I really wanted to be able to run the half marathon in October. It was going to be a weekend where Wac & I take over the world by running, me & my half, her and her full marathon the next day. I was feeling more motivated to run a half marathon than I had ever felt before. But each day, as I struggled on the treadmill, I felt myself becoming more and more discouraged. I was struggling to get to 2 miles - how was I going to be able to get to 4 miles in two weeks? And 6 miles by my birthday?

When I met up with Wac on my run that Saturday, we stopped by McDonald's to use their restroom. When I came out, I told her what had been building up in my mind the past couple of weeks.

I wasn't going to run the half marathon in October.

First, I felt like I was really struggling to increase my distance so quickly. I was basically trying to run 13.1 miles in 3 months from scratch. As motivated as I was, I started thinking that was going to be too much, and each day that I trained, the mental aspect of running became more & more difficult to overcome.

Secondly, being unemployed, I didn't want to run the risk of pushing too hard & seriously injuring myself. Although this was much less of a concern, it was still a concern nonetheless. Most of the injuries I could get as a runner are solved by simple things like rest or ice packs, but if I happened to tear a ligament or something just as catastrophic, I would be seriously fucked.

Anyways, it all boiled down to the fact that I didn't think I'd be ready in time for a half marathon in October. Even she had several months of training & a couple 5k's under her belt before she started training for the Vancouver half-marathon. What I was attempting to do was even more drastic than that, and I wasn't confident that I could. Part of me felt like I was giving up too soon, but the sensible side of me reminded the rest that this wasn't quitting, it was just a postponement.

So, despite what I said before, I won't be running the Leavenworth half marathon on October 4th. Instead, I'm going to finish what I originally started 4 years ago.

January 18th, 2009. The P.F. Chang's Rock & Roll Half-Marathon in Phoenix, AZ. The very first half-marathon I ever started training for...just four years late.

This time, I'm for real.