1/2 Marathon Training: Week 1, Run 1
Mamma Mia! Here I go again. That song came on during my run tonight, and I thought it was very apropos.
All I wanted to do when I got home today was change into my pajamas, settle in on the couch with a big bowl of my mom's strangely delicious carrot salad, watch this morning's season 7 Bravo reruns of The West Wing, and then transition into the first competition night of season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance to find out what in the heck is going on with Billy Bell. You know, really productive stuff.
But I told myself it would be dumb to squander one of the last evenings of the year when it would be light outside after work, threw my keys down when I walked in the door, changed immediately into my running clothes before I could change my mind, and hit the road.
It wasn't an easy three miles. I was tired after two, and I felt myself actually feeling hungry. I guess my decadent sliver of quiche and amazing pear tart and latte that I had for lunch from my favorite cafe were not the greatest fuel for running. But I soldiered on. The sky was beautiful, the runners and dog walkers and bikers were out in full force, the egrets were gliding over the water, and all was peaceful.
I started thinking about the word "squander" and how if I am ever sitting before James Lipton and he asks me the Bernard Pivot questions, "squander" is definitely in the running as my least favorite word. Squandering is just not a cool thing to do. Squandering good will. Squandering money. Squandering fitness. Squandering time.
The first 3-mile run of my training took me 36 minutes. I can only get faster from here. (I hope.) These next 18 weeks are going to get ugly. The strategy I've always tried to use, which I'm going to try to use this time, is one breath, one step, one run, one aching calf, one Kelly Clarkson song at a time.
Today's Best Running Song: "My Life Would Suck Without You."
All I wanted to do when I got home today was change into my pajamas, settle in on the couch with a big bowl of my mom's strangely delicious carrot salad, watch this morning's season 7 Bravo reruns of The West Wing, and then transition into the first competition night of season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance to find out what in the heck is going on with Billy Bell. You know, really productive stuff.
But I told myself it would be dumb to squander one of the last evenings of the year when it would be light outside after work, threw my keys down when I walked in the door, changed immediately into my running clothes before I could change my mind, and hit the road.
It wasn't an easy three miles. I was tired after two, and I felt myself actually feeling hungry. I guess my decadent sliver of quiche and amazing pear tart and latte that I had for lunch from my favorite cafe were not the greatest fuel for running. But I soldiered on. The sky was beautiful, the runners and dog walkers and bikers were out in full force, the egrets were gliding over the water, and all was peaceful.
I started thinking about the word "squander" and how if I am ever sitting before James Lipton and he asks me the Bernard Pivot questions, "squander" is definitely in the running as my least favorite word. Squandering is just not a cool thing to do. Squandering good will. Squandering money. Squandering fitness. Squandering time.
The first 3-mile run of my training took me 36 minutes. I can only get faster from here. (I hope.) These next 18 weeks are going to get ugly. The strategy I've always tried to use, which I'm going to try to use this time, is one breath, one step, one run, one aching calf, one Kelly Clarkson song at a time.
Today's Best Running Song: "My Life Would Suck Without You."
Labels: half-marathon training, running
posted by eliza @ 6:33 PM
2 Comments:
Looking forward to hearing all about your training. Sounds like you'll have quite the group run. Good Luck!
Thanks Frank! Yep, I think the whole Internet might be coming! Which is fine by me.
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