A gift on National Running Day. (run not included)

Birth is a life changing event. Most of us are fortunate never to remember the actual process that it took, but our Mothers will remind us if it was bad for them. My mother never said that it was that much of a traumatic experience. My son however will most likely be reminded about how things went by my wife. It was very exciting but also very difficult on my wife. I even had to change the first diapers and do the first feedings because my wife was really put through the ringer. She is walking around as if she had some total body marathon all form a bed. Yikes, I thought training for a marathon and then running it was tuff, what she did was just amazing.

My son was born on National Running Day at 1:49AM, so I was unable to get a run in yesterday. Very little sleep and having to be a dad changed priorities for me. I was all talk about how I would be fine leaving to go back to school and go for runs even while in the hospital. Like I said that was all talk and that I will most likely get my first run in on the weekend but the earliest Friday. After that, I have no idea how to plan or make plans for times like these.

I am looking forward to try to be a good role model for my son. I hope that he ends up being a runner and is better than I was or will ever be. For now, I think that I am going to take all this in, and worry about running later.

runpd

No Longer Dreaming of a White Anything

Over the past weeks, I have been able to get some sort of consistency with my mileage and slowly increasing it to the 50 miles per week I like to have. One of the problems that I am having as I increase my mileage is that my times (avg. pace) are at paces that I would normally be upset with but with all the snow we have got this year it is very difficult to find a path that does not have ice or packed snow on it. I normally do not have many issues with this but this record amount of snow really does change how a person runs. On one of my first attempts at a longer run (12+) my hips hurt that evening and even into the next day from all the side to side leg action to keep my self upright. The city finally cleared the snow on the “walking, bike” path and I was able to get a good healthy stride length and did not have to worry about footing.


Then the cold temperature set in. I have become accustomed to the couple of times a winter were for a stretch of days the temperature is borderline safe to go out and run. Even on those days, I go out and run because every runner needs to get what I call his or her idiot badge. Your idiot badge is received any time after your run you make the statement “I should have not done that.” The idiot badge can be received in all kinds of weather.

In the midst of all the cold and snow, I signed up to run the second Mankato Marathon, held on October 22, 2011. I have had the count down for that race going for some time. The registration has been open since January first, and again the field size is limited but is more than the previous year (I think). Some might not agree with limiting the field size on a smaller marathon but to me it makes sense. Last years inaugural race was great the crowds are what one would expect for the size of the town. However, the service received from the volunteers and staff was great they were defiantly not overwhelmed and that will keep people coming back to run this race.

So training starts now. Got to go and get yet another idiot badge.