My Next Adventure

Hello from the other side...of a grand adventure. And another school year. And my first half marathon. It's been a hell of a year. And now summer has come. I get a couple of weeks off, and then start my summer job.

I've been enjoying the break--not setting my alarm, setting my own schedule, choosing some new adventures.

Last Tuesday marked one month since my half marathon. One month since I had run. And about three weeks since I said, "I don't know that I'll be running any marathons any time soon..." And the truth is, I don't know that I want to run a marathon...but I do love a challenge. So last week, when I found an 18 week training plan (Hal Higdon's Novice 1) and discovered that the Lakefront Marathon is 17 weeks away, I thought, well, what the hell!

So here we are. One week of marathon training under my belt. I've decided to document my training here. Because training is kind of a cool journey. But I know it won't be an easy one. So each run I will take a photo of myself, and a photo of something I see on my run that I find beautiful or unique. 

Day One

This was a pretty good run. I chose the flattest and shadiest route I could find, figuring my first 3 miles back in a month would be a little rough--plus it was hot(see sweaty picture below!) I took a picture of the trail into the woods, but it has self-destructed--I'll go back and retake soon. The run itself wasn't awful--a little on the slow side, but not disappointed for my first run back.

Day Two

I did NOT want to run. It was one of those days. But I made myself go. I was NOT losing the mental game. So I did it. And I survived. Kicked it into gear, and got a lot closer to my race pace, with a pretty great first mile. And I did it without music, which is kind of a big deal for me. But it felt right. On my walk back, I noticed some colorful flowers in a pot along the path.

Day Three
This was a fun one. I joined Lighthouse Events for a Chase the Sun Run at Holy Hill. It was HOT, but drizzly. And even better--it was a trail run! Haven't done one of those since I last left Camp. We started at Holy Hill and picked up the Ice Age Trail--it was a blast! Took a little longer, was a little tougher, but it was a happy run. And the pictures speak for themselves!




Day Four: Long Run Day
The week has been weird--lots going on, things getting in the way. So I finally got to my long run today. And even then, time got in the way! Normally, I never wake up and run in the morning. I wake up and eat breakfast. Manage to get myself dressed. But working out? No way. But today I had a very small window, because my lovely wife was having surgery. So I did the damn thing. I got up. Ate breakfast. Managed to get myself dressed. And ran.

I slowed it down without regret, because I knew it was the only way to accomplish my long run goal. On account of time (old habits die hard!) I came up one mile short of my goal--but I'm not mad. It was a great run. The heat had finally broken, it was nice and cool. I chose to start my run by making several laps around my block--its about 1.5 miles around. I passed another runner who was doing the same thing, greeting each other with a smile and a wave each time. The second half of the run took me to the end of the village and back. Today's picture is Greendale Village Hall, because I loved my run around my city.


Check back to see how things are going :)