It’s a crazy ride…. just hold on

It’s TUNESDAY!!! And I think I have found my new/ old favorite musician… i just can’t get enough. I want to jump up and down, off of Oprah’s couch- Tom Cruise style.  I am really serious here. If you love soul… if you love toe-tappin’-turn your frown upside-down type music, you MUST check out this album.
It was released in June 2007, and i have like Marc Broussard’s music for quite some time, but OH MAN.

Trust me. If you aren’t in a better mood after listening to “Yes You Can” then there is little to no hope for lifting your spirits.

Check it out.

I am calling the Bob Jones Trail in Avila home to many a quick runs lately. My midweek runs have been quite enjoyable. I am running them pretty fast, which has been encouraging.  As my heart was about to pop out of my chest on a 5k run last week, I was able to look around and see all of the new life that is blooming and blossoming around me.  I decided to think about things I am thankful for, rather than about how much i wanted my run to be over. 
Here is what I came up with:
1. i have legs and feet and arms and lungs and a heart that all WORK. and i GET to run.
2. The sun is setting on another day I got to be alive.
3. I don’t have allergies.
4. I only have one more mile to go
5. The songs on my Ipod sure help
6. Music always helps.
7. People on the Bob Jones Trail always smile and wave.
8. The ocean is 1 mile behind me.
9. half a mile to go…
10. I have a nalgene of water in my car when i get back. yesss….

So the beat goes on. I keep pounding the pavement, and thanks to my friend/distance coach Brian Locher, I have a sweet training plan that i am doing my best to stick to.

This weekend: 12 miles. 12 beautiful miles I will be running on the trails in Santa Cruz. Yes Lord.

17 weeks to go.
this week was hard… workout wise it was okay…

I ran intervals on sunday
i lifted weights on monday
I took a brutal spin class on Thursday
I ran 4 miles on Friday
I ran 8 miles today

But it is hard to get myself into the mindset that I am doing this again. That I have another part-time job called “Marathon Training” on my schedule every day.  I met with a friend of mine who graciously created my training plan for this marathon, and I left feeling very overwhelmed. I know I can run the 26.2 miles, I did that in January. But the question now becomes: Do I want to improve?

New phrases like 160-180 bpm and daily food diary are now a very real part of my life. I am very much looking forward to seeing how much my body is capable of… but I am still taking long, slow, deep breaths preparing myself for what is ahead.

I ran today. 8 miles. Add 18.2 to that, and I’m set!

until next week…

Last sunday started the next 18-week journey
until the next marathon.

The San Francisco Marathon is the next stop on this runner’s list… and I am still in the “really?!? do you really want to do this again?” phase.

I want to do a  better job of tracking this journey, week by week. The reason why I decided to run a marathon is because I got to watch a friend of mine victoriously run through the finishline of his first marathon. And because I ran 26.2 miles, a few of my friends have jumed on the marathon wagon.  I can’t to see their faces after they finish their first race. 

 
(this is mark after last year’s SF marathon)

 
(pre-race photo opportunity)

(post marathon bliss)