Catch up (not what you put on your burger)

Next week starts the official 18 week training for the marathon. So let me bring you up to speed. After Lynn (my partner in this crazy idea) and I decide to do the marathon, I decide I better do something other than run to the beer cooler and back. I start running. Not far at first. I get about a mile or a mile and a half in without stopping and I'm thinking, "this isn't too bad!" I work my up in mileage and even get in a 6 mile run! And that's when the pain set in. I back off on the running and finally just stop. I go to the doc and am diagnosed with achilles tendonitis. Great. I take some anti-inflammatories and stay off it for another week. About 4 weeks total with essentially no running sure doesn't help in my quest. Finally though I'm back on my feet. I'm slowly getting back to where I thought I was before the heel pain. Up to this point I've done my first 5K race and finished in just over 31 minutes. Which I was ok with. I know it's slow, but I only go fast up to about a 1/4 mile, remember?

My training plan starts next week and I'm following the plan laid out by Hal Higdon. Seems like a smart fella. I mean, he's only done like 100+ marathons, so he should know what he's talking about! I have a 10K race (ok, "race") coming up next weekend. My first long run of training. I figure if I have to run 6 miles, I might as well get a tee shirt for it! In October I'm going to do my first of 2 races, err "races" at Disney. A 13K at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It sounds like a lot of fun! I've included the link. In November I'm going to do a 1/2 marathon in Overland Park. The Gobbler Grind. And I've even got a couple of running partners for that one! All in all, it'll be a hell of a ride. Subscribe to this blog if you want to come along! And sign up for the marathon if you want to take the ride first hand!