Going for it...

After a lot of consideration, I've decided to try to run the Rock-N-Roll marathon here in SD on May 31. I felt pretty good after running the 10-mile race on Thanksgiving Day. This is ONLY 16.2 miles longer than that race!

Actually, the biggest thing that has been holding me back is the amount of time needed to train. I enjoy running, but usually, I have the time to do it only once or twice a week. To prepare for this, I need to be running between 4-6 times a week and gradually extending the length of my long runs on Saturdays. Life gets in the way, as do all the extra activities I enjoy like surfing, playing wallyball, hikes with the guys, etc.

I wanted to see how well I could stick to the training schedule over a few weeks before I signed up or made an official decision to pursue this goal. Even with working very late two nights last week on a commercial shoot, I only really missed one of the training sessions, and I had a great 6-mile run on Saturday at Kit Carson Park.

Another concern has been injury. I have a nagging ankle sprain from a hike in the Autumn, but I've found that it is aggravated when I run on concrete, and I don't even notice it when running on dirt or asphalt. So, I won't be running around work any longer - nothing but sidewalks around here.

If you are curious about what I will actually be doing to prepare, here is the schedule I am trying to follow. I am currently in week 4. This is going to be one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I would like to realize my goal and complete the marathon in 4 hrs and 30 min which would be slightly slower than 10 minute miles. Do you think I can do it?