Before I started to run consistently again mid January 2011, I was tipping the scales at 240...the heaviest I'd ever been. Let's just say I really enjoyed myself from Thanksgiving through New Year's.
I had already decided that I was going to do something physically challenging during the year. Two friends trained and successfully completed the NYC marathon in November 2010, both for the first time. Another friend was training for the Miami Half in late January 2011.
I got the two pairs of running shoes pictured above and trained during 6 weeks for a 10K race held the last Sunday of February. By then I had lost close to 20 pounds thanks to a 3-week diet (with the help of my wife...she was on it too!) and 90 or so miles put in on the road. It wasn't my best performance on race day, but I reached my goal of completing the race without problems and sticking to a training plan in preparation for it.
Midway through training for the 10K race I had already made up my mind (and had a friend committed) to run the Chicago Marathon. I signed up the day registration opened, and plane and hotel reservations quickly followed. October seemed far away.
In March, I joined a running group following a friend's advice. Since then, I have completed long runs of 10, 12 and 15 miles. I've shed 5 more pounds and pounded my knees for an additional 170 plus miles. A couple of Saturday's ago I ran my 15-mile long run. It was brutal towards the end. My knees felt as if they were going to explode outward. I recovered nicely and will do my next long run (18 miles) in 10 days. I've kept swimming once a week and doing short tempo and easy runs on weekdays. It's funny how I can run two 10Ks a week nowadays and not think much of it.
Chicago is only 3 months away. Now I have to get my fundraising groove on (haven't raised a dime yet), and keep on chugging along.
Be sure to visit my LIVESTRONG Fundraising page at the link below. All proceeds benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
http://run.livestrong.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=436387&supid=320569758
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