This post is part of the Walking (and Running) My Talk blog series documenting my personal journey to the marathon.
Okay…so far so good. Then came the winter months of 2011. Laziness set in. “We’ll start training next week” became a constant slogan. There were tons of distractions and other displacement activities to blame on our lack of commitment to training…but deep down, we both assumed that we’d make the time to do it when the time was “right.”
Early in May we started to get serious. We went for a few training runs, leaving me beat up. That’s when the pain started.
Because I had not trained properly, I’d injured my left foot. In about a mile, my heel would start aching like it was being stabbed with every step and my toes would fall asleep. It was painful at first, but within a few weeks it was excruciating. Eventually, it got so it hurt no matter what I was doing…sitting, standing, walking, stretching. Running became absolutely impossible.
After months of prodding from my bestie and my wife (man, do those two know how to gang up on me), I went to the doctor. He wasn’t sure I should continue my training and sent me off to a podiatrist who concurred.
So just a few months ahead of the marathon I was told by my doctors that my two year goal was dead in the water. I was devastated. And embarrassed. I mean, I had told the entire world that I was doing this, Meredyth was planning to do it with me so SHE had told everyone she knows and loves, and we had invested all that time and energy getting qualified in 2010….and now it was all for not?!? UNACCEPTABLE!!!
All of this was squelched once we looked up the cancellation policy with the marathon…we could postpone to 2012. In fact, we can postpone annually if we want, just as long as we pay for registration each year.
So, in November we watched the 2011 Marathon…the one we were originally slated to run. We went to Central Park to cheer the runners on who were just 2 miles away from the finish line.
It was moving. Inspiring. Unbelievable. Powerful.
And incredibly EMPOWERING!
My foot has healed and we are ready to restart our training program. We are more fired up than ever before. So here’s what we are going to do…
- Complete Jeff Galloways Run/Walk Half-Marathon Training Program for Beginning Runners (20 weeks)
- Followed by his Run/Walk Marathon Training Program for Novice Runners (28 weeks)
- Adopt a gluten-free clean diet plan (this is due to my wife’s new dietary requirement to follow a strict gluten-free diet)
- Joined Diana Antholis’ Unleash Your Sexy Coaching Program (the Lioness Package RAWR!) Fully personalized one-on-one Unleash Your Sexy wellness coaching and virtual personal training sessions
I’d like to bring you along with me during this exciting experience this year. I’ll be posting updates each week with what I’ve done, what I’ve learned, what’s kicking my ass, and how I’m growing. Please cheer me (and my wife) on as we make this Audacious three year goal become a reality!
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