Tuesday, February 26, 2008

A 30+ Mile Week is Good, Right? – John

So I end this week up over 30 miles. I was a little annoyed and feeling sorry for myself for a few reasons. First, for this week’s long run, Jimmy decided to run with our friends Mike and Paul. Both of them are too fast for me, and beyond five miles or so, for Jimmy also. I’m not sure what he was thinking. Secondly, I was disappointed with my level of fitness and my speed.

Despite that, I had a great run today. The weather was nice and I was by myself. With three kids and a job in a sales organization, three hours of “alone time” can be golden. I enjoyed the run and the ability to be alone with my thoughts. It reminded me that not too long ago, at the end of last year, I almost thought I would be hanging up my marathon shoes for good. The serenity of running by myself came to me. I was pretty tired for the rest of the day since I have not run this long since last year’s Boston Marathon. I did not clock the mileage, but went by time and estimate about 15 miles.

After running, I did have enough “gas in the tank” to watch my three kids while the older two had friends over. My wife went out for the afternoon (mommies who don’t run need alone time too). My daughter and I baked a cake together, and she and my younger son’s friend (they also play together) decorated it after I iced it. I realized that before my gastric bypass, I would have been this (or more tired) just from hanging around. I would not have even been able to bend over to put the cake in the oven.

So writing this blog helped me come to a few conclusions tonight. Maybe I won’t run my PR this year at Boston. Maybe I won’t even finish. Just being able to line up in that corral this April is more than I would have imagined seven or so years ago. However, being able to live, laugh and bake a cake with your five-year-old daughter is a better thing than a 30+ mile week. I think I’ll take both and smile.

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