The Start

In 2006 and 2005 I paced the Austin Freescale Marathon 3:00 hour group. The result was that I didn't really train myself and have fallen further and further behind what I'd consider competitive. At one point, this didn't bother me. I've accomplished just about everything I'd hoped to as a runner. Four years ago, at 41 years old, I ran a 2:44 marathon, the top Austin Master (in a slow year) and a year or two later was voted(?) the Distance Challenge Runners Choice Awards Male Masters Runner of the year. Still not sure how this happened or who voted or why. Nonetheless, the awards were a good memory with my daughter hearing my name called and watching me stumble through a totally unprepared acceptance speech.

I haven't raced in two, maybe three months. My achilles tendon on my right foot hurts everytime I run. My knees and hips are creaky and I'm about as flexible as a stick, plus I'm totally unmotivated and my hair is thinning and I'm getting bags under my eyes. Lots of guys who I never thought would beat me are routinely kicking my butt. Now I care. I want to get back into good enough shape to take one last shot at my marathon PR. To do this I made a list of things I need to do and not do. In no particular order, here they are:

Eat less doritos and cheeseburgers.
Take glucosomine, flax seed and cold water fish oil daily.
Ice knees and tendons regularly.
Ride spin bike at least 45 minutes twice a week while catching up on reality TV.
Ride neighborhood hills one morning per week.
Jump rope twice a week after spin bike soon as glucosomine kicks in.
Go to gym at lunch.
Use shoe inserts in running shoes and work shoes.
Buy heat pack and use it to warm tendons up before running.
Crack open Sheehan running book.
Join Gazelles running group in June.
Sign up for NY Marathon.
Sign up for M2M.
Run two uptempo runs per week. Stretch everyday.
Use ACT every day on sore tendon.