Geez... here I go again...

Time to set a goal and get moving. Over the last year I lost both my parents and gained a bunch of my weight back.

Not sure how easy it will come off, but 2012 is about getting back in shape and hopefully being able to run a half marathon again...

Much more to come!

Time to get serious....

I have been letting my weight slide. I am tired of that. My running is pretty much back on schedule, though I still have some PF issues in my left foot.

New running shoes seem to be helping that. I hope to start building my mileage again and adding some cross training.

I am also going to start blogging!

I run downtown a lot and have some thoughts about Swamp Rabbit Trail that I will post soon.

Still running....

I'm still out there pounding the pavement. I have given up long distances for the short term and am enjoying a lot of 3-4 mile runs. New job downtown allows me the opportunity for a quick lunchtime run since I have a shower at the office and quick access to Greenville's Swamp Rabbit Trail.

Bailed out on the Greer Half last weekend. Shooting for some 5K's between now and fall and I may go for the Spinx half or Kiawah half then....

Lots of thoughts about running downtown that I will share in the near future.

Eating and running....

I am an elite athlete, as long as eating is a sport!

I am hanging steady with my weight but not losing like I need to. That is all on me, it isn't some mystery just simple math... burn more than you eat and you will lose.

I have had some decent runs lately and I hope to keep this up as I approach the Greer half.

Jelly Beans are my downfall during Easter season... I guess I should have given them up for Lent!

Still going...

I am starting to feel a little more confident again. Reedy River 10K was a great run. Lee and I ran together the whole way and that was nice. She thought I was holding back but truth be told, I was happy with the pace. This week hasn't gone as planned because of the weather. I am glad I ran Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday I hit the elliptical. I hope to get out today and then get in 8 or so on Sunday.

I have started running some different routes. I don't really think they are better. In fact, they keep me on concrete sidewalks more than my old ones did. For whatever reason, my brain is wanting to run that direction though. Part of it is that my 'normal' route goes by the neighborhood pool and I am in pool avoidance mode right now. I have the pleasure of being president of our neighborhood pool and this is the worst time of year as we are eagerly anticipating dues coming in. I hate interrupting a good run with the stress I feel as I run by the pool!

Anyway, I have been pleasantly surprised with my running of late and I am starting to look forward to the Earth Day half. Not sure what I will race after that. The Sunrise Run is a good one, but the night before the race I always dread getting up that early. Of course, the candlelight run is an option that doesn't affect my sleep but I absolutely cannot stand the course out at iCar. I understand the beauty of having a place that is easy to control traffic, but a straight course that has no flat sections just gets old real fast.

Enough moaning and groaning... It is Friday!

I give in....

I give in... I realize that I need a target race to get me on the road with a purpose... I have enjoyed my laid back running since the Marine Corps Marathon last year, but I need to get back on the horse before I get as big as a horse!

The races I have run since the marathon have been run/walks with the kids. While I enjoyed those, it has allowed me to not really train very hard. With the Reedy River 10K less than three weeks away, I realized that I need to target something for motivation. I am not looking forward to finishing the 10K at the one hour mark because of my weight and lack of training.

So I have signed up for the Greer Earth Day Half Marathon in April. It will require a lot of training for me to get ready for that. I am allowing myself to shoot for 10 minutes longer than my run last year of 1:57. Even though all three of my half marathons have been under two hours, I want to finish this one around 2:05 and take that into some summer training for the Midnight Flight 10K on Labor Day and the Spinx Half next October. The football schedule was good to us as far as the Spinx goes this year, so I should be able to run it.

As bad of shape as I am in right now, I almost though about gearing up for a return to the Marine Corps Marathon this fall. However, I thought about some of those long runs and decided to postpone the full marathon for at least another year. I may wait three more and run it when I am 45....

So, off to Runners World I go to generate a training schedule!

Slowly moving into the year....

I have had some good runs lately, but I still need to drop 10 pounds to get down to my preferred running weight. If it doesn't start dropping a little quicker, I will head back to Weight Watchers to get my eating in control.

Greenville News was a great course this year. Lee and I ran with young son, so there was plenty of time to enjoy the scenery. Not sure he really needs to pushing the 5K's right now because he just doesn't get enough work in at the school running club. I think we may limit him to 1 milers for a while and see if he really likes running or not.

Coaching my daughters basketball team may take me out of the Green Valley 10 Miler... I would really be pushing to get ready for it anyway. I still want to get in shape for a decent Reedy River 10K and then the Greer Earth Day half. That race was really brutal with the unexpected heat last year and I want to give it another shot now that I am prepared for the course.

This week should be a good one for running. I think I am going to take today off because of this cold I am fighting and then get back on the horse tomorrow. I guess I need to go ahead and pick a training plan for the Greer Half so I can really get some motivation.

On track so far...

No long runs yet, but I have done something every day this week so far. Got 2 on Sunday, 3.5 on Monday and an elliptical workout yesterday.

I hope to run today at lunch. I would like to go for 5 or more, but I need to see how warm it is.

When this cold blows out of here, I want to get back to early morning workouts as much as possible. After reading last month's Runners World article about runners getting killed on the road, I am a little hesitant to go back out in the dark. I really like having it done early in the day though. It makes the rest of the day run smoother and I feel great.

One run in...

Short as it was, I did get 2 miles in yesterday evening. It was already 32 degrees when we started, so it was pretty cold.

Hoping to get in 4 miles or so today. This is going to be a cold week, so I plan on doing some cross training as well.

Bundle up if you are heading out for a run today!

Starting Over....

I thought this is an appropriate title based on where I am today. I looked back at my goals from 2009 and realized I had a pretty good year. I didn't hit all of them, but I hit some major ones.... Most notably the 26.2 mile threshold was broken. I also completed two other half marathons. I missed my mileage total by 9 miles. Strictly laziness after the marathon.

The one goal I am most disappointed in missing is maintaining my weight watchers goal weight. This is the goal that I am attacking first this year. I am starting today with my diet and exercise ramp up!

If all goes well, I will be back at goal by mid to late February. That should put me in position to really focus on some running for the spring. My other goals for 2010....

1) Complete two half marathons. (Hold off on marathon #2 for a year or so....)
2) Set a PR in the 5K and 10K. (Sounds like last year's missed goals....)
3) Run 1200 miles. This will be difficult for me without a marathon to train for.
4) Work in some strength training once or twice a week.
5) Get back to yoga on a weekly basis.
6) Maintain my Weight Watchers goal weight.
7) Run the following races...
-Reedy River 10K (PR Target)
-Shamrock Fun Run
-Greer Half
-Cooper River
-Midnight Flight
-Spinx Runfest (Half or 5K?)
-Lungs4Life 5K (PR Target)
-Taylors Turkey Trot
-Gettys Christmas Cruise

Well that is a manageable set of goals and I hope to hit them all. I am going to start by heading to the Y today!