So far, I've done a pretty good job of following my training schedules for weeks 1 and 2. The hard thing for me about marathon training, is that I don't always want to run when I work out! But I'm too competitive to not run. I can't not train. I have my running schedule in my phone, so if 14 miles is staring at me from the daily calendar screen, not checking it off will drive me crazy! So run I will. (But that doesn't mean I'm going to skip my favorite classes each week...a little cross-training never hurts, right?) Hopefully I end up at the starting line ready to run, and not completely haggard from over-training and exhaustion. Is it bad that I'm already excited for the marathon (at the end of May) to be over so I can chill out a bit?
Life is constantly full of reminders (for me) that there is much more to life than getting in a good workout. A week and a half ago, our cute little niece received a phone call the family had been waiting for for 6 months. She was getting a new liver! So less than 3 months from the time our little baby nephew was leaving Primary Children's Hospital, our 10-year old niece was entering.
In church today, we learned about "giving service." I couldn't help but think of the family that made it possible for our cute niece to get a new liver. At the time my sister-in-law received the phone call, Little C's "donor" was still alive...on life support. This individual's family had made the decision to take their child off life support, and were giving the liver to our sweet niece. As they sat tearfully anticipating saying goodbye to their loved one, we were all cheering--so excited that Little C. was finally getting another chance at a healthy life. My heart aches for that family, and I hope they know that they were an answer to a lot of prayers in our niece's behalf.
Another reminder that struck close to home for me, was the passing of a dear friend's mom last week. Around the time my baby was born last year, Caroline Rober was diagnosed with ALS--Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis--commonly called Lou Gehrig disease. If you want to learn about what's REALLY important in this life, read this blog about her journey. The most recent posts are the remarks given at her funeral. If nothing else, read my friend Mark's talk about his mom and the parable of the Christmas Lace. Incredible woman who never lost sight of what really matters, and left the best legacy for her children.
Life is so very precious. And for me, my health is something I try not to take for granted. I push myself to the limits because I want to be around for the long haul. I don't have control over a lot of things, but I do have control over how I choose to take care of the body I've been blessed with.
So this week I will run because I can. Will you?
Monday: Interval--8 to 11 miles, 2x (800m-600m-400m-200m), at 5K-10K pace, 1 minute recovery, 3-5 minutes between sets
Tuesday: Distance--5 to 6 miles
Wednesday: Tempo--8 to 10 miles, 2 x 15 minutes at marathon tempo, 5 minutes recovery
Thursday: Distance--4 to 6 miles
Friday: Distance--5 to 8 miles
Saturday: Long Distance--15 to 17 miles
