What a year its been!

Today is technically a cross train day since yesterday i rested (yet another Dr. appt) and tomorrow is long run.  Well, today is going to be a different type of cross training day because I'm running a 2 mile Mid-Winter Beach fun run.  Always a good time, and a good quick run, but i will tell you... you trot along and trot along and think life is just peachy, until the race volunteers out on the course direct you to the sand on the course.  Its awfulllll!  Its practically like running right into a brick wall at full force.  And today its about 40 mph winds!!!  There are many approaches to the sandy part of the run as well.  Stay high and run in the softer sand but keep close to the top where the entrance and exit are.  Or go down low towards the water line where the sand might be firmer but its that much more out of your way.  Humm... i think i will make that a game time decision.

So today when i woke up i realized its been a little over a year since i started distance run training.  Last year in mid January i was starting my training for the Asbury Park Half Marathon April 17th, 2010.  That training was pretty good, except that was when i got my shin splints.  Ouchhh!  Talk about pain with every step.  At least with Elvis i don't feel him all the time.  At last years mid-winter run in Manasquan i ended up chatting with a podiatrist friend of my sisters, Dr. George Fahoury, and he suggested i come in and see him.  So i did, and he fitted me for orthodics.  I didn't get them until after the half-er was over, but since then they have made a tremendous difference in my life!  Who would have thought I'd get such satisfaction from shoe inserts?!  I also added the Zensah compression sleeves to my running outfits around September.  I think they make a great difference as well.  So the shin issue has been quite manageable really.  Hope i see podiatrist Dr. Fahoury again today to thank him :-)

Its really crazy to think about how far I've come in a year.  If you had told me last year at this time that i would be training for a marathon i'd have told you that you were crazy out of your mind!  And yet, here i am!  I'm really happy to have made this commitment in my life and stuck with it even though none of it has been very easy.  I'm lucky to have such great family and friends that support me when i make these wacky decisions like running a marathon.  And some of them not only support me, but then decide they want to do it WITH me too!  I have great people in my life!

So tomorrow's 18, the whole foursome (Me, Moe, Mike and Danny) will all be back together :-)  This will be the longest distance I've ever run in my life, so it will be an experience and an accomplishment all rolled into one!  Check back tomorrow because I'm SURE it will be interesting!