Back in the Saddle

I debated whether or not to actually go through with this blog. Would I have time to keep up with all the training and fundraising? Would anyone care? Well, I decided that, if nothing else, writing a blog entry every so often will keep me motivated and allow me to get the thoughts in my head out on a page.

Since we last met (I'm pretending that someone's actually read the blog since my first posts), I've started training in earnest with TNT. It's gone well so far--so well, in fact, that I'm concerned I might get a little carried away. But I'm able to go almost 7 miles at a pretty decent pace (close to what I want to run in my marathon in June), and everything feels really good. I've dropped four pounds or so, I've got more energy to deal with things at school and at home (most of which are incredibly good), and I'm feeling like I've got a decent shot at fulfilling my goals. Speaking of which:

MY GOALS!!
3:30 marathon (a stretch, but 11 minutes faster than what I ran in my first marathon, when I was a lot dumber and more single)
A bunch of other races, hopefully Personal Records (PRs) - I'm thinking I'd like to beat my 1:41 half-marathon time in May
Drop down to at least 155 pounds (I'm 161-ish now)
Fit in the training and still be good at my job and have a life (probably my biggest challenge)
Have fun! (I'm not worried about this part)

I realized when I got back into running that, more than just about anything, running empowers me, makes me feel like I can actually pull off all the stuff I need to accomplish in my life. My life's been exciting the last few years, but my health's definitely taken a back seat. Now, I'm trying to strike a balance between taking care of others (students, pets, my wife--although, really, she takes care of me--and people fighting blood cancers) and taking care of myself. If anyone figures out exactly how to pull that off, let me know.

Bedtime--out for 5.75 in the morning!