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Rock N’ Roll Half Marathon is Just 10 Days Away!

In just ten days, I’ll be running a distance I’ve never tried before: 13.1 miles. Not to get overly dramatic (sorry, working with high school seniors on their college admissions essays doesn’t help) but that is a long way. I always thought of myself as a middle distance runner, anywhere from 1-6 miles. So this is out of my comfort zone, for sure. I really haven’t thought of race strategies, diets, pacing, all these running terms for some time, probably since right after undergrad. I didn’t think I’d run again, after going through injury after injury everytime I tried to pick up running again.

Thanks to a book I came across called “Chi Running”, I’m back in the saddle again. It hasn’t been all gravy, as I had some leg pain two weeks ago and I’ve been sidelined the last couple of days with a cold. But based on my training, I know I can finish. I did 90 minutes about a month ago, good for at least 8 or 9 miles. I probably won’t be able to do that distance again before the race, but it gave me the confidence that I can do it with the proper preparation, rest, diet and mindset. It feels great to be running again and doing something I’ve done since I was in middle school, when I ran my first Bay to Breakers in San Francisco.

My goal is to finish. Plain and simple. Anything near or under 2 hours would be awesome, but time and speed aren’t as important to me they used to be. I want to enjoy the journey, not so much worry about the finish line. I guess that’s been a theme in my life over the last several years as I’ve matured. And now with the baby coming, my reasons for running have changed. I don’t run so much for myself anymore, I’m doing it for my family. It feels weird to say it but having this baby come now is a blessing that’s gotten me into shape again. I want to be an active, in-shape father for our baby. I want to tell baby that daddy did a half marathon for him or her right before they were born. With Linda the one who has to carry the baby these months, I feel I have to prepare too by doing this. This is my journey with and for the baby as well. I don’t know when I’ll be able to prepare for a race like this again so now is a great time. Some say having a child is a rite of passage, and with the way everything has been going for us this year, it’s as if all of our journeys as a family are running in parallel. I’m looking forward to enjoying the journey on the course and welcoming our baby’s arrival.