VT Dad’s fight vs. inertia & flab

Due to scheduling conflicts that were beyond my control, I had to use my bicycle as my primary transportation vehicle today.  On the way to work, my rear tire suffered a flat while crossing a rough patch of the road that is under construction.  Luckily, another teacher traveling along my route in a truck recognized me and brought me to work and home after school.  Thursday afternoons I am taking a class at the University of Vermont.  I decided to throw my books in a backpack and run the 5 or so miles from my house to campus.  As I began my run, I was struggling with an imbalance between my two legs.  Something was awry with my left leg.  After a mile, I stopped running, and began hitchhiking, with hopes to arrive on time.  Luckily, within 5 minutes I was able to get a ride.  It wasn’t as a hitchhiker, but I was able to hail a passing cab.

I’ve got to get out on the road soon, when I have some time, and try and figure out what’s going on with my leg, and how to fix my stride.

As my summer ended, so did my late night part time job. I’ve been itching to get back on the road, but I’ve had a scratchy throat, and runny nose, and I don’t want the crude to invade my respiratory system. So I’m impatiently waiting, and hopefully I’ll be running with a vengence soon. I have a 4 races scheduled over 6 weeks ranging from 5K to 1/2 marathon.

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah begins tomorrow night, and arrives at a perfect time for me to renew my running.  During the summer I played basketball and bicycled, and began a part time late night job, where I threw luggage, and cleaned airplanes, but which left me exhausted the next day.  Now it’s time to begin the year anew, and look at my running plan.

Starting tomorrow, I plan to run 4-5 times a week, while spending Thursdays on my bicycle.  This will include one or two base runs per week ~7.6 miles each, a hill run, a tempo run and one long run weekly.  I have a half marathon in 2 weeks, and will probably find a 10K, and a few 5Ks to race throughout the fall.  This April, I’m hoping to get one of my running club’s 5 slots to race the Boston Marathon.  So my marathon training would start in November.

I hope everyone has a sweet new year.  L’shana Tova Tika Tavu.