Another Day 0

As this is my first post here, I'm sure this will ramble quite a bit, so if you're reading, please bear with me.

I've started and stopped many blogs over the years, as I realized that I never really had anything worth posting and/or lost interest pretty quickly. So why now? Well, I'm training for a marathon, and I figured that was as good a topic as any. At least I'm supposed to be training for a marathon. And that brings us to the title of this post. 

I have many months left to train. The race I've selected is the Detroit Free Press Marathon, as it's my hometown race. I've already run the half-marathon twice, and - while I've felt extremely glad both times when I've rounded the corner to finish the half instead of veering off to continue on to the full - I figure it's time to go for it. Anyway, it's January 4, and the Marathon is not until October. So, as I said, I have plenty of time. I ran a 5K tonight, but it was nothing special. And that's why I feel that today was another day 0.

One of these days, I will begin my training, but for now, I seem to be only motivated to continue running the way I have for the past few years. And that means whenever I felt like it. Usually that means 2-3 times a week, and it's usually nothing more than 8K.

In order to ramp things up and get serious, my first order of business has to be to find a training plan that is realistic for me, and that fits my schedule. I own my own company and work full-time, have two young daughters, teach at the local College 2x a week (5-8pm), and my wife is training for a half-ironman. Training time is clearly at a premium. My hope is that documenting my "progress" and putting it out there on the web will help keep me focused and motivated. 

Prior to the Marathon, I have the Angus Glen Ten Miler race lined up for April, and I'm part of a relay team, running the half-marathon leg of the Steelhead Half-Ironman Triathlon in Benton Harbor, MI., in August. I suppose in some respects, my Marathon training won't get into full steam until April, but training for the 10 miler, will certainly count, won't it?

So there you have it. A long rambling first post that I really didn't want to be my first post. I wanted the first one to say, "here I go, I'm on my way to being a marathoner." But then again, maybe I am. I guess putting it in black and white that I plan to do the race is the first step. The first of many on the way to 26.2. Stay tuned.