Week 1: 3 miles

28.1 laps, 30:60 sec run/walk ratio, 47:54 minutes

So, here I am again! After a long, hard winter of being sick five times, and then having a very hard time motivating myself to get back into it, I've finally gotten myself out running around the house again.

What happened was that my brother came over yesterday to help me fix up my porch, and we moved my vinyl couch onto the porch. Since the hallway & porch doors are too narrow for the couch, we carried it out the front, down the front steps, around the house, and up the porch steps. I found that I was able to lift my end of the couch easily enough, but I got tired really quickly and had to stop and rest about four times along the way. I have no stamina at all any more! Plus, I've gained weight, I'm not sleeping well, I'm fatigued all the time. I decided it was time to start running again.

I don't know which half marathon or marathon is my goal yet, or even if I'll end up running one. Right now, I'm sort of aiming at running Honolulu again. Counting today as Week 1, I have exactly 26 weeks till the marathon, so it's doable, although there's no leeway for missing runs built in, and I'm starting from zero. I don't know how I'll handle the long runs in the summer heat or winter cold, or if I'll be able to afford to go to Hawaii this winter, or any number of things. But it's a place to start.

Today's run wasn't too bad. My run/walk ratio was not timed exactly; I walked about two-thirds of a lap, then ran the rest of the way. I stopped twice because Mom stopped by; I stopped my watch so the pauses wouldn't count, but I don't know how much of an advantage those brief extra rests gave me. It got kind of hot in the last mile—I got a late start, because I had to go into town to pick up produce at 10:30. But this is the last week I'll be doing that, so I'll be able to start earlier on Saturdays from now on. (If I continue training for a full marathon, I'll have to either move my long runs to Friday or Monday, or take a few Saturdays off for the longest runs, but I'll worry about that when the time comes.)

I averaged 16 minute miles for my timing run, which is pretty good for not having run at all in six months. I sure would like to run a 16 minute/mile marathon!