The sage of the steps

Bob

Here's the situation.  My running has not been good.  Going on three months now.  That does not make me happy.  It is well documented that I have been eating a lot.  That does not make me happy either.  I'm going to lay it on the line to all those who are listening.  I'm getting back in shape.  I've indulged in the self pity and the food trough long enough.  I printed out my training plan for the half marathon in April.  April 28th it is.  This one  is the first half marathon I ever did back in 2009.  I said I would never do another one.  I hated every step.  I think I counted every step.  You know how many steps there are in a half marathon?  12 billion 100 hundred and fifty steps.  12,000,000,150.  You don't need to confirm that, just take my word for it.  Lots of steps.  Like that one guy said a long time ago, "the journey of a thousand steps starts with the first step."  He was old and back in his day that kind of shit made sense.  People had very little to do back then, so that sat around and listened to old guys who sounded smart.  Most of them were stoned out of their mind as well.  If I got a bunch of people around a fire and we were all really high on some kind of ancient herb, I would sound very sage like.  Sagish.  We can't do that now, because it is illegal.  But just imagine sitting around a fire and being really stoned and me saying, "the journey of 12 billion one hundred and fifty steps begins with the first step."  Then I would nod a lot and look at the sky.  Like that information was sent to me from above.  Enough of the history lesson.  That's not what we are here for.  I hated every step of that half marathon.  About seven miles in, I wanted to quit.  I actually told myself to shut up and stop being a wimp.  I got through it with a time of 1:57 something.  I was pretty happy.  Never again.  Then the next year came around and I was in it again.  I learned that I can't get enough of this stuff.  I always think I can go faster.  I always want to get better.  I actually did less training miles for the 2010 one but I did high quality workouts.  3 days of running was all I did.  Pace run, speed work and a long run each week.  My work schedule was horrible as well and that was all I could fit in.  I got a 1:52:20, I believe.  Now, I was hooked.  I wanted more.  2011 was a big year of suckosity.  I hurt my heel.  Plantar's fasciitis.   Killed my training for a good bit of the year.  I actually thought that I would never run the way I wanted to ever again.  I ran the half that year with a friend and we said we would try to enjoy it as much as possible.  I think we came in at around 2:10.  I spent the time after that getting stronger and working on my form.  Taught myself to run on my forefoot.  Worked hard on my weight and my strength training.  Most injuries are a result of weakness in other areas.  I strengthened the whole body.  2012 was a great year.  I pr'd in every race I did.  5k, 10k, half and marathon.  I did the half in 1:48:03, and another one in the high 1:47's.  Then I did the marathon and I tweaked my knee.  I blame the knee thing on neglecting the stuff that I learned in the past.  I strayed from the strength training that got me to where I was.  To be sidetracked pissed me off.  I had no choice but to take a break.  I don't like taking a break.  If someone came to me and told me they were hurting, I would tell them to take a break.  To rest and heal.  I can't stand that for myself.  I should have done it sooner, but I didn't.  Then I went on the two month eating binge.  I believe I have eaten everything that I could possibly want to eat.  It got to the point of being ridiculous last night when I found myself on the curb, fighting some raccoons for chicken bones.  I didn't even need to because I had dinner waiting for me inside, but the thought of the varmints eating what could be mine, just made me angry.  The light really came on when one the raccoons looked at me and said, "dude, it is a chicken bone.  Have you looked at your gut lately?"  So, I let go and came inside.  Funny what you can learn from our animal friends if we really listen to them.  I will never forget him, he was very sagish and I would like to sit at a fire with him, get all stoned out and learn more stuff.  I don't want to hear anything about steps and journeys though, because that whole thing is played out.  The point of this while thing is I have had enough.  My knee feels pretty good, but I have allowed myself to get in pretty bad shape.  I was 180 pounds for the marathon and most of 2012.  I am 192.4 right now and my endurance is way down.  By the half marathon on April 28th, I want to be 175 pounds of mostly solid muscle and I want to get another pr.  I am going to shoot for 1:47.  I usually don't put my weight and times out in public, but I think it is time I held myself accountable and this will help.  At the age of 52 I am not ready to concede to age, weight or injury.  I still feel my best is still to come.  There is is.  Now I have to put my money where my mouth is.