running a half-marathon
Sun, Jul 22nd, 2007
As some of you know, I started running fairly seriously last year, and even more seriously this year. Though I have been no stranger to aerobic activity — I was a competitive cyclist for a long time — I’ve never been much of a runner. But these past two years have been really busy for me, and I really don’t have the 2 or more hours that it takes daily to get a good workout riding. Grudgingly, I turned to running, but ended up loving it. At first, it is really hard, even if you’re in decent shape: it takes time for your body to adjust, and you can’t pile on too much too fast or you can get injured. But after a while, it gets easier, the aches and pains diminish, and you can really begin to appreciate the joys of running. There’s something empowering about going some distance under your own steam, and on top of that, it is great stress relief and a wonderful form of meditation. We also take the dogs along, and they seem to get into their element when we run along, settling into their own kind of zone or rhythm, as welll. On top of this, they’re fabulous training partners, and a great social support network: on the days when we’re tired, or feeling a bit lazy, the dogs motivate us to get out and run, nudging us, barking, and getting antsy around the time we run each day. Since it is only a little harder to walk them than to run with them, we usually end up running, unless it is a rest day.
Given our canine training partners and their demanding schedule, Jenna and I run 5 or 6 days a week, and recently we decided that we would train for a half marathon to be completed during the Phedippidations World Wide Half Marathon in October. That gives us enough time for some decent 10-week training programs, and it also helps structure our training a bit, moving us from kind of just half-assing around a few miles a day to thinking more critically about how we’re running and aiming towards an end goal. My goal isn’t to be fast — it is simply to run the whole distance (13.1 miles) in however much time it takes. Though this may seem like a lot with everything else I have going on (including preparing my tenure case, finishing up one book and starting another, and chairing two job searches at work), the structure should help, and running is some of the best stress relief I’ve found.
I’ll let you know how our progress goes!
# Comment by Alli on Sun, Jul 22nd, 2007 at 7:06 pm:
Good luck!
# Comment by Mayleigh on Mon, Jul 23rd, 2007 at 5:53 pm:
Hey Bob- good luck with running, and tenure - your classes are an asset to the sociology department at slu. I am also anxious to read this new book!
# Comment by Bob Torres on Mon, Jul 23rd, 2007 at 5:56 pm:
Thanks Alli & Mayleigh!
Mayleigh: thanks for the kind words about my classes. Would you be willing to put that in a letter?
I need letters from students, and I’d really value one from you as part of my file.
# Comment by Mayleigh on Mon, Jul 23rd, 2007 at 9:42 pm:
definitely, should i send this letter to you at the college or someplace else?
# Comment by Sean on Wed, Jul 25th, 2007 at 11:23 pm:
Sounds awesome Bob; running has been an integral part of my life since I took it up and despite my busy schedule has helped me maintain a sense of balance.
Also I wouldn’t worry about your ability to finish a half-marathon. I’ve met a lot of people who have literally gone from the couch to 13.1 (or 26.2) mile races in less than a year. You already have the foundation in place from running several times a week to not only finish but race the half-marathon. There is no better feeling than crossing the finish line knowing that you left everything on the road (or trail). Conversely, if you’re crawling your way to the finish it is not fun at the moment but having experienced both euphoria and suicidal thoughts at the end of races, I appreciate both.
Lastly, if you don’t mind sharing at this point, what will be the topic of your next book? Also will you be fitting in a revision of VeganFreak at some point?
Sean (mezentius on the forums)
# Comment by Vegan_Noodle on Thu, Aug 2nd, 2007 at 8:28 am:
How totally awesome that you are running a half marathon!! I agree that it is a great stress reliever. I trained and ran a half and full marathon while writing my masters thesis and it was the best thing I could have done for myself. Have fun with it and good luck!!
# Comment by Gymmie on Sun, Aug 5th, 2007 at 1:32 am:
Have fun training! Can’t wait to hear how it all goes