TRAINING FOR THE MIAMI MARATHON AND HALF MARATHON

   Maybe it’s the bad timing of the annual ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon or the simple fact that I’m slow as molasses in January. Whichever it may be, probably a little bit of both, for the past seven years my performance in Miami’s annual event has been predictably dreadful. 

   For the past four years, not including this year, I’ve had to run and walk the Miami half marathon while still recovering from Disney’s Goofy Challenge. Participating in another half marathon only 21 days after running a Goofy is asking a bit much, at least in my opinion it is. Same goes for the three years prior to Goofy’s 2006 inauguration. Only during those years, I was either recovering from running a Disney full or half marathon or still recovering from a bad knee that was begging to retire. Not as bad, but still significant. In either case, I’ve always gone into a Miami event exhausted and still recovering from previous Disney World injuries, both minor and major.

   So what should a person do if they wish to continue with their unbroken string of Miami runs? Our original goal was to run five Miami half’s in a row so that we could earn our “Five Palm Jacket,” a light weight jacket offered to those who began running Miami from the very beginning in 2003. We did earn those attractive jackets, and now were determined to earn whatever it is they will offer to those who run ten straight Miami marathons or half marathons.

   This year’s run, taking place on the 31^st of January, is the eighth annual ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon. Three more to go and we will earn our free whatever gift. I hope the marathon folks keep their promise.

   These two pictures, by the way, were taken during the first ING Miami Marathon in 2003 and the last ING Miami Marathon in 2009.

   Anyway, other than a couple of very slow three-mile walks around our neighborhood, we have not trained whatsoever since the Goofy Challenge. And with only six days remaining until the event, we don’t plan on doing much more than a couple more slow-as-molasses walks.

   At our current fitness level, which hasn’t dropped that much since Disney World, it’s better for us to go into a half marathon healthy. By saying that it’s better for us to go into a half marathon healthy, I mean walking without any Goofy Challenge related aches and pains. As of this writing, January 25^th, we both feel fairly good. Janet is still recovering from a bad head and chest cold that began shortly after the Goofy, but by this coming Sunday she should be 100% over it.

   Me? I’m looking forward to the challenge and ultimately earning another finisher’s medal that will undoubtedly be disrespectfully tossed into an old tattered shoe box labeled "Marathon Medals."

Monday the 25th, around noontime:

    I just arrived home from a 3.6 mile walk around our regional mall and a few winding roads located within the security walls of our gated community.

   Cloudy and 81 degrees made for a perfect short-distance training walk and the numerous clowns that were driving around the mall beeping their car horns at God knows what or who added some divertive humor. Some folks in our area appear to have the Manhattan, NY disease, beep your horn just to hear yourself beeping. It makes no sense whatsoever. Then again, they have no sense.

   Anyway, after one mile of walking, my back and knee loosened up enough to give me an average pace that would easily place me over the Miami half-marathon finish line well before their time limit. I was well pleased with the walk.

   It's now time for a refreshing strawberry smoothie.

Tuesday the 26th:

   Janet’s three miles on one of the fitness center’s treadmills and my weight machine routine just about rounded out our workout for Tuesday the 26th.

   Janet complained about the heat and stuffiness inside the gym as soon as we walked in from the pleasant outdoors. Others complained about the heat as well. I thought it was unmercifully hot myself, but working out only on the machines didn’t place me in a treadmill sweat mode.

   Too bad modern buildings are not made so that windows can be opened and closed. With yesterday’s temperature right around 72 degrees, think of how pleasant the gym would have been with the windows wide open, not to mention the energy saved from not having to control the climate inside.

   Humans never learn!