A middleaged, busy mom's attempt to run her first marathon in New York in November.
I have found two sisters - twins Madge and Mary - who coach runners online. Being mortal and needing all the help I can get, I'm looking forward to their guidance.
Dear M & M,
I’ve just started training for the New York marathon. Friends say I’m crazy, am I?
Dear Denise,
Of course you’re not crazy. Training for a marathon is a worthy endeavor that will tone your body and take you to new heights of enlightened self discovery. – Mary
Dear Denise,
Of course you’re crazy. Who would want to exhaust themselves for the next five months, risk injury, lose toenails and have little or no social life in order to shop in New York? New heights of discovery? How about new depths of misery? Skip the training and the race and go to the outlet malls in Bellingham. Remember to hit the duty free liquor store on the way home. – Madge
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Training for New York week one: Marathon and half-marathon clinics get underway this week in Victoria for races in the fall. I’m torn about whether to train on my own with the tempting book by Jeff Galloway – which incorporates frequent walk breaks and makes the training sound almost reasonable – or join a clinic whose scheduled workouts and group dynamic have unfailingly delivered me to many a start line.
Can a middle-aged, injury-prone busy mom take on a marathon? I’m about to find out.
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Playlist pick of the week: Nothing says starting at the beginning like ABC by the Jackson 5. Great tempo for running.
