Running for Time

My fitness goals last year were to shed the last few pounds of baby-weight from Gabe, and to improve my speed and strength. I wanted to try to do this while writing and reading more, working full-time, and parenting. So, this meant running 2-3 days a week (some days pushing the double-wide stroller) and playing while coaching at work.

Thankfully, Mr. Tarula joined our Sports Academy last year, and he started a running club. We trained a couple of days a week and ran a 10K in Santa Monica this past December. This helped me get more runs in and get my pace down to 9 minute miles.

This year, Mr. Tarula wrote and obtained a Students Run LA grant. This amazing non-profit helps middle and high school students prepare for and run the LA Marathon. Yep, you know what that means: I will be training for my first marathon with a bunch of middle schoolers, and on March 18, I will run 26.2 miles. So, I've been running, trying to get down to an efficient running pace, so that I can complete the marathon this year in 4 hours, 19 minutes (that's just ahead of the time Katherine Switzer, first woman to run the Boston Marathon fifty years ago.)

I've got six more months to train and a team of middle schoolers to help get me there. Strength training and yoga will hopefully help me avoid injury and make me faster and stronger. I'll let you know how this aging athlete, Achilles-repaired late-to-running runner does. Wish us all luck!