Pacing myself

The photo on the right was taken in May 2006, when I headed out to Colorado to visit family. Behind me is Pikes Peak, which is more than 14,000 feet high. I lived in Colorado Springs for two years and never made it to the top, so we drove to the peak the week I was there.

I bring this up because my cousin John recently completed a marathon that took him to the top and back down -- makes what I'm doing almost seem laughable! Since that picture of me was taken, I've dropped about 40 pounds, and I know how hard that was. I can only imagine the training it took to prepare for the Pikes Peak marathon.

John caught wind of my new adventure and he offered a piece of advice that I've come to realize is vital: recovery days. I've been used to running 3 miles a day about six times a week with no off days. Well, now I'm learning the importance of mixing in a day off here and there.

I ran 3 miles on Monday and Tuesday, worked out but didn't run on Wednesday, and I logged 5 miles on Thursday. Today, Friday, I plan on heading to the gym, but I'll probably just lift some weights and ride the bike or do the rowing machine. Come Saturday, I'll probably shoot for 5-6 miles and then back off again on Sunday.

I might've gone running today, but my left knee started hurting some during my run yesterday. Spending most of your time on the treadmill will do that. I'd like to head outside for a few runs before it gets too cold here and I might start hitting the track at the gym to mix it up. There's a great Web site (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/) I use to plan outdoor runs and I've recently found an item I'd like to add to my Christmas list (the Timex Ironman Sleek watch, which is easily found on http://www.timex.com/). Hint, hint, Kelly.

The gmaps pedometer Web site is awesome. I use it a lot when I'm on the road, which is frequently during the baseball season. I've mapped out some pretty long runs in San Francisco and in Boston, which are two of my favorite cities to run in -- San Fran for the challenge of all the hills and Boston for its great path along the Charles River. For now, the treadmill will have to do.