Ok, so it has been official for a couple of months now. I signed up for a 1/2 marathon. For all of those who are not avid runners, it is 13.1 miles of torture on your body and spirit. I'm one of those who does not easily get the runner's high and can gallop for hours, unlike some of my colleagues and friends.
Training for the half marathon is gradual. In my younger years, I ran track, but I was a sprinter, which means running more than 1 lap around the track was my long run for the day. Training was fast, meaning you reach your momentary goal in 11 to 75 seconds, depending on the route. Marathon training, I've come to learn, takes time and it's a gradual build up of not only physical endurance, but mental endurance as well. Throughout most of my training so far, my muscles feel fine for the most part. However, I forgot about the pounding that my body takes over the 30 to 45 minutes of running. My joints, tendons, and ligaments let me know exactly how old I am, and how much further I have to go before my physical condition is adequate to finish the half marathon. Not only am I the doctor, but now I'm a patient as well with achilles tendon and a variety of other lower extremity pains.
I've been working out in the gym for 20 years, but no training has been more difficult thus far than what I am experiencing now.
Stay tuned for more updates on my journey.
Cheers,
Norman Eng, DC
