Last week, I exerted a lot of energy on telling people I was running the LA Marathon this Spring. I was hoping it would make me actually train. And it did.
I really did make the effort to fit running into my schedule, even trying out a gym to facilitate night time running (I live in North LB, I don’t play with solo night runs).
But I think I’m going to just admit it. It’s not going to happen.
A combination of terrible gyms near my house (I mean seriously, does it have to be HOT in there? And must it smell like that?) and intense work hours led to my realization that I literally do not have the time nor resources to prepare my body to run those 26.2 miles.
This past weekend, I worked (REALLY worked) nearly nonstop from Friday afternoon until Sunday (Monday) at 2am. I paused this weekend only to RUN, eat, celebrate a birthday, and go to church. I’m not looking for sympathy… I know I am blessed with the opportunity to be working and studying. But it’s just a fact that both are very consuming.
But I’m still a runner. I still want to run 3-5 miles, 2x a week, as well as another form of exercise once a week. This may not make me look like I did when I was 20 and I may not be ready to run a marathon, but I’ll be healthy. And happy.
Maybe some time when I’m not taking on the endeavor of my first year teaching, finishing up grad school at UCLA, and struggling to have basic conversations with loved ones, this will be possible. For now, I’m going to take the expectation/pressure off by saying it’s over.
Sorry, Andrew (running buddy) and everybody whose ears I talked off about this marathon.
Whew! I feel better now (Wouldn’t it be awesome if I got up out of nowhere and still ran that marathon though? Haha).
