This week I gained a new reason for not drinking – a group of friends and I were accepted to run the Big Sur Marathon in April 2020! Race day is only 30 weeks away, and the last respectable marathon I ran was in 2013. I have run a few since that time, but it has been at least 5 years since I did any focused training for any particular race season. I’m hoping to end that streak now. The pressure is ON since a small handful of friends just crossed the line at the Erie Marathon in sub-3 hours and qualified for Boston together, and some of these guys I will be racing with in Big Sur.
Since it has been a few years since my prime training days, I reached out to some friends who are still pretty successful in the competitive running community for some H-E-L-P up in here. I made a really basic base training plan that I will follow for the next 12 weeks, and then starts the 18-week grind leading up to race day. I have yet to hammer out the details of my 18-week training plan, but I was advised to check out the book “Advanced Marathoning” and also have notes from some of my favorite training seasons completed by myself, friends, and competitors from previous years. So I think that on race day I’ll basically be a killer.
Historically my training and winter have not been friends. But I think that this year will be different since I am not at all burnt out from running like I have been in some years past. I plan to join the Beyond Exercise training group that a few friends of mine are involved in for motivation, accountability, and friendly competition. I may also sign up for the Flying Pig half, which is a week later, but have yet to commit to this. I started base training yesterday, and went out for an easy 4 miles. Tonight I’ll do another 3 before bed. I need to remember that base building is not all just slow junk miles though. This weekend I’ll throw in some short intervals and hammer to another 8-10.
This week I also told my first non-family friends about my decision to stop drinking, and it was not too big a deal to them. That was exactly the reaction I was hoping for. I have a few party situations coming up that are unavoidable, which will be pretty tough for me, but I’m going to stand my ground.
I have to admit, I came so close this week to caving this week and going to a free wine tasting yesterday. I don’t know why I found it so tempting. I really don’t even care for wine, but it was a part of a Loveland Young Professionals social event, which I have attended before to make good connections and just out of curiosity. I met some pretty cool people at the first one I attended a few months ago, and going to a wine tasting just seems like a cool “classy adult” thing to do, and it was free so I justified it that I wasn’t setting myself back form meeting any of my goals. But in the end I decided not to go, because to cave in once would definitely lead me to cave in later, and I am really proud of myself for making it this far. Like, really 28 days is not very long AT ALL, but I have felt tempted several times and have persevered, and I think the ability to persevere is an important thing to cultivate in oneself. I just love to train and build my life. That’s what I love to do.
This weekend is Oktoberfest, which is huge in Cincinnati. Obviously I’m not going, and I live far enough from the city that I’m not tempted to go (about 35-40 minute drive). But all of my friends are posting their nice beers on Snapchat tonight. I’m not envious. I’m happier doing me than getting roaring drunk. Every day I see my dream. And every day I wake up all I think about is paper. Every minute and every dollar has a job. And alcohol represents a big waste of both. I don’t need it anymore.
Thanks for reading.
Zachary
Iron Sharpens Iron 