Am I still there?

It is the end of 4 weeks - since the decision was made to try this out. I am glad that I am still there. But I am also scared to see that I have not made a great deal of progress.

I went to the kick off meeting for the American Heart Association heartwalk on the 30 of April. The exercise physiologists were excellent and gave us some good guidelines. I finished 4th in the 1 mile trial run!!! Not that I have achieved something. But felt good that I did!

So I am still there!

3rd week Completion - Still clueless

While I am continuing to work towards becoming more fit, I do not seem to have any clue. I seem to injure myself easily. May be because I am not used to it. I am looking forward to having some formal training - I will be attending the AHA - program next week!

Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts. ~Steve Prefontaine

End of Week - 2

I ran mostly indoors on the elliptical as I was told by my advisors to strengthen up!

I am scared and I am worried how am I going to go after my dream and commitment.

I went to the 'Start training' meeting with the American Heart Association. It seems like a nice idea to run the half marathon.

They gave me some training material as well as some fund raising goals!

So let me see how the next week goes as I am traveling a lot.

Quote of the week:

I have two doctors, my left leg and my right.

- G. M. Trevelyan

First Seven Days: You do not run to get fit, but you get fit to run!!

It was interesting how it went by! I very quickly realized that with the kind of work schedule and commitments I have, it is not an easy task! In addition, having never been a ‘fit’ person most of my life, I learnt from a good friend, that you do not run to get fit, but you get fit to run!! – That was the lesson of this first week.

I have to mention about two very nice people here:

1. Carol Parise – She is a PhD in Statistics, a very smart research scientist, an excellent athlete and a very good friend for over a decade. She has done all the crazy healthy lifestyle things including running the marathon more than a dozen times. She has been giving me a lot of advice – Thank you Carol for all of them and I am anticipating your continuous guidance over the next 12 months.

2. Gus Torres – Is the Western Regional Director of Endocrinology for Novo Nordisk, who is passionate in anything he does. He trains school children in long distance running. He is a voluntary running coach in a Los Angeles Area School.. Gus has been my friend for many many years and he has gracefully agreed to be my long distance (yes he lives in So Cal) coach as well. Thanks a lot Gus

I also met a physician who is a very health conscious and fit person and she advised me against running the marathon. She said that it is too hard on the body, that one might get hurt and it is not worth it. But I am not running to get fit, I am running for a reason…

FINALLY

What did I do these 7 days?

Couple of 3 mile runs on the road

Couple of 2 mile runs in the Gym

Couple of hours of random exercise including stationary bike

I have an excuse; I was traveling 3 of the 7 days!
Should do better next week!!

First day of my training..

From Naïve Doctor's Marathon of a Mistake

Got up at 5.30 am as always. Had my coffee and was on the computer, when suddenly it occurred that I did say something about running the marathon.

Looked outside the window, it was dark, cold and raining. Is it really worth it on a Sunday?

By 6.30am I decided, yes it is, dressed up with the oddest looking clothes and of I was to start my first training session.

I came back after 45 minutes - 21 minutes of jog and 24 minutes of brisk walking.

5 minutes of fast walking, 7 minutes of jog, 5 minutes of walking, 7 minutes of jog, 5 minutes of walking, 7 minutes of jog and 9 minutes of walking

My wife took a picture of me coming back

How did all start?

January 1st 2011, we were on our way to the temple when we started a discussion on being fit. One lead on to another and I said 'How nice it will be to run a marathon? '

One lead on to another and by 2 pm my son walks into a Nike store and got me a pair of running shoes!!!

Now I am really stuck. All my life I have been telling my children about aiming high, look for the stars, setting goals which are seemingly impossible etc...

It is time, at 47 years, I have to say that I will do it

So I did - Save be GOD!!!!!

We came home, I googled - to look for an idiots guide to running marathon. Finally landed up in the California International Marathon Page (http://www.runcim.org/) Went into my calendar and marked December 4th, 2011 - for running the Sacramento Marathon.

Watched a movie and went to sleep.