Getting excited to run again....

I have to admit that this past week has made me excited to start training again. As I watch people working on their new year exercise programs and see students working out to be in shape for spring break, it makes me motivated to push hard towards another peak... in this journey of fitness.

My next peak is going to be the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon on April 29th, in Louisville. I'm excited for this race for several reasons:

1. It will be my Kentucky marathon, in my 50 States goal. (I don't count the few blocks of running in KY during the Flying Pig as fulfilling this requirement.)

2. I have set a pretty specific time outcome that I'll be training for. Sub 3 hours. As always, placing a time specific goal on myself like this adds to the potential problems. So it will be fun to see how I manage the training for the goal, with the training that my body allows me to complete.

3. I will have a training partner for the race. Jeff Buhr has said that he's willing to take on this 3 hour task, so that will help, but I also have others that will be training for this race also. Nikki and Beth Atnip being two of them.

During the training, I plan on doing two races from the Louisville Triple Crown of Racing series. So that will be another benefit, because the marathon shares some similar routes, from what I've been told.

Well when I set up my 2006 schedule, I created the marathon training program to officially start on Feb. 7th. So that gives me some time to continue getting the rest I need and work on other areas, such as flexibility, nutrition and swimming.

Anxious to go... sub 3 hours on April 29!

(I'll try to post my training schedule later)