The honeymoon is over.

After "going public" last week with my goal to run the 2007 Ottawa Marathon on May 27th, 2007, I basked in the euphoria of the moment. I had been training since Nov.1, had continually increased my distance and slowly improved my time, with some discomfort but no major issues. This whole thing was going to be no problem.

That is, until I went out for next long run, 16K (10+ miles) on Thursday of last week. After a strong start, I began to have a difficult time. A steep hill about two-thirds of the way was the killer. For the first time since starting this initiative, I wasn't able to finish, walking for a couple of kilometers at the end and taking a short cut home, ending at 15K.

I was emotionally and physically spent, I was in pain, I was devastated. I sent off a quick email to my coach, looking for some compassion. I received a curt reply: "This is what marathoners go through once a week. You did 15K. Great job!"

Unbeliveably, within 24 hours I was feeling normal. I even did 45 minutes on the exercise bike the next evening. What an amazing machine the body is. And yesterday I did 17K, in some discomfort but I finished the distance and, once again, lived to talk about it. I've now completed 50K in the last 6 days.

One of the things I need to do is lose about 20 lbs to help me increase my stamina and speed. To that end I've started recording my food intake. What a revelation that is. The amazing thing is that I'm already changing my eating habits and discovering my problem times and areas, just by writing this on paper.

I'm running my first 10K race this weekend and am quite apprenhesive about it.

Until next week.