So begins the training

I've made all sorts of promises to try and do better at blogging. Now I have a good reason. Tomorrow, Thursday 17 January 2013, I have the great fortune of running for the first time with Likhaya Dayile, one of the best, and best known, runners in the Albuquerque area. As my previous post from October explained we attended running clinics sponsored by Sport Systems. Likhaya has since left Sport System and is opening his own shop on the westside. We are so, so stoked about that.

His shop will be called Bosque Running Shop and will be located at the northeast corner of Coors and Montano. Once he gets the phone installed and his company email I will post full info with links and photos.

I run because I enjoy it and know I have little chance of ever being a really strong runner. I am almost 53 years old, weight almost 225 pounds, have two bad knees and some herniated discs. But I gave Likhaya an idea of what I want to accomplish and have no doubt that he can get me as close to those goals as anyone. I recently restarted the back pain that basically grounded me last year by lifting incorrectly at the gym while visiting our son in Springfield. I should have known better but it is hard to admit that I'm not as strong as I used to be and have issues that force me to be more careful. I also must have overdone it with the shoulders because our P/T department tells me I have tendonitis and have to take that easy as well.

It's been too cold to bike so I am really enjoying running. Whitney Wilson invited me to join her in the Runner's World Holiday running challenge that called for running no less than a mile everyday from Thanksgiving to New Year. I made it 28 days but it was getting colder and colder and I only lasted a few days on the treadmill.

Through vacation, a horrible sinus infection right after getting back, then the holidays and a trip to our son's in Missouri I gained over 15 pounds. I had already gained almost 10 over the year with my back keeping me down and out so much. So I have a lot of work to do. But with a great goal in mind and a coach to push me I have a great feeling that I just might do it. If my back continues to bug me I will have surgery if necessary. Being totally down for a short time beats the hell out of being mostly down for another year.