This blog has been on the idea board for quite some time. For one reason or another the idea stayed pinned to that mental cork board. I couldn't bring myself to start. Its a daunting task to figure out what people would want to read about MY LIFE. It's a fruitless task trying to figure out what other people want or expect out of your own blog. So it came down to me deciding it isn't about the people reading, this blog is about myself and for myself. However, I do hope readers appreciate my blog and I am hoping that it will give some sort of entertainment value.
The Blog was originally decided upon as a way to share stories from my adventure in Spain. Turns out I arrived in the country three months ago. OOOOOOPS. Time has a way of creeping by and leaving one saying " I can start that tomorrow, no harm done." However, tomorrow turns into weeks and those weeks creep into months. Until here you sit three months down the road thinking "what happened". I will never say that it was out of business that this blog was not created earlier. It was sheer procrastination and anxiety about putting my writings out there for all to see. So three months have gone by and it's about time for this blog to be started.
First, I want to describe the reasoning behind the title of the blog. " There is no step two" This was a quotation from a television show How I Met Your Mother. The quote came from a character Barney describing the simplicity of running a marathon: “Step one, you start running. There is no step two.” Done, you start running and there's nothing else to it. Right? Maybe there is some truth in that. Being in Spain i have decided to adopt the moto "there is no step two". However, in my daily life it comes to light as simply saying "yes". "Do you want to participate in a bouldering competition?" I answered with a hesitant yes because i hadn't climbed in countless months.....That evening was one of the best we've had here. I've said yes to trying all sorts of food that i normally would shy away from. For example a spread to put on bread made from liver, topped with lime jam.....It was good, and it was good for experiencing the cuisine that Spain offers. I am trying new things learning about a culture by means of a simple word. YES!.
The phrase "There is no step two" has a more direct relation to the ideas of this blog. This blog is going to be used as both stories from the strange daily life I encounter, and the training for my first marathon. I am starting the road to 26.2 mile run through the streets of Madrid by a 3 mile run on the outskirts of Ciudad Real. The road of my first run is a farm road that leads away from Ciudad real. Ciudad Real by the way is the city in which we live. It is a small city (70,000 people) packed into a Rhonda (street that encircles the city). The Rhonda if followed in its entirety would last maybe six or seven miles tops. Ciudad Real is small but its home. The runs will be for the most part on the outskirts on barely used farm roads. These roads provide views of the surrounding mountain ranges, the (brought back to life by a few rains) farmland, traditional farmhouses and many other views unique to this running experience. The longer runs on my training will take me much further out and most likely to nearby villages.
The training will also be done in many different countries. For the holidays we will be traveling to England and Paris. Much later on the training will be continued in Italy and hopefully even the US over Easter and Ireland over St. Patrick's Day. I will encounter many different cultures, languages, and people. The blog will be my training log but more importantly the experiences that I have given the amazing opportunity to tour these amazing places on the oldest of transportation techniques.
Now for some specifics of my training. I am participating in the Madrid Marathon on April 22, 2012. I am using Hal Higdon Intermediate 1 marathon training schedule. This schedule will be slightly modified to incorporate some speed work from the Advanced guide. I am using a Garmin Forerunner 405 to keep track of all statistics including time, pace, distance, elevation, and heart rate. Finally, I am running in Brooks adrenaline GTS 11. It is my first time running not in Air Pegasus Nike shoes. After, a few runs I find them incredible, but we'll see how they feel when the miles add up.
So my first run of my training was yesterday Dec. 5, 2011. This was an easy paced run. My wife Stevie came with me so we weren't in any great hurry to push the pace on day one. We went on an out and back down a farm road near our apartment ( i will work on getting maps in my blog of my runs). The weather was incredible as to I continued to wear shorts and only a light jacket. Of course the first day's run was amazing. All the thoughts of glory and pride about finishing the marathon in 18 weeks masks the weeks 2-17's roller coaster ride of runs. With optimism running high and complete confidence in myself the run was smooth. The one issue I will continually struggle with is that the elevation of Ciudad Real is almost double Lee's Summit. I am getting used to it but i still find myself caught off guard by it. The city is extremely flat and only contains one "real" hill but as my runs get longer I will venture out into more hilly and mountainous terrain. For now the future is bright and all systems are "GO".
On a more serious note though my wife and I are in a struggle with attempting to get her paid. My school is paying me but her school doesn't have the funds. We have enough money coming in through private lessons and my work but just say some prayers of patience and resolve for this solution. We've contacted all the people that we need to and the teachers at Stevie's school are helping but it is still a very unpleasant time for us.
If you have any comments or suggestions on topics or training techniques please feel free to leave them.
later days,
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