HAPPY NEW YEAR!

New Year's Day self-portrait.
The first picture I have ever uploaded to a website.
I will get some running pics up as soon as I can.

Wow, another year. I look in the mirror and I simply cannot understand how it is that I am already 43! A happy and healthy 43 year old mind you. Could be far worse! I am not making any resolutions this year other than to run a marathon, lose a bunch of weight and continue not smoking.

I had a great workout yesterday, but I couldn't finish today's treadmill version of my long run. I wanted to do 7 sets of 10 minutes but only made it just short of 6. Shortly afterwards though, I recognized that the quit was a decision based on emotion - not because I was totally spent physically. I think it may have been related to the music I was listening to (The Doors) because while stretching to different music, I knew that I could have finished.

Once I get this blog up and running successfully, I hope to get some insights from other marathoners to learn how to train myself how not to quit based on my emotional or mental state.

Insight: in years past, I fancied myself a tennis player and was of the opinion that the way I played on the court was a reflection of how I lived (or wanted to) off of the court. I am learning that this is true too of running. In hindsight, I think that I quit mostly because I was bored.

I resolve this year to work on my powers of concentration.

I raise a glass of Gatorade to all for good running in 2006.