13.1 is my new chapter and verse.

-Marathon #2-done and done.

Seattle Marathon, Sunday Nov.25, 2012

Beautiful crisp winter day 

I finished in 2:06, 30 minutes faster than my first half back in September 25th. 

I feel very very good about it.  I can't believe I finished it.  The first 4 miles sucked.  The middle was very hilly. Mile 10 got easier and my mile 12 I was on fire!

Thanks to all my friends and family who sent me congratulations.  Some of you were great inspirations and I get the chance to inspire you guys too.  For example: A friend of mine asked me what I did to train for my half-marathons.  This was my response.

"Well what I do is something very simple. I find a race I want to run and then register immediately. That way I've paid for it and that tricks my head into thinking I have to do it because I already paid for it. It's the only way for me to follow though on the commitment if I have already paid for it. I don't like to waste money.

Buy new shoes. Replace them every 300 miles. Buy a new pair right before your race. Throw your training shoes away.

It takes about 2-3 months to train for a half marathon. Pick a date and make that your goal.

Baby steps. Use that app, mapmyrun and it will help you by telling you when to run, how far and how long.

As far as losing weight goes. The running will help tons but as a personal trainer I can tell you that losing weight is 80% of what you eat. Eating clean is the only way to do it. Cut out sugar, bread, sweets, pop and eat healthy. The more you workout the more calories you have to eat. They should be healthy calories though.

Water, clean food and a steady, consistent schedule is the way to go. The best way to start is to find someone who is trying to do the same thing you are. Someone to run with make the training go by faster and is good for motivation and inspiration.

When it's shitty outside you gotta run. It sucks but you got to do it.

I would love to start a running club in the harbor. Train with people to do half marathons.

Start slow, start easy and make a goal. It will really set you on the right direction."

Easy squeezy.  Anyone can do this.  If i did it anyone can do it.  You feel like shit when you start this journey and then you feel like Superman when you complete each and every race.  It's euphoric!

Here are some pics of my Seattle Marathon race adventure.

view from my hotel room

 Goofy

Holy Crap!  All those people

My running partner, Ashley

Rebecca and Ashley and me

I liked my race chip on my shoe

They gave us cool medals

The Space Needle in the foggy morning after the race.

Ashley is a machine!

Day view from my hotel on my way home.

endorphins don't have fins but dolphins do

As most of you know I am running my second half marathon in a week from sunday.  My training is going pretty well.  I've broken the 10:00/mile mark and an average around 9:45/mile.  I'm hoping to bring it down to a 9:30/mile by the time of the race.

I'm still in shock on the my training days that I am actually out running.  If you would have asked me a year ago if I would have been doing this I would have told you that you were crazy.  I have people tell me all the time that they could never do what I am doing.  I tell them that I said the same thing and look at me now.

The secret is easy.  The secret is starting small.  The secret for me is a simple app.

iTunes app store link: Map My Fitness

You first have to have a goal.  Find something, anything in the near future that you want to accomplish as far as a running goal.  For me it was the date of a particular 10 mile run here in Gig Harbor.  After that race I found another which was a little longer.  Now I figure why stop now?  I can fun 13 miles so why not keep training?  It's a lifestyle change.  Fitness shouldn't be a temporary fix for anything.  It should apart of your life just like eating, drinking and sleeping is a part of your life.  

It really is mind over matter.  The first couple of miles always suck.  When I first started running I was only running for about 20 - 30 minutes.  The first 10 minutes always sucked.  Now that I run 10 miles when training, only the first 4 miles suck.  The bright side now is that THE FIRST 4 MILES SUCK because I can run 10 miles easy now.  In any thing is life the first part always sucks.  My teenage years sucked. My 20's were a little easier.  My 30's were messed up but I learned so much.  Now I'm in my 40's and WOW things seem a whole lot better.  Knowing what I know now, I wish I could go back and shake the younger Rex and slap some sense into him.  Unfortunately the first part always sucks and you have to endure and get through it to get to the part where the endorphins kick in and life becomes a little easier to deal with.