Here I am again!

Well, my loayal readers, I'm am back after more than probably a month of absence. I know I've inspired a lot of you into changing your lives for the better, mostly with my mile a day, but several of you in other ways as well. That makes me so happy, and proud to have been able to touch that many of you without even seeing you for several years in some cases.

I know i haven't been here for a while to keep you going, but hopefully you were able to. Recently I have been battling with some inner problems that I didn't think I was going to have to see again. With the way I have been living as of late, I didn't feel it would be fair to try and inspire you while I couldn't inspire myself. Now, I'm still dealing with things, but in a much more healthy way. I have been able to maintain my mile a day, as well as finishing my first marathon! I am really excited about the results of it, including the pitfalls and pains.

I continued to train once I went out to CA. Problem was, I was having some severe knee pains on my long run days, right around mile 10-12. Enough pain to make me have to walk. So, I backed off the long runs for about 3 weeks prior to the race, and didn't feel that pain. So I went with it. Race day- got to the race nice and early, was ready, felt real good. Miles one through 8 went real smooth, I remember them because for whatever reason, I could not STOP farting. It was making me laugh the whole time. Got to mile 9ish and dont remember a whole lot until mile 12. It was smooth, I was calm and felt good. Right? Otherwise I would think I would remember it... So mile 12 is where the half marathoners and full split off. I continued on miles started ticking off, to the point where I would run by 13, then 14, then 16... What? Where was 15? Anyways I was truckin'. Got to mile 18 and I did one final quick math in my head and as long as I didn't slow my pace by a minute or more a mile I was going to finish at 3:35! I was PUMPED! Got to mile 20 and my knee problem killed me. It hurt so bad I could hardly walk let alone jog. It took me 18 minutes to get through that one mile. I was able to hobble up to a 11 minute pace and limp my way to the end but it ruined my finish time. I ended finishing at 4:04. Which is about a 9:30 pace. Not too shabby considering... I'm happy with it, and I'm even more excited to do another! I think I will stick to one a year, just because I dont think I need to run more than that. And I'll be able to do them for longer, hopefully.

So now, I needed something to carry me through my rough patch. I found it. I think there is a half ironman triathlon nearby, in August. 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run. I'm definitely going to train for it. The way I see it, I already have the run down, all I have to do is maintain it, easy-ish. Short runs through the week, long run on the weekend, maybe some speed work mixed in. So I have just over 2 months to get my swim and my bike under control. I'm thinking I may be able to do it. I'll wait to sign up and see how the training is going at that point. If not I'm sure there will be another one in a month or so to give me a few more weeks to be ready.

School has been pretty my mute in my life. I had a wonderful month in CA and really enjoyed the program, and would not mind being a part of that for 3 years once I'm done with school. May has been and June will be the same rotation here in Ohio at a wound care center. Its all very interesting, but it is pretty much the same thing over and over again. I like it, but don't really think I could base my practice on it. I won't say I'm against it, because what if that is whats needed where I end up? I just don't plan for that to be my path.

So, to try and change some of the bad in my life to good, I've quit the sauce. Booze, you might say? Nah, I love that stuff. No, I quit drinkin coke. Coke is what I call all soda-pop type beverages. I felt I had to because I would crave not the sugar, nor the caffeine, but the carbonation. I couldn't go a day without it. So I quit. Today is day 4 or so and I have a bit of a craving, but they are fewer and farther between. I'm far enough out of the hard part that I am not drinking (heavily) daily, but now it has trimmed back to a much more reasonable 2 or 3 nights a week. I would love to vent to you all as to the cause of this downfall of me, but it just isnt the time. I'm not quite ready to share it with everyone, nor do I feel a blog is the right venue to do that. Haha. But with that all in mind, I am doing well again, I am happy again, and I am talking to you again! All very good things.

I think this is about the end of today. There is so much I haven't told you, but you got all the important stuff. Now I think I'm going to give people on XBOX live the business end of my boomstick on COD.