Week number 2 of the 18 week-long Disneyland Half Marathon/Dumbo Double Dare training is in the books. While I missed one training run on Thursday, I continue to press on towards the goal of a 2 hour, 41 minute Disneyland Half Marathon goal. With Mother’s Day Weekend, it was especially challenging this past weekend to fit everything in to my busy schedule.

The second week’s challenges seem to be the same as week 1’s challenges. It’s hard to change the way you view your days. It would be so easy to sit on the couch and relax after work. It seems like every weekday workout comes at the expense of time I could just be relaxing after a day at work. On top of that, there is the emotional difficulties of balancing how I feel (physically and mentally) with everything that happens in my wife’s life and friends and family. It’s just so easy to become distracted. As Colton Dixon’s song says, “Everything is noise.”

In spite of the constant challenges to my focus, I feel pretty good about the fact that I’ve completed 9 of the 10 required workouts thus far. Thursday was a particularly challenging day. On top of the physical workouts, I’m also trying to lose weight. So, the lowering of calories in my diet hit me hard on Thursday. Combining that feeling of being completely wiped out by the time I got home on Thursday evening, I also came home to the start of a thunder and lightning storm (which was unplanned). When I arrived home, I had a choice to make…go to the gym and use the treadmill for 30 plus minutes. Or, listen to my body which was screaming at me to relax for the night. I chose the latter. Running outside wasn’t an option as I saw it because of the lightning. Something about running outside with possible lightning strikes was unappealing. I’m actually glad I didn’t choose to run outdoors because, in what would have been the middle of my run, there was a downpour of rain that lasted over 5 minutes.

Other than Thursday, it was a fairly successful week. My effort in the first long(er than 3.1 miles) run on Saturday was a mixed result. I finished the first 2 miles faster than I’ve done in a long time. However, the heat of Pasadena, even in the morning, got to me in the second 2 miles and I slowed considerably. So, I ended with a 12 minute, 9 second per mile average overall. This average is still within what I’m hoping to do my half marathon in. However, on shorter runs, I feel like I should still be a little faster. See what I mean? Mixed results…happy with the first two miles, a little disappointed with the second 2 miles. I’m so glad the half marathon is still 16 weeks away!

Here’s the general recap of my week…

Monday – Rest Day

Tuesday – Ran 3.10 miles

Wednesday – 30 Minutes on the elliptical machine, abs, upper body and lower body weights

Thursday – Rest Day

Friday – Rest Day

Saturday – Ran 4 miles

Sunday – 30 Minutes on the elliptical machine, abs, upper body and lower body weights

Lost 1.6 lbs for the week!

Onto Week 3!