It’s Finally Time to Get Serious About Running

I keep hoping to get back to more regular blogging and life keeps getting in the way. Additionally, I keep hoping to get back to running consistently and life keeps getting in the way.

For example, I signed up for the Virtual Walt Disney World 10K and intended to complete this virtual 10K on Saturday (1 day after the actual WDW 10K). Even though I haven’t really trained all that much for this 10K, I was still planning on doing it. However, last Thursday, we found out that my son was exposed to a child that had tested positive for COVID-19 at his after school program. Since COVID isn’t something that is always detectable, the whole family was on lock down for the weekend. The good news is that my son tested negative for COVID on Friday and Monday! Additionally, my wife and I also tested negative! So, life is in the process of returning to normal. Right now, the plan is for me to head out to the Rose Bowl Loop to run my Virtual Walt Disney World 10K. I have extremely low expectations. But, I really want to do this and see where I’m at.

Once I get the virtual 10K done, the plan is to run 2 miles for 2 or 3 times next week. I say 2 or 3 times because I’m getting my COVID Booster Shot on Friday, January 21st and have no idea what that is going to do to me for the weekend. That second vaccination wiped me out for a little more than 24 hours. But, the first vaccination didn’t do that much to me. Among my friends, I’ve received mixed reviews of the booster shot. So, if I’m out of it for the weekend, there will be no running…and that will be okay.

The following week, I plan to up my running to 3 miles on all three runs. If I can, I plan on hitting up Arcadia High School on January 29th for a Jeff Galloway Magic Mile. I’m wanting to do this to give me realistic expectations as I head into my first half marathon training cycle since 2017. Yikes!

I’m all registered for the 2022 Rock n Roll San Diego Half Marathon for the first weekend of June. Hopefully, by the time this posts, I’ll be booked for the hotel we’ll be staying at for the race weekend and for the hotel we’re going to stay at for the two nights after. Since the race weekend is right after my son’s last day of kindergarten, we’re planning on making this trip to San Diego extra special by heading to Legoland on the way home! This will be my son’s first ever stay at a hotel. So, we’re hoping all goes well with that!

As for the race…I’m excited and totally freaked by it. With the way the new strain of COVID is behaving, I’m hoping there will be an in person race. I can’t wait to be running in a race again! I’m also looking forward to seeing how well it goes. Obviously, it’s way too early to know right now. This is a race I’ve seriously got to go with what my body tells me in training. It’s been a long time since I ran a half marathon. So, I have no idea how it will go. My main goal in this race is to give me a finish time to use with Disney.

After watching so many of my running friends run their races at Walt Disney World over the weekend, I can’t wait to join them next year. I’ve gone over the finances and logistics. All looks good for me to say that I’m going to run my one and only Dopey Challenge at the beginning of January 2023! We should have the money for my wife and boy to join me in Orlando. The only obstacle for them joining will be whether my son’s school district will allow him to miss the days of school.

Now that I’ve got some scary distance races on the plans, I’m hoping that this will be the year I finally get back to training. Depending on how the Rock n Roll San Diego Half Marathon works out, I’ve got a few other races I have my eye on. After all, if I can improve my seeding at Disney, I will do what I have to. Additionally, since my running plans include some rather huge challenges for 2023, I’m thinking of adding the 2022 Santa Monica Classic to the calendar along with the 2023 Pasadena Half Marathon. There’s a special medal that comes with finishing those races and the 2023 Los Angeles Marathon.