Wakely Dam Ultra - and so it begins

I am back, four years and 15 pounds later. Looking back at this blog, I am a little sad that I didn't capture the NYC Marathon. It was truly one of the best days of my life. I enjoyed every step. Really. We (Tracy, John and I) were prepared, having run 600 miles before setting off over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. There was a 35 mph headwind the first 18 miles, but that did not deter us. We high-fived our way through the neighborhoods, and the energy of the NYC crowds ignited our energy throughout. We finished much slower than anticipated - 5 hours 11 minutes, but we ran the whole way and really wouldn't have changed a thing. Mike, Haley, Hanna, and Jack came to cheer us on, and it was awesome seeing them throughout the run. Ironically, after the marathon, I had no desire to run. Initially, I wanted to take advantage of my fitness and try to qualify for Boston. That excitement disappeared over the course of winter, though, as did my fitness and ooomph. Now, three years later, I have signed up for a 55k "ultra" run in the Adirondacks. I am out of shape. I have not been running. I have four months to train. Last week I worked out with a trainer, Mya, at the college gym. It was late afternoon and I was surrounded by 18-21 year olds. We went to the free weight room and we were the only women. It was painful. More painful than I thought. Why? Because this time I feel middle aged training. I joked with the trainer that I should wear a t-shirt that says, CAN YOUR MOTHER DO THIS?. I have faith that I will get in shape but it's always tough in the beginning. After our first session, I was sore for two weeks. I thought I had thrown out my back. The second was horrible too but not as bad. The third, earlier this week, was discouraging but not AS horrible. And that is where I am. I've had plantar fasciitis issues since October but need to start running. Mya said I should do between 6-12 miles per week during this building phase. Training starts April 6. Tracy and I met for coffee on Saturday and discussed our goals: 1.) Don't die. 2.) Finish. We hope to finish around 7 hours. Other goals: - conditioning. I want sculpted arms and less crepey skin on my legs (Is this too much to ask? I think not.) Weight lifting has never appealed to me, but I can see how it feels empowering once you've established a certain level of fitness. This is the first time I've worked out with a trainer. I am going to keep it up once/week w Mya and on my own one other day per week. - eating. I have 15-20 lbs to lose. I did not lose any weight for the NYC marathon because I ate whatever I wanted. This is not good. With more muscle from weight training I should burn off much more fat. That is the plan. - running. I don't want to get hurt. I trained smart for NYC and need to do the same. The question is: Will I have enough time? Will I be able to find the time for my long runs with schedules for crew and soccer, etc. The kids are in high school and I don't want to miss their games and regattas.I will also likely jip Bodie, our pooch, out of some long walks. He's good, though, with trips to the dog park. And Haley can help with that when she gets home later this semester. - fulfillment. Already I am fretting, and I want to take time to enjoy small accomplishments (I ran three miles on treadmill today and it didn't kill me) without worrying about the distance I signed up for. When I am in shape, my body can take running. I historically do not have knee issues, etc. and I think I can do this if I do it smart.