Run LA

I didn't state it earlier, but I'm also training for the LA Marathon next March 4, 2007. I'm not a runner and had never run more than 1 mile since high school. I just find running a marathon to be one of those seemingly insurmountable tasks that I want to attempt to tackle.

I've been running for a few weeks now and did a 4 mile run last Sunday. That is the longest distance I have EVER run and I have to admit, I felt OK afterwards. During was a different story! I felt my feet going numb and got shin splits for the first time in my life. I slowed down a bit but kept pushing until I saw that targeted little 4 pop up. Man, was I relieved!

I know that Mentzer did not advocate aerobic activity for bodybuilders, as he felt (with proof) that it taxes the body of recuperative powers. However, as I stated in a previous entry, I'm not lifting to be a competitive bodybuilder. As such, I am incorporating a training schedule that has me running twice a week, Thursdays and long runs on Sundays, with weight lifting rounding out the rest. I only lift once or twice a week at most, so I feel that I'll continue to make gains practicing both. If one starts to suffer, I will lay off the weights a bit until after the marathon. I have to finish it!

I'm training using the iPod and Nike+ combo, which can be found here:

http://nikeplus.com/
http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/

This cool melding of tech toys lets runners track distance, time, pace, and calories. I find the combo to be innovative and motivating. It's really neat seeing my numbers slowly (and I mean slowly) inch forward. And for an extra boost, Lance Armstrong even came on my iPod to congratulate me on finishing my longest run yet!

So, although I mainly aim to track weight lifting progress, I'll also throw in a few running posts.

Run LA:

http://www.lamarathon.com/