A finished race, a new outlook...

Happy Tuesday!

I've broken my Internet curfew to bring you this important blog update (having my car not start and being 2 hours delayed in getting home also facilitated being online later than normal).

This past Sunday I completed my first half-marathon. I had to walk most of it, though I felt well enough to do a bit of jogging now and again. Two and a half days later, I'm still quite sore. At my current rate of recovery, I expect it will be Saturday or even Sunday before I feel pretty much normal again.

I've been feeling well enough in the past couple of weeks that the thought of starting the C25K program again has crossed my mind. Of course, I need to wait for my muscles to heal, as well as the quarter-sized blister on my left foot, before I start such an endeavor. Also, even though I've been feeling much better, I am hesitant about picking up a running program just yet. Being at the heaviest point in my life, I'm not overly confident in the ability of my low back and knees to bear up under the strain.

Abi and I are looking at nutritional options to combat the weight gain we've both experienced. An option I'm seriously considering is the Whole30 plan of nutrition. It's a paleo-type nutrition plan that you do for 30 days, and the testimonials, taken with an appropriate grain of salt, are impressive. One of my coworkers has just finished the 30 days, and while I don't have a number for weight loss, it is obvious a significant change has taken place. Abi and I would be happy with even a 5-pound weight loss, but it's entirely possible we could see 10 or even 20. What I've read so far gives the Whole30 plan an air of sustainability, a big plus, and I like that after the month is over they want you to experiment with foods you've eliminated to see how your body responds. It's entirely possible that something we're used to eating, something that is generally considered healthy, is causing one or both of us long-term issues.

I hope you're looking forward to what the coming months will hold. I know I'm excited about the possibilities!

By the way, my official race time was 3 hours, 33 minutes, and 49 seconds. I am optimistic that I could complete the necessary training to actually run the race next year and knock 45-75 minutes off of my time.