'I'm too old for this s - - t' . . . Danny Glover in 'Lethal Weapon

Originally posted March 13, 2007

When I heard Danny Glover say that umpteen years ago, I just thought I knew what he was talking about. I'm 51 years old and trying to start running again. I've completed two marathons -- Austin Motorola in 2001 and Fort Worth Cowtown in 2003 -- but starting all over again is HARD!

When I ran in both marathons, I entered in the Clydesdale category (yeah, it's what it sounds like), and now I'm about 15-20 pounds heavier (I was up to about 220, but I've lost a few pounds). When I'm on the treadmill at the Y, I feel like I'm remaking Jurassic Park.

I started running again in February. Got a bonus from my employer, waddled over to Luke's (running store) and bought a new pair of Nike Air Pegasus (my all-time favorites . . . kind of like you're favorite dessert that you seek at times of desperation for comfort food). Somehow, my feet are now Size 13 Wide (I've heard that happens after you have kids).

When I started running, I was following the plan Amby Burfoot describes in 'The Complete Guide to Running:' start walking then run and walk for 30 minutes, increasing the amount of running time each week. He also features a snippet on a college coach who uses the plan to prep beginners to run a 5K -- his biggest admonition . . . patience.

A few weeks ago, I thought I was feeling pretty good and the weather was nice, so I went after it. I'd worked my way up to about eight minute runs followed by two minutes of walking. But since it was nice and I was feeling pretty good, I blew off the plan . . . and haven't run since.
I have been walking again and eating less and today was a nice day (but much cooler) and I was feeling pretty good, so I patiently took off on a 30-minute run, telling myself that I will stick to Amby's 'talk test' rule and keep my pace slow. I didn't know you could cover so little distance in so little time, but I ran the full 30 minutes.

My immediate goal is to run in the Fort Worth Women's Shelter Victory Over Violence 5K next month. Our company is a sponsor, and we have pretty good participation. I'm hoping that enough attention will be paid to our marathoners and triathletes that my penguin pace and style (thanks, John Bingham) will go unnoticed.

About 20 years ago, I rode my old Schwinn Varsity (weight: approximately 1,200 lbs) in the MS 150 Bike Tour from Houston to Austin. My kickstand generated a lot of laughs from the 'real' bikers, who rode much sleeker, lighter bikes. I enjoyed a few laughs the final afternoon when those same bikers wrestled the gale-force winds between Bastrop State Park and Austin to keep their bikes on the road. The ditches on the side of the road looked like a bad war movie filled with riders who just gave up.

ANYWAY . . . I may look a little funny waddling back into shape (I always thought a 9 1/2 - 10 minute pace was slow . . . now, I wish!), but I'll be there at the finish line.
By the way, those were the people that impressed the hell out of me in Austin . . . 6+ hours later and they were still chugging toward the finish line.

Never give in. Never, never, never give in . . . Winston Churchill