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August 1, 2005

Inspirational baggage

Well the new doctor didn't jump for joy that I was running as much as I was - I laid it all out for her - but she didn't say it was too much and just emphasized that I 1) stay hydrated and 2) not allow my heart rate to exceed 140bpm ... for "an extended period of time," which she further elaborated was more than 5 minutes. The only thing strenuous I'm doing are strides, which total about 7 minutes total, with 6-8 30-second bursts. So I'm pretty sure I'm ok, even by her bright-line, never-asked-me-about-my-exercise-history standards. Maybe 140 is a lot lower than I think it is, though. Maybe when I go back I'll ask her what she'd recommend for an Olympic athlete and then extrapolate back from there. It just can't be the same for me as it is for a recreational runner (i.e. "normal person.")

This was Andy's first trip to "the doctor" with me. When we left I asked him if he felt privileged, and he said yes, he felt like he'd been let into the secret club. In the considerable time we spent waiting in the exam room he had a good time pulling out all the different drawers and shelves on the table and giggled over the stirrups. It was his first time to hear the baby's heartbeat, which I insist (and he agrees) sounds like Matty when she's breathing hard after we get back from throwing the ball at the park. (It's around 160bpm.) Maybe we're having a little yellow lab! Ok nevermind that's gross.

In my last post I didn't mean to imply that I thought that having kids necessarily means the end of pr's. I certainly hope not! But practically speaking it's just a lot more difficult in terms of time and energy level and flexibility to get in the 80+ miles per week that I'd like to get in for marathon training. In my ideal little world I would have nailed that damn marathon in February and then moved down to the shorter distances that take less time to train for. Plus, I wanted to be open to the possibility that after I had a kid in my world running just wouldn't matter to me as much. I doubt that'll happen but I wanted to be ok with it. As it turns out I have a little marathon baggage that I'll have to carry around with me for a while!

MAY-be it happened this way for a reason. I really am a pretty lazy person, and maybe this marathon baggage is meant to keep me inspired when I reach that point in life (becoming a parent) when a lot of people stop exercising or otherwise lose sight of what made them "them" before they had kids. Not that my friends would ever let that happen. They're all back out running and would harass me to no end if I just quit getting out there. Still, maybe that baggage will maintain that little flame until I'm ready to get out and push myself to the brink physically (and mentally and emotionally!) again.

Posted by jenandmats at August 1, 2005 7:51 PM

Comments

I guess you'll just have to figure out how to get sub-three without those 80 miles per week? Congratulations, by the way. And I'm sure that you're going to set a great fitness example. Signed the little one up for MarathonKids yet?

Posted by: Richard at August 3, 2005 2:54 PM

Thanks, Richard! I plan to harass all you guys this fall and winter throughout the Series from the sidelines.

Good luck to you in your training for New York. Since I can't train myself I plan to keep myself entertained by watching *your* (collective - Gazelles, Rogues, other bloggers') training! jts

Posted by: jenandmats at August 3, 2005 6:46 PM