2010 - The Running of the Rhino

Because it's Christmas, and at Christmas you always tell the truth, I'm going to be quite honest with you: I'm a terrible runner.

Perhaps I'm being harsh; I'm not terrible, per say - I can go pretty quickly over a shorter distance (3-5 miles), but it's not pretty. I have short hamstrings and overdeveloped quads, so I do this sprinting/trotting up on my toes thing, which, when coupled with a swinging braid, looks remarkably like the back half of a horse out for a jaunt. This rhino does not run so much as jog, and even then it's lacking true athletic grace.

I'd like to think I make up for it in grit and determination, however, so in 2010 I'm setting out to prove it. Between you, me, and this little corner of the internet, I've had a mental block on distances over 10k since making a horrific attempt at training for and completing a half several years ago (all you need to know if that I finished, but I suffered. A lot. And hard.) All of this running with the periodic 5k thrown in hasn't made for much structure in my schedule, and there's much to be said about having measurable goals. If I ever plan to be a credible sports psych professional, it's time to bust through the brain wall and toward a finish line set much further off in the distance than I had ever anticipated!

Last year I found myself reading about Bay to Breakers, and watching Kara Goucher fight the good fight to nearly win Boston. A little voice inside of me bellowed "I want that!" and so 2010 is my year to try the races I'd never anticipated. The training schedule is set. I'll need good friends and great company for both long runs and races. Let me know if you want to play (Hal, Michael Tsung, I thank you in advance)!

Here's the schedule. 2010 will be the year that the rhino ran:

Sunday, February 7- Super Sunday 5k, Boston - goal: finish, don't freeze

Sunday, March 14 – Ras 5k, Somerville - goal: speed

Sunday, March 28 – Ocean Drive 10 miler, Cape May, NJ - goal: finish

Sunday, May 16 – Bay to Breakers 12k, San Francisco, CA - goal: finish

Sunday, May 30 – Run to Remember ½ marathon, Boston, MA - goal: finish

Sunday, June 27 – 13.1 Boston ½ marathon, Boston, MA - goal: improve

Saturday, September 11 – Plymouth Run to the Rock ½ marathon, Plymouth, MA - goal: improve

Sunday, November 7 – NYC MARATHON, New York City, NY - goal: finish, eat lots of delicious things to make up the caloric deficit before returning to Boston