On my 40th birthday I decided that I would try to run a marathon sometime in the fall of 2025. Bear in mind that I haven’t done any kind of regular running since 2010 and the farthest I’ve ever run is a 30K way back in 2002. Despite this goal being a challenge, I believe that it is perfectly achievable. Lord willing. This blog (if I keep up with it) will track my progress and help encourage me in this epic journey. My hope is that my eldest daughter might join me in this little endeavor, along with a certain Cambodian.
-CC FOR LIFE!
Hit me up on IRC ! I check it from time to time.
Q: Why do you want to do this?
A: A few reasons:
Q: Aren’t marathons unhealthy and damaging to the body? Why do you want to do that to yourself?
A: Yeah, marathons definitely strain the human body and damage it, but that’s what all exercise does. Vast amounts of research confirm that exercise is a net win for people, as long as the resulting damage is within the body’s ability to heal. Slowly building up the body’s tolerance for damage and avoiding serious injury is the key here. Building up to a marathon over the course of more than a year seems safe to me. I don’t plan on running marathon distances all the time, but one or two a year won’t be too bad. 30-40 miles/week is probably a sustainable norm.
Q: What marathon are you planning to run?
A: I’m not sure yet. A lot of dates aren’t set that far in advance, but I’m thinking somewhere in NC (maybe Cary?). Would rather run in nature than a strictly urban environment.
Avoid injury. Smaller incremental gains without injury trump faster gains with injury. I’m focusing on a barefoot running technique with minimal footwear because there is good evidence that this reduces injury. Building up the underused muscles, tendons, and other structures of the foot will take time to do safely, but I believe it will pay off in the long run.
Push yourself as hard as you can, unless doing so conflicts with Rule #1. Don’t forget to exercise the whole body. Running at the expense of other exercise leaves the body less resilient.
Rest. Don’t run unless your body has recovered. Sleep 7-8 hours a night.
Eat well. For me this is a whole-food plant-based (WFPB) diet that focuses on unprocessed foods. Macros:
Roll with the punches and setbacks.
Celebrate successes and have fun!
I’ve been at this for two months now, WOO WHOOO! I took yesterday off, and I didn’t have any shin-splint pain! I ran 0.8 miles, which is a quarter of a 5K, and timed myself to get an idea of my pace…it was bad, real bad. 8 minutes, 38 seconds. That’s a 34 minute, 32 second 5K if I maintained that pace. I used to run 18-some minute 5K’s on worse terrain. I didn’t run as hard as I could, but imagined that I had to run the whole 5K. It wasn’t a breeze. I think my muscles were still recovering because I didn’t have a spring in my step and I just felt so heavy. I am heavy! I’m around 200 lbs, which is 40-50 lbs heavier than I was 20 years ago AND I have less muscle now. I think I could have forced myself to do the whole 5K, but I probably would have gotten injured. Honestly, I’m pretty happy with myself. I am making very slow progress with the running, but that is the strategy. I’ve haven’t made exercise a priority for a long time and am reaping what I’ve sown. I remember carrying my mother (~120 lbs) on a run in ~2001 and feeling less tired than I did today. That’s OK, I AM 40. Coming to terms with my own limits is something I never could have done in 2001. It’s not exactly a patience thing, it’s just that my perspective of time has changed. I know that I could make my body break itself, but that’s not the goal. I’ve given myself enough time to do this right and, Lord willing, I will achieve my goal. I WILL increase my pathetic distances. I WILL lose weight and body fat. I WILL be able to push myself harder. Running WILL get easier, IF I stick to the strategy. I’m at the baby snowball phase, but it’s rolling down hill and the snow is wet! I ran and walked a couple more miles and did the blading afterwards. It really helps. You know what? I think I’m going to go on another walk right now…
FYI, I just looked up a study of what the world’s best marathon runners eat. Mostly fruits and veggies, but not completely plant-based. I confess, I ate Waffle House tonight. 🤷♂️
Many articles out there on Kenyan runner diet. This study of a 7 day snapshot says 76.5% carb, 13.4% fat, 10.1% protein, mostly from veg, though they did eat meat 4x/wk of ~ 100g each.
I ran and walked a little under 3 miles. Shin-splint areas were the limiting factor. Did the blading afterwards. I have been walking/running, I just need to keep this log up!
So I found this video yesterday and it is a game changer! Thank you to David Duncan!
Best cure for shin splints (posterior shin splints) (YouTube)
Best cure for shin splints (posterior shin splints) (theoutpost)
Just doing this “one weird trick” after a run seemed to take days of my recovery time and I’m not limping around afterwards as much.
I went for a walk/run early this morning and did 1.74 miles. After Heidi went to school, Mary joined me with the dogs to do it again. I am not able to do long running stretches yet because my calf muscles are weak in that range of motion and cramp up. Really it’s shin posterior shin splints. Strangely, I feel like I might have gotten worse at running since I started training, even though a lot of muscles are getting stronger. I’m going to keep the walk/run thing up and see if I improve. I’ll try some different stretches/exercises too. I’ve been lax on this blog, but I’m only going around 3-4 miles a day it seems and we’re getting a lot of afternoon showers. Think I will try to some walking later to get up to 5 miles.
I walked 1.87 miles with Mary on the trails and through the neighborhood. We saw a snake! Later we went to our friend’s house for dinner and walked around her neighborhood.
Walked with Mary for an hour on the trails at Philip S. Miller park. The sky was overcast and it was in the high 70’s. The trails were nice and easier to walk than concrete. We saw a horny toad and Mary made me laugh when she said, “Bye horny toad, hope you get laid!”
I walked around 3 miles and saw a deer. Need to keep up with this blog better.
Walked 5k and did it slowly and carefully to see how form affected my feet/ankles. Didn’t seem to make much difference. Time on the feet seems to be a bigger factor than distance. Been a little sore the past couple days.
Walked 1.74 miles in the morning and walked 2.1 miles back home from McDonalds after dinner with the family. Healthy!
Walked around 5 miles, ran some.
Walked a mile at the Rec Center indoor track with Mary and later walked on the concrete trails. Got rained on pretty good.
Walked a mile (round-trip) with Heidi to get cookies today. We saw some metal cut-outs of animals that she liked and she was excited to go on an adventure with Daddy!
Today I walked the 5.18 mile route as fast as I could and my pace was only 3.24 mph. I have always been slow at walking even though I feel like I’m walking harder than others with me. It’s probably something to do with biomechanics. I don’t have the same problem with running. I see videos of people just strolling casually on YouTube saying that they’re on a 4 mph pace lol. I would be willing to bet that whatever app they’re using has some error. I’ve figured all the distances I’ve been going with Google Earth and I want to double check them. I’m a surveyor and measuring distances is kinda my jam. I looked into getting a nice measuring wheel since I’m walking a lot on concrete trails, but those are expensive and I don’t want to drag one around that far. A better option I thought would be to get a bike computer and calibrate that accurately. I’ve never had one and they look neat. My calves and feet were tired after pushing that hard, but I wasn’t taxed physically any other way. I had a tiny blood blister on one toe, but I think that had to do with my sock positioning. These water socks (which I wear with socks) are really amazing. They fit so well, are light-weight, and I just don’t get blisters like I would in shoes. I got a couple more pairs in black and one in blue.
The calf is getting better, but still not 100%. Weird that I can’t remember what I might have done to it. Walked my 4.1 mile route and it was pretty hot and sunny (85F). Will probably go on another walk after sunset when it’s much more comfortable. I did. Not sure exactly how far, but at least a mile. Over 18k steps today. Will look to see if any marathon dates have been set for next fall yet.
Took yesterday off to let the calf heal. I started on a walk but only got about 0.75 miles before I remembered that I had a prior commitment and had to stop.
The right calf is still tight and a little sore. Think I’m going to walk a couple of miles and evaluate. I want to push my body to acclimate and I don’t think I’m doing too badly. My feet, tendons, and muscles are certainly stronger than a month ago. My strategy is to NOT get injured, but things will hurt when preparing for a marathon. I keep thinking about trying to hit a target weekly mileage. That will set a goal to aim for, but also allow enough flexibility that I can listen to my body if it needs rest. So what is a good mileage? Interestingly, 30 miles a week would be a good goal for this entire challenge. The rate at which I rack up the 30 miles is really the only thing that will change. Taking what I can do in 6 days and working on how to get that down to 6 hours is a neat way to look at the problem. I haven’t read any books or studied plans on how to do this yet, but I’m having fun tackling it on my own! 30 miles a week still seems a bit steep for now, even if I’m just walking. Remember, this is above what I do at work and daily life and I do want to take one day of rest per week. How about 24 miles/week for a starter goal? My first thoughts on this are that, “That’s too easy!”, but I can increase it if that’s the case. I’m going to focus on my strategy this coming week and aim for at least 24 miles. We’ll see how I feel!
Today I had a pain in my lower right calf muscle, but my foot is mostly better. I haven’t even done anything strenuous, what the heck? Going to listen to my body and rest, even if it doesn’t make sense.
I walked about about 2.5 miles on the concrete trail nearby, it was pretty hot (90’s) and sunny. My foot was still sore, so maybe I will take it easy until it gets better.
Tried to do the cliffs/canyons route with the family, but Heidi had to go #2 and they went back to the house. I continued and saw lots of lizards and snakes.
I must have stepped on a rock just right because the ball of my right foot was bruised/swollen a little afterwards.
Went on a walk this morning and decided on the cliffs/canyons route. It was so nice (mid 70’s) and I experienced a lot of joy by being out in nature.
I was able to pray for friends/family and think about life. I need to do more outdoor trails. I would love to build a cable bridge out there. Also, my feet/ankles felt much better on the rugged terrain vs. concrete sidewalk. There were lots of lizards out, but I didn’t see any snakes. Ran into a group doing rock climbing. Found and tossed a lot of broken glass that was in the trail, definitely a risk in the water socks. The poison ivy and sunflowers are out!
I was not too sore today from yesterday’s running, but not 100%. I went on a walk and after a few minutes loosened up. It was 4.2 miles, but felt a lot farther, and took me almost 2 hours. Think I need to rest, but also keep muscles loose.
Went on a short walk with Mary, and later to the track today. I ran pretty hard even if not particularly fast or far. I didn’t really keep a distance count, but did a mix of 400m, 200m, and 100m runs. Sometimes I ran serpentine patterns to work more muscles. I just listened to my muscles and stopped before any kind of injury. Hopefully I won’t be in too much pain tomorrow. I’ve been doing good with the diet the last few days, but still need to sleep more.
Went on a little walk around the neighborhood with the family and a couple neighbors.
After a lot of looking, I found the water socks on Amazon. Amazon Link for WateLves
I did well on the diet today. Mary made a plant-based picnic for date night and the deer joined us!
We walked a lap around Philip S. Miller Park and went up and down the incline.
I woke up early and walked a couple of miles at sunrise in the cool 62 degree weather. Later in the day I took Mary and Heidi on the same walk. The mosquitoes were bad in the evening. I’m proud of Mary for walking with me and I think she’ll reap some health benefits if she keeps it up.
I took a walk in the heat of the day, but cut it short at a little over 3 miles and Mary picked me up so we could do something together. I wanted to spend time with the girls rather than adding a few miles. I saw a doe with her two fawns and was a little nervous to walk between them. The fawns took off and Momma didn’t seem too concerned. Maybe she needed a break!
I wasn’t 100% recovered from the run on Wednesday and felt some delayed soreness. The joint tenderness in the feet and ankles was gone. We went to a Gin Blossoms concert at Philip S. Miller Park and hiked about a half mile in and out with some friends. The trails there were hilly and I might hit them up tomorrow if I can get going before it gets too hot. It was close to 100 today with a high UV index.
I had to work out of town today and was a little tight after sitting down. I wouldn’t call it soreness, but after I moved around, the tightness dissipated. I need to sleep more!
Today was hot, around 90, and very sunny. I went on a good walk/run on the nearby trails. Lots of grasshoppers out! I probably ran 1.5 miles and did a total of around 6. The step count was right at 21K for the day. I took it easy and focused on my technique and not getting injured. I mapped my excursion and broke the different legs down to see the distances. I should be able to use this info in the future to make courses and I’ll keep adding to it.
I ordered some barefoot shoes that were delivered yesterday. They were Chinese size 43 and fit well without socks, but I think I will try socks next time just to see. Soles are not super thin, but they are flat with a spacious toe box.
I took the family on a walk from the fairgrounds to dinner at Dos Amigos, probably 2.6 miles round trip. I wore the water socks and was comfortable. It was nice to have the family on a walk outside the neighborhood.
Could have done better on food today, but did get enough sleep. I took Mesa on a 4 mile walk to the Rec. Center. After dinner Mary, Heidi, and I walked a little of the Castle Rock trail. My feet are feeling pretty good and I’m wearing the water socks pretty often on outings. Think I need to get some barefoot shoes that look good outside of exercise.
Mary and I felt food poisoned when we woke up. I ate poorly again today, but went on about a mile and a half walk. The poor diet made my feet feel tired despite basically resting for the last couple of days. I will do better tomorrow. I have been thinking about when I should begin running. I think I will walk as much as I can tomorrow and then, after recovery, begin a walk-run routine. I want to start on easy terrain and will think some more about a location.
Went on a little walk with Mary, Heidi, and Timber in the morning. It was about a mile and a half. Talked with Phil Sykora about running a marathon. He ran one when he was 55 in Washington DC. I ate whatever I wanted for 4th of July.
Nothing was sore today, but I wanted to give my ankles plenty of rest before running again. I went on a hike through the canyons and cliffs, but came back instead of getting picked up at the trail head. Probably a little under 3 miles and sunny in the high 80’s. I wore the new water socks without socks and they still seemed a little tight in the toes. I don’t like this model as much as the CX-LXY-Black either, but they were perfectly acceptable. Once I start running more, I’m sure I’ll find the best combination. I went for another walk later in the evening to Matney Park and back with the first water socks, about 3 more miles. - [*] Avoided injury - [*] Pushed myself - [*] Rested - [*] Ate well - [*] Rolled with the punches - [*] Had fun!
Oof! My feet and ankles were sore this morning! Hoping after a few runs they will have time to adapt. Took it easy today and went on a little walk with Heidi. Slow and steady wins the race 🐢.
I didn’t do great with my diet today. I made cinnamon rolls but burned them (probably a good thing). I decided to hike the canyon and cliffs in the back yard for about 3 miles and used the water socks with the liners.
The terrain was pretty rugged and there was a light drizzle. My feet had completely recovered and the hike was surprisingly comfortable. I had so much fun that I jogged most of the time! Later I went on a date with Mary and ate sun-dried tomato rigatoni at the Old Stone Church. It had dairy, but was amazing! Mary took a cool picture!
My feet were not 100% recovered, but I was able to go on a walk around the neighborhood with Heidi in my regular shoes (Brooks).
I also did a mix of exercises on the Total Gym for about 30 minutes. I made out pretty well with my diet today too!
Today the swelling in my feet had gone down a bit and I was able to walk around without the risk of creating open wounds. It’s amazing how fast the body can recover. My feet feel noticeably tougher and more dense even after one walk. I figured out the make, model, and size of my water shoes. - WateLves water socks - CX-LXY-Black - Size 44/45 (Chinese); 10.5-11.5 (US)
I ordered another pair with a slightly different model/size. - CX- DXB-Black - Size 42/43 (Chinese); 9.5-10 (US)
These may be too small, but we’ll see. They all cost around $10 a pair. WateLves makes a lot of good value barefoot style shoes, so I will try some other models.
Today I walked to the nearby King Soopers and back, which was around 4 miles. It was around 86 degrees and not too unpleasant. I used the water shoes, which were very comfortable at first, but they became painful at around the 3 mile mark. I had taken out the liner and believed that the socks would offer enough protection from the rough interior. This turned out to be a mistake and I now have pretty large blisters between the balls of my feet and toes. The plan was to toughen up my feet gradually, but this was a little too much, too fast. I’ve already broken Rule #1 🤦. Maybe I’ll be able to try another walk on Sunday.
Today I went on a little walk around the block with Heidi in the water shoes.
