Everyone should have goals.

I started this blog several years ago in an attempt to chronicle my efforts at running the Marine Corps Marathon. What I found out was that training for a marathon is hard, maybe even harder than the race itself, though I wouldn't know since I have yet to complete the 26.2 miles. Depending on one's pace, at the height of the training program, one could spend seven or more hours a week pounding the pavement. If you have a full-time job and a couple of side jobs, running for the equivalent of a workday can be a little hard to accommodate.

Training time for the half marathon is much shorter, the longest runs are around 10 miles, which is eight-plus miles less than most marathon plans' longer runs. At nine minutes a mile, that's only 90 minutes of running, plus cooldown. Doable.

From what I've read, just the physical toll that the marathon takes on a body is another reason to pick a shorter distance. If the marathoner is walking a little slower and missing a couple of toenails, the half-marathoner, by comparison, is kicking up his heels, ready to go out dancing.

So, I am changing my goal to the half. I was signed up for the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon, but it's a spring race and I hadn't been training during the winter, which is an absolute necessity. I'll focus on building up my distance and strength over the summer, and maybe pick a 13.1 miler in the fall, and combine that with a couple days away with my wife.

Of course, I'm not doing this just to run a half marathon. The overarching goal is weight loss

In a nod that being over-40 means I'm not as flexible as I was in my 20s or 30s, I am also exploring other ways to get in shape. Never a gym rat, I'm not a fan of the lift-things-up-and-put-them-down way of exercising. It works for other people, just not me. What has piqued my curiosity is the disciplines that focus on strength and flexibility, and yoga seems to offer both. I have picked up a copy of Sage Rountree's The Runner's Guide to Yoga. A friend of mine, also a firefighter and an avid runner, says it helped him with flexibility and balance while running.

In the days ahead, I'll try and post every run, on the same day if possible. I welcome any comments and helpful hints, particularly on what apps and training gear people use. I'm always on the lookout for better ways to do things.

Let's try this again, shall we?

For the first time in a very long time (six months? A year?) I got out the door to run this morning. 

Actually, "run" is a rather grandiose term for what I did, but the point is I put one foot in front of the other and had both feet off the ground at the same time for a large part of a-mile-and-change. 

The other day, I posted in my personal journal how I had had enough of a number of negative things, and I decided that my outlook would be more positive. My thinking is that if I am positive in the way I view things, then things will be more positive. This isn't a new concept, though I'll admit it is new to me. 

One of my more critical ways I look at myself is my physical appearance. I'm overweight - though not nearly as heavy as I was when I got on the fire department - and my cardiovascular endurance is terrible. The fact that I'm 46 and all that implies in terms of metabolism is not helpful. Something had to be done. 

I've never been the kind of person to keep at something when I've experienced significant setbacks (a personal failing), and trying to bang out two miles or more, only to hit the proverbial wall at half a mile, does not lend itself to repeat performances. I need to enter this stuff gradually. 

One of the apps on my phone is Runkeeper, and it comes with various training plans, so I selected the Jeff Galloway run/walk method. Only had to do ten minutes or so this morning, and I did it so that I completed a mile. I did a local route that started and ended at my driveway. The only hiccup was trying to get the music to function properly, which didn't occur until I was done with the running portions. Also, I'll need to look into a different carrier for my phone. the one I have is for the bulkier iPhone 6, and I have the iPhone 7.

The weather largely cooperated and didn't drizzle until I got home and was stretching on my front steps, though the humidity was a little much. Took me about 14 minutes, and I felt pretty good afterward.

I've set a goal of losing 25 pounds by the end of July, which is doable, as long as I get my diet under control, not an easy feat. 

But, one step at a time.