I have a saying. Momentum is magic. It's true in every facet of life. When you have it, you know it. You also know when you don't. It's related to the state of flow proposed by positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, and in its purest form is physical. It takes energy, and it's easier to stay moving when energy is high. It's easier to keep moving in the direction you're headed once you've DONE something to get you started. That THING is called Activation Energy, according to Shawn Achor. Again applying physics, it takes SOMETHING to get momentum. That SOMETHING can be as basic as keeping your guitar in the middle of the living room instead of in the closet so you'll see it and practice it instead of having to walk ALL THE WAY to the closet to take it out (Achor's example). And while these principles of momentum and activation energy are from physics, the keys are all driven via psychology.

A week ago I met with Coach Katherine for the first time. She's a running coach with experience running and coaching. She's run Boston, and about half of her clientele consists of triathletes. We met at Panera Bread in downtown Orlando and the first thing she told me is she's 8-months pregnant. We spent an hour talking about running, goals, my history, her background, etc. We talked about my goal of running Boston in 2016, which she mentioned is aggressive (which I know). She said some of her clients have trimmed :30 minutes off their first marathon. I told her by the end of the year, my goal is to run in four hours or less. That's a LOT more than a :30 minute improvement.

The next forty-five minutes were spent stretching, doing drills and evaluating my form. She made a few tweaks, and I'm convinced solved my Achilles / calf problem.

We left agreeing that the week of the 13th would be our first week, and my initial mission was to get out and run a few days this past week. Nothing bold and daring like 5 or 6 miles. Just a couple miles at most, and work on my form. I walked away energized and ready to get 2014 started. Boston or Bust, right? And 1.5 to 2.0 miles is NOTHING.

Then the week hit. Hard. The picture above is where I spent the past five days, many nights not getting to bed until 3 and up at 5. The things in the upper right corner were my sources of energy - coffee in the styrofoam cup (we had breakfast at Perkins yesterday, celebrating my youngest son's 13th birthday) and my mug of green tea. The two screens were where I focused my eyes. What a mess. 

At the end of the week, I did have a sense of accomplishment, but was worn out. As a result last night was slow, hitting the pillow early and up easy around 8am. Running hasn't been a ritual since the Chicago Marathon in October. So today, I took my first steps.The weather was warm, and I took our dog Hank with me. The first thing I realized is I am back to being OUT. OF. SHAPE. So is Hank. The good news is I'm not feeling any pain in my calves / Achilles (although my right hip is tight). And the better news is I have momentum. No injuries. No pressure. Just some energy headed in the right direction.

Here are the stats:

Distance: 1.5mi.
Start Time: 12:41pm
Duration: 14:33
Avg Pace: 9:44

Well, run that for 26.2 miles and it won't be my 4 hour marathon. But I don't have to run a 4 hour marathon today. I DO have to put the right habits back in place.

The goal for the month of January is to run 2 miles in 14 minutes. That's a lot of work in 3 weeks when I can't even run ONE mile at that 7:00 per mile clip. Momentum is magic, baby. Momentum is magic.

Near record weight. That’d be something to brag about if you’re fishing. I’m not fishing right now. The farthest I’ve run since the marathon in October has been to the bathroom. I’m tipping the scales at around 180 pounds right now, and I wish it was solid.

I remember the days in high school when I wished and worked so hard to get above 150 pounds in high school. Those were also the days I ran three miles in less than six minutes a mile. Those were the days when we’re all invincible.

On January 3, 2014, I will have completed on my “before” photo. Tomorrow will begin my path to unparalleled fitness, and pushing toward my goal of qualifying for the 2016 Boston Marathon. To accomplish this goal, I’ll need to run 26.2 miles in less than 3 hours 25 minutes. That equates to 7 minutes 49 seconds a mile. For 26.2 miles. Running ONE mile at that pace today is not physically possible.

The immediate goal is to get to a point where running any distance can be done without pain. Last year, preparing for the Chicago Marathon, I worked on strength first, then distance. August posed its problems when I didn’t know how to address the issues I was having with my lower legs. I figured all that out in time to finish Chicago, but my body wasn’t as conditioned as it should’ve been or could’ve been had I known what I know now.

So, it’s off to a bold goal that some would say is unachievable given my Chicago experience. That’s one of the reasons I’m doing it. I’ll be working with a coach, which will help. The biggest competitor in this race will once again be me, and my knowledge. Or lack of knowledge and experience. That’s where the coach comes into play. Tomorrow at 9:30am is when my next chapter as an athlete continues. We'll see what the plan is at that point.