On the shelf for now.

I am officially placing DAM to DAM 2010 on the shelf. At this time I do not see it happening. The first month after WDW I was on track and doing well with mileage at the gym. Since Superbowl Sunday however... I have only worked out four times. I could put the blame on many things but I am going to refrain from doing that. For nearly two years I have grumbled about how far I have slipped since my best DAM run in 2008. A 20K in 2:04 seems like such a dream to me now, but only short time ago I lived it.

The injuries I suffered in October 08 and again following DAM 09 have healed. The struggle I am dealing with now is all mental. I want to be back in shape right now but I have to put the last 4 1/2 years into perspective to get there.

That 2:04 finish did not just happen, it was the result of nearly three years of walking and jogging.

Back in 2005 I began walking an hour each night for health reasons. Later in the year I was encouraged by a few people at my church to consider running DAM to DAM. I began turning my walks into runs and soon discovered that what I had been doing to simply to get fit was something I actually enjoyed. In 2006 I signed up for my first DAM race and came out with a nice 2:19 finish. Although I did not run DAM in 07 I was staying consistent with jogging and maintaining my weight loss. When Spring rolled around the following year I was ready to take on DAM again.

October 08 following the Des Moines half marathon(2:22)I had my first experience with plantar fasciitis. The pain kept me from training the way I would have liked going into that first WDW half back in 09 and that was reflected in a 2:49 finish.

Over the years I have noticed a pattern within myself that follows the accomplishments of finishing a race. Its like "oh well thats done. Now I can coast awhile and relax."

When DAM 09 came around I was not prepared. My heart was in it but I knew my finish would not be pretty. I expected a slower time but had kept telling myself that I really just wanted to finish. I was proud to have finished but it came at a cost. I made a horrible error in judgement when it came to my footwear. Rather than using the arch supports that had worked so well for me I had used a pair of Dr Scholls gel inserts. The support was not there and when I returned home and stepped out of my car I realized that I once again had plantar fasciitis.

The 09 DAM run was also unique in that in past years the first mile has been a fast walk and that worked good for me as a nice warmup. In 09 everyone started off at race pace and soon I was running faster that I had trained for just to keep from getting run over. It is with that first mile in mind that I have decided to not enter DAM this year. I simply do not see myself as being ready by June.

But don't worry I'm not hanging my running shoes up just yet. There's still WDW 2011 out there and possibly a mouse and not a duck waiting for me at the finish line.



My plan right now is to focus on weight loss and simply getting in an hour of exercise a day at least six days a week. As the year progresses I'll work on extending that hour and the miles.