So it begins

Because I don’t have enough to do these days, what with teaching a class, taking a class, applying for jobs and postdocs, writing a dissertation, and raising the best baby in the world, all while maintaining my usual level of awesomeness, I have decided it’s time to get my butt in gear and start working on that half-marathon goal I have for next June.

“But Grims,” you ask, “isn’t it November, and about to get butt cold?”  A-ha! Good point.  When I started running for real a few years ago, however, I started ramping up frequency and mileage in the winter.  And oddly enough, running in cold weather is really quite nice, at least what I remember of it.  As long as it’s 30º or above, and I have a small stash of Kleenexes up my sleeve, it’s as good a way to spend an hour or so outdoors as any.  It looks like I won’t be dealing with that for a while longer, anyway, since we’re still in the midst of a warm stretch (upper 60s yesterday!).  And anyway, we have the treadmill for truly awful days.

“But Grims,” you ask, “surely this is a terrible idea, what with your packed schedule and many responsibilities?”  Another good point.  But I only need a portion of two days during the week, both of which are relatively light as far as scheduled obligations go this semester, and are about to get lighter next semester.  Weekends are easier, what with Spouse being home.  And Nuala is on the verge of doing some reliably long-stretch sleeping at night (woke only an hour after she went to bed last night, 1:30, and 5:30), which means I’m about to have a little more energy to get my body moving again on a regular basis.  Based on my current level of achiness from sitting and moving rather slowly all day long, I could really use the exercise.  Here’s hoping that weirdness in my hips that comes from walking Nuala around slowly before her naps (what’s up with that?) resolves itself with moving the way people normally move.

I’ve given myself a good long time to work up to 13.1 miles, and won’t go more than three days a week to keep the IT-band crap, and whatever else decides to creep up at bay.  Wish me luck.