When my roommate suggested I start training with her for a marathon my first thought was that it was a great idea. We started running during the summer season, before monsoons, and after a few weeks we realized that no matter how early we woke up, it was just too hot to continue it. Then monsoons started up and it was raining nearly 24 hours a day for a good long time. At this point I thought training was a crazy idea.
A vacation full of food in Nepal prompted me to reconsider the marathon training option. That, and we have decided to make it a fundraising opportunity for Nanubhai. The hope is, that people will be interested in reading our daily blogs on training, have an interest in rural education in India, and want to sponsor us to run. Soon, there will be a link on the Nanubhai website (www.nanubhai.org) to this blog and Lyndi, Drew and I will write about our training experience and our experiences in India.
We started yesterday. I always hate getting back into the habit of running. The first weeks are terrible and you want to give up. The weather is cooler, that's for sure, but conditions are still tough. The pollution levels, even out here in the rural areas, are intense and the roads we often run on, not more than a one lane, pot holed path full of stray rocks and buffalo dung. But, it's beautiful. The scenery is constantly changing and running through the villages as they wake up is always an experience.
Completed day 2 today. Muscles are sore from running twice yesterday and probably not stretching properly. Is it time for a day off yet?? Lyndi is a rigid trainer so...probably not. That's what I get for training with an experienced marathon runner...wish me luck.