So a lot of things have happened since the last time I posted on this blog. No surprise really, after all it has been nearly a year and a half. Emily, Eibhlin, Aislin and I are now in San Antonio. I must admit I greatly underestimated the heat (more the humidity and the overall heat index). It can be pretty brutal. There have been a few days that I have thought to myself, what made me decide to take orders to San Antonio? Georgia wasn't that bad. But then I remember why and I just smile, put on my sunglasses and go.
There are some more bonuses to being stationed here. I have made more friends in the eleven months we've been here than I did the five years in Georgia. I've lost 10 pounds and cut almost 2:30 off my 1.5 mile run time for the Navy PRT. I've registered for and completed my first ultra marathon, the Prickly Pear 50k. Granted it was probably the easiest ultra to do for my first, but 31 miles is 31 miles no matter how you look at it. And best of all I didn't finish last. Just like my one and only marathon to date, right in the middle of the pack.. It makes me wonder what I would be capable of if I actually trained for these events.
Training...that's something I need to really get batter at. Not just with my running, but with my Navy career and my education as well. Speaking of training for running, my new training schedule starts tomorrow. For those who don't know yet, I have been selected by the international charity Peace and Sportto be one of 20 amateur marathoners to represent them in the ING NYC Marathon this November. It will be an amazing time in the Big Apple with the other 19 runners being able to meet the three world champions, Paula Radcliffe, Wilson Kipketer and Tegla Laroupe. I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to pick their brains, especially Wilson's and Paula's. I mean Paula is an amazing runner, a beast on the road course, her book is going to be a great read. Wilson is the one I'm most looking forward to meeting. He held the world record in the 800m until last year when Rudisha broke it. This will be his first marathon and I am so curious to see how he had mentally prepared to run so much farther than he ever ran before.
The main challenge in this adventure is going to be raising the money the charity requires to fulfill their projects. These projects are designed to give kids in developing countries an outlet other than joining gangs or turning to crime. The project I have chosen the assist is the one in Colombia. If you would like to help me in this great cause please visit my fundraising page on the Peace and Sport website: http://peace-sport.org/ING-NYC-Marathon-2011/joshua-voyles.html
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment