Here We Go Again

Another marathon training season is officially underway!  This morning was our first group training run.  I'm coaching a group again, and it's fairly small.  Our weekday groups are always smaller -- the program I run with has several locations for weekday runs, then the big group runs together on the weekends for the long runs. 

Our weekday group is me and a few other people with LOTS of marathon experience, and one new person.  Training for her first.  So it will be an interesting balance -- most of us will want the advanced schedule, but with her there, we might want to be closer to an intermediate or beginner schedule.  I've run with this group for a long time, and most people are around the same level, so it will be interesting.  But it's very fun to get to know someone else.  We asked her to tell her life story this morning.  I suggested it last about an hour and begin with the words, "well, I was born..."  Haha.  She didn't take the bait.  I love getting other people to talk.

Especially now, since I'm struggling to get back to my old pace.  Right now we should be running at a pace that's easy and conversational, but I wouldn't quite call it easy for me yet.  Hopefully within a few more weeks I'll get used to it.  But I love suckering someone else into doing a lot of the talking.  Anyway, the new woman seems really nice, and the old pros are absolutely awesome, so I think it will be a good season.

I need to be good about stretching and taking care of myself on this road back to my regular pace. 

But here we go again, another marathon training season begun, the long road to the great wall (haha, not really, hopefully it's a long road to Beijing for me).

Though on that note, officially less than 5 months until when I THINK the Beijing marathon will be, but still no date!  It's driving me crazy! 

Apparently, I'm not alone.  I have a friend who can read Chinese and she's watching some of the forums online for me and people are getting very concerned about the lack of official date, to say the least. 

Well, I guess pretty soon we'll just flip a coin, plan to be in Beijing one of the two most likely race dates, buy plane tickets, and hope for the best!