My first week of “real” running in 2012 came to an end yesterday and I was pretty happy with it. I ran/walked 69km and had a great time doing it. I also spent some time doing exercises to help strengthen both my hips and glutes. I was reading in Runner’s World magazine that one reason I may have trouble with my right knee after marathons is because my hips and glutes may be weak.
While running, I put a lot of thought into what I might do this year to get people out there interested in my fundraising efforts. Save the Children Japan is still doing a lot of very important work in the Tohoku region of Japan and the kids there certainly need assistance. Sadly, for many outside of Japan, and maybe even some people in Japan, the earthquake/tsunami of last year is nothing more than a forgotten memory.
The only thing I have heard on Canadian news recently about Japan is with regards to the large debris field from the March 11th tsunami heading towards the west Coasts of Canada and the United States. For the most part though, those stories aren’t about Japan, but the impact the debris will have on Canada.
Now, back to my ideas for raising funds for Save the Children. Just running a marathon isn’t really big enough I think. Running a marathon is a huge deal in many ways, but to get people’s attention and encourage them to donate I want to do something more. I didn’t want to go the same route as last year and run 60, 70 or 80km all at one time. I did think about running multiple marathons though. I randomly thought that 8 marathons in 8 weeks sounded like an impressive feat and that is what I may try to do.
When I say I will run 8 marathons in 8 weeks, that doesn’t entail me traveling around Japan and running in various official marathons. I simply don't have the funds to pull something like that off and to be honest, if I were running in an official race I would probably push myself too hard. I’m a competitive person and would probably try to set new tie goals for myself.
The idea of running 8 home made marathons such as he ultra I did last year seemed more doable. I would go out on a Saturday or Sunday morning depending on my work schedule and do a 42km (26.2 mile) long run essentially. Using my Runmeter running app on my iPhone, people could track and follow my progress. It would also hold me accountable. People would know that I was indeed running the marathons I said I would. Also, I wouldn’t push myself to run fast. I would take it slow and easy since I would have to run that far every week for almost two months.
The only thing I worry about is my body. That is why I have begun exercises to strengthen my hips. I have in the past had issues with my right knee and I worry that maybe I would get one or more marathons completed and my knee would keep me from finishing my overall goal.
I suppose the best thing to do would be to get rid of negative thoughts like that and just go for it! If I train smart, rest well and take care of myself to ensure a good recovery, I think 8 marathons in 8 weeks is very doable.
More details to come on this in the coming days and weeks.
