Thursday, March 17, 2011

Jerusalem Marathon

This spectacularly warm morning, while waiting at a traffic light with Raphaela in the stroller, on the way to Gan, a woman in a running outfit came up next to us.  Raphaela smiled at her immediately and after a few minutes of nice feelings all around, I asked this runner if she was planning on participating in the Jerusalem Marathon next week.  She is, and I wished her luck, and then found out that not only can you run the full marathon (42 K) or a half marathon (21 K), but there are all sorts of distances in between, and even a 10 K option.  I didn't know that.

Until two weeks before Raphaela's birth, I was running four to five times a week, and loving every minute of it;  it helped I suppose that I had gained a total of five kilo throughout the pregnancy.  Since her arrival, I have not exercised that way, though I often fantasize about it. In fact, right around the time that I found out that the fertility treatments had worked, I had just started a training program toward running a full marathon.

Inspired by this woman, I now have a new long-term goal:  within the year, I will be fit enough as a runner to compete in the 2012 Jerusalem Marathon.  As a Chiropractor, I will consult with personal trainers and will create a program, because setting aside the time to achieve this goal is important to me.  And because it may be the only way to finally get rid of that little belly flab left over from the pregnancy and nursing.

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