Coming back ... with an ambitious new fitness goal

Accountability is worth plenty when I’m facing a challenge. Maybe you know the feeling. And I am coming back from a too-long battle with MS-related vertigo, fatigue, pain, and overall funk.

But I tend to be a determined sort, so I have set myself a goal. It’s a pretty tall order, too.

I want to do another half marathon. I did one almost two years ago. My finishing time wasn’t anything impressive, but I actually finished the thing. I even felt pretty good afterwards.

That’s 13.1 miles of steady running. And I kept the same pace (tortoise-like though it was) for the entire duration, never breaking from a jog gait.

Ah, but that was nearly two years ago.

I am a little older now, and I carry a few more multiple sclerosis symptom battle scars, even if my MRIs have held constant for a few years. (This year’s edition comes up pretty soon, and I am hoping for a similar report.)

So here we go again.

I have recently returned to trail hiking, walking and running after a winter of sloth. (OK, so I had a doctor’s note, so to speak. But I still didn’t log many miles. And I now have a few pesky pounds to drop.)

However, armed with a new Fitbit Charge Wireless Activity Wristband (thanks to my mom on Mother’s Day), which counts every step I take daily, I have been getting up and getting out there. I can currently sustain my snail-like running pace for a little over 3 miles. That means I could finish a 5K. That reminds me: I need to sign up for a 5k race or fun run soon, just to keep my own motivation fired up.

I want to notch my distances up – all summer – and aim for a fall half marathon. (MSers know the hot midsummer is not a good time to try a long-distance run.)

If I can manage this, then I want to aim for an even bigger goal. I almost shudder to spell it out here.

This one is a biggie, but I want to see if I can shoot for it. And I have a very dear beneficiary in mind for the event sponsorship. So, if my training continues to progress, if the MS MonSter doesn’t mount a massive attack, and if my doctors say it’s OK, I want to test my own limits in the big game a year from now.

And, if the MS MonSter launches an angry onslaught in the meantime, I hope and pray I can accept a change of plans. (Life with MS does teach us about making flexible plans, doesn't it?)

I’ll post occasional progress reports here. Who’s with me? Think I can kick MS to the curb for a while?

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