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10.05.2012

The Month of Races

October is the month of races.

The broski, who works at a winery, was recently getting a little too comfortable on the couch a few too  many times a week. His job is "seasonal", which basically means that it is pretty physical for about 3 months of the year, during harvest, which actually happens to be right now. During harvest he works 10-14 hour days punching down grapes and doing other assorted grape related activities.

However, for the other 9 months, it is less physically demanding. So his pattern was this: get in pretty good shape each year from August to November; get out of shape from December to July. Repeat.

He got tired of this, and has been really trying to focus on getting out and getting some exercise. I have mentioned this before, but I am so proud of him for doing this. It is not easy to break a habit, especially a bad one, and it's even less easy to form new good ones!

So, he asked for me to join him in running a half marathon. He didn't have to twist my leg very hard for me to say yes. However, I suggested he try a 5k beforehand to see how he liked it before heading out for the long haul. He, being almost as stubborn and determined as I, said he would try a shorter race, but he was not giving up on the half marathon. So, shortly after, I found myself signing up for not one, but TWO races in October.

A few days later, I got word that I got into the Nike Women's Marathon.

The broski is doing great. He went from walking, to walk/running, to running 10 minute miles to running 8 minute miles. He is a rock star.

For his birthday, I got him a fuel belt and a tiger tail. 
He sent me this beautiful photo as a "thank you".

Sorry ladies, he's taken.

So...This weekend I am running a 10k with the broski; on the 14th, it's the NWM in San Francisco, and the weekend after that, it's the Harvest Half Marathon (which better have some wine involved!)

Our number one goal this weekend? Have fun! But we are also hoping to keep it under a 9 minute per mile pace. I think we can do it. We already talked logistics. The broski said he probably won't be able to talk while we are running. So I asked if it was okay for me to talk the whole time. He said, "sure, it will be just like being at home with my girlfriend". Ha. Ha. I am totally telling on him.

Do you have family members that run? Did you have a friend/coworker/family member that got you into running? Do you talk while you are running with someone?

Head over to Jills for more Fitness Friday fun!

14 comments:

  1. awesome! but what is a tiger tail?

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  3. fun post! i love your brother!

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  4. Haha, love that picture! Have a great weekend racing with him for the first time! My sister is probably the only reason why I got into the long distance stuff...even though for years I didn't 'get' it at all and just thought she was crazy!

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  5. Have a great race! I love to talk while running, but my running partners don't usually talk:) To go at my own pace, I usually run by myself.

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  6. That picture is full of win! It's great that your brother has taken up running. Sadly, no one in my family runs aside from me.

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  7. That picture is hilarious! Good for him for getting into running, and for you agreeing to accompany him. Sounds like a great month lined up for you!

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  8. That's awesome! Hope you guys have a great race!

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  9. Have an amazing time this weekend. Yes, October is race month! I love that you get to run with your brother. My brother was going to run the Vegas half with me, but totally flaked out. I wish he lived closer and we'd run together more often.

    Love the picture too!

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  10. You have an exciting month ahead of you.

    My husband and I run together and they're my favorite runs. If it's not an early morning run we talk. If it's one of our 5:00 a.m. runs he has an unspoken (pun intended) rule of I'm out here and happy to be with you but no talking haha He is so not a morning person!

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  11. I started running in 1978 when I was a teenager but gave it up in 1995 due to foot problems. I bike now. I miss my 5k races...have fun running in October.

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  12. Ha, that picture is awesome! That is so exciting that you are doing a race together!

    My younger sister runs. She ran her first marathon the year after I did, and I am hoping we can run one together some day! My older sister just started running, too, so it has been fun seeing her get excited over the sport.

    I talk while doing long runs but that is about it! And even then I am one of the more quiet members in run club usually!

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  13. You guys are totally related, but you're much cuter. =)

    My brother just finished his second half marathon a few weeks ago. I take complete credit for his running - I don't think he'd ever have tried to run more than a few miles at the gym if he wasn't sick of hearing about my long distance running. (BTW, I also take credit for him becoming a gym rat - he never worked out until I started getting into it!)

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