Portland Fit

Portland Fit is my new marathon training program. I started last weekend with them, March 25th. They are great.

I get to go every Saturday and run with a big group of people who are training for the same thing I am training for...the Portland Marathon.

The Portland Marathon is October 1, 2006 this year. I have been planning to run this race since I started running.

The first year, my sister had already ran portland and she wanted to do a destination marathon, so I went with her to Victoria, Canada. The second race I ran in the spring, in Seattle, at Whidbey Island.

Both were great races, and I enjoyed them very much. Whidbey Island was filled with hills, and not a lot of support along the way, in terms of cheering. But Portland...Portland has a reputation for having one of the best supported courses along the way. I am so looking forward to it.

Portland fit is a 26 week training program that teached me how to train, and how to run. It offers seminars on hydration, shoes, safety, injury prevention, etc. So I am not just running, I am learning how to run.

I went out again on Sat, this was the first week we ran with our deignated color groups. I am red. Which means I run a 10min/mile or slower run. I personally am closer to 12 or 13 min./mile. I will increase. As some of this extra weight comes off, and I get better, I will get faster. I did last time, so I will again.

First week was 3 miles, last week was 4...next week 5. Bloomsday is also coming up. That is 7.46 miles (12K)is Spokane, WA. I ahve ran that race every year for six years now. It is fun. 50,000 runners pile on this 12k course. It is a blast. This year, my family is running with me! Possibly, my old neighbor and friend, Kat. She said she wanted to run it too.

So, lots of good runs and races coming up. After Bloomsday is the Helvetia Half Marathon on June 10th. So that will be fun.