Marathon Training in #the60's. We seem to be compatible.

We've been together for almost 4 decades! He's my dearest friend. But I wasn't sure we could train for a marathon together! It's safe for me to say over the years we have been through every kind of stressful situation there is! And then some. We have had some major blowouts! We have worked it out! We think alike, we think completely opposite!  We agree about everything, we disagree about everything! We have kids & grandkids together!  Life has been busy! We're married!  Bottom Line, I love him and he loves me! but a marathon????  

My husband, Johnny, aka the hubs hit the big 6-0 almost 5 years ago. He retired from work on his 60th birthday. He's an active guy though, plays the guitar, plays golf, babysits grandkids, takes a lot of walks. He's busy. I have finally caught up with his age group! I hit the big 6-0 about 3 months ago. I haven't had the opportunity yet to retire from work, & I haven't had the chance to slow down yet!  I'm a runner! It seems I'm always on the go & most of the time, he's on the go with me! But I can already see, being in #the60's is different! It's a different part of life. 

As we enter our 60's together, we decided to make some healthy changes in our marriage. We are keeping what has been good over the years and changing some of the negative things. Rekindling the flame in several areas I guess you could say! We're finally realizing we are certainly not teenagers anymore!  We are going to grow old-er together and we want to stretch it out for as long as we can! And be as healthy as we can be together! We are still going to keep doing the stuff we love to do that keeps us who we are as individuals. But we needed a hobby or a project, something that we could commit to together! We talked about all kinds of things, like a puppy or a remodeling project or a garden or another big trip. We have done all that. We needed something new. Something challenging. 

I registered us both for a marathon! How about that for a challenge! The Walt Disneyworld Marathon, January 2015. Why not I told him! We love Disney, we love to run, we can do it, it will be fun! I admit it, I love all those things. (I was going to register for the marathon anyway.)  I told him it would be great for me to have a partner to run with me and I wanted him to be my partner! He does love Disneyworld, but he has never had a desire to run a marathon. Never. He doesn't really love to run! He doesn't care if I do, but he's not a huge fan of running if he is the one running! I pointed out how much fun we will have training and getting healthy and I even tried to convince him this will be the best thing we will ever do together. We can eat right and get in shape and have soooo much fun! And we can run and run and train and......  And for some reason he thought it was a great idea! A great idea! I was shocked! 

Up until now, we have only actually ran 5 miles together, and that was in 2009. My running partners are my daughters & my girlfriends now! I don't run with husbands! How in the world were we going to train together for a marathon? I have ran 2 marathons. The same one I'll be running in January 2015. Walt Disneyworld Marathon. Just because it says Disneyworld, it is still 26.2 miles! There are no magical short cuts to the finish line!  I already know how hard the training is. Every single week. Every single weekend. Mile after mile after mile. How in the world will be able to spend that much time together? We don't really hang out that much together! We hang out with other people together! How in the world will we do it?  What was I thinking?! 

But again, back to the lets get healthy together thing in #the60's. We're registered! We needed to get busy training so I labored over a training schedule. We somehow had to start out equal and build up distance and speed. Together!  Johnny hasn't been doing too much running in the last few years!  I'm miles and miles ahead of him, so to speak.  But we're in this together and it won't hurt me to back up and start over! All the way back to mile 1 if  that's what it's going to take! 

So that's what we're doing! We are 8 weeks into training now! 8 weeks into running together! 8 weeks or so into #the60's! It's working! It seems that we are compatible!  We are running partners! Who knew we could be running partners! We have a walk run type schedule. Running 60-70% of the distance. We have a ratio that I don't really understand. He is setting the pace. I can't keep up with timers! I get mixed up if it's time to walk or run! Johnny is great with keeping us on pace! He's really good with intervals! Who knew?!

It's been really nice to have such a committed running partner! I've missed a few middle of the week runs due to work & weather. He hasn't missed any! We have not missed a single long run together! It's been great to have him out there with me! I asked him last week at mile 6 in the rain if I was getting on his nerves. He said, Nope, not yet! I believed him! He hasn't made me crazy yet either!

The gate opens early at Lakeside Park!  8 miles on the run schedule!

During a walk interval. My running girlfriend snapped this one!

At the end of 8 miles! It was a great run! And look we are smiling!

I'm really proud of him! He's losing a little weight and getting stronger with every run. I am too. Maybe my old lady fat will finally go away! We are eating much healthier. We are paying attention to proteins, carbs & calories and staying away from the sugars & fats.  When we talk about our runs, it's obvious we have our own goals and are in our own little worlds but we are doing it together!  I really think we can do it! I really think we are compatible! Who knew?!

Peace, love & Grandmary