I love Mondays!

Today for my training I dressed-up like a giant jack-o-lantern and sped up & down the trails of Praha 6! Every Monday evening I play basketball with a colleague and some of his buddies at a gymnasium nearby. Usually we go by car, but lately he (my chauffeur) has needed to go home first to check on the slow progress of the new facade being put on his home.

So today, my mode of transport was bicycle and it was fantastic! I overestimated my time and arrived a bit early - but enjoyed sitting at a nearby park watching Czech children collecting chestnuts and running away from their parents.

It was past 20.00 (8pm) when basketball ended and I started the journey home - so rather dark! But the purchase of my new bike a few weeks ago included lights - both the "don't hit me lights" and the "I can see in the dark lights". I also donned an XL orange reflective vest, so I could be seen surely even by planes overhead!
Nonetheless, I love Monday night basketball and don't mind sacrificing a run for the exercise of a good game ... or just a game.

Kicks needed!

If it weren't for two particular lists, I would have happily and quietly skipped my training run today.

One is the list of names down the right side of this web-log who have committed to sponsor my run and support our students. Are you there yet? ... Ahem...

The second is a long blue narrow checklist outside my door. Each day that I train I note the date in a small blue box below the one before. This is an accountability chart in a sense, where Helle, my neighbour across the corridor will reward me with stickers when I'm a good trainee!

So thanks to you all for your support and stickers to get me out to run on a bright Sunday in October!

What goes up, must come down

An excellent thing about where IBTS is located in the valley is that the paths away from the seminary lead up, and the paths on the way back lead down! An ideal situation for any potential half-marathoner! Whilst still trying to figure out the pedometre loaned to me, I'm unable to record distances by kilometre when running, but instead by landmarks. The house that sells honey, the big white house with the huge menacing boxer dog, the swimming pool, the sausage roasting place. My goal before too long is to make it to McDonalds! (Maybe with the reward of an apple pie at the end)

However, speaking of sausages - running leaves much time for thought and today I contemplated the implications of a recent post on the IBTS Community web-log (blog.ibts.eu) - particularly the last bit about the contribution of meat consumption towards polluting the environment. I love meat - sausages, meatballs, pork chops, cutlets, meatloaf...

But yes, I do have concern for the environment, as well. Cleaning with vinegar & baking soda rather than various chemicals. Not leaving water running when unneccessary. Recycling. The list continues, but the challenge of giving up a bit of my meaty pleasures? So yes, I had salted salmon on toast with a bit of lemon for dinner tonight and thought through limiting my intake of our farmyard friends...

But surely, these Czech sausages in my freezer consist of very little meat anyway!

Half-past September

Due to serious repair work on the boiler-system yesterday at the seminary, I was without hot water during the peak times when I attempt to do a bit of marathon training. Skipping the shower after my run was not an option preferred by my neighbours, so I took the bus up the road to workout at the fitness centre nearby – more on this gym another day.

Boredom sets in rather quickly while stomping away on a treadmill. In the states there are television sets placed above any exercisers, to help them forget what they are doing to their bodies.

Not so, in this fitness room. The wall that I’m facing is not a wall, but a mirror. Thus making it impossible to forget my silly idea of a half marathon, because staring back at me is a miserable blonde girl sweating away! I blame her for my sore muscles today.

To attempt to keep my mind occupied, I flip noncommittally through various Czech fashion magazines displayed on the table at reception. Half-way through SmeZeny (UsWomen), I was clouded in a sickenly sweet perfume scent to realise the magazine had a sample flap included. I began muttering to myself, until I recalled that I have smelled much worse in gyms in the Czech Republic.

Having fallen in love with the soothing effect of sweating through intervals in the sauna whilst in Estonia, I asked the woman behind the desk at the gym if they would be installing one. Her answer, “Yes, we will have it, maybe, half-past September.” - You try figure that out!

Introduction and Purpose

December 2007 I created a list of ‘Post-Dissertation’ activities to help motivate me to complete the final work of my Masters in Applied Theology. It worked, along with the kicks from my colleagues here. (‘Dissertation’ being the European equivalent of the Masters’ Thesis)

And now with the initials “MTh” humbly settled behind my name, it’s time to get serious about ticking the points off my list. Indeed the list has begun to shorten, but one item steadily remains and is the impetus for this blog:

Running a half-marathon!

Following a summer holiday to Estonia and being motivated by a friend’s brother who runs full marathons, I began running – well, shuffling for now– through the beautiful Šárka Valley here in Prague 6.

Up until then, my long distance running consisted of the length of a basketball court and back. Now, still at the beginning of this endeavor, I struggle to get beyond three kilometers before finding an excuse to pause – bug in my eye, blowing my nose, hiding from dogs…

It’s not easy! I’m told a regular human being can run a half marathon in about two hours. Thus far, I’m only a regular human being enough to run 30 minutes before collapsing… there’s a long road of training ahead!

But I won’t quit! Because I’ve now committed not to run for the sake of wearing some number on my back on 28 March and parade through the Prague streets, but for a purpose.

I’ve titled this Web-log the Jubilee Jog through Prague, because the International Baptist Theological Seminary, where I presently work (and graduated from) is celebrating it’s 60th year as an institution and I’m running in support and celebration of this event. If it weren’t for this, I think I would have stopped donning my Nike running shoes two days after my first run/shuffle!

Sponsor me & support our seminary & students!

A marathon is 21,097 kilometres, so there are options! You can pledge a few dollars, euros, pounds, crowns or rubles per kilometre – which hopefully will be a complete 21.097 or one total lump sum! All to go towards celebrating our IBTS 60 years of seminary training.

Reguarly on this Web-log you can read the highs and lows of my training, who has pledged their support and maybe even of some who wish to join me on the run!!!