Rebuilding, healing and a new start

I got really ambitious today and decided to go for a run. This was my first run since November 16th and, well, I decided not to overdue it. I took my dog, Porter, and we ran a nice easy 7 miles at about 8 minute pace. Of course the battery in my watch died after about 5 minutes and my iPod ran out of juice after about 20 minutes.
I want to thank everyone who has commented on my blog, sent an e-mail with their thoughts or called with their condolences regarding Laird. He clearly left a lasting impression on everyone. During my run today I thought about something that a good friend wrote in an e-mail. “I’ll always remember that goofy, infectious smile and laugh.” That was Laird. It brought a smile to my face throughout my run today and will likely do so on many runs to come.
Last year I decided that I was going to run my first marathon. Because I am often somewhat over confidant I decided that in my first marathon I was going to run fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Well, that didn’t happen. I needed to run 3:10 and I ran 3:17 at the inaugural San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon. At 21 miles I was on pace to run about 2:55. I kind of fell apart over the last 5 miles.
So I took some time off. Initially my plan was to take about three weeks off to recover. Three weeks somehow turned into two months. Not that I did absolutely nothing (I skied two times) but I did my share of sitting on the couch, taking naps and eating junk.
I learned a lot after completing my first marathon. I know that I am very capable of not only running 7 minutes faster to qualify for Boston but finishing under 3 hours is a realistic goal for this summer. Most importantly I learned a few things, related to my training as well as race day, to help me accomplish my goal.
Wish me luck.
Oh, and don't forget to watch the season premier of Lost tonight!