Heed thy runner's commandments

So it's April. It's about as far away as I'm ever going to be from race day. Each week that passes means more running, more effort. Come July, I should be focused, serious and preparing to cross the finish line.

But like I said, it's only April. I'm just trying to get my head in the game, so to speak. The first group run has come and gone, which is a start, but as soon as I left last Thursday I knew with moderate certainty that my feet wouldn't see those shoes again for another week.

It's OK. It's only April.

But if I have any hope of not reliving last year's mess, I need to rethink my approach. No excuses about needing to spend quality time with the new couch or "precipitation and I don't mesh well."

So yesterday I perused some paperwork that was passed out at the Reach the Beacon training last week. It included some basic training information (benefits of running, dos and don'ts, breathing techniques, etc.) but it was the 'Commonsense Commandments" that caught my attention:

1. Eat breakfast
2. Get seven hours of sleep
3. Keep your weight down
4. Drink alcoholic beverages moderately
5. Exercise regularly

No time like the present to start incorporating these commandments into my daily routine. But I wouldn't attempt them all at once (too dangerous, I'd go into shock and be a risk to both myself and others...especially discourteous grocery store shoppers who absentmindedly push their carts into your ankles. It hurts. Things could get ugly. I'm just sayin').

So I'll start from the top of the list and work my way down over the next few weeks. Ease into it. Take baby steps.

So..."Eat breakfast." I can do that, see -->

Me and a 20,000-calorie coffee drink. That counts, right? Consider it my first step on the road to health. Well, not really a "step" in the physical sense - I did take the elevator.

Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

Commandment No. 1: Check.

What is this word, "moderately" anyway?