Getting ready for the half-marathon

I am running in my first half-marathon in 2 1/2 weeks. I haven't written much about my preparation, because my preparation has been far worse than my St. Patrick's Day 5-mile race. I attribute this to the move and trying to balance my dear wife's new schedule and my domestic responsibilities, among other factors. I don't feel great about my training, but I can learn from this path.

Fitting in an adequate long run to prepare for a half-marathon takes a lot of dedication and schedule arranging. I've been able to keep up with the short runs, but the long run provides the growing edge, and carving out about 2 hours on most weeks is challenging. As a stay at home dad, I have a lot of time available, but 2 hour blocks? I also do better with this kind of running in the winter when it's dark and my family has little or no desire to venture outside. I should remember this in future half-marathon and marathon (?) training. A fall marathon will not be the way to go for me--a spring marathon sounds more plausible. The heat of the summer, even in the Pacific Northwest, has also gotten me down--I end up sleeping very poorly on the warm evenings, then getting out of bed for a run before the household awakens was a significant struggle in this training regimen. I also watched a little too much damned television.

However, I did get in about 11 miles or so today, so I know I can do this half-marathon. I may not perform up to my previous expectations--but I know I can do it. This morning was a big test, and I passed adequately. I only hope for a cool day on Labor Day for this new venture.