Ok, I know, I know...

I know I haven't posted (or run) in a long time but that's all about to change. I've found some people to train with and it looks like there is a mini-marathon in my future.

I've signed up for the Triple Crown of Racing which are 3 runs before the Derby Festival Marathon. The first is a 5k on March 1. I have a feeling I will be walking this one but I'm gonna be there moving one way or another...

My sister-in-law, Rebecca, who just ran the NY Marathon gave me some good pointers so hopefully I will actually do this whole stupid thing.

On a side note, my nephew, Daniel just reported to the Marines Officer Candidate School in Quantico, VA on Saturday. Keep him in your prayers. The next 10 weeks are going to be really tough on him but they are going to make a Marine out of him.

More to come...

5 Running Days Into This Mess

Tonight will be night number 6. I have a dog park meeting after work and it's Bluegrass (you know bluegrass music with banjos, mandolins, etc.) night at the local pub with some of my friends playing so I don't really want to run (or attempt to run) tonight. I can do it Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday this week. I'm also hoping to start working out next week. If I can talk my personal trainer into actually training me. Most of you know that one of my bestest friends, Bruce, is a personal trainer with his own studio so it's not as though I'm actually able to afford his services...but he's going to work out with me a couple of times to get me back into the swing of things and then I'm going to venture out on my own with him giving me the schedule of things to do. I haven't worked out in 15 months so it will take some getting used to but I used to love it. Can you believe I said that?? I did though. I felt stronger and healthy and just plain better. It was always a challenge to me. I wanted to be the first girl at the studio to bench press with actual weight on the bar. Did it. I wanted to be the only one at the studio that could do a thousand crunches. Did it. I can still probably do at least 500 right now. Anyway, I think it really helps the stress level too. I'm also going to take a self defense class in November which will help get some frustrations out. I feel the need to kick somebody's ass. I need to try to figure out how to turn the running thing into more of a challenge. Not that running 13.1 miles in 200 days isn't challenge enough. I need to mentally wrap myself around this thing so that I can get through it physically. A friend who runs says that he almost meditates while running. I'm not much of a meditator but to get that mentally into it would help get through it on the physical level. I don't know. I'm just blabbering now. More later...

Day 2

Well, day 2 proved to be worse than day 1. Didn't think it would be possible. We ran, probably, twice the distance we did the first day. I talked to my nephew Daniel (who just graduated from UK with degree in Kinesiology - the study of human movement) who suggested we run slower but longer distances and rest less in between the 'dots.' I told him that I was finding it easier to run faster but shorter distances. So we tried it his way and it was much better.

Rita and I are running at night at a park by our houses. Her mom knows where we are and when we leave so I'm not to afraid to be running over there. I'm going to start carrying my pepper spray, just in case. But the whole point in telling you this is that on our second run we were on our last leg (almost literally) and really having to push each other to get through it and we were laughing hysterically because if you had only heard us - you would have thought someone was having a baby in the park...with all the hooting and hollering and "push!" and "oh my God" and "you can do it" going on...

It wasn't that bad!

It really wasn't. While I was doing it it wasn't great but I survived and will do it again. I'm just a little sore and I need to figure out the whole shoe thing - ones that won't make the toes on my left foot go numb...

While faced with having to move my feet faster than normal I was struck with the enormity of my situation. I'm having trouble running from one bench to the other or one tree to the picnic table how in God's name am I going to run 13.1 miles?!?! But what I figured out is that I'm a kid with a coloring book and I'm doing dot-to-dot. All I have to do is figure out how to connect the dots. It won't happen the first time or even the 50th time but it will happen.

I think the key for me is going to be to set mini goals for my mini marathon challenge. If I run today I get to take the longest, hottest shower of all time. It's the little things. This is going to suck big time (I can't stress the sucking or the big time enough) but at the end of April I will have finished running a mini-marathon. How cool is that gonna be?

Anyway, I did it. I went out there in the heat and ran. (Ooohh! and it was daylight and there were people around and I still did it. If I could do all of this in a closet where nobody could see my fat ass jiggling around I would.)

Here Goes...

Well, finally, after much hacking and coughing, I'm starting my running career this evening. My neighbor cheated on me and started last week but we are off tonight. Off our rockers, but off all the same. I'm still coughing but can breath almost normally right now. Not sure how I'll be breathing, if at all, after the run.

Can't believe it, but I'm still kind of excited about this endeavor. Remind me that I said that when it's below zero with a wind chill in the teens and I have to go run...

really sad...

It's really sad. I've lied already. I had fried chicken today. I haven't officially started running so I guess it's ok. I think I might eat my brains out this weekend. Nothing that isn't fried!

My cold has now gone into my chest so there is no way I could breath and run at the same time. If I could do them individually I might be ok but I don't think it works that way.

I've had some great encouragement already from some of you. (funny how the reaction has been from people who married into the family and not any of the family who has responded...hmmm...interesting...)

One of them alluded to...I can't really say it but it referred to something that not everyone has experienced but would really love to experience...much like the runner's high. He has experienced it twice but there was a lot of pain prior to the high...I'm still anxious to experience it. He also said that he really hopes that I go through with this because finishing a race was one of the most rewarding experiences of his life. How great is that??

I really hope I can stick it out too. What am I talking about?? I hope I actually start this fool thing!

more later....

Can't Believe I'm Even Saying This!

I'm going to start running. Yes, the actual movement of the feet faster than the normal shuffle. The thing where you put shoes on (shoes that aren't flip flops), go outside in gym-type clothing (God forbid it be spandex because that would certainly cause traffic accidents) and actually...run.

I'm not sure exactly what has prompted this. It's a combination of things really. One, I'm fat. Two, I'm tired of being fat. Three, I am in search of the runner's high. Four, there's a boy that I know that runs and I want to run with him. (Not after him, but with him...well, maybe after him) Anyway, I really want to do this and the only thing stopping me from doing this is me. Me and the fact that I've never run in my life. I've done the thing in elementary school where you had to run a mile in 12 minutes but that was in elementary school...a hundred years ago.

So, I googled mini marathons and there just happens to be one in Louisville on April 26, 2008. The Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon. I am SO not doing the full marathon!! Only the mini! I'm crazy, but not that crazy. 13.1 miles is plenty crazy! And I have to pay $35 do it. I'm assuming that $35 goes to some amazing charity but still! I have to pay to torture myself. Ugghh!

I'm going to look at this as an adventure. Something I've never done and always wanted to do. Ok...what I've wanted to do for the last 2 weeks.

Part of the preparation for this silly thing is that I have to tell people what I'm doing. Accountability, you see. How embarrassing will it be if I tell everyone I'm doing this and then don't follow through with it?? Pretty embarrassing.

My family reunion was this past weekend and I told everyone there. No one actually laughed in my face...close, but they didn't. Meg snickered. I'm sure they all think I'm nuts and that I won't do it. Just you watch!

This is a picture of me with Sarah on my lap. She's eating fruit and I'm scarfing down fried chicken. That's the last fried chicken for 8 months. I'm going to try to be really good through all of this and drink my water and watch what I'm eating.

I've been reading this book about how non-runners should train for a marathon. The woman who wrote the book didn't lose a single pound in her hundreds of training miles. Not one! That is not my intention at all. I'm planning on losing about 25# through my adventure.

If anyone has any advice for me please feel free to share.

Thanks and I'll keep ya posted!