Marathon Here I Come

I'm doing it!  Yep ... so here goes everything!  From now until November 18th I will be training for a MARATHON!

Never in a million years would I have thought I would run a marathon.  Only crazy people do that.  Well..... I am officially CRAZY.

I am slightly nervouse but I have some great running friends that will support me along the way.  Stacey... my hero is going to push me and coach me to be the woman I know I have in me.  And we have lots of work to do.  I am a work in progress but... the final result is going to be awesome.  Not just a marathon but so much more is going to happen with this.

So stay tuned for updates about my training.

FIRST up Delaware Half Marathon -- Sunday May 13th!  Yep just a few days ahead.  I don't feel I am 100% ready ... I know I can run it.  But I know I could be better prepared.  I have not taken my training seriously this spring... big mistake but I had no idea what was going to happen and how motivated I am now to do my best.  So... here goes everything!

Eating right and fueling -- keys for this week.  I never took it serious but I now know how wrong that was.  Last week for the first time ever I ate when I got up before I ran.  It was the best 5 miles I ever ran...without trying. My speed was o.k. without pushing to be fast but what amazed me most is my Heart Rate... I was running faster and my HR was lower than it normally was.  I can not wait to see what training correctly can actually do for me. 

I hope by learning this information, I can help others find their potential as an athlete just waiting to be unleashed.  Who said you had to be fast?  Not me... in fact I am o.k. not being fast (until I try to keep up with Stacey and Sarah on those days I know we are going to run together and I will be the turtle holding you back)  I just want to be my best and have fun doing this thing. 

Thank you running friends... I can not wait to see what 2012 has in store for me!

Follow along -- hopefully I'll have some fun stuff to share and learn a few things along the way! 

Other races on my schedule with more fun stuff to share soon!

Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon - June 2nd
Warrior Dash - June 16th
Quadzilla 15k Trail Run - July 15th
Bucks County MARATHON - November 18th

WHY Do YOU Run?

I'm supposedly training for two half marathons coming up pretty soon (May 13th - Delaware Running Festival and 6/2 Virginia Wine Country).  But I really am such a slug. I am so not motivated to be following any type of plan.  I run when I want and for however long I want. My biggest motivation is when I run with the training group at the store but I don't get to do that as much as I would like.  I am finding I am running a lot more by myself these days than I used too.  Kind of sad but I guess a reality that I must come to grips with!  Another topic for another day is loneliness and how to cope with that (stay tuned)

May 13th is going to be a real eye opener as to what happens.  Yikes I'm a little scared and thoughts of setting a new PR are probably not going to happen.

Wondering where the motivation has gone.  I think about running -- all the time.  But when the alarm goes off at 5:45 I just can't do it.  I'm getting 3 runs in a week but I think I really need to push the mileage up and add a day.  Its getting close to D-Day -- am I going to do it or is it too late?

Now I am thinking I'll shoot for my PR on June 2nd when I run the Virginia Wine Country Half.  But... wow it can be hot then.  And yes there might be some hills.  And I might drink too much wine on Friday night.  So do I run for a PR or do I just enjoy the moment?  I love to run and have always run because of the people I run with.  If I start taking my training too seriously am I still going to like running?

So JUST WHY DO YOU RUN? 

Here is my list:

• To talk -- sometimes I am the only one talking (oh maybe this might mean I'm not training hard enough)
• To think -- I used to run with headphones... since separating from my husband I've put them away and use this time to think. And I think ... a lot when I do run by myself.  I am considering to start wearing them on one run a week just to add a little spice.  What's on your IPOD?
• So I can EAT!  --YEP I really like eating.  I eat pretty good most of the time but I do like to treat myself.  I can say I have not been on a scale in over a year so I must be doing something right!
• To FEEL GOOD!  -- oh yes my day goes so much better if I do make it out the door in the morning. 
• To LOOK Good! -- I will admit I never knew I had this body in me.  I feel and look good so I keep running.  I don't like the way I used to look before running!
• Cause I can -- someday I may not be able to run.  So I run today because I never know what the next day may bring. 

Leave me a comment why you run -- sorry no contest or give-away just motivation for the rest of us ... o.k. the other two people who actually read this blog!  Someday you never know who will read this?
This is enough motivation to run.  I don't need to PR in my races.  I just want to have fun and inspire those in my life to be healthy too.  Some day I am holding out hope my kids will run a 5k with me. 

After writing this blog last night ... I got up this morning and ran 11.5 miles this morning and I signed up for my first MARATHON.  So ... now I have to run!