Cori --- Week 7 Review

Week 7 .....lots to say....


Sat ---Off
Sun ---Off
Mon---Off (Swimming canceled due to a sick Cooper.)
Tue --- R4 (Supposed to be SL6, but the 100+ temp threatened to kill us and our plans were cut short. Look at us being sensible....woo-hoo.)
Wed --- Off (Once again, Cross Training canceled. This time I was the sick one.)
Thur ---Off
Fri ---L14


What a week. I didn't have much choice about my workouts this week. I just could not control the circumstances surrounding me. But mentally, I was beat up, too. My right leg hurt all week. It was bad enough that I almost took another week off and skipped L14. But I knew that mentally I would be beat down if I fell behind, so I made myself do it, and I have never been more glad.

I should add that even though I didn't "work out" much this week, I did do all of my strength and flexibility exercises at home that Chris gave me. And you know, I think they are working.


Thursday night I was very nauseated, and all from anxiety. I was so scared to attempt 14 miles. I cannot tell you how many times I prayed and what I said, but I will say this, I think the spiritual side of me is getting as much a workout as the physical side of me during this training. And that's good. It's unfortunate, but sometimes fear is one of the best motivators to drive me closer to God.

Friday morning started with Traci picking me up at 4:45am. Traci has picked me up this early before, but usually it involves coffee and Black Friday shopping. This trip......not as much fun.

Sneak Peek into last Friday morning, 4:45am:

Traci pulls her Honda quietly into my driveway. It is dark outside. My whole house is asleep. I quietly tiptoe barefoot out of the house, carrying my Nike's, my Camelbak, my breakfast, my Powerade, and my cell phone. (So much for travelling light.) I open up the door, sit down shotgun, and turn to look at my friend's tired eyes that reflect my own.
"Well," I say, "this was a stupid idea."
"Yeah," she answers as she backs out of my driveway.
What a good friend Traci is, to not mention that I talked her into this "brilliant" plan to run a marathon.

Because I have to be honest, it's not feeling like such a hot idea any more. I am not saying that part of me doesn't like the idea of it. I do. But these long runs are hellish. I have thought more than once, 'Why am I doing this?' But I have become addicted to endorphins. Mile 9 and I are BFF. I get a high that I cannot explain around Mile 9. Sadly, it only lasts until Mile 11. But for 2 miles, I am Superwoman! How can I prolong that feeling? I don't know yet. How do I accelerate that rush so that Miles 1-8 aren't quite as torturous? I don't know that yet either.
The conversations on the runs are priceless. They are old lady memories. That's what I called memories that I will ponder when I look back on my life someday, and reflect on what made me the happiest. I don't even know if the stories would be amusing to other people, but it reminds me of army buddies. Attempting something like this bonds you in a way that is unexplainable. No one else really "gets" it. And the good thing about running buddies is that they will listen to your physical complaints and never say, "This is not an illness. This is self-inflicted. So shut up, or quit." Running buddies just say, "Yeah, I could go for a morphine drip today, too."

Some of my fave clips of the week:
***While running on K-32 at 7am, we FINALLY saw another runner. She is our age, has our physical makeup, and she is wearing a camelbak! A soul sister! All three of us instantly loved that lone girl with the brown ponytail, and I could tell by her face that she loved us, too. Jen yelled, "Hello, fellow runner!" I was equally excited. "Did you see her girls? She looked like us!" (That is code for: She looks like a mom, and not a sinewy, muscle-y, "I-run-30-miles-before-breakfast" runner.) Or as Jen more succintly puts it, "Yeah, she's not a skinny bitch."

***Then there were the trains. About half dozen trains passed us this particular morning. And come to think of it, we saw trains in Parkville last week, too. And train conductors always give us an extra couple of whistles on the train. I consider it a show of support, not flirtatious. Because there is nothing cute about us after a few miles.

***The Six Degrees of Separation concept. Too true! Granted, Jen and I know a lot of the same circles of people, but I can't tell you how many links we have made lately, all while chatting on runs. We were talking about a newfound mutual acquaintance and Jen mentioned that he smoked a lot of marijuana.
Me: "No, can't be. He's very involved in his church. He's a very active Christian."
Jen (very seriously): "Yes. He has a strong faith,.... and a closet full of marijuana that he grows himself."
For some reason, after 8.9 miles, that statement was the funniest thing that I had ever heard. It's like being punch drunk. I could barely run I was laughing so hard.

These are the times when I LOVE to run. Laughter, freedom, sweating, friends.....it's the ideal break for a stressed out mommy.

And I have to tell you. For the first time, I now think I have a shot at finishing in Chicago. I don't care about my time, I'm slow, whatever. But my ITB issues were really concerning me. And I don't know if it's the prayer, or the new exercises, but my 14 mile run was virtually pain free. (Minus the toenail threatening to fall off and general soreness from such incredible abuse of my body. "Pain free" is a relative term.) I was able to run, not walk, but run, up and down my stairs after the run. That is new for me. Usually I have spent Saturday and Sunday babying myself so that I could hopefully work out again on Monday. But I feel good today. I am so grateful to God for this. I do not take it for granted.

And one more thing....does anyone but me hate food during and after a run? (I know not Jen and Traci....they were popping mozzarella sticks before we even got our heart rate monitors off last week. No judgment, just reporting the facts.) But I have to force myself to eat while running. The idea is so repulsive. And then after the run, I don't want to eat for hours. I make myself, because I know I need the protein to rebuild my muscles, but it is the most joyless process. And that is weird for me, because I am a foodie. Why doesn't food taste good after a workout? It's kind of ruining my whole fantasy about ordering the greasiest, fattest cheeseburger in Chicago about 10 minutes after I cross the finish line. Now, I do make up for it later, I guess. I ate about half a pizza last night. But the nutrition is very important post-run, and I'm having trouble getting food down. And I don't want to be the only weirdo, so I hope someone else has this issue, too.

STATS:
Waist: 30" (Down 1")
Hips: 38.5 (Down 1.5")
Thighs: 21.5 (Down 1")
Bust: 37" (Same)
Calf: 14.25 (Same)
Bicep: 11" (Down 1")
BMI: 22.2 (Down .7)
Weight: 142 (Down 4 lbs since training started)

I am stopping Weight Watchers for now. I am still eating some of the same food, but if I follow it too closely I feel too tired to train. Even though I'm 7 lbs away from my original goal weight, I'm okay with that. I feel strong and healthy, and that's what matters.

Cori --- Week 6 Review

What does it say about my brain that I can't remember my workouts for the week if I don't consult the chart that I write everything on. Geeesh...

Sat....Off
Sun....Off
Mon....SL5
Tues....Strength Training
Wed....EFX 4 miles
Thurs....Off
Fri....L12

Wt: 142 (I lost 1.5 pounds after I quit being so rigid with Weight Watchers. Go figure.)

Good week. I've been opting for at least 3 days off because the Long Runs are seriously taxing my legs. Trying to not push it. L12 felt quite fantastic for the first 11.5 miles. I got a serious high around mile 9, not sure if it was my Tropical Punch Shot Blox, or Jen's Sports Beans (Delicious! They taste like Flintstone vitamins!), but I was giddy. We were whistling and dancing to the Jazz Band in Parkville, (we were on a trail there), and it was one of my all-time best running experiences. Then, I stopped for a minute at 11.5, one of the girls was picking up a Gatorade that she dropped, and my right IT band totally locked up. I could barely walk. It happened that fast. I limped back to the car, did some stretches, but honestly, I was still in a great mood. I don't feel like it was a setback. I just started all of my strengthening from the P.T. this week, so of course I didn't expect to see results yet, but I had such a good run until then. And that's the farthest I have ever gone---11.5. I smile just thinking about it.

When I got home last night, I was still limping, and could barely do the stairs. While I was soaking away all of the grime and sweat, Johnny came in to give me the "I'm worried about you....." talk. But I still just felt.....happy. My leg has felt progressively better all day, and tonight I'm running up and down stairs again. No big deal, I hope.

Do I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will finish this race? No.
But does anybody? No.
Are there ever guarantees in life? No.
Am I scared? No.

I'm having fun. And I always knew that training was the longest part of this journey. I'm learning a lot, and it's all good. It's just a race. No matter what I have my friends, my health, my wonderful husband, and my running has gotten better every time. Whether or not I make it to 26.2, I won't let it diminish how much fun I'm having training. This is a blesssing.

I'm not wasting energy or precious minutes worrying about anything any more.

Cori --- Running Assessment

Today was a good day.

I went for a running assessment at the Kansas City Orthopedics Institute. I met with a physical therapist named Chris Carson who specializes in treating runners.

And I now have another name to add to my list of running gurus:

1. Eladio

2. Galloway

3. Chris Carson

I heard about these assessments through my friend Rachel. Rachel is a triathlete, and she just finished her second Half Ironman on Saturday. Rachel has run more than one marathon, too. As a side note, Rachel is also doing Chicago, but she lives in Oklahoma, so that's why we never run together. Oh, and she is hardcore. (She has a $5,000 bike and a running coach---to me, that is hardcore.)

I met Rachel at KU, and then we went through Nursing School together, and we pick each other's brains from time to time. Rachel has the same IT band issues that I do. She has given me a lot of helpful advice in the last year. I would definitely not be where I am at right now without her wisdom.

So when my....flare-ups started again, she was one of the first people that I called. After I told her my story, it went like this:

Me: "So, do you think I should see a doctor?"

R: "Well, he or she will probably tell you to stop running for a while. Are you going to stop?"

Me: "No."

R: "Well, then start training with the Galloway method, use your foam roller, ice, and go get a running assessment."

I am very pleased with the quality of the assessment that I got. Chris said that mechanically I am in good shape. He said my shoes are good, too. After a few tests, he also said that I am very strong everywhere except my right hip and right gluteals. This is what is causing the muscles to pull up when I fatigue, and therefore make my ITB tight. I don't have many issues on the left, and he could tell that by palpating the ITB, and also because during his "tests", my left hip/glutes are much stronger. He thinks that if I isolate and strengthen these muscles, along with some special stretches, I will stop having these issues.

Houston, we have HOPE.

He doesn't know why my right side is so much weaker, but he suspects that just being female, and having my 3 kids so close together, could have something to do with it.

So tonight I start my fantastic, hope-building, butt-kicking strength and flexibility exercises.

Oh, and to the friend (who I won't name), who asked me if I felt like an old person going to the KC Orthopedics Institute, the answer is "no".

I felt like a jock. Ha!

Cori --- Where's all my soul sisters?

Okay, all of the posts from my whimsical/gangsta friends' music collections are really making me giggle. Mainly because I have an iPod disease, also.
I would never hand my iPod over to a stranger, because these are the thoughts that I imagine would run through their heads upon listening to it:

"Really, white suburban mommy?"

"Who wants to tell the 35 year-old chick that it is no longer 1993?"

"Even in 1988, this song was not cool."

It's like I am scared that they can see into my head. But Nickie conveyed my feelings very well. When I'm in my car, my music choices are K-Love (Christian) and Country. But throw me in some running shorts, and it's like I change personas. I am no longer the wife/mommy/nurse/lovely Christian woman.
I am a bad ass.
I do the "Wazzup?" nod at people who run by me. I am Tough. I am ....cracking myself up.
In other words, I pretend that I'm not running home to ice my legs and then nuke chicken nuggets for my kids' lunch.

Here. Now you can laugh at me:

Mama Said Knock You Out. (You should hear my "Don't call it a comeback...")

Glamorous Life. (Oh, there are just no excuses for the love I have for this song.)

St. Elmo's Fire. (Doesn't everyone have a song that makes them tear up on the last mile? Best line..."Burnin' Up, Don't know just how far that I can go. Soon be home, Only just a few miles down the road." Oh, never mind.)

Right Now. (Because what is exercise without an 80s hair band song?)

Stronger. (I HATE that I like a Kanye West song.)

Get Back Up Again. (Finally, a song from K-Love. This is one of those life anthem songs. Love some Toby Mac.)

Let's Go Crazy. (If you know me, there is no need to explain. It's Prince.)

Lady Marmalade. (Soul sister....girl power....(sigh)...more embarrassment.)

I'm Free. (Because no cheesy collection is really complete until you throw in Kenny Loggins.)

And now, I have embarrassed myself (and my husband) enough.

By the way, let the record show that my kids are thoroughly enjoying these tunes. That's right, I broke them.

Cori - Ending Week 3 and Feeling Feisty, So BACK OFF.

This is going to be a bitchy, complaining post, so skip it if you want.

Fri -- L7
Sat -- Off
Sun --SL4
Mon -- Off
Tues -- EFX 40 min, weights 20 min
Wed -- L8 (Had to get a jump on week 4 for scheduling reasons)
Thurs -- Off

Weight: 143.

The runs were all hard this week, solely due to fatigue caused by the heat and humidity. I cannot emphasize enough how hard a run can feel when it is this hot and humid out. But I don't want to run on the treadmill. I hate the treadmill so much that I would rather tough out the heat. I have a really hard time keeping a good running form on the treadmill, and if I don't watch my form closely, my ITBs act up. However, I did find a Y with an indoor, suspended track, and if it gets any hotter I may just have to go. Here's the problem: 1 mile = 12 laps. Yeah. So next week I would be looking at 120 laps. Anyone else see the problem here? I would feel like a hamster on a wheel.
Now that I have griped about the heat and humidity, let me be a hypocrite for a minute. I am SICK to death of people telling me that it is too dangerous to run, or that we are foolish for running.
Really? And you know this because you work out how often? I have yet to be lectured by anyone who works out on a regular basis.
I am a mother. I have three little children who need me home every single night. Do you think I would endanger myself at their expense for my little hobby? I am also a nurse. Do you think I cannot recognize when I am dehydrated and/or getting overheated? Or is it that I am just too foolish, and you will show me the light?
The assumptions that we are too stupid to know when to quit are offensive, and it is pissing me off. Heaven help the next person who goes there.
And to the instructor at the Y this morning who was so worried about Jen and I because we were running slow and our faces were beet red.... We turn red because we don't sweat much. We are pale and freckley girls. And we're slow because we DO know our limits, and up that incredible hill (twice), in the sun, when it's 85*, was a bit much. But chick, we are serious, we have endurance, and we could run forever if we had to.
So, worry about someone else. We are tougher than we look.

Cori --- Fragile! Handle with Care.

Jen and I have invented a disease, and we both have it.
It's called Glass Mommy syndrome. We are scared of "breaking".
We have discovered that since we started training, we are scared to death of getting hurt while doing anything but running.
Wrestling with the kids? Negative, Mommy might pull a muscle.
Bouncing up and down on a stationery bike at Ride 'n' Run class? Negative, Mommy might bruise her tailbone.
And now, I have to banish my favorite pseudo-crocs. (I can wear crocs without being a dork because I am in health care.) I have this fake pair that are navy blue, and I love them. But I almost slipped, not once, but three times this weekend. And by almost, I mean I skidded and caught myself before I hit the ground. I am an accident waiting to happen.
Goodbye fake crocs. I will only be wearing shoes with really good tread for the next 90 days.
I am not putting myself through ALL OF THIS, just so I can slip on the cement at Quik Trip and end up with a broken ankle.....

Cori --- Week Two Summary

Two weeks down and I am still walking---woo hoo!

Weight: 144 - Down 1 pound.

Training Log:
Friday -- L6
Saturday -- Off
Sunday -- Off
Monday -- EFX for 4 miles (Had a run scheduled, but it got rained out. And I DESPISE the treadmill lately. Cannot even force myself to do it.) Also did Strength Training on upper body.
Tuesday -- R3
Wednesday -- Ride 'n' Run (Biked about 10.6 miles, then ran, then did some strength training. Could hardly walk 2 hours after class. Decided resting the legs was mandatory before Friday.)
Thursday -- Off

Thoughts: No real issues to report, praise God. Feeling good, IT Bands not bothering me right now, and still having fun.
I need to work a pair of new shoes into my budget in the next month. I did notice that on L6 my pinky toe was rubbing, and it will probably blister once I up my mileage. (That will not feel too good when the really long runs start!) When you start going long distances, your feet often swell, and your arch also starts to flatten. A lot of runners lose their toenails. (Gulp.) I think I either need a shoe a 1/2 size bigger, or just one with a wider toe. Or maybe more cushiony socks? Hmm. I may be consulting the professionals after L7. We'll see...

Cori --- New Toys

Last week my husband bought me a gadget. Unlike Nickie's last post, I am not a gadget girl at all. I like to be as unencumbered as possible. I barely like my iPod touching me. When Johnny approached me about getting a garmin watch, I was like, "No thanks, if I need to know how fast I'm going I'll just ask one of my friends. They all have watches." This really bugged him for some reason. I think he felt I was depriving myself, but I really and truly did not care.

Until I met my Garmin.

I am now in....not love......but serious, serious like.

I might love it if I could finish the instruction manual. The local running store offers a class on how to operate this watch, if that tells you anything.

My favorite part? I love to know my heart rate. I feel like the Garmin is my friend, watching out for me, telling me my heart rate, worrying about me.....it just makes me all warm and fuzzy thinking about it.

I think I will be naming it.

Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention my other new gadget. (Didn't I just claim to hate gadgets? Yes. This was another husband purchase.)

I am a walking billboard for RoadID's Supernova.

You clip it onto your clothes when you run at night, and it flashes so brightly that it can cause seizures in passers-by. Not really, but it is obnoxiously bright. Apparently my true love is concerned that I am going to get hit by a car, and since I refused to wear his fluorescent trooper vest, he found a cute little alternative.

I bet my protective helmet is coming in the mail any day now.

Cori --- Visions of Grandeur

I have quickly discovered my very favorite thing about having such a large running group. No matter how crazy our schedules, someone can always meet up to run. I love this! I can run alone, excuse me, with my iPod, but I'd rather not. And the five of us have very odd schedules, and children that still require childcare, so we're also dependent on our spouses' schedules. I'm married to someone in law enforcement, Nic is married to a firefighter---no nine-to-fivers there. But so far, we have kept in touch through texting, email, phone, and facebook, and no one is getting left behind.
This morning I had to wake up at 4:45am to meet Nickie and Holly for our L6 (See codes at sidebar). This is a big deal. I do not get up at 4:45am. I have only done it when someone I gave birth to needed to nurse, and .......no, that's about it. Like all night owls, I have set my alarm many, many times, with good intentions, but I can find the snooze button without even opening my eyes.
Our run was nothing short of glorious. Seriously. We ran at a BEAUTIFUL lake, with trails, wildlife, and everything. We saw a little snake, a deer, a frog, and a rabbit. We got to watch the sun rise. And the temperature! It was so cool that I was chilly before we started moving. My knees behaved, too. It just doen't get any better than that.
Now here's my confession that will probably get me kicked out of my group. When I was running, and so blissfully happy, I started thinking things like, 'This will be our FIRST marathon.....the first of many.......maybe we'll run that Goofy marathon at DisneyWorld, 26.2 miles the first day, and 13.1 the second......or maybe we'll just try to run one or two marathons a year to start out.....". I am nothing if not enthusiastic.
When we were running over this very picturesque bridge, Nickie cut in and said, "Isn't God good?" Yes, He is. I felt so blessed this morning; for my health, for my friends, for my family, and just for this moment in time.
Now, we can all refer back to this "honeymoon" post in a few weeks when I'm crying and whining because our mileage has increased.
Love y'all.

Cori --- Week One, Check!

Log:

Friday----5 mile run

Saturday-Off.

Sunday---Off.

Monday---5 mile run. (This was supposed to be the SL4, but Trace needed a partner, and I figured it was only one more mile?)

Tuesday---Stationary Bike: 8.5miles/40 min.

Wednesday---3 mile run.

Thursday---Swam 30 min. at the Y. (And then spent the day at Schlitterbahn, but I don't think that counts.)

Thoughts: Week one felt good. My IT Bands have been testy, but not really troublesome. Ibuprofen and Ice are my best friends. I'm drinking between 2 and 3 liters of water a day. I still do diet soda, too, though. Nutrition is decent. I am taking a calcium supplement:

I am not taking in enough calcium with my diet, and I don't want to end up with a stress fracture, so I'm trying to up my calcium with Viactiv. I take 1000mg a day. I bought the chocolate flavor---not too bad. I hear the caramel is better, and WalMart was out of them, so I believe it.

During our 3 mile run yesterday, I kept thinking, 'Why am I doing this? This sucks.' 26 miles never sounds like a lot when I talk about it, but somewhere between mile 2 and 3 reality sets in. 26 miles is a lot. I'm nervous.

Things to Work On: Flexibility. I need to be stretching daily. Right now, I tend to only stretch before running and a quick stretch at bedtime, max 5 min. More would be better. This is also the first week in almost 3 months that I haven't done any strength-training. I couldn't figure out how to work it in. I'm getting back to that next week. I missed it.

Weight: Down one pound--145. When I started pre-training, I weighed 158. This is the highest my weight has been if I wasn't pregnant. I was not happy with it, but I am pretty muscular right now, and I have been working out for a good 18 months, so I didn't feel motivated to get it off. Then I read an article, (because I am the self-proclaimed Research Queen), and it talked about the extra pounding that your knees take with any extra body weight. That was all I needed to hear. I seriously fear/respect my knees. I made a pledge to get down to 148 by training day, and somehow I did it. My next goal is to be down to 135 before we're running our 20 mile long run in practice. Because.....20 miles? These knees need all of the help they can get.

Inspirational Quote for the Week: "The marathon's about being in contention over the last 10K. That's when it's about what you have in your core. You have run all the strength, all the superficial fitness out of yourself, and it really comes down to what's left inside you. To be able to draw deep and pull something out of yourself is one of the most tremendous things about the marathon."---Rob de Castella

Cori --- It was Freaking HOT yesterday...

So Jen and I tackled our Day One of training together. The five mile run. It was a mix of good and bad.
It was 86 degrees and very humid. Put a wet, warm washcloth over your mouth and nose and then take a deep breath. And then leave it in place and run 5 miles. That's how it felt.
We discovered that the best way to cool off is not to splash your drinking water on your face, arms, and chest, but to dump it right on your head. This helped considerably. (Seriously.)
We kept our average around 11.5 min/miles. Considering the heat and hills, I was happy with this. And that's another thing that I will never understand. My IT bands did not cause me the slightest bit of discomfort, even while running hills for 5 miles. Yet other days I am taking Ibuprofen just to walk around my house. I don't get it. I did premedicate with 600 mg of Ibuprofen 2 hours before the run, though. I may keep doing this.
Also girls, I don't think Jen and I should be allowed to run unchaperoned. I'm just kidding, Jen. But we might accidentally kill ourselves. We're not sweaty girls, we're "turn red and look like you might die" girls. And neither of us has an ounce of common sense with the heat. We had water stations. We drank 3 times during the run, and then after. But when her heart rate monitor hit 200, did we slow down? No, we stopped looking at it. And when we got back to her house, I said, "You know, I have never been that hot. But I decided that I wasn't stopping no matter what. The only way I was stopping was if I fell over." And then she told me, "Yep. Me, too."
But I wasn't sure how to handle the heat. I never had chills. I didn't get dizzy. It was uncomfortable, but duh, of course it was! I guess I'm just wondering how far we can safely push it. I don't want to cop out early because I'm nervous. I really want to know my limits. But how close do you get to those limits before it's unsafe? I just don't know.... I think part of getting ready for this race is being tough mentally. So I really feel the need to push the envelope at times. Does anyone else ever feel like this?
The Pros of the run: our legs felt good, we could still talk most of the time, not too short of breath. The distance was not a problem.

Cori---PreTraining Stats

So I wrote a whole long whiny post about why I hate being compared to short girls, and why I didn't want random acquaintances who find this blog through Facebook to know how much I weigh....but then I just thought, 'Screw it. I really don't care what anyone thinks. I'm training for a marathon, damn it. Judge me if you dare.' But, on a serious note.....I've got to get some taller friends. They weigh more.

Age: 35
Height: 5'7"
Current Wt: 146 (Down 12 pounds since 5/12/2010. Another post for another day...)
BMI: 22.9
Goal Wt: 135
Goal BMI: 21.1

Bicep: 12" (Guns, yes, I know.)
Bust: 37"
Waist: 31"
Under Bellybutton: *Who's idea was this???* 34.5"
Hips: 40"
Thighs: 22.5"
Calfs: 14.25"

Yuck. I hate measurements. Why don't we just post naked pictures of ourselves and get it over with???

Cori--- Let's get this party started

T minus 2 days and counting. The last time I started a blog this way I was 38 weeks pregnant. My goal is much scarier this time. The countdown is until training starts. I know how to give birth. I have no earthly idea how to run 26.2 miles in one morning. (One morning plus an afternoon....who am I kidding?) I am going to train for a marathon. I think I have lost my mind. But I am SO excited!
I have considered myself pre-training for 3 months now. I'm not new to work outs. I'm not new to strength training. I have even cleaned up my diet. (Does anyone else hear the hallelujah chorus?) But I haven't run further than 6 miles in 8 months, and that is intimidating to me. I'm worried that old injuries could flare up. I'm scared I'll have some funky, unknown heart condition, and I'll orphan my children at mile 22. I'm scared I'll train for 4 months and then do something stupid like twist my ankle at the airport....
But here's what I know is true. I am going to train seriously. I am going to research this process to death, because that's just what I do. I am going to give 100% in every area. And I am going to ask God for the strength to see this goal through to the glorious end. And if it's His will, it will happen.
My fellow running girls---I would walk through fire for them. Friends for life. Hopefully this blog will document our ups, downs, training stats, humorous anecdotes, and provide us with memories to look back on. After the blessed event, I plan to turn this blog into book form for a keepsake.
I have to be honest. I have also envisioned myself printing out this training log when I have to visit a specialist for whatever injury I incur. I need the stats. I hate that I think like that. My glass is half full in every other area of my life. But I have had to drop out of a race before....and I think I'm scarred.
Okay. No more talking.
Just do it?