Hello hello!!!

Today, I wanted to share my goals for this year in terms of running. I am planning on running either a half or full marathon on March 8, 2014. I know that seems like a super weird statement… what do you MEAN “either”?!

My friend C emailed me and R last year in the fall and asked “MARATHON?” and of course, I was immediately psyched and IN. C and R started training using a 24 week training schedule. Me? I came down with a violent cold that had me bedridden for nearly 3 weeks. The minute I felt better, I was flying to Korea for a funeral. When I returned from Korea, the stress of losing a loved one sent me straight back to bed with a pinched nerve in my back. Then, the holidays rolled around, and I was inundated with family, presents, and cold weather. This year has been unusually cold, and so running outside (my preference) has been a bit of a struggle.

This brings us to NOW. It’s about 8 weeks to the marathon, the hotels and flights are all booked, but my training isn’t where it should be. So far, I’ve really only been able to get a couple long runs in and then some shorter runs on the treadmill. I know that because I have a high tolerance for long runs that I could potentially be ready for this marathon without hurting myself, but I’m hesitating. Someone once characterized my running as “brute force” because of my ability to push through long runs despite obstacles. Since I have been running for a long time, and have training for many (many!) races, I do know the limit to my “brute force.” I think I’m toeing the line right between being ready and pushing it.

So… what is my 60 day challenge? I am going to train as if I am trying to get a half marathon PR, and try to throw a longer run in when I can. I’ll make the decision to run the marathon in early February… and worst case? I’ll PR in the half. 🙂

Why am I telling you this? Because I think it’s important to realize that planning these races is important to being successful and to keeping your body healthy. So… I’m holding myself accountable and will post once a week updating you on my progress. 🙂

Excellent. Run healthy and happy.