On Running a Half Marathon

I saw this post in my archive that I never unleashed to the world. I think it's fairly entertaining. I also can't believe it's been almost two years since I wrote it. The conclusion is I ran the 13 miles in about 2 hours and 37 minutes. I ran it with a friend - which possibly slowed me down. Since then, I've reduced my ambitions and ran a few 5 and 8K's in 2010. I am now dealing with a right hip, knee, ankle, shin issue that I'm hoping will be cured with new tennis shoes...

I'm a fairly active 26 year old female. I still get my soccer on twice a week, hit the gym when I find time between tutoring and reffing and Jane Austen Book Club. I could be in better shape, have less body fat percentage (stupid LA Fitness), work out more...it's an evil of society to want to look 10lbs lighter. Being a healthy 140lbs at 5'5 definitely does not make me small. My metabolism slowed down after college and my face has decided to show all the fatty foods I eat. So what is a girl to do with her boyfriend's high school reunion, a wedding where his ho of an ex is going to be, and a wedding where she's a bridesmaid next to a group of beautiful women and a bride who's maybe 5' and 100lbs? Oh, she's going to run a half marathon! Whoot! That'll give me a goal, motivate me to eat better...you know, help me lose the 10lbs I keep complaining about. So enter my first 4 mi jog since I was in college. I must admit that the first 2 miles went much easier than I thought they would. It was about the time my running partner decided to be ambitious and run up a steep hill that my ankles started to yell at me. Suuuuure...I did them when I was 22, working out daily - why the heck not (huff, puff, huff, puff....). I made it up the hill of torture. I completed the run. We finished triumphant - only 2 -30 second walks and coming in under an hour, I felt mighty proud of myself. We even walked another mile later that day and I played a soccer game that evening. Minus the blister on the ouside of my right foot (I am investing in new runners - any suggestions?), I felt awesome.



And now it's today....holy christmas trees! My calves are screaming bloody murder, my hips are hurting in places I didn't think imaginable, and the center of my upper back is laughing at me. LAUGHING AT ME! I guess I should be happy my quads and hamstrings have remained in tact (for now). I have now printed out a plan to make me get in shape by July 12th. No seriously, July 12th...7 weeks to train for 13 miles. I plan on keeping posted updates of my progress. Maybe if I have somewhere to write it down, it'll be more real.

And it starts...again

I like writing. If I was more disciplined and had a better vocabulary, I may have considered journalism or story telling. But unfortunately, I am a slave to the corporate world and spend my time attempting to market products. It pays the bills (sometimes). It just gets boring. It also sucks all the creative juices out of my lazy, 26% body fat body (stupid LA Fitness). Being a singer/songwriter/mediocre musician, losing my ambition to write kind of sucks. So I figure I start blogging a little here and there to maintain some of my edge. I can write about nothing. I can write about the wonderful, crazy people of the pacific northwest and new england. I can rant about how no one knows how to truly yield. Possibilities are endless. If you come across this and have a random topic to suggest, please let me know. But please be nice about it - telling me something in an aggressive, extremely political, angry tone won't get me to research it. Cry, maybe. Research and rant back, not so much. But interesting things, like bands I should listen to, or odd facts about ear wax and lollipops - I'm all for it.