It's almost time!

Setting goals is so life-giving to me. When it turned Y2K, I wanted to do something significant- so I took on a task for a new challenge: I started a community musical theater. It was great fun to produce, direct and be a cast memberb myself in the musicals we performed in 2000 and 2001. Then, I went on to the next mountain to climb: Getting my master's degree in 2002. Long-awaited children arrived in the form of twins in 2004 and a second set just as 2006 was coming to a close. Now it is the eve of my 45th birthday, and my next big happening is a marathon, 26.2 miles I have been planning to run since I was 43 and a half. In a week and a half, I will be running the Disney Marathon- and I actually think I am ready!

Marathon pre-training continues...

About to enter my 4th week of pre-training - on Monday this week I ran 3 miles non-stop and walked a mile. It felt great except for this issue in my right foot that I have had for sometime. I think it is a neuroma (from my highly reliable internet search - ! - ?) - feels like a pebble or marble in the ball of my foot, high up between the base of my 3rd & 4th toes (I think - hard to pinpoint) - at any rate, I start to get numbness and downright pain after a couple of miles of running. So - tomorrow morning I finally have a foot doctor appointment and I will, hopefully, find out what it actually is!

Meanwhile - it is getting pretty steamy in the mornings around here! Today, because of extenuating circumstances I did not get out this am, so running will have to happen later. My plan is to continue running 30 minutes straight this week, then add 5 minutes each week until I get up to 45 minutes. Then, I will run 45 minutes 3 times a week and 1 hour once a week until the REAL training starts in October.

Yes - I am hoping to drop some more pounds during this process! But - I am just going to keep with my eating routine which is most days being a "weight watcher" with one "celebration" (eat whatever I want) evening a week. I have been maintaining my 20 pound loss from last Fall since November, but in reality would like to drop about 10 more. I have heard that marathon training is not necessarily a weight-loss season, so I will try not to obsess over that! Just want to enjoy life, which means, for me, enjoying delicious food!

Marathon training - the beginning

My book arrived last week - Finally! It is a program written by Joe Henderson, a seasoned marathon-er and writer of training programs. This one gets you ready in 100 days. For my level - "Cruiser" (which is not worried about time, just finishing), I need to be able to complete a 10K and run for an hour non-stop by the time I begin my 100 days. The 100 days begins October 2 for my January 9, 2011 Disney World marathon. In the meantime, I have now begun my 2nd week of what I call "pre-marathon training"!

Last Thursday, May 27, I began a week (4 days - Thurs, Sat, Mon & Tues) of running 5 minutes/walking 5 minutes and did that 4 times. Yesterday, June 3, I began running 10 minutes/walking 5 minutes 3 times. It felt great! I have quickly learned that I need to get to running before about 8:30 AM or it gets too hot quickly! Today is Friday and it is a rest day - Yay! So my plan is to run tomorrow (Sat), Sun or Mon (haven't decided which yet) and then Tues. I will build up from there when Thursday rolls around again, probably try 2 20-minute runs with walk breaks.

I am looking for a 10K to do around August/September - will perhaps do a 5K I did last year in July again.

More later!

Countdown to Marathon

Well, in a flurry and a rush I signed up for the Disney Marathon (January 2011) last week. I was afraid that I would miss my chance if I didn't do it now and besides, my rear needs to get in gear! I was up to about 4 miles 3 or 4 times a week by last November, but have not been running since. As soon as i signed up, I caught a chest cold! So I have walked 2 days so far - Sunday morning and today (Thursday). That ain't gonna cut it for long! Saturday I will be visiting my sister in Baltimore and we will likely go running. I think I will be better then and get my official training off to a start.

This is my goal for turning 45 on December 30, 2010 - to run my first marathon, the Disney World one at that. Can you think of a more fun place to run? I am psyched! And now I have my new Asics shoes bought on sale at Kohl's last week. Woo hoo, here I go!