This weekend I watched a documentary on marathons that Joe had recorded for me. I watched with awe and tears in my eyes as they crossed the finish line. Yep, I want to do that. I asked Joe if I was crazy and he pretty much said yes. Honestly, I don't think he thinks I can do it. And if we are really being truthful, I worry too. But something in me is making me do it. I don't want to climb Everest, I don't want to hike the Appalachian Trail. I want to run a half marathon, maybe a marathon. Maybe. I think I am drawn to the struggle. I want the accomplishment. I want to challenge myself in a way I never have before. For the most part things come easily to me so I have grown to expect things to come easy to me. When they didn't, I usually just quit out of frustration (hello piano lessons!) This isn't easy for me and I think finally I want to push through something and see if I can do it. Funny, I just got an email from my dear friend Peggy that said :
'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.'I actually have a version of this on my fridge and my friend Shelia tweeted it last week, but today it strikes a chord and I am thinking of this as it relates to my running. I have no idea how the training and the actual finishing of such a lofty goal will change me but I am looking forward to finding out.
I ran this morning and it actually went well. I ran 5 minutes, walked a minute. The plan still is to be running non stop for 30 minutes by Christmas. So far, so good. I really like having a daily goal. It gives me something to shoot for and I know the next run will be easier if I suck it up and do that day's goal. I bought a new ipod and a heart rate monitor as well so I can start to track my heart's progress. Hopefully I can at least minimize my puking.
Alyse Kelly-Jones,the founder of the tri training group I joined, Tri It For Life, did her first Ironman triathlon this past weekend. An Ironman is a 2.4 mile ocean swim, 112 mile bike ride and then a marathon run, 26.2 miles. All in one day. She did it this past Saturday and I followed her progress on Twitter. I got out of bed and read that she was already in the ocean. As I was sitting down for lunch she was starting the bike ride. I was catching up on TV from the week when she started the marathon and as I went out that night at 9, she was finishing. She came in third with an overall time of 13 hours 43 minutes. That is almost 14 hours of constant activity. I am so in awe of her and her ability. I have no idea how old she is but I'd be safe saying over 35. She has a job, a life, and yet she trained for and completed an Ironman. I don't know if I have that in me, and yet part of me thinks....of course I do.
Baby steps for now. I have chosen a half marathon to do and it isn't until next November, 2010. I will use this half marathon to raise funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a place for which I have tremendous passion. The Ramblin Rose dates for 2010 were announced and the timing is perfect. I will have a triathlon to do in March, July and September which will have me well trained for the half marathon in November. Depending on how I do at the half marathon, I might entertain doing a half Ironman and maybe someday a marathon. In the meantime, I am going to get in the best shape of my life, maybe lose a little weight and hopefully enjoy not being good at something from the start and maybe even learning a little about myself.
Rupdate:
Date 11/10/2009
Time: 35 minutes
2 minute warm up, 5 minutes running, 1 minute walking, repeat with 5 minute cool down then 10 minutes of extra walking.
Incline 1.0
Total Run: 25 minutes at 4.3
Total Walk: 5 minutes at 3.5
Total Mileage: 2.23 miles (treadmill only - this doesn't include the extra 10 minutes)
Puke: No
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs an hour before the run
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