Got my first blisters....

I had a wonderful workout this morning! Warmed up for 5 minutes, ran 20 minutes then a 2 minute recovery walk and then ran another 20 minutes-- then cool down for 15 minutes then 10 minutes of stretching. I am really proud of myself! Wooo-hoooo! I got a blister on both of my arcs, but I think it's because I broke the rule and wore cotton socks--plus I think I need new shoes. Luckily my birthday is around the corner and I plan to get fancy running shoes! So I feel good... other than the blisters I felt a lot more comfortable running today. It actually felt good. Surprise! I am still very slow though... total mileage was 4.50

Week One

The other day I posted my first blog post-- but what you don't know is that I have been preparing for this since early December (when I decided on this insane idea). I have been "jogging"/walking about an hour 3-4 times a week since then plus meeting with my trainer the other two. It's been casual workouts. Trying to get used to the whole idea of running and cross training. Working on my core through pilates and yoga. The half-marathon was still so far away-- but now we are embarking on the last week of January and it pretty much marks 17 weeks until the event which is on May 30! Now it's time to get serious because everyone knows that if you are a beginner you need at least 18 weeks to condition your body to run a half-marathon! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

So the first week hasn't been very difficult, I've been running for 30-45 minutes using the Jeff Galloway method-- which basically means that you train in intervals. You get your heart used to running by running for 10-14 minutes then walking for 1 minute and repeating several times until 45 minutes is up. It sounded like a great idea at first, but honestly when I stop for the 1 minute walk-- I do not what to start again! So my minute stops have been more like 5-10 minute walks! And I am not going to lie... as of now, I don't like running. I know this may sound weird but I feel like I am carrying my body around when I am running outside! It's pretty awful! I am a superstar on the treadmill but when I hit up a running trail outside it's like a million times harder, but since the marathon will not be on a treadmill, I have to condition myself to get used to the outdoors.

Let's get to some specifics...
What race will I be running?
See Jane Run on May 30th in Alameda, CA. It's really the perfect event for me. It's an all female race through Alameda and Bay Farm Island. It's perfect because I live here and the race route has beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay-- and because it all benefits Girls, Inc. which is a national youth organization just for girls. Go girl power! Check it out: www.girlsinc.org

The race itself is also at the perfect timing because I am scheduled to graduate on May 16 or so and then Frank and I will be gearing up for our move back to Miami at the end of June! So this will be like my last hooray before leaving the Bay Area and the beautiful island-city that is Alameda! So sad!

Why would I want to do this?
I want to challenge myself. I want to see what my body could do! But most importantly I want to see how strong I am mentally. It's all mental! More than training your body you also have to train your mind... when you feel like you have to stop you have to train yourself to push harder... push through the pain... push through any discomfort. I want to challenge my mind and body! Wish me luck! lol

And it begins...

So, if you know me well... then you know that I like to challenge myself in crazy ways. Unless I am drowning in all the things I need to do-- I am unhappy. Having endless time to do whatever I want drives me completely insane. I can't deal with it. So, since going into the last semester of grad school, working at least 24 hours a week at my internship, working on my thesis project, volunteering, serving on a steering committee, and being a wife doesn't take up all my time. I have decided to start training for a half-marathon! I know it's crazy... and part of me still thinks I can't do it... which is where this blog comes in. I need accountability. I need the support of my friends and family. I need the fear of failling and everyone knowing about it...lol. So I ask that you follow-up with me and ask me how my training is going. I ask that you be understanding when I can't go out for drinks on Friday night because I have to wake up at 7am to run 5 miles! In short, I am starting this blog to get support, have accountability-- AND to also document my progress! They say (my trainer and other runners) that this journey will "change my life blah blah blah"-- so I want to be able to document the markers of my journey. I also hope to be able to take pictures of the various running trails in the Bay Area and of any other interesting things that happen along the way... so stay tuned... and wish me luck!