Nice tread

Yesterday, as I walked outside to do my workout, I noticed that it was extremely windy. I tried to capture the essence of the wind by photographing the choppy water:

(But it doesn't seem so impressive when it's standing still.)

And as I fought to walk a straight line against a strong gust, I thought to myself, screw this. So I went to use the treadmill at the gym instead, which does not make for very nice photos. Plus I would feel weird carrying my camera around the gym. So while I did not get to enjoy the following loveliness, I did get totally jealous of a girl who was sporting the legs I've been wanting for forever. Bitch.

And yes, I am sore today

Yesterday I completed my first workout that included running. Ten minutes of it. Total. And it was freakin' hard. I've never felt fatter than when my legs were tired of running and my feet came down harder on the ground than I intended them to, and it seemed as if the entire earth was quaking with every Thud. Thud. Thud. But of course that's only because I was moving at a prolonged intensity that I have not attempted since ... oh God, I can't remember.

Jingle jingle

This is her:


Jen A, the woman that totally, amazingly sacrificed an extra 3 hours of sleep to go race-walking with me on a cold, drizzly Saturday morning, after having stayed up half the night at work constructing a Yeti Ice Lair--all so that I would not have to endure my first race experience alone. You can almost see real runners there in the background.

I totally forgot to pack the run-o-cam (sorry run-o-cam). Luckily, Jen had her phone-o-cam and was willing to use it to capture the pre-race mood of our 5K walking adventure. This is me with a real race number on my chest, like I'm a real athlete or something:

This is where I should post a disclaimer that goes something like, "Legs in photo are wider than they appear (but unfortunately they are just as short)." But I won't, and will continue to have you believe that my legs really are that thin.

That said, the walk was good, finishing in about 50:00. I went in with two goals: to finish, and to not finish last. We achieved both. We also achieved other spontaneous goals along the way, like to finish ahead of Purse Girl, who was obviously a very serious walker. We could tell by her bootcut jeans, puffy jacket, tote and umbrella.

Also, we reached the consensus that if it is cold enough to require you to wear a winter hat, you should also probably be wearing something other than shorts. Like a shirt.

Along the way we encountered a water boy who looked frightened of us as though we might beat him with our jingle bell nunchucks if he did not offer a sacrifice of bottled water, however reluctantly. We also saw two very fat, but very cute beagles out with their owners, and groups of race volunteers who could have done with an extra lesson in motivational cheering.

And we finished off with a muffin, which is a very fine way to end a race, if you ask me.

Invigorated

I walked today at lunchtime, despite the snow, because I am officially registered for a 5K walk on Saturday! Jen A signed up to do it with me, which is one of the many reasons why I LOVE JEN; it's not as scary to know that even if all the little old power-walking ladies leave me behind, I will have a good friend to be young and slow with. The walk also reminded me of why being outdoors in winter isn't so bad. Other than the fact that it's easier to pass off that extra bit of squishiness as "additional layers." Yeeeeessssss.

Freaking out over a 5K walk. Yes, walk.

That's right. I am at this very moment insanely out-of-body because I have sitting in front of me (at this very moment) the registration form for a 5K run/walk that is taking place on SATURDAY .... FOUR. DAYS. FROM. NOW. And I sat for a while trying to decide whether I thought I could run it, and decided that it is probably a safer bet to walk--because I *know* I can walk 3.1 miles in a decent amount of time, which is to say, like, an hour. And then another part of my brain flips on and starts going "WHAT IF YOU'RE TOO SLOOOOOOWWWWWW?!" Because I imagine all these speed walkers looking as if they're trying to escape an advancing lava flow leaving me in a cloud of dust, who might as well be running if they just picked up their knees a little. It doesn't help that I've carelessly blown off one, two, three, FOUR perfectly good planned walks in a row. But I think back at that part of my brain, "No, no, no, silly. It's a run/walk to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation. It's supposed to be fun. And you're a pretty good walker anyway despite those little legs." And then I look down again and see CERTIFIED 5K COURSE & CHIP TIMED EVENT! staring back at me and I think, "Dear God, WHAT AM I DOING?!"

Off to a lousy start

I did walk on Tuesday, as you can see from the gold star I earned on the schedule above, and the photo posted below.

I did not go yesterday as it was late and I had work to do when I got home. And today I forgot my shoes. Tomorrow I will probably be cleaning all day for Jen B who is coming to visit. But *Saturday* she and I are planning to go on a long walk, so maybe it will make up in part for missing 3 days. Next week I'm starting run/walk intervals. Walking (alone) is boring and I just can't take it anymore.

Anyway, I'm posting the one photo I managed to get from Tuesday. And my new rule: as much as I'd rather work out with a partner, it is always better to work out alone than with a grumpy pants who does not share even a smidgen of your enthusiasm.

GO!

It's official! Today I completed the first workout of my marathon training--a 30 minute brisk walk--despite the overwhelming urge not to because it was gloomy and dark. As you can see from this blurry one, I *was* actually moving.

I wanted to start with 30 minute walks for several reasons. First of all, I haven't been running in a very long time and didn't think it would be a good idea to destroy my knees right off the bat. Second, as I reached the end of the walk (exactly 2 miles in 30 minutes, not too shabby in my opinion) I was overcome with a nearly irresistable urge to break into a full out sprint the rest of the way to my car. And by forcing myself to maintain a brisk walking pace--no more, no less--I realized that I am also exercising the mental restraint I will need to keep from running as fast as I possibly can early on and burning out in the middle of a race.

I then came home after narrowly avoiding an accident which would have become a four-car pile-up if my brakes weren't so darn good and ate a medium-sized slice of pie. Pecan. For protein.

Introducing the Run-o-cam

It arrived today by way of a seemingly pleasant enough delivery man: a Panasonic Lumix FX-30, hereafter known as the Run-o-cam. I will overlook Panasonic's use of Bank Gothic for the Lumix's logotype and instead focus on the joy of so much picture-taking wonderfulness packed into a cell phone-sized device, which will be my lovely companion on those exhilirating workouts (and undoubtedly, everywhere else).

Get set

You'll see that I've added a "Challenges" section to the sidebar, where I plan to list any upcoming races and runs I intend to participate in. First up is the 22nd Governor's Bay Bridge 10K Run, which goes from Kent Island to Sandy Point State Park. Sister-in-law Kelly suggested it, in lieu of the Marine Corps Historic Half (half-marathon) which filled up before we could register. Freakin fanatics.

What this ultimately means is that come May, I've got to be able to run 6.2 miles all at once at a pace faster than a 12 minute mile. I know that experienced runners are probably scoffing, as this is quite un-fast. I ran Track & Field for four years in high school, so I'm not a total novice to running--I'm just new to distance running, and to running without someone else to be motivated for me. And unfortunately I will have no one standing off to the side every day when I'm supposed to be training, yelling "RUN, b*tch!" which is really what I need. Considering that the longest race I've ever been in lasted no longer than 72 seconds (that's 400m, ~1/4 mile, or one lap around the track), I'm starting to feel overwhelmed by all this long distance pacing mind over matter crap because really all I've ever wanted to do is run as fast as my short little legs will carry me and get to the end so that I can resume drinking anything but water and eating chocolate and potato chips. Because there are some things I just have no patience for. Yet.

So I thought I would start my training program by creating a masthead that would inspire me to get up and run. Or eat Skittles.

Take your mark

The name marathon comes from the legend of Pheidippides, a Greek soldier, who was sent from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon. It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping and burst into the senate with the words "Masters! Victory is ours!" before collapsing and dying due to exhaustion. (Wikipedia)
...

Nothing--and I mean nothing--makes me want to run a marathon more than the story of its origin. In fact I am certain that Pheidippides is out there somewhere in the great beyond swelling with pride at all the tens of thousands of people who have decided by their own free will to repeat the run that CAUSED HIM TO DIE.

Come December 31, 2008--the day I turn 26.2--I hope to have joined the ranks of those very morons. I should note that I don't believe I could even run *3* miles right now unless I was being chased.

But now I've got this blog, so that even on the days when I feel horribly, aggressively, adamantly against running, I can still be motivated by the fact that if I go, I will at least have something to blog about. Because, yes, I am addicted. OOOHH! And I can get an inexpensive, light, little, teensy digital camera and take photos during training runs and POST it on my marathon training blog! And it shall be like art and creative non-fiction and fitness melded into one.

And now you have a place to be all encouraging-like and say "Yes! You can do it! Eye on the prize, my dear! Eye on the prize!" *Queue Rocky music*