26.2 Miles...

**Sample**



I think this video is supposed to be inspiring... it kind of made me want to cry... and in a sick and twisted way maybe secretly excited...??

Other goodies...
www.mapmyrun.com - Great resource for mapping routes/distances in your area!
http://www.halhigdon.com - Your personal coach to making long distance running almost seem feasible : )
http://www.stgeorgemarathon.com - Where all of the fun begins : )



**Full Scoop**

So my sister has decided to pick up a bad habit... and she's trying to get me started... it's called "marathoning" (I may have just made that word up... : ).

First, let me just tell you a few things. I love being active and did various sports in high school including track, those were good times on days we weren't running stadiums... on particularly hot days, on a rare but blessed occasion, our coach would give us a couple bucks and let us run to the ice cream stand for practice -- Now, I definitely like to push myself, but let's just say... I really enjoyed the ice cream runs on occasion...: )

So once upon a time I was like, yeah, I'm going to run a marathon someday! Then it hit me, why on earth would I ever do that to myself?? But since I do like to run and set crazy goals, I decided I would settle for just running two half marathons and call it good... someday... (until this last semester 3 miles was the farthest I'd ever gone... and that was like once...)

(see second helpings (SH) below for more background...)

Mental this is a summary of what happened when my sister asked me to run the St. George marathon with her:

1. Mental internal laugh
2. Laugh out loud
3. Secretly consider it remember initial desire years ago
4. Remember my brilliant idea to just run 2 halves (= one!:)...
5. Sister... "so?!"
6. Consider the actual chances of getting in since it's a lottery...
7. Remember it's 26.2 miles...
8. Do want to help my sister out
9. Still think it's crazy
10. Decide, heck, if we get in, I can always walk! : )

The results?! "Congratulations!" (see SH)

The best part? That same weekend there was a 5k and you could either run it or just run a mile... still scared of long distances, I opted out and just ran the mile : )

FAST FORWARD:
...My pride says I have to do it and I start training, run, meet http://www.halhigdon.com, buy better running clothes, run longer, find comfortable routes (http://www.mapmyrun.com), start listening to audio books, run more, find crazy people to run with me, keep putting one leg in front of the other, start out running boys... : ) run farther, almost start to look forward to runs...

PLAY:
As of last week, I woke up and was supposed to do a midweek run of 6 miles... but the night before I realized, I need to do this for myself and stop telling people my sister roped me into it -- I am the only one who is going to get my tail to the end! (Though I am still just doing it to finish, maybe someday I'll do another for time... *gasp* did I just say that?!:)

So, I knew I could do 12... so I did!! The craziest part? I knew I could have gone farther if I had to... even crazier? I almost enjoyed it : )

...we'll see if it lasts... I'll keep you posted! ; )



**Second helpings**

Well... where my sister's habit began and how she is trying to get me hooked...

She qualified for the Boston on her first marathon and after getting about 3:32 (excellent time PS for any runner, especially for only her second!!) she decided she wanted to do another one to get a better time. Long story short, there is a lottery to get in the St. George marathon, so when she asked if I would put my name down on the ticket so she would have another chance of getting in, which led to the summarized list of events listed above : )

DECISION TIME:
(Sister phone call) So... I say sure, put me down (as I'm praying inside I get the nice sister points but we conveniently won't get in by chance...) of course, after we had already signed up and a day before we find out if we are in, my sister calls and says, "I think I would be okay if we don't get in" after remembering how your life basically starts to revolve around planning your runs... GREAT! She is just a few days too late!

"Congratulations!"
You know those moments they people will never forget when and where they were? This was one of those. During an evening class the day of the lottery I saw my sister tried to call... fear struck... the queasiness began... I could already feel myself aching after a long run... ah!! I knew it was all over. So I of course had to check my email and lo and behold, there it was, "Congratulations! You will be running the St. George Marathon!" (or close enough:)

Game Plan...
Since I'm just doing it to finish and not for time, I'm doing it run 10 minutes, reward yourself and walk a minute... and I LOVE it -- it gives me the energy to run faster and the mental strength I need because I can just tell myself, "10 more minutes" (7 times:) instead of... oh, just 70 more minutes! All I can say it, Hal Higdon, my personal website coach:) says that's what lot's of runners do, and I'm totally sold! :) Moral of the story... if I can do it... so can you! (well... I haven't done it yet... but... I WILL! : )

Much love, K*

YOUR TURN/READER THOUGHTS: Have you ever set some kind of "physically competitive" goal for yourself, or wanted to? (feel free to add advice : )