Training Begins

So... here I begin. I am finally accepting my personality, realizing that my activator and achiever strengths urge me to set and accomplish goals.

And what is the ultimate goal for a wannabe runner? A marathon. I have chosen one. Knowing that all the half marathons I've done have been hilly - and mostly up-hilly, I've chosen a gentle downward sloping marathon, known for its fun... The Great Potato.

And knowing that this event is coming up - and hoping that Robie is a stop in the middle, I have started my fitness regime. It began with a very upsetting fitness test this morning. 5:30 am is a terrible time of day to find out your body fat percentage. But now I know... And this is only my starting point. I am determined to lose 15 pounds by April - which will mean 15 less pounds to drag up the hill - and 6% less body fat. A very reasonable goal.

Ryan has helped with the diet thing. We've been cooking at home, almost religously. We're eating a lot of protein, fruits, and vegetables - and I'm indulging, with one small treat a day. 1 cookie instead of 5, 4 Starburst instead of a bag... And sadly, NO soda. I know, you've all heard that before. But everytime I think about drinking one, I think about carrying it up the hill or for 26.2 miles, and decide that I don't really want it...

I've been at the Rec Center consistently at 5:15 am for the last two weeks. I've found 3 classes that I really like, which serve as my cross training. Pretty intensive classes. I love sweating in the morning - although I loathe getting ready for work at the gym. But I have found a schedule, a pattern that works, that I can maintain. Getting in the long runs will be difficult in the morning, but I have Saturday mornings for the really long ones.

And, for every pound I lose, or every percentage of body fat, I get $10.00 to spend on new clothes. And I will look fabulous - because my confidence grows exponentially as I work out.

I will be blogging about my runs and my training - in an effort to hold myself accountable, and to encourage myself... To grow as part of the process...