#2: Run Another Half Marathon

Found this little gem on Pinterest today :)

I have never been a runner. In middle school and high school PE, I dreaded mile day. I wasn't fast and I couldn't run very far without losing my breath. I hated it. During my first term of college I took the ultra-hard class "Jogging and Walking." In that class we had to do a mile and a half. I hated that even more. About three years ago I found The Couch to 5k running program. I looked through it and decided I can do a 1 minute jog and a 3 minute jog. This seems so easy, I can do this. So I did. I downloaded a couple podcasts that would tell me when to jog and when to walk, and I wrote out my schedule on a calendar. And I took it one step further, I actually went out and did it. I signed up for my first 5k with my teaching buddy E, and I was ready to go. She is such a champ (seriously she's a super runner), and stuck with my slow butt the whole run, and I finished in about 34 minutes. I was so proud that I had accomplished running 3.1 miles. Then I kind of stopped running.

Me & E After the Run Like Hell 5K

Early Spring 2010. I decide I should start running again. I download the "Bridge to 10k" program from iTunes and get on the treadmill at the gym. Somehow  I decide it would be a good idea to run the Portland Marathon in October 2010 (10-10-10 to be exact). I then con a couple girlfriends into running it too. the marathon was the hardest thing (physically and emotionally) that I have ever done, and I cannot see myself doing another full marathon ever again. I did finish it however, in 6 hours and 10 minutes.

Since the marathon last October, I went running exactly 2 times: one 3 miler with my running buddy, and the 2.6 mile 4th of July Mini Marathon that my town puts on every year. Last year at this time, I was nearing the end of my training for the Portland Marathon. If I haven't blocked out the whole memory, I believe this was the weekend that I had to do a 20 mile training run. What a difference a year makes.

Me with my space blanket after the Portland Marathon Last year

#2 on my 30 before 30 list is to run another 1/2 marathon. I signed up for The Holiday Half in mid summer, but last week was my first week of training. I had to do a whole 3 miles on Tuesday and Thursday and 2 miles on Wednesday. Those 3 miles kicked my booty.

I have found, for me, it is much harder to motivate myself when I am running alone. My running buddy, K, who I did the marathon with got herself knocked up (from her hubby) so she is out of the running business and I am doing this thing solo. I did ask if the Mister wanted to do it with me, but he did not seem one bit interested.  Last year on a long run day, K would show up at my house at 6:30 or 7 am and we would be of for a 6+ mile run like it was no big deal. Right now I feel like I have to bribe myself with a cookie to do 3 or 4 miles.

Replace the carrot with a cookie and it might work

Let's get something straight, I don't really like the act of running. What I like is the feeling of accomplishment when I finish a race or a long training. I am hoping that I find my motivation, otherwise this is going to be a long 12 weeks.

Here is the training schedule I am using, if you are interested.