How about Bob?

Because, here’s the scoop sports fans: I’ve begun training for a half-marathon.

Are you OK? Finished laughing yourself silly yet? No? Ok. I’ll wait.

By “begun” I mean I’ve done a couple of little workouts this week and realized how out of shape I’ve gotten again. And bought a book and talked a lot about it.

Better now? So the deal is this is JH’s brainchild. She wants to put in for the Grandma’s Marathon half-marathon lottery. Or whatever it’s called. And thinks that I should train with her for this thing. She’s a runner. I’m pretty certain that I could walk the thing with no trouble at all. The idea of running for 13.3 miles is fairly inconceivable to me. I’m not sure I can run a whole mile without 1) DYING or 2) slowing down to a gasping-for-air-like-a-grounded-carp walk.

The reality is that even training to walk a half-marathon would give me a focus and that key ingredient I seem to be missing in my workouts: not wanting to disappoint someone else.

The fact is my most successful and regular exercising was 2008 (on Friday that will be TWO YEARS AGO) when I was going to the YWCA and meeting with a personal trainer. But the economic truth is that I can’t afford to meet with a trainer anymore. And as a result I haven’t gone to the YWCA more than a handful of times all of 2009 because no one was expecting me to show up- even though I continue to pay the $60 a month.

I’m canceling the membership and hoping that JH can really step up to be my workout buddy. I’m also checking in with a bunch of other friends who seem to “like” running. Both for advice and encouragement. (Churlita – I’m looking at you!) Because when it comes down to it, I’m not sure one little running buddy is going to be enough to keep me motivated to keep going with this. Especially if there’s actual pain involved, which I hear there can be. Not to mention Rashes and Chafing. And I’m pretty sure I’m going to have at least one panic attack a month getting into or out of my sports bras. Not to mention being just a little worried that all that, uh, bouncing  will not be an anti-gravity formula for the girls. And given my maternal assets and age combination an anti-gravity formula would be a good thing. Or at least not a bad thing.

So JH and I bought a couple of different books with training plans in them. Plans for running and something called “run/walk.” We’re each reading one and next week we’ll switch. Still haven’t found one for “walk/run” or “mostly walk with an occasional burst of faster pace that sort of looks like running if you squint.”

I’m reading this one: The author seems realistic – and humorous, which is important to get through this I think. And honest. And this is where I’ve learned about the Rashes.

So why do this if it only sounds painful and filled with rashes? It’s not like I don’t have enough to do.

Well, some reasons in the “Do It” column include:

1. I want to see if I can
2. More exercise, especially weight bearing exercise (and let me tell you this will definitely be weight bearing) is good for your bones
3. Because cardio exercise like this is good for my blood pressure and my cholesterol, hopefully keeping me off drugs a little longer
4. Because I liked the way my butt was starting to look in 2008
5. Because I liked the way my abs were starting to look in 2008
6. Because I liked the way I felt in my own skin at the end of 2008
7. Because even if I walk the whole damn thing I still will have dropped weight, improved my health and accomplished something
8. Because the author of that book says that when she was training she could eat whatever she wanted and didn’t gain weight – and we all know how I like to cook and eat
9. Because now that I’ve written this here and have started to talk with meat-world friends, I don’t really want to explain why I gave up.

JH and I also tossed around the idea of registering for the Susan G. Komen 3-day walk too. That’s in August in the Twin Cities here. Don’t worry. If we decide to do that there will be a way on this little piece of cyber real-estate for you to pledge as I hear you can’t walk unless you raise some serious cash.
— — —
A year ago (or longer) on This Journey…

2008 Review; 2009 Preview 2008
hoosgot 2007
2007 Wrap-up; 2008 Preview 2007
Hello world! 2006

December 31st, 2009 | Category: Marathon, exercise, my crazy life | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL