And So It Begins...

There have been many times in the past when I have said "man, I shoulda been blogging about this."  Why?  Well, of course, the answer I'd like to give is because my experiences may help someone else on a similar journey.  Sounds good and noble, right?  But the truth of the matter is because I'm something of an exhibitionist, I guess, and I just like telling the world what I'm doing.

I guess that's just about the same reason most people blog.  I mean, sure ... there are some great blogs out there about various topics.  Those are the ones that help other folks out on their journey.  Do I expect this blog to become that?  Absolutely not.  I figure there are maybe 4 people in the world that will read this and them only because I have set the blog up to automatically email them when I post (yeah, you're family... you're stuck with me and my mind droppings).  But in general, I expect to be writing for myself, but in a public forum.  And while I'm sure Freud would have plenty to say about that, I'm just not gonna dwell on it.

I'll think about that tomorrow.

And so it begins.........

Last fall I decided that I would be doing a 5K run in the spring.  I was going to do one in February but then there came about a chance to do a mud run with a girlfriend so I cancelled my idea of registering for the 5K I was going to do.  The mud run may fall through.  We were going to volunteer so we could do the race for free (free is always good).  But they appear to have enough volunteers already so we'd have to pay for the race. That's about $45 and then it's another $10 each for our kids to get in (yes, we pay for our cheering section).  And then the kids would need money for food and drinks and such (yes, we're even willing to pay off our cheering section).  So that's getting a bit more expensive than either one of us wants to or can deal with right now.

So I'll be looking for another 5K to do.  I may still sign up for the one in February.

I'll think about that tomorrow.

But the run I'm really looking forward to is the half marathon in the fall.  A half marathon???  Crazy, huh?  But when I think of the soaring feeling of accomplishment I'll have when I can finish that... especially when you figure that it will only have been 2 years (at the time) when I was 280 pounds.... yeah, that's definitely a feeling I want.  And I talked to King Charming about what I want at the finish line.  I want my darling menfolk there in Epcot to cheer me on for finishing and then to spend the evening with me in Epcot (my favorite Disney park) enjoying the ambiance and my sure-to-be overflowing endorphins.

Excuse me while I take a moment to sit back and fantasize about how it's going to feel.......

Okay, I'm back.

Realistically there are two things that could prevent this from happening.  Number one is money.  A Disney race is not cheap (nothing about Disney is cheap!).  And as much as I want that feeling of accomplishment and the enjoyment of the park with my family after the race it is more important to make sure the Eating Machines have food and King Charming has gas for the truck and all that grown-up, adult, responsible stuff.  Man, what a potential bummer.

But I won't think about that now... I'll think about that tomorrow.

The other potential stumbling block is myself.  Thirteen miles (well, 13.1) is a LONG distance.  And I have to maintain at least at 15 min/mile pace so that I don't get swept from the race.  What I hear happens is there's a pace car... okay, a pace golf cart.... but if you don't maintain the proper pace, the golf cart driver will kindly offer (insist) that you get in the cart and they'll take you to the bus.  You don't finish the race.  You don't get the medal that all race finishers get.  And, for me at least, you get to live the rest of your life knowing that you failed.

Yeah, I know.. I know.... failure is just a chance to learn and do better next time.  And those of you who know me are quite cognizant of how I feel about that so let's just not go there.

So one must maintain a 15 min/mile pace.  But when you take into account bathroom breaks and a picture or two taken with the Disney characters along the race route, one must maintain a faster pace than that.  I'm aiming for 10 min/mile.  Why?  Because sometimes Mother Nature can be very insistent.  And because yes, I would love to have some pictures of my sweaty, nasty self with the Disney characters.  It'd be something to look back over in years to come to remind me that yeah, I did this thing.

So now the question is, can I make myself do this crazy thing?  Can get myself ready to do 13.1 miles in less than 3.5 hours (that's the pace thing).  Can I?  Oh hell yeah!  Is it going to be easy?  Oh hell no!  But then again, anything really worth having never is, right?

Today I sat down and created a new training calendar on Google.  I used the Run Disney's Jeff Galloway training program to plan the next 18 weeks of training.  Okay, well I almost did.  Today I'm going to the gym to do 5 miles just because that's the number I pulled outta my butt yesterday and told my girlfriend I was going to do.  And if I don't do 5 miles today then when she inevitably asks me about it I have to admit that I didn't do it.  That'd be embarrassing so it's just not gonna happen.  The only way to avoid that embarrassment is to drag my butt to the gym this morning and do the 5 miles.  So it is what it has to be because it's not gonna be what it could be.

If that makes any sense.

But after today I'm firmly on the Galloway plan.  It calls for 30 minute runs twice a week and a long run on the weekend.  It builds up from a 3 mile long run up to 14 miles over the course of 18 weeks.  Interestingly enough, that puts me at my first 14 mile run on Cinco de Mayo.  See!  It's meant to be. I'll do my first 14 miler and then will celebrate with Dos Equis (o tal vez tres o quatro Equis....o mas!).  From that point on I will alternate 14 mile runs every other weekend with 7 mile runs on the off weekends.

That's the plan.  And that's what I'll be blogging about, mostly.  If you're reading this, I invite you along for the journey.  There are sure to be wins and losses along the way, but every step will be one step closer to that magical moment when I complete the half marathon and get that medal that I covet so much!  Every step will be one step closer to that feeling of accomplishment that I know I'll have when I look at a picture of myself in the winter of 2010 juxtaposed with a picture of myself at the finish of the race.  And every step will be one step closer to a most wonderful evening at my favorite place in the world with my family around me and my endorphins running high.  Every step will be one step closer to what promises to be a most magical, wonderful, empowering evening and something I just gotta have!

And so it begins........