Committed

As in "have me committed" because I "committed" to doing a half-marathon in late April with Debbie and Ness ~ CRAZY!! We have always said that we were going to run a marathon when we were 40, so a half-marathon at almost 35 seems like a logical first step.

After several days of emails going back and forth, I gave into peer pressure and agreed to begin training. So far, so good. I've run three times a week for four weeks now. My official 10-week training program begins on February 21, so right now I am just running between 2-4 miles at a time on the treadmill. Actually, the first day I was barely able to run 2 miles and I will do my first 4 mile run this weekend. I try to push myself every run by adjusting either the incline, speed, or distance.

To me there is a huge difference between running on a treadmill and running outside. I wish I could say that running outside is easier for me (I'm so envious of those types of people), but I like the control I have when running on a treadmill. Outdoors, I don't feel like I can keep a steady pace and I get so overwhelmed with seeing the miles stretched out before me. I originally told myself that I had to start training outside on February 1, but running on .75" of ice didn't sound like such a good idea. Hopefully I'll be able to get outside soon. I feel like I've come such a long way already and it will almost be like starting over when I start running outside :(

Just the thought of running 13 miles makes me want to throw up! When I'm at the end of a 3-miler, I think, "I'll still have to do 10 more miles on race day!" I understand that's why they call it "training" and that I'm not supposed to be able to pick up and do 13 miles the first day - I have to build up my endurance and strength. But a half-marathon seems both impossible and unfathomable!!

The reason I finally gave in to the peer pressure was because I was bombarded the first week of January with sermons at Metro, the Joel Olsteen Night of Hope, and my daily devotional all on the topic of Dreaming Big. I had to say, "OK, God, I got your message. I know that I can't do this on my own, but with You all things are possible." I will honestly give God all the glory for all the miles I am able to run. I keep telling myself that God will not want to look like a schmuck, so he will not let me fall down after 7 miles, right?!?

This past Monday, I officially registered for the Illinois Half Marathon in Champaign, IL on April 30. We girls were very excited to read that it is a "flat course". One cool part is that end of the race is on the 50 yard line of the U of I football stadium and they will show us on the JumboTron.

I know that I will need all the encouragement and accountability I can get, so feel free to ask me every now and then how my training is going. I don't want to be a quitter!

I think I'm going to get Philippians 4:13 printed on the back of my shirt for the race:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."