The background/getting started

I was never a runner.  Now, for most of my life I have been in decent shape and exercised on a regular to semi-regular basis, and even would run on occasion, but I can honestly say running was never my favorite form of exercise, or even something I did more than once a month or so.  Those people who claimed lacing up the running shoes and heading out for a long run was the best thing ever?  I thought they were lying.  And then in July 2007 I started medical residency.  While my life was far less dramatic, and less well-styled, than the lives of the residents on Grey's Anatomy, I did have the same 80-hour work weeks and 30-hour call shifts that those residents had.   So my exercise routine went from "regular" to non-existent.  In the spring of 2008, I decided this was unacceptable, because how could I tell my patients to get regular exercise if I wasn't doing it myself?  I decided I needed a goal that would force me to exercise, so I signed for a 10k for September 2008, and I started training.  Admittedly, this was a little bit strategic because I knew I could walk a 10k without training – so I had a bit of an out; if I slacked in the training department, my entry fee wouldn’t have been wasted because I could still walk the race.  But to my surprise, I loved running.  Those people weren’t lying after all!   (Oh, I should say here that I use the term "running" rather loosely, as my pace is very, very slow.)

I loved running so much that I signed for a half marathon in the spring of 2009, and then another in the summer of 2009.  I was completely hooked and my weekend 10-12 mile runs were among the highlights of my week.  I continued running (albeit much shorter distances) until I was 28 weeks pregnant in the spring of 2010.  And then my son was born in June and my exercise routine pretty much went back to nonexistent.  I'd do a short run maybe once a week, but it was a far cry from the 20+ miles per week I was running before I got pregnant – back into which I, of course, I thought I’d easily jump. 

I was clearly delusional.

I had a million "reasons" why I wasn't exercising: we moved so I had to pack up the house; I was waking up several times a night to feed my son; my son was too small for the jogging stroller; getting ready to exercise meant breastfeeding, then pumping, then making sure the baby was otherwise occupied; blah, blah, blah.  I have come to realize that these aren't reasons, they are excuses.  And they are ridiculous, because again I am telling my patients to get regular exercise while doing nothing myself.  I hate being a hypocrite.

So I decided to sign up for a marathon.  You should know this is something I always said I'd never do.  I love the half marathon distance and I never had any desire to run a full.  But, I am turning 35 this year and I thought what better way to celebrate than to challenge myself with a new distance.

So I signed for up the Bellingham Bay marathon which will take place September 25, 2011.  And I decided to blog about the training.  Blogging is another thing I always said I'd never do.  I guess I should stop saying I'll never do things!

Last month I also joined the Tall Mom 1000+ Club, which is a virtual club of moms with a common goal of running 1000 miles this year [full disclosure: I get credit for cross training as well, such that 11 minutes of cross training = 1 mile toward my goal], so in addition to documenting my training runs, I’ll be documenting how close I am to reaching 1000 miles.  Today, I am 992.61 miles away.  Just around the corner.

What makes me and my training so special that I think people will want to read about it?  Well, nothing.  And to be honest I don't expect that even my best friend will read this.  But I am hoping that writing this might hold me even more accountable for following my training schedule.  My training doesn’t officially begin until March 13, but I’m starting the blog a bit early in the hopes it will get me to exercise more regularly now, too.

So here we go . . .