Announcement!

Well. I finally did it. I registered for my first marathon. It's on Sunday, October 9th. It's the day after Yom Kippur so I figure I'll fly in to Chicago Saturday afternoon, after the first 3 services (skipping the Afternoon Service for the first time in 3 years!) and fly out again on Monday morning, or late Sunday night. I am so excited. I've trained for a marathon before, in 2001, and got injured in the 17th mile of a 20 mile run. I was so mad, except that the morning of the marathon, it snowed. We had trained all through the hot summer, so snow was NOT what anyone expected. I handed out hot chocolate to the runners and was thoroughly glad to have an excuse not to run. I learned a lot from the injury. I was fitted for orthotics and have worn them faithfully ever since. I've learned what running shoes work for me (Saucany Grid Stabil) and that I prefer running skirts with shorts sewn in to prevent chafing. I know how to walk one minute out of every 10 and how to fuel with GUs and Gaterade. I think I'm in a much better place now than I was then. I also have 2 (and it will be 3 by October) Half Marathons under my belt, which I've really enjoyed. I am really looking forward to the training and can't wait to get out there and increase my mileage. Of course, on my first long run day, I woke up sick. Figures. I'm going to stay with Rosa (whose husband is running it too!) and I hope my parents can come out to cheer me on - and maybe we can all get some food afterwards too! That is a big memory of long runs - crazy hunger. In the meantime, I'm planning to gradually build up my weekly mileage til I hit the ground running (ha) with good old Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Program. Cross training will be easy in the summer, since I'll need to swim in the Rez on Tuesdays and I can also bike to yoga. Super excited! Here's the race plan leading up to the marathon; I've only put money down on the marathon and the IronGirl Tri, and I know I'll do the Boulder Half, so the rest are in the maybe category:

April 12 Dash 'n Dine 5K

May 30 Bolder Boulder 10K

June 9 Uni Hill 2K

July 21 West End 3K

August 11 Pearl Street Mile

August 20 IronGirl Tri

September 5 Boulder Backroads Half Marathon

October 9 Chicago Marathon

We may be in Moab for Memorial Day (I hope so!) but if not, I'll run the Bolder Boulder. I do like that race. Last year we were moving on Memorial Day!

I can't wait til I feel better! I am itching to run a 10-miler, which I haven't done since October.