This past weekend, I got the chance to catch up with a lot of old friends. Most of them are runners. Most have run half marathons in the past, and now that the snow is beginning to melt – or at least it’s supposed to – they’re all back to training for this year’s set of half marathon opportunities.
Last year, two of my friends ran a half marathon and I was in awe. I had just started running (on a treadmill) and could hardly make it a mile, let alone 13.1. They had become my inspiration, but the goal they had unknowingly set for me felt so far out of reach it hardly motivated me to train for anything even close to a half marathon. At that time, even the thought of a 5K felt impossible.
But now, fast forward. It’s been almost a year and I’ve come pretty far. I ran two color runs, a corporate 5K, and Buffalo’s 8K Turkey Trot. My personal training has weakened drastically because of the terrible weather we’ve been having, but I still have made some effort to stay active. I’m pretty proud of myself!
This weekend, most all of my friends mentioned the half marathons they’re planning to run in this upcoming April and May. I kept saying “ahhh, I really should just sign up for that race….” thinking about how four months might not be enough time for me to get to a comfortable enough place to push myself to 13.1, or using my potential 10 mile RunDisney race in October as an excuse for why I shouldn’t sign up. The more I heard my friends talk about their training routines and intended races, the more excited I got to join them.
I’ve been stuck in a rut with my weight loss, wavering within a pound the past two months. I knew that I had to change something (like, getting back into a running routine, hm?) about my habits to start seeing more results, which helped push me to make the decision to register for the Buffalo Half Marathon on May 25.
It took a few days to muster up the courage, but I finally hit “submit” on the registration form and officially registered to run 13.1 miles. Every time I mention it out loud or in my head I get a little more excited. I’ve created a training schedule based on a 12 week training program, even though I have more than that to prepare. I’m going to need that extra time though, because I’m not in the shape I was two months ago! Running on the treadmil today was tough!
I’m excited and nervous, but can’t wait for the experience and opportunity to push myself to complete something that right now feels absolutely impossible. It’s an incredible time commitment, but it will pay off!
I’ll be chatting about my progress on social media with #JackiesHalf if you’d like to follow along 🙂