a runner in training

Well, well... here I am just finishing week 3 of training. I must say I have surprised myself with what I have been able to make my body do. I've also been surprised with how much I've been learning about the "running world". I ran in high-school, but was a sprinter and this distance stuff is much different! Plus, that was over 10 years ago and I've forgotten so much of what I knew about simple things like stretching, water in-take, pacing, shoes, and so on. For my friends who are runners today, I've been filling their emails and voice mails up with my constant questions and curiosities!! (sorry to those of you that might be getting annoyed with my constant questions!) I have had to prepare myself in every way to become a runner and I'm not just talking about shoes and body training. I hadn't bought a new sports bra in 8 years... after a 2 mile run I realized that bra just wasn't going to make the 26.2 mile trek with me in October! And lets talk about underwear while we're on the subject... underwear stretched out from recent pregnancy should NOT be worn! Get good underwear, checked off the list. Oh, and I've just experienced nice running socks! It's been raining buckets here the last week and my new shoes are mesh on the top so my toes were getting soaked when I ran in the rain. I invested in some "wicking" socks and man, my feet didn't know what they were missing! In the last week or so I've been taught how to place Vaseline in the right places, how to tie my shoes right since the way I learned in kindergarten wasn't good enough, how to do "body checks" as I run, how to place my ipod in my sports bra well enough so I don't have to hold it, how to properly stretch, how to breathe, how to move my arms, and how to count my steps per minute!! Holy running lessons!!! We just had our first group run this morning and I'm pretty excited knowing that after only 3 weeks of training I can keep up with (some) people and finish a 5K...without puking might I add?!?! I am feeling good about where I am and even with a few tight muscles and some burning lungs and some early morning runs...I am still SO SO glad I am doing this! As you can read, I'm learning lots and really making my life be more disciplined which is what I really wanted to work on. It's at the very early steps for both my feet and my heart... week 4 here I come!

(by the way, I'm tracking my weekly training with photos to do a scrapbook at the end and the above pic is week 2. I love coming in the doors and having my kids so excited to see where I ran that day :)