An old post about training for a half marathon

So a couple weeks ago I got it in my head that I was going to train for a half-marathon, because I'm apparently only half-insane.

Those of you who knew me in high school may find this terribly amusing and slightly disturbing in an "OMG have I entered some bizzaro world" kind of way.

It had been going well for a little while. I bought cool new "magic" shoes that don't hurt my feet like the last ones did (even though I paid a lot for them and they had cool gimmicky shock-absorbing things in the heels), and I have been sticking faithfully to my training schedule. I had a long (okay, a relative term, I know) run on Saturday and it went really well. I actually ran further than expected because I increased my time on the way back. There was a little Rocky moment where I briefly considered and then rejected jumping around and pumping my fists in the air.

And then it happened.

I was tired yesterday. Damn tired. I'd been at the school until 4:30. I was starving and I hadn't consumed the requisite fluids for the day. So I went home and ate and then sat on the couch and wanted to go to sleep so bad it made me want to cry. But Brian (being a good and supportive husband) dragged me off the couch and to the gym and what should I find there? The freaking town crier (PIONEER BABES, ARE YOUR READING THIS?), announcing that it was Goodlife's birthday and there was free cake for all.

Oh, wonderful.

I plowed past the nauseating scents and onto the the evil treadmill of death. I can't take the treadmill anymore. It's just so damn boring. Those evil little red numbers bleeping their time at me mockingly (10:32......10:33.........

......
..........................

.................10:3.....

...........4..............

....) OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDDD! So yeah. Ten minutes felt like ten hours. At 20 minutes in my body decided it was time to have a serious talk with my brain. It went like this:

Body: HEY!
Brain: Yes?
Body: What the HELL do you think you're doing?
Brain: Um.... sticking to my training schedule?
Body: Look, we've had just about enough of this uncomfortable, unpleasant, sweaty, moving around. We let you have the first week and a half because we figured you'd give up. Stop it.
Brain: No. Just a little longer.
Body: You know those numbers aren't moving.
Brain: Yes they are.
Body: You can't do this.
Brain: Shut up.
Body: You look stupid in spandex pants.
Brain: SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So yeah. I've officially lost my mind. And my calves hurt.

But I went running today. Even though it was cold and windy. At least there were no beady little teadmill timer numbers to mock me on the running trail.

On the other hand, I feel it is important to remind myself how I looked after I ran a 10K race with my friend Andrea. I didn't really train for that race. This picture reminds me of the importance of training.