June 10, 2008

• Time for a second one!

  Haha, I got you there, didn't I?!

  No, I'm not expecting a second baby (yet). I just signed up for my second half-marathon. I'll be running 13.1 miles in the Disneyland Half-Marathon on August 31! My friend Gesina told me that she had registered for it when she came over on Saturday. I've been itching to train for a race anyway, and I just couldn't resist when she told me that the course takes you through Disneyland and California Adventure Park, under the "A" at the Angels stadium, and back around Disneyland. How awesome will it be to run through the Magic Kingdom at 6 a.m.?! I love Disneyland, and this will be an all-new way to experience it.

  Some of you long-time readers may remember my first half-marathon experience, the Philadelphia half-marathon in September 2005. I finished that one in 2:20, and I hope to finish this one in approximately the same amount of time. I don't have too many expectations on time, though -- since the Philly half-marathon, I have aged almost three years and had a baby. But, in some ways, I'm in better shape now than I was back then. Certainly, I will not repeat my mistake of running the first few miles too fast! I also have more patience now, and I know my body even better than I did back then. My goal -- like it was for last time -- is to not walk a single step. I'm fairly confident I can do it!

  Actually, my trepidation around this event doesn't have to do with the race itself ... it's about the amount of time training will take. That's why I had to mull this over for three days before signing up, with Johnny's encouragement to "do something for myself." I printed out the 12-week training schedule I used last time, and it won't be so bad. It calls for four days of running a week, with three of the days falling on weekdays. Those weekday runs are pretty short -- usually around three miles. I already run three miles when I go out on my runs after Jack's bedtime, twice a week. So, this won't take away from time with Jack, except one weekend morning a week, when I do my longer run. I can also fit in one or two Bar Method classes a week, because the schedule calls for strength training on two days. This effort takes away from some time with Johnny, though -- something that I also don't like to give up. But, as Johnny points out, it will be over on August 31, and if I don't run this one, I might not have the chance to run a half-marathon for a long time, since sometime next year we might be thinking about another addition to the family.  Can't run a half-marathon while pregnant, and I just don't see how I'd train while juggling two kids, contract work and running a household. Anyway, now that I've paid the $100 registration fee (yes, folks, I paid for the privilege of running 13.1 miles ... haha), I better get started with training!

  My first training run is tonight: An easy, breezy two miles. I am super-excited for this half-marathon. I've told myself that if I am disciplined enough to stick with the training schedule all the way through, I will reward myself with a new running outfit for the actual race (which I will break in before the half-marathon, of course. Nothing worse than finding out on race day that the built-in shelf bra on your new running top chafes!). We're probably going to book a hotel room at a Disney hotel for the night before, so that we don't have to get there at 4:30 a.m. just to park. Johnny, Jack and Matt (Gesina's husband) will stake out a spot at the finish line and wait for us. Gesina is a fast runner (she recently placed first in the 25-29 age bracket in a 5K), so she'll probably finish in half my time.  Wish me luck!

  • 1:59 pm
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