Getting down to business

The other day, my dear friend Brina (who started as a running friend but who I feel strange calling a "running friend" because she is WAY more than that), posted to the Center of the Nation group on Facebook about what kind of training plan we needed to do in order to complete our goal of finishing 6 half marathons in 6 days. She got some great responses, then took those responses and developed a training plan for the two of us to follow.

We both agree that we are far more accountable for our commitment toward training if we follow a set training regimen, and we liked the way the plan she designed looked. She gave me a copy this past Thursday, and it looked like I was only missing one day at the very beginning.

Fast forward to Saturday, and I realized that I was actually looking at the wrong week. Doh. So instead of finishing out the week FOUR miles short of the target, I actually finished out the second week about FIVE miles short.

OK, no big deal, right? Except that my total for the week was only 12 miles. And next week, my total mileage for the week goes up to 20 miles. That's a big increase. They are somewhat shorter runs, but they are a lot of back to back days. And this is where I start to get intimidated.

But I have a plan. And other than a few deviations from the plan (like the fact that I am traveling this coming weekend and don't see myself being able to complete my scheduled Sunday 10 miler on a travel day), I think this is going to work.

You got to have a plan, and you have to work your plan.

And starting to eat right again would probably help too. Its not that I am gaining weight, I'm just feeling a little puffier than normal. I think part of it is the increase in whole grains and other vegetarian types of foods, but I'm sure the cinnamon bun at Ikea didnt help, or the other little cheats that I find myself somehow justifying.

But whether my weight is increasing or not, I am feeling somewhat sluggish from the occasional foray into junkfood-ville and the lack of high mileage runs (which will obviously be changing soon) means I am not burning crazy calories. I am actually kind of surprised that the weight isn't creeping back on.

In the meantime, I have a closet full of new running clothes.... clothes I never would have considered running in this time last year. New clothes may provide some of the extra motivation that I need too. Who knows?

One step at a time. One foot in front of the other. Its time to get into gear because I don't want the point one to get me.

Welcome to Week 3!