Doing a mini-marathon

I got an email in November(?) from a 2nd year student recruiting other students to participate in a initiative he started last year which he calls "Medals for Mettle." It involves med students vowing to do a mini-marathon or marathon, and finding a sick pediatric patient a month before the race to dedicate (and give) our medals to at the end of the race. Last year, the organizer had the patient meet him a quarter mile before the end of the race and they finished together. Then he handed down the medal to the kid. Apparently, the kid wore it for weeks.

Sounds extra noble right? Totally. Something that a strong, well-fit, and good hearted person would do. Something inspiring.



So I evaluate myself:

1) I am and always been an awful runner. When I was little I hated tag because I was not fast enough and didn't have the endurance to EVER catch someone once I was it.
2) I really don't seem to be athletic. I'm competitive, I love sports, but I suck at them. Then again, maybe I just never tried hard enough.
3) I am a mom and pretty much consider myself to have no extra time to train for something like a mini.
4) Doing a mini is very impractical at this time of my life and considering my athletic abilities, probably impossible.

So I really want to do it.

My coach and the leader of M4M, Riley, hosted a few training sessions and put out a schedule for beginners like me. He taught me some good techniques that I've been working hard to incorporate into my work outs as I try to build muscle and cardio endurance.

I've been kind of following it. It involves a 5 day/week schedule including sprint excercises, cross training and a long run on Saturdays. I've been trying to work that many days a week, but most of it has not been real running. I'm doing a lot of work on the Wii Fit. Riley said that I needed to focus on leg balance to keep a smooth form so I spend a lot of time on yoga. My wii fit based plan mostly involves the balance activities in yoga, strength training my torso and legs with strength exercises and cardio with aerobic excercises. The aerobic excercises that I use are the "running" ones, which are of course running in place. My calves were super sore the first week but it feels like I have to work harder this week. I've unlocked a "free run" excercise which estimates your "distance." I know its incredibly inaccurate based on how much I can handle running for real, so my goal is to do double the distance on Wii to hopefully make up for it.

Probably what is tying me down to stick with it the most right now is I went with Mom to babys r us and got a good jogger to work with, each of us splitting $200. If I feel even more tied to it in the next month, I think I'll throw another $100 for shoes. I've used the stroller 3 times now, twice on the scenic loop in Cherokee. It is probably heavier than I realize yet (not sure what I can do running alone), and it complicates going up and down hills, obviously. It's also not so good for practicing form, but just like Wii, I just hope it is something to get some work in.

I want to run/jog the whole thing. No walking. 10-12 min miles would be totally fine with me (what even is normal?).

The weather isn't helping so far either. I'm not interested in getting out in the snow. It's funny because I usually like snow and don't care about the traffic issues but it annoys me now that I want to try to run. I also don't want to take baby out in the stroller if its under 40 either, so its a real obstacle. Even if it is warm, we have to get the trip in before 6, which squeezes up my time at school to study (what time am I posting this.......?).

I need to open up my options at the gym. Many of the other students involved (there is probably like 40) work out before school at 8 which sounds nuts to me but if so many other people wake up at 6 why can't I? I'm really trying to make a stricter schedule for myself. And then on Saturdays/Sundays I need to remember to try to do some outdoor running on my own.

mini-marathon early registration ends Sunday the 31st. I'm not going to do it today, but I'm pretty sure I'll make that extra step this weekend.

So am I nuts? Probably just kidding myself...