A Marathon in Two Parts ....or A Tale of Two Half Marathons

I have a new hobby.
It's running.

Does that surprise you? It should.

Why?

Because I hate running. I have never been one for running. I played soccer when I was a kid; I was the goalie. It was the position that required the least amount of physical movement. When the ball wasn't on my team's side of the field, I sat down in the goal box. In middle school I played volleyball because it's a sport that doesn't involve running. I am not a runner.

So how did running become my new hobby?

My mother walks/shuffle-jogs half marathons. She's done quite a few actually. My mother was my inspiration. "If my mother can complete a half marathon, then bygolly so can I!"

After Eleanor was born, I was feeling a little down on myself regarding my weight. I loved (and still do) my body and I was proud of how strong and amazing it was, but I wasn't happy with the way I looked naked. I just didn't feel all that sexy anymore. I felt like a frumpy mom who didn't treat her body with the respect it deserved. When I got pregnant with Eleanor I weighed the same that I did when I was 9 months pregnant with Aslynn. My goal was to get back to the weight I was when Luke and I got married.

A few weeks after Eleanor was born, I was searching the internet and I found the RunDisney website. I called my sister in-laws up and we registered for the Inaugural Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Disneyland.

(I would reccomend running a Disney race because it is TONS of fun and totally entertaining! Here's a couple of reason's why: People dress up in costume to run. Disney characters are all along the route to take pictures with and cheer you on.)

Training began the first week in August (the race was in January), after I got the "all clear" from my doctor to start exercising. My training companions were my sister in-laws. We helped keep each other on track and pushed one another to go father/faster every time - especially when we didn't want to.  We ran outside when the weather permitted and at the gym the other times. 

Like I told you before, I am not a runner. When I first started training, I couldn't run a block without feeling like I was going to die. But I kept at it! I won't lie, I'm not a fan of running while I am actually doing it; it is the endorphins AFTER that I stop running that have turned me into a running junkie. I am addicted!

Want to know something corny? I love motivations sayings. Pinterest (click on the link to be taken to my "Gettin' in Shape" board) is a great way to find and catalog those sayings. I even printed some of them out and put them around the house so that I could see them on a daily basis.

This movie quote doubles as a funny, motivational saying:

...or their children.

Running is my "Me Time."

After months of training 4-6 times a week, I finished the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in 2 hours, 48 minutes and 58 seconds. I wanted to finish in 2:45, so I was a little disappointed, but considering where I started, my time was great!

WARNING: The following pictures aren't pretty.  They aren't supposed to be. 

*After finishing Tinkerbell*

*Our group*

You remember what I said about endorphins? Well, they also make you feel like you can do anything! As soon as I got home from Tinkerbell (that VERY night), I got on the computer and checked RunDisney and saw that the Princess Half Marathon in Disney World (held in February) was only 95% full. I called all the women in out group who participated in the Tinkerbell and begged them to go to Florida.

Disney has this thing called the Coast to Coast Challenge. If you run a race at both Disneyland and Disney World, you get a special medal. I wanted more medals. Medals make everything worth it. Bling, baby!

Nancy (who is a family friend and my running partner for the Tinkerbell race) and I ended up flying to Florida on a Friday night, registering for the race on Saturday, running on Sunday and then flying home on Monday.

I ran two half marathons in less than a month. My time for the Princess was a little better, 2 hours and 41 minutes exactly. I was shooting for 2:30. I guess, I still have some work to do!

*Glass running slipper at the Princess Expo.*

*Before Princess.*

*Shirts of a couple of guys in our corral before starting the race.*

(The Tinkerbell and Princess Half Marathons are mostly for women but a few brave men run them too; some even in full costume. 9,390 women ran Tinkerbell.  15,806 ran the Princess.) 

*After the Princess with both my medals. *

In addition to the half marathons I have also done two 5K (3.1 miles) races. The last one was just last weekend and I RAN the WHOLE thing! I have come a long way since the days when I couldn't even run a block!

Anyone can run! It won't be easy, but it's not supposed to be. You have to push yourself in order to make change happen! It is hard work and it takes a while to see results, but it is worth it.

I am so proud of myself and how I look. I worked hard for this body and these muscles. I may not be to my goal weight yet, but I am closer than I was 8 months ago!

To add more variety to my work outs, I have started lifting weights. My arms are getting some muscle definition. WOOT! WOOT!

Want to know what's next on my Race Docket? Right now it's not too full.

June -
5K Mud Run
Possibly another half marathon

~Summertime. aka: it is too stinking hot to ever run outside when you live in Southern California. No races.*

January -
Goofy Challenge in Disney World (Half marathon on Saturday, Full marathon on Sunday)
Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Disneyland

Training for the Goofy Challenge starts next week. Here's the first 17 weeks of the schedule in case you wanted to join in! (Sorry, blogger cuts part of the word "mile" off of Saturday's runs.)

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
May  7	3 mile run	5 mile run	3 mile run	Cross-train	5 mile pace	8 mile
May 14	3 mile run	5 mile run	3 mile run	Cross-train	5 mile run	9 mile
May 21	3 mile run	5 mile run	3 mile run	Cross-train	5 mile pace	6 mile
May 28	3 mile run	6 mile run	3 mile run	Cross-train	6 mile pace	11 mile
June 4	3 mile run	6 mile run	3 mile run	Cross-train	6 mile run	12 mile
June 11	3 mile run	5 mile run	3 mile run	Cross-train	6 mile pace	9 mile
June 18	4 mile run	7 mile run	4 mile run	Cross-train	7 mile pace	14 mile
June 25	4 mile run	7 mile run	4 mile run	Cross-train	7 mile run	15 mile
July 2	4 mile run	8 mile run	4 mile run	Cross-train	8 mile pace	17 mile
July 9	5 mile run	8 mile run	5 mile run	Cross-train	8 mile run	18 mile
July 16	5 mile run	5 mile run	5 mile run	Cross-train	8 mile pace	13 mile
July 23	5 mile run	8 mile run	5 mile run	Cross-train	5 mile pace	20 mile
July 30	5 mile run	5 mile run	5 mile run	Cross-train	8 mile run	12 mile
August 6	5 mile run	8  mile run	5 mile run	Cross-train	5 mile run	20 mile
August 13	5 mile run	6 mile run	5 mile run	Cross-train	4 mile run	12 mile
August 20	4 mile run	5 mile run	4 mile run	Cross-train	3 mile run	8 mile
August 27	3 mile run	4 mile run	Rest	Cross-train	2 mile run	23 mile

 

* This is basically a training program that I found here.*

Luke (who has never said a bad thing about my body and always thought I was sexy, just thought I would throw that in there) has been super supportive of my new, rather expensive hobby. I couldn't do it without him! Thank you, Handsome! You are my favorite!