baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack-the sequel

SIXTY DAYS to train. That's enough time to prep for a half-marathon that I just want to complete, right? Right? I'm saying it more to convince myself as the winter training I thought I would do sort has just withered to nothing. One might say I never really got started. I have been so sedantary this winter I'm surprised I haven't gained much weight... Almost none.

Well, it's upon us and the time to get serious about training might be now. Or yesterday. So here I am, starting again. Because everyone else I know who's signed up for the Pig is miles ahead in training. Let there be no more excuses.

I am still not 100-percent healthy. About 98 percent, I'd say. I thought I had kicked whatever it was (bronchitis?) just out of pure stubborness, but a cough crept up on me the other day. And no, I haven't gone to the doctor yet. Still. Yes since New Year's Eve. But I do have an appointment on Thursday. Really.

It was remarkably balmy this morning and I thought to myself, okay today is the day I start over and run outside because it's 60 days before I take my place....at the back of the pack. That first half of the thought lasted for as long as it took me to take my next step because I nearly slipped on some black ice. And I proceeded to nearly wipe out another dozen times along my 10 minute walk to the subway. By the afternoon though, as I was staring out the window, it was sunny and I figured the ice would have melted by now and I'd be safe on the sidewalks of Toronto. Except for all the puddles, and patches of thick ice not yet removed by the city... and the smattering of rain and dark clouds. But guess what, I went anyway.

3.3 miles (5.2K) in about 40 minutes. Still got it.

baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack

.... and about time, huh?
It's been 38 days since I last ran, which was the fun run. I fell pretty sick pretty much immediately after the run and haven't checked in on my own blog or others during this whole time. Yeah, pity party of one this whole time so that I didn't want to read about anyone's running progress, hear about anyone's running progress, or think about my non-progress. My sister is pretty sure I had/have bronchitis, but she's not a doctor although she actually went to one and was diagnosed with it. I still have a lingering cough, so maybe I should go see my doctor, but I did not cough once during the 21 minutes I was outside. I'm healed! Maybe fresh air does help.

Mileage: 1.7 miles
YTD: 1.7 miles

Yippee-ki-yay motherf-

DieHard 4 is still on the brain after watching it last night before this morning's fun run 5K. And I say those yippee words with joy because those were the last kilometers of the year... I'm pretty sure I'm not running tomorrow. Total mileage for the year: actually I have no clue since I haven't kept accurate records. I did a little over 500 miles last year.... so perhaps I might have logged maybe half of that since I feel like I put in a half-assed effort all year.
Today's effort was a little bit labored even if I was still smiling as I crossed the finish line. Yumke was, as usual, looking like he was in fine form. R. was in town and started the race with me, but that lasted about as long as it took to get out of the first 100 meters of cobblestoned road. My cousin didn't look so hot by the end-- she said she felt like her lungs were bleeding. That sounds like it hurts, but she's such a trooper; she didn't stop to walk and pushed through the whole thing even though she was battling a cough. Neither of us have really ran very much in the past month (okay, maybe more than a month). We finished in just over 32 minutes, which for me is five minutes slower than last year, which also sounds about right.

Just as we were finishing I thought of my sister. She would've been at this fun run with us, but she's down in Kentucky visiting her inlaws. She did promise to do her own run as we were -- I hope so, she got a lot of nice outdoor running gear for Christmas.

d'oh

On my way home from my first day back at work in what seems like an eternity, yet paradoxically still not long enough, I was thinking it's mild enough to go for a run outside. And because there's this 5K fun run I'm signed up for that's happening on Sunday and I haven't had a serious jog since before I went on vacation. I guess it's only 5K but my mental space thinks it might as well be a marathon. 

While on vacation, I managed one mile on the hotel treadmill. But I figure I did some good cross-training with two (half)days of skiing and this 2-1/2 hour obstacle course amongst tree tops (see photo). Best part of the vacation was the apres-ski -- outdoor hot tub!

But back to today's run. Didn't go. Watched a Simpsons episode while chilling after a long day at work (which included my performance review -- who gets appraised during Christmas week? Only me). And also have plans to watch The Simpsons movie tonight. With pizza. It is Thursday after all. 

There's snow. and then there's snow. (or why vacation is postponed)

This is amazing, just the sheer amount of snow that's falling right now. It's whirly, it's blustery, it's fast and slow at the same time, it's just piling on. This is great for skiing, which is the vacation plan starting today. Or should I say was. We're not at the resort yet. And after looking outside the window -- now we're going to heed some national advice to just stay in and go tomorrow.
Well, at least we're getting a white Christmas this year.

Past week's tally: three consecutive days of holiday cheer, but all preceded by good running on the treadmill (one for distance, one uphill, and one hard sprinting) totaling 10 miles.

martinis=inspiration=marathon

Not that I had a little bit too much holiday cheer last night (these martinis were like candy: goldschlager, cranberry juice, vodka) but I recall some conversation with colleague at The Office who told me she and I are running a MARATHON next September or October. And I have no doubt she's serious since she 1) she's already training for a spring half, and 2) kept using my name and the word "inspiration" and its derivatives in the same sentence.

Oh, and I got about 5-1/2miles done on the treadmill last week over two days. Which is quite an accomplishment for me since all running and strengthening exercises were done before 730AM.

If pigs could fly.....

It's not impossible.

If I can finish a marathon, really anyone can. I tell that to everyone who will listen, to anyone who says they couldn't possibly do it themselves. I repeat: If I can do it, you can too. It just takes a little bit of discipline and a plan.

So having apparently been inspired by my marathon finish last year, my sister begged me to run with her this year. And so we went on to do two 10K races this year, along with my cousin for support. My sister ran spring and fall races with great enthusiasm and always finished with a smile.

And now onto bigger things. Since I bought her a race for Christmas last year, she's decided to return the favor -- for my birthday, belatedly, she's gone and outdid me. Not only did she today register us for a half marathon, she booked us for 13.1 miles in Cincinnati, OH.

FLYING PIG 2008!

Now it's not a total surprise because she and I have talked about this for weeks now. The idea was sprung on us by her husband, somewhat in passing but enough that when he said it, he also looked it up on the web to give us more details because we were intrigued by the thought of hanging out at his family's farm in northern Kentucky, but also that the magical asparagus I've heard about for three years will actually be in season by the time the race rolls around.

I didn't want to talk about this race, make promises, just in case it turned out like the MCM in Washington. But my sister hit her Dec. 1 deadline of signing us up. It's going to be great. I'm sure this party is going to grow... I have this way of infecting people with crazy ideas like going on the road for a road race.

I'm looking forward to training for something. Hail to the treadmill!