Holy Moly!!

I started this blog back in May to help document my progress toward the Columbus Half Marathon and to help keep me accountable for my training.  It seemed so far away at the time and I knew that I had plenty of time to train and practice and get ready for it.  I was pumped; I was happy; I was all OCD about the training.  And, as is typical for me, as the months went by, I got less enthusiastic but continued my training sort of half-heartedly.

Amazingly enough, the purpose of the blog stayed strong even if I wasn't blogging.  I have been asked about training by people that surprised me.  And, after being called out twice in two days by unexpected people (thanks Josh and Eugene), I realized that I needed to get back to it.  So here goes.....

I haven't completely fallen off my training.  I've been at the gym three days this week, mostly training in walking and on the elliptical.  No running..no jogging.  I just am not mentally there right now to get back in it.  That sounds like an excuse even as I type it.  But, as I look at the calendar, the Half is a week away.  I am still planning to walk/jog the thing.  I will probably start off jogging and then do intervals the rest of the way.  My goal is still to finish before the course closes (3:55:00).  I haven't set any PR this month (or last probably), but I did send myself to the gym in a downpour and haven't missed any training sessions that I had planned. 

I am, at this point, starting to look past the Half at my next goal.  I once made a goal to "walk around the states" with mileage visiting all of my friends where they lived.  But, the mileage was so daunting that it was difficult to keep focused.  A friend of mine mentioned that he had set himself a "number of miles" goal to run during the year.  I think that's a really cool idea.  So, thanks Josh, I'm stealing your idea!  :)  After some nerdy thoughts and calculations, I think I'm going to aim for 600 miles next year -- walking, jogging, ellipticalling.  That's 50 miles per month and I definitely think that's reasonable.

So, here's to motivating myself to the Half!!!!  One more week!!!!