One week

So for the past couple weeks, I've been fighting what I jokingly call Death Plague. Mostly just a nasty headcold, but it makes me feel like shit, to be honest. So when Valentine's Day came and I really felt like crap on a stick, I began to worry.

That night, I had to suck it up; after all, the show must go on! I was in a play that night, and there was no way I was going to let the production down. After all, it's a two-person cast. If I didn't make it, it would become a one-man show, a reading of letters from himself to himself. No, a single person cannot perform a play called "Love Letters". So I got my rear in gear and let adrenaline carry me through.

Then Wednesday dawned, and I called in sick. I never call in sick. I just did not feel up to vertical. I took a day to rest ... and that day turned into two. This morning, I saw the doctor. I'm taking an antibiotic, and hoping for the best.

I'm a little worried, because one week from tomorrow, I leave for Orlando. In one week, the journey that's taken me a full year to prepare for will officially begin.

Am I nervous? Hell yes. And being sick doesn't help. But I'm determined. I keep seeing myself crossing the finish line; I'm so excited to do that, to finish something I've worked so hard to prepare for.

I will be among the slowest on the course. Even after a year of preparation, running is really tough and slow for me. I hope to be able to complete the half marathon in under a 15-minute mile. If I'm able to do that, I'll finish in roughly three and a half hours. Am I ready? I don't know. Are you ever ready? Can you be ready for your first big race? I know that I've trained relatively well - as well as a heavy girl with a travel schedule can train - up until now. Last Sunday I ran 11, in the company of good friends, and it was painfully slow ... but I still went fast than the required 16-min-mile, over terrain that was pretty much snow-covered all the way.

So for now, I have visions of finishing and hopes for feeling better. I have a packing list and a playlist. I have a week to acknowledge that something that started out as a little wish is within my grasp.

On your mark ...

This goes to 11

Yesterday, I completed my longest run to date. Eleven miles.

Today, my legs and bum hurt. Coincidence? I think not.

The thing is, I didn't have to do it alone. I think that's incredible. I think the fact that my friend Linda came along is pretty awesome, because she only had 10 on her plan. I think Di and Kristen joining us, however, is even more incredible, because they're not training for a half marathon at all. They're just supportive and awesome.

It was a hard run. The pat was pretty snowy, and in places kinda icy, too. Plus ... 11 miles is a long way. It's the full way around Busse Woods, and then a little further. It's borderline crazy. But that's what friends do; they come out to cheer you on when things get tough. I'm lucky beyond words.

At around mile six, my hips started to hurt. By mile nine, I wanted to die. The loop around the forest preserve is 7.7, so we went all the way around and then some. I had to take lots of walk breaks, especially toward the end. But I learned a lot, too. For instance, I need to add a little something to my water - PowerAde or Gatorade - because I had the shakes at the end. I probably need to amp up my nutrition plan, too.

There were a few good signs on the run, in addition to the soreness. I did not cramp up at mile seven, as I have my last two long runs, and I did not have any pain in my right leg or ankle - not even in the Achilles. All good signs.

So we ran. I was exhausted, but certainly not too tired to enjoy a monstrous breakfast with my besties. Seriously, I am so fortunate. These women encouraged me for 11 miles on a cold, snowy Sunday in February. What more could I possible ask for?

Clockwise from the top: Kristen, Diane, Linda and me.

Super Bowl Shuffle 2012

Today brought me to another one of those full-circle moments - the opportunity to participate in a race for the second year in a row. The town of Geneva puts on a 5K the morning of the Super Bowl (this is the second year) and it's a great small-town race. Last year, Linda and I did it, and this year our friends Megan and Kristen joined us.

Meg, me, Linda and Kristen.

This was the perfect day for a run. Sunny, chilly (low 30s) and clear. (Last year? Yeah. Torrential snow.) So I was ready to run. A little nervous after yesterday's eight torturous miles, but ready.

My run was good. Not the PR I wanted (I feel like I may forever be chasing the elusive 13-minute mile) but one of my best runs to date. I finished 700th out of 796, in 40:57 or a 13:13 minute mile. (Last year, by comparison - and to be fair, the ground was covered in ice and snow - I finished in 47:37, running a 15:22 minute mile, 335 out of 361. It really is about progress.)

The day didn't end with the race, though. My girlfriends and I went out to lunch (stumbling upon a breakfast place that served amazing bloody marys after we learned the taco place was closed), the local running store and then to the Chocolate Cafe. Seriously, can you imagine a better day for a group of women? I didn't think so.

It was a pretty perfect day, and now I'm left to relax and prepare for the week ... and try to come to grips with the fact that, three weeks from now, I will have run my first half marathon. I'm nervous and excited, and I feel like I'm ready. But for the next couple days, I'm going to take it easy on my legs. They are tired.

Operation 2012

Hello, and welcome to February.

While I won't call it a resolution, I did begin 2012 with a plan. It's simple, really: Move with intention for at least one mile, every day. Run or walk, for one mile, every day, for one year. Create a 366-day streak of activity.

One month in, and I can celebrate 31 days of success. I use two different apps to track - Nike+ GPS for running and Map my Run for walking - so I keep the activities separate. The Nike app is a little generous, so my actual miles are actually a bit less than this indicates, but does that matter? Nope. Because I've done it.

My longest run is nine miles. Shortest walk, exactly one mile. And there's everything in between. There's a two-mile run simply because I was feeling good and wanted to go further than the "required" one. There are a few 1.7 mile walks over lunch when I needed to blow off steam. And there are training runs.

Dear GOD, the training runs! Some of them like to 'bout kill me. Speedwork is not my friend. But each time I'm out there, I'm adding on the miles.

I'm proud to say that my combined total miles for January is ... drumroll please ... 97.85. That's almost 100 miles, in one month!

Yep. I'm a little proud. So, welcome to February. This is the final month of training for the Princess Half Marathon. After this month, I expect the mileage to back off a bit. But I will definitely keep pressing forward!

As a little add-on this month, I think I'm going to go back to my push-ups and planks. As many push-ups, from my toes, as I can do, every day. Plus, hold a plank as long as I can every day. A few more minutes at the end of each day, just for me? Yeah. I can do that.

How 'bout you? Do you have an Operation 2012 goal? It's not too late to start. It's never too late to start.

Frozen like a Zucchini

The goal for 2012 is to complete 12 races - 12 in '12, if you will. I'm off to a great start, having finished two races in January (and with two on the schedule in February as well - including the BIG ONE).

January 29 was the Frozen Zucchini Snowshoe Adventure in Barrington. It actually became the Frozen Zucchini Snowshoe Run, because there wasn't enough snow. There was, however, enough snow to make it interesting and occasionally treacherous.

It was slow going, and I turned in probably my slowest race ever, but it was F.U.N. Our friend Barb (the Ironman woman) ran with us, and it was an incredible treat to have an athlete of her caliber alongside us. Very motivating!

This is me, approaching the finish line. Barb is to my left. Linda's foot is in the lower right-hand corner.

So like I said, it was a lot of fun. Slow going and a little dangerous (thank heaven for show cleats, even if they failed us), but a good time was had by all. AND ...













Where else can you get your photo taken with a guy in a zucchini suit? This is Barb, Meg, Linda and me, with Mr. Zucchini.

My official race results are: finished in 52:57.6, with an average 17:05 min/mile. I was 105 of 121 overall, and 21/31 women in my age group. All in all, not a bad outing. Still proud of not being the very last person across the line!

Polar Dash-ing Through the Snow

My first race of 2012 is in the books. It also happens to be my first-ever 10K. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you ... Polar Dash!

After a snowstorm dumped six inches of the good stuff all over Chicagoland a week ago, Linda and I braved the elements and travelled into the city for a little fun in the ... snow. Saturday, January 21 was a snowy morning at the lakefront, and with a ton of snow already on the ground, it promised to be an interesting run.

We had a blast, I'm not gonna lie. It was different, to be sure, but enjoyable to be running on the lakefront ... while it snowed ... wearing a mask that made me look like a serial killer. I wish I were joking.

It was slow going. I suspected I'd be pokey, because I'm being uber-cautious right now. With the half marathon looming, I do not want to be injured. So I'm not terribly proud of my results - I finished the 10K (that's 6.2 miles, for those of you converting from metric) in 1:33:32, or at a pace of about 15:04 per mile. As it was, I finished 624 out of 669 total runners, and 403 out of 434 women. For a girl who previously ran a 16-minute mile, running a 15 in tough weather conditions is completely acceptable. I'm happy with it.

Naturally, post-race we found ourselves enjoying a little breakfast and proudly wearing our medals. It's funny, because a few years ago, if someone had told me I would choose to head out, in the middle of winter, to run in the snow, I would have laughed, out loud, at the ridiculousness of it. But here I am ... and it's a pretty cool feeling.

Next up: Race Report for the Frozen Zucchini Snowshoe Race that wasn't on snowshoes because there wasn't enough snow.

My Wish

I've been told that I can be a little annoying; that my love of running and general fitness sometimes spills out of me when people really don't want any part of it. Like half of a newly minted couple who wants EVERYONE to find their special someone, I want EVERYONE to have what I have, in terms of health and wellness.

Well, sorry ... this is going to be one of those posts. Sue me.

If I had just one wish for everyone I love this year, it would be that you would treat yourself better. If you've already figured out the importance of taking care of your health, it could be as simple as being gentle with yourself when you slack off, or eat a full row of Oreos. But if you haven't figured it out ... if you're living in a way that's regularly destructive to your well-being ... my most sincere wish is that you'd stop.

If you smoke, quit. It's expensive, and it's poison.

If you're sedentary, get up off the couch and take a walk. It's free, and it's fun.

Do one thing differently. Say yes to something you're not sure you can do. Don't go on a diet, but instead change the way you eat. Cook for yourself. Eat whole foods (not necessarily purchased at Whole Foods). Clear out the clutter, in your mind and in your home. See yourself for who you are, acknowledge what you'd like to change, and then begin to take the steps to get there.

I offer this bit of annoyance and/or inspiration because it wasn't all that long ago when I began a new year wondering what the point was. Unhappy, unfit and a mess in almost every possible way, I just didn't understand what the promise of a new year could offer. I would turn the page on the calendar and see zero progress, and the downward spiral would continue.

Over the last few years, that has reversed. I now look back and see a lot of failures ... but only because I have put myself out there. You can't fail if you don't try.

So please, try. And when you fail, try again. Don't be stupid - you KNOW a fad diet is not the answer, and you KNOW you didn't grow that ass or that bad habit overnight, so don't expect to lose it overnight, either. But please, do something. Because next year at this time, I'd love to celebrate with you.