Marathon Training

Yes, I'm training to walk a half marathon at the beginning of May.  (It's the Flying Pig in Cincinnati.)  Those who know me well have all asked the same thing, "Why?!"

This is a fair question because, well, I am completely unathletic.  No, I really mean that.  I know people say that, but then they talk about how they "just" played football in the neighborhood or played pickup games of basketball in the driveway.  Or played a season on the volleyball team.  Let me be clear.  I did NONE of those things.  I rode my bike, walked, and tried to make baskets in the hoop in our driveway.  (That did not involve running or anything, and it only rarely involved actually making a shot.)  I once tried out for the volleyball team--and failed.

I am the kid who was chosen last for teams in gym class.  Sometimes, if the mentally challenged kid was there or the girl who wet herself was there, I might be spared the humiliation of being chosen last.  (Why call it chosen anyway?  It's not like you're "chosen."  You're the only one left!!!  You're a "leftover!")

I am the kid who jogged (term used loosely) across the finish line 10 minutes after everyone else was done.  Sometimes, if I was lucky, I had company--the kid who weighed 200 pounds.  If there had been a kid in a wheelchair, he would've passed me.

That reminds me that my gym teacher in the 9th grade was an ex-Green Beret. 

(Excuse me for a moment as I hide under my blankets.  This brings back horrifying memories for me.)  

Okay, um, anyway, I can't go on.  Let's just say that PE and I didn't get along.  The only things I can ever recall liking and doing halfway decently were floor hockey and archery.  In later years, I also discovered shooting guns.  Archery and shooting guns are a lot of fun but not exactly the same level of activity as running or softball.

All right, so that's my athletic non-history.  That brings us to: why am I walking a half marathon?  More importantly, how am I walking a half marathon?

The easy answer is that a friend asked me to walk the marathon with her, and, for whatever reason, I said "yes."  Last year, in fact, this same friend asked me to take a dance class with her while our girls attended an art class.  The dance class was sort of fun, but we felt weird.  (Everyone else there was a couple.)   We switched to Zumba when we could.  And, surprisingly, I had fun!  (I sucked!  But I had a lot of fun!)

Then Kettering's Fraternal Order of Police Association had a fundraiser run/walk, and I asked her if she wanted to do it.  4 miles--it seemed like a really long distance!  I had never intentionally walked that far before.  (I'm sure I've done it before, but never on purpose and never all at one time.)

So I did a bit of training, which mostly consisted of a few walks of about 2-3 miles, with a final walk of 4 miles just to see if I could even do it.  Lo and behold, it was possible!

We had a small group (Melissa, Jean, and I, plus their boys and Craig) that painfully early, chilly November morning.  As runners, Craig and the boys soon left us in the dust, and the three of us ladies quickly faded to the end of the pack.  Eventually, we were so far behind we couldn't even see any other walkers!  When we got to the finish line, the guy had already put away all of the equipment!  LOL!  But we finished it and survived.

Shortly thereafter, Melissa asked me about doing the Flying Pig.  I don't know why I said "yes."  I just did.  (I did hesitate for a while; one of the biggest things holding me back was how early the race starts!  It's INSANE!)  Anyway, I finally decided to forget all of my worries and concerns and just go for it.

I found a training schedule online and have been following it now for 7 weeks.  I have two "short" days (3 or 4 miles) and one long day that has gradually increased as I've gone along.  The most I've walked now is 9 miles.

(Katie just asked me how many miles I've walked now altogether, so I added them up.  81 miles!  That's amazing!)

Anyway, here are some strange things.  I'm getting faster in my times.  I'm feeling stronger.  I think there are some muscles growing, too!  It's totally crazy to me!  And the craziest thing of all?  I'm really enjoying it.

(Maybe that ex-Green Beret Gym Teacher might even be a bit proud of me!)