Better Late Than Never

People who knew me in high school are aware that I was far from being a jock or athlete.  The closest I came to it was tap dancing, which definitely doesn't count.  I was into the arts and getting straight As.  Basically, I was a nerd.

When I went to college, I started taking yoga and kickboxing classes, playing intramural volleyball, and working out at the rec center.  I began running around my small college town for a couple miles at a time.  I never figured it would turn into anything.  I just liked the feeling of staying active and working off the ice cream I enjoyed wayyyyyy too much.

When I moved to Virginia, I loved the beautiful weather and the fact that I was basically always running at sea level.  I signed up for my first 5K back in 2008, and I felt pretty badass when I completed it.  Since then I've run a variety of 5Ks, 8Ks, and 10Ks on and off.  I've never been consistent with my training though.  I would do great for a few months, and then quit and turn into a lazy couch potato.  

Last year I ran the Shamrock 8K in Virginia Beach, and afterwards I was talking with some friends about running the half marathon someday.  I mentioned that it's on my bucket list, and it's something I would love to be able to check off and be proud of.  I never gave much thought to it afterwards until about a month ago.  

A friend of mine sent me an e-mail at work with the link to the Shamrock Half, and she told me that she remembered me talking about it and she was holding me to it.  I immediately started to panic.  I thought, "Can I really do this?  I've never ran more than 6 miles!  EVER!  And sometimes I don't even like running!"  I replied and asked her if she honestly thought I could handle it.  She sent back a training schedule for beginners that actually seemed reasonable, and I decide then and there that I needed to just suck it up and do it.  

So now it's official.  I registered last night for the Shamrock Half Marathon on March 18, 2012 in Virginia Beach!!!   I'm nervous and scared, but mostly excited and freakin' pumped to see what I can do!  I had an awesome 3.5 mile run this morning at the scenic Yorktown Victory Center.  I even tackled some pretty awesome hills!  

I wanted to start this blog to keep track of my progress.  Feel free to check back to see how I'm doing, and enjoy laughing along with me as this will definitely prove to be embarrassing and amusing at times.  ;)