The Black Flag

I all but gave up running after Grandma's Marathon in 2009.  Training burned me out and the race was brutal.  "Black Flag Marathon" it was; they nearly called it off.  If we weren't crazy enough to be running in the first place, we were even more nuts to finish in those conditions.  I don't remember exactly but it was HOT and HUMID and I woke up the day before with body aches and a bad cold.  At each water stop I had to grab one cup of ice to drink and one to shove in my bra to last me to the next station.  I hit a wall somewhere in the middle and was gagging into a dumpster at the end.  My time was better than I imagined it would be given the conditions but I knew that I would have to try and beat it at some point in my life.  My time has come!

I have kept this tiny photo taped to my computer for the last five years in anticipation of today.

I am registered to run the Twin Cities Marathon in October!  When we moved to Minnesota last winter, I started to run again.  I was pregnant with Maggie and ran all the way up to a few days before she was born.  Soon after she was born, two weeks actually, I hit the road again.  I got a running app and for the first time was clocking myself.  It was fun to watch my time and distance improve!  It felt like I was in a competition with myself and helped keep me motivated.  This winter (the winter from hell!) I ran outside quite a bit.  I really came to enjoy running in the snow and cold; it was a welcome break from the kids and feeling cooped up in the house, plus it felt hardcore!  I had tossed the idea of running my next marathon around but didn't think it would be possible to train in the present circumstances.  Watching a friend of mine with two kids finish her first marathon last year, and seeing another (also with two kids) plan to run her second this year made me believe that I could do it too!  I woke up one morning about a month ago with the ambition to run TC.  I prayed.  If I was still as excited about it in a week, then I knew it wasn't some crazy whim and that God would help me stay motivated (and excited) to train.  I didn't want to burn out this time.  Well, my answer came in the fact that I haven't stopped thinking about it since and can't wait for the big day!  My prayer now is that Matt will be home (he doesn't yet know his schedule for October).

In 2009, I was unmarried, without children and living on my own in the city.  My time, my body, and my location have all changed.  Training will not be the same as it was the first go around!  Actually, I don't exactly know what I was thinking back then training with an intense, intermediate schedule that put on way more miles than it seems was necessary.  This year I'm going with Hal Higdon's Novice 1 which I am confident will get me there.  I looked better then, but I'm feeling stronger now and live a much healthier lifestyle.  It will be tricky to fit in all the training runs while Matt is at work but I've been somehow managing to put in quite a few miles already.  "Free" runs without the stroller are a precious gift that I don't take for granted!

I won't be with my sisters but I still fully intend on using them as my marathon training obsession sounding board.  Miles, times, legs, muscles, carbs, toenails, chaffing, POOP.  Remember all that, girls?  You sure you don't want to join me??