Welcome back!

Well it's been a few years or so since I started this blog business, and as you may have noticed I've been on somewhat of a hiatus. As you can imagine, lots and lots has happened since the last post and in short, I'm now an old married lady with a mortgage and a dog.

I remembered recently that my last real blog post was about the half marathon I ran a few years back, and when I wrote it, I told you that I wanted to run a FULL marathon after I completed the half. I lost motivation after that post, but am happy to report that it's happening now. My husband and I are at the tail end of our training program and we run our race on November 10th. My husband, Scott, got the bug after talking to my cousin and experienced marathon runner at the end of June, and sure enough we started training the first week of July.

Since then, we've logged about 400 miles of training runs and I've learned that I am quite picky when it comes to what I'm bringing with me on the longer ones. We've alternated our long (10-20 mile) runs on a trail route (with no water accessibility) and a local park that has water, bathrooms, and pavement. I decided to start this again to share some of my experience and ideas in particular for other runners out there that may be particular, like me.

oh you silly, stupid pastime of mine

Well lately I've been completely ignoring my blogging responsibilities (sorry to my many, many readers ;)

Instead, I have started triaining for my first half marathon. There are a couple of training regiments that I've peeked at, but I think it's going to end up being much more of a personalized schedule - volleyball tournaments have to fit in somewhere. They all basically involve 3 running days a week, 2 days of which are storter (3-4 mi) runs and one day for a long run. The other 4 days are rest days, and can optionally be cross training days. Vball fits in perfectly as cross training, because playing (especially in the sand) all day is a pretty good workout.

That's a picture of my new running shoes (bright yellow, and awesome) - they successfully completed round one of being broken in last night... and when you can take brand new shoes for seven miles and only stop because the sun goes down, you know they're good. Mizuno, you're the man.

My first ever half marathon will be the City of Oaks half mar in Raleigh on November 2. The course runs right through downtown and this particular race has evidently become quite popular in the last few years; I will be one of thousands of athletes competing. I'm obviously not going to win this thing, but I have a much more modest (and realistic) goal - to finish.

I'm not sure how I have the motivation to do this, but already I feel great about the possibility. It's one of those things that I just feel like I have to do, for me, and that I really want to do.

Then it will be on to bigger and better things. Only ten percent of people ever complete a marathon.

I want to be in that ten percent.

Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk 2008

Mark your calendar for 4 October, and come Help Us End Alzheimer's.

The Alzheimer's Association is hosting an awareness and fundraising event at the Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park in Cary and I'll be there walking 1.5 miles around Symphony lake with team "Forget-Me-Nots." Come join us!

If you can't make it out to participate in the walk and other excitement, please check out our donation page. You'll be helping with a great cause (and your name will show up in the scrolling "Honor Roll" marquee!). All funds raised go directly towards supporting the efforts of the Alzheimer's Association - the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research.

Here is some additional info from their website:

The Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk® is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research – and it calls on volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against this fatal disease. Since 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $230 million for our cause.

By joining Memory Walk, you’ll be walking with a purpose – and MOVING us ever closer to a world without Alzheimer's.

The Alzheimer's Association, the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research, is dedicated to finding prevention methods, treatments and an eventual cure for Alzheimer’s.

Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s.

Tell your friends, and we'll see you there.