I’m a big fan of Option C. Whenever possible, that’s the option I choose. No, no, it’s not some new fangled alternative birth control method. It’s a decision point.

You remember Scan-Tron tests right? The tests where you had to use your #2 pencil to fill in the bubble that corresponded with your answer. There were always for answers to the test question. Answers A and B were usually two good choices, answer C was “Both of the Above”, and answer D was “None of the Above”. You remember those kinds of tests, right? Well, anyway. Whenever I’m faced with two good choices, I like to choose C.

For example, last night I was faced with the choice - go running or hang out with The Hoff and drink wine and eat yummy spinach appetizers while our kids were someplace else. It was a difficult decision for me, between the two really great ideas- work towards meeting my marathon goal, or have some much needed chill out time with a very good friend. So I chose Option C - Both of the Above.

I found a way to have both. Isn’t that just so typically American? Why limit myself to one, when I can find a way to have it all? Who says I have to pick just one? I’m the boss of me!

In a perfect world The Hoff would have come over and run with me, she does have to put a swimsuit on in public this weekend. But she’s nursing a neck injury and wasn’t to excited about running around Stinky Lake. I ran when I got home, and she met me a little later and we chilled.

Did you catch that? I ran last night. I got in my car, drove 45 minutes home, sat down on the sucking sofa twice and still managed to get my fat ass up and outside. I ran the loop around Stinky Lake. It took me about 45 minutes between warm up and finishing the loop. The weather was awesome! It was 90 degrees when I left the house, cloudy and windy. Which means there wasn’t a direct sun beating down on me and reflecting off the pavement. The wind was cool and as the sun slipped behind the clouds the night was just beautiful. It was my usual run/walk routine, but I finished the entire 3.5 mile loop.

I was very proud of myself.

The weather’s been unseasonably cool here lately (what Global Warming? Oh wait…Climate Change. That’s right). When the whistle blew and it was time to lace up my Ariels and do some running, it was 88 degrees. No, not 188 degrees. 88 DEGREES! I don’t know what’s up with the weather patterns here in Farrahzona, but I’m digging the below normal temps.

I talked Running Buddy into going outside and enjoying the rare opportunity to run after work, outside, in June. We ran the canals near the office. It was…different. I’m used to running on treadmills in the evenings. The dirt/gravel combo and the hills made it an challenging run. Of course, I’m 40lbs overweight (gained 5lbs last week! what?) trying to run a marathon. It’s always a challenge. I stuck with my plan of running until I couldn’t catch my breath, and stopped often. I was actually a little embarrassed to have Running Buddy see me this way. She’s a runner. She did 6 miles on Saturday. I was hurting trying to complete 1.25 before we turned around and headed back to the cars.

I enjoyed it a great deal. The birds and the bunnies and the fish in the canals made it cool. It certainly beat reading the closed captioning of a wall-mounted TV. I was energized when I was done too. I was able to sit down and remove my tennies when I got home, and didn’t get sucked into the couch. I’m going to run like that whenever I can.

And so here we are. It’s Wednesday afternoon and it’s a running day. Running Buddy is otherwise engaged this afternoon, so running is on my own. I’m sitting in my office looking at the piles of work I have in front of me. I’m thinking about everything else I’d rather be doing tonight, everything else I HAVE to do tonight and I don’t want to run. Running hasn’t made it on to my HAVE To Do list yet. I know it should, but it hasn’t.

But it’s gorgeous outside my office window. The sun is shining, the clouds are sparking in the sky. The Weather Channel says it’s only 90 degrees outside. 90 on a June afternoon! Sweatshirt weather, really.

But I haven’t seen The Hoff in a week and she wants to come over tonight and hang out. We must talk of many things - of shoes and ships and ceiling wax, of cabbages and kings, and why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings. The Hoff wants to drink wine and eat yummy appetizers. I want.

But I have this goal - a goal of running a marathon and raising money to cure evil blood cancers. Last Saturday showed me how much it sucks when you don’t follow the training schedule and this Saturday is 4 miles. It will be worse for me than it was last week.

My will is being tested. How bad do I want this?

I’ll find out in less than half an hour.

I’m starting to realize the training program is designed a certain way for a reason. That reason is simply that it works.

I ran one day last week. One. Monday. I was a total dolt and forgot my running shoes on Wednesday and when I got home the sofa seemed to suck me in. I sat down to remove my heels and the cushions opened up and swallowed me whole. I really had no chance as soon as my tush met microfiber. The rest of the week I just couldn’t do. I was constantly exhausted and the last thing I felt like doing was running.

I didn’t do much of anything at all last week actually. I just wasn’t into it. My usual mind tricks I use failed me. You know the little tricks one employs when one needs to be pumped up? For example, my favorite is to remind myself that Lance Armstrong can ride a bike pretty well with one testicle. I can certainly run a marathon with all my working parts, right? Not even that could get my tush off the cush.

I paid for it on Saturday’s group run. Boy did I pay for it. Mileage for Saturday’s group run was 3 miles (we seem to be ramping up one mile per week). After the first 10 steps I was done. I wanted to die. My lungs were burning. The slice of pizza I had at 4am was threatening to make a reappearance. I had 100lb weights strapped to each foot and it was, frankly, a miracle I was able to complete the run.

I ran, rather slowly, the first 1.5 mile leg. Once I turned around to head back to the meeting spot, I alternated between running and walking. Does it really count if I run ten steps and then walk 200? Because that’s what I was doing.

I consider Saturday to be a failure. Sure, I completed the mileage. But it wasn’t a quality run. Kinda like the equivalent of knowing you have a term paper due at the end of the semester, and blowing it off until the day before it’s due. Sure, you get it done, but the quality of what you hand in is sub-par. That’s what my run was on Saturday, sub-par. Something I half-assed because it was due. I’m a bit disappointed in myself really. I don’t half-ass anything.

So I’m trying to spin Saturday’s crap run into something positive. First, stick to the training schedule. I have to remind myself this is an endurance sport. I have to build endurance. It won’t happen if I blow off the schedule. I’ve ordered a second pair of running shoes and will keep a stocked gym bag in my EVIL luxury SUV at all times. Wardrobe will no longer be an excuse for me.

Secondly, I have to watch my diet. I think the run on Saturday would have gone better had breakfast been a bowl of oatmeal and some orange juice….and not the double pepperoni slice and diet coke that I had. Thank the Lord the weather was cool (68 degrees at meeting time!). Otherwise the heat would have certainly made me lose my breakfast. We had a nutrition clinic on Saturday after the run. The dietician gave me her card. I think I’m going to make an appointment to have her design a diet for me. I can follow a plan. I can’t design one on my own. I’m simply not that smart.

Thirdly…I just have to do it. Running Buddy and I are on for this afternoon. I’ll let you know how it goes.

No, sorry. This is not a post about current events. Though I have lots, and lots and lots of things to say about what’s going on in the world these days. And I know you’re all just dying to hear what I think about the nationalization of the banking and automobile industries. But alas… everything I learned about raising money I learned from The Dixie Chicks. It’s never a good idea to say something inflammatory when you need people to give you money.

Nope, I really do want to talk about Hope & Change.

Today was yet another training session - 30 minutes timed running. I worked out on a treadmill with Running Buddy (who’s cheating on me!! - more on that later) at the fitness center at the office. I settled into a routine of 2 minutes running, 2 minutes walking and my 30 minutes flew by. It’s still hard work trying to get these 170lbs moving, but it’s getting easier. I found myself getting into a groove around 1 minute 30 seconds of my running interval. I didn’t do as well as I did on Saturday, but I can feel the small improvements every time lace up my Brooks. It gives me hope. Every little improvement is that much closer to completing my goal. That is such a great feeling.

My body is subtly changing too. There isn’t enough change to justify purchasing a cute little running skirt without feeling like people will be sneering at the fat girl trying to be stylish. But after slathering on the SPF 30 after my shower this morning,  I can feel changes in my calves. I actually have calf muscles! I have the calves of an athlete…under all the fat. They flex and relax and move and pop out of my legs in certain angles.

It’s not like I was feeling myself up or anything dirty like that. But you know how you can just feel changes in your body as you go about your daily routine. And you think ” Wow. Wonder when that happened?”.  You know what I’m talking about, right? Right? No? Oh. Well. Anyway.

Running Buddy was tardy to our workout this afternoon. She strolled in all nonchalante about 30 minutes late, without a care in the world and her new cute haircut. The treadmills were taken so she was banished to the cheater bike (that’s the recumbent bike). And as she’s slowly cycling away, she tells me she did her real run workout this morning before work! How could she? I thought we were running together on Mondays and Wednesdays? She went solo. On her own. I feel so betrayed!

No not really. I’m really just jealous of the time she has in her schedule to workout in the morning. I wish I had the stability in my schedule to get up and do my running workout in the morning. After the run on Saturday I’m starting to think my body performs better during morning runs than evening runs.

I wonder if I can rearrange my schedule to free up my mornings.

5:30am.

76 degrees (on May 30 I know! I’m loving it!).

Distance accoring to training schedule: 2 miles.

For the first time ever in my life, I ran an entire mile without stopping. Not only did I run a mile without stopping, I did it in under ten minutes. 9 minutes, 53 seconds to be exact. I only did that for the first mile, the second mile was back to the combo run/walk. I’m following the rule that if I’m breathing heavy, I’m working too hard. I didn’t start breathing too hard until mile 2.

And you know what? I liked it.

Running Buddy asked me the other day if I’d felt the Runner’s High yet - that rush of endorphins you get while running. I don’t think I have, because I still felt like I was struggling the entire time. What I did feel was a sense of accomplishment and that kicked ass. I never in my life thought I would run an entire mile. And here I was, doing it with a bunch of strangers and it felt awesome! I wanted to cry I was so happy. Here I am, 5′2″ tall, 165lbs and I just ran an entire mile! I RAN A MILE! I’m still pretty thrilled.

Climbing into my car after the run today, I actually felt like I can do this. I’ve been using that phrase as a way to convince myself that I’m not entirely insane for taking this on. At 6:30am when I was driving away from the park, that was the first time I knew I could. My body told me I could. My mind agreed. I will do this.

I have a fundraising update for later today. For now I have to go get ready to learn how to dance like I’m a Bollywood star. Bollywood Babes, here I come!

A couple of random things:

Who knew Jelly Belly makes energy jelly beans? Running Buddy gave me the April and May issues of Runner’s World magazine. There was an ad for Sport Beans energy beans. How awesome is that? It’s like candy that’s good for you.

Reading Runner’s World scared the crap out of me. Every article I read made it sound like running is brutal and only the strong survive. There were photos of black toenails and blisters and people dragging themselves across finish lines. Stories about a woman who puked up intestinal lining because she overdosed on pain pills during a race. I had to stop reading after a point because it was about everything that could go wrong. There wasn’t much about what could go right. Well, no that’s not right. There were stories about people who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to finish a marathon which is a story about something going right…but nothing about normal people like me. It didn’t balance out the negative stories. For me anyway.

And finally…I’d like to welcome the new posters/readers who found there way to my corner of the Intertubes. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read my brain dumps and/or leave a comment. I use it as encouragement to keep going when I don’t think I can.

I’m sorry for a lack of updates. It’s been a crazy couple of days. My parents were here for the holiday weekend visiting me and my boy. After a night out with Fleetwood Mac and my friend we affectionately call The Hoff, my guests left late Monday. Tuesday was spent putting my house back together and then today….today was spent working in Chicago. Yes, I made a day trip to the Second City at the request of my boss. I’m wiped.

But! I have been sticking to the training schedule as best as I can. Sunday was a rest day - but I didn’t sloth around. We paid a visit to the Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Gardens bright and early Sunday morning. The exhibit was beautiful, I can’t believe a human being can create such amazing works of art with sand, essentially. It was a gorgeous summer morning -warm and cloudy but a steady cool breeze. A lot of walking in flip flops, I could feel my leg muscles releasing their knots. I think it was exactly what I needed. Like a dumbass, I neglected to charge the batteries to my camera and didn’t realize until I whipped it out to take a very artistic shot that would have won the photo contest. My friend was there with her camera, as soon as she uploads her photos I will post some.

According to my training schedule, Monday was to be a running day. But with the craziness of getting my folks home (and them missing their plane because they were boozing it up in an airport bar…but that’s another story), I didn’t run. I’m going to make up the day tomorrow.

Tuesday was a brief run of 30 minutes running/walking. I’m starting to feel like each time out, it’s one step forward and two steps back. Saturday was the longer outing and I felt great when I was finished, really energized. I got back from the run and my parents were patiently waiting for me to fix breakfast for everyone.  I felt so great, I did and without bitching (ok, I might’ve said something like “I just ran 4 miles and you people expect me to whip up some eggs?”). I prepared my famous eggs for the family no problem. But on Tuesday, I was treadmilling it, and I had absolutely no energy and I couldn’t figure out why. I ate pretty well during the day, and I was drinking water like a fish. I don’t get it. Maybe it was the time of day? I ran in the morning on Saturday, and 8pm on Tuesday. I really don’t know. We’ll see how things go tomorrow. I’m running at night again.

Today was scheduled to be a 20 minute run/walk outing. I was up at 3am this morning to catch a 6am flight to Chicago, only to turn around and take a flight home at 5pm Chicago time (3pm Farrahzona time). I’m wiped and there was no chance in hell I was going to put my running shoes on and head out for a run. It kinda feels like an excuse. Maybe it is. Doesn’t change he fact that I’m plum tired.

See you tomorrow!

This will be a quick combo post on days 4 and 5. My folks are in town for the holiday weekend and we’re busy running around town terrorizing the residents of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.

Day 4 was Friday, and was scheduled to be a rest day. I am realizing now that when the training schedule says ‘Rest’, the trainers didn’t mean ‘Do Absolutely Nothing Active’. On Thursday I was unbelievably sore, which lead to being extremely tight on Friday. I had planned on going to hot yoga, but I didn’t make it out of the office in time, and had to run to Target before picking up my folks at the airport. Target is time sucker for me. I get in there and I have no concept of time. I have been known to disappear inside a Target Greatland never to be seen or heard from again…well until they turn the lights out anyway.

Long story short (too late I know), I need to be active on my rest days. Today’s run, Day 5, was to be a 2 mile long run. I was hurting. I was still sore and tight. I think if I was active on my rest days, I wouldn’t have been.

I intended to get up at 6am this morning,  and hit the path around Stinky Lake. Stinky Lake path, according to Google Maps is about 3.7 miles. I made it out of the house at about 7:45am. The morning was beautiful. Still humid and cloudy, but cool with a strong breeze. I was reminded of overcast mornings on the beach…except I could feel the heat that was coming later in the day. Which you don’t feel at the beach.

I hadn’t run since Wednesday, and it felt like it. I struggled. I ran maybe 1/4 of the way around the path, total. I’m a bit disappointed, but I know I will do better the next time out. I finished the entire path, which is a positive and I keep trying to remember that.

Tomorrow is scheduled to be another ‘Rest’ day. But I’ve made plans with a friend to meet up at 5:30am (on Sunday! I am insane!) and run/walk. Gotta get it done before it gets blast-oven hot.

And now I’m off to fart around with the family!

And on the Third Day she rested from all the work she had made.

I’m worn out and very sore. My left calf muscle is so tight it feels like every time I step, it’s going to twist itself into a charlie horse. My quads hate me. I really think they’d strangle me if they could detach from my thighs and find their way to my neck. Needless to say I will be stretching often today. A massage may not be out of the question either. Don’t know about y’all, but when I’m sore I like strangers to rub the sore right out of my muscles.

On a positive note, I’ve slept like a rock the last two nights. Probably from sheer exhaustion.

Today was actually easy. Ok, not easy. But easier than yesterday. I’m hoping Friday’s run will be even easier still. If the trend continues, who knows…I might actually enjoy this whole running thing.

I ran with a co-worker and friend  who’s also running the Nike Women’s Marathon. She’s running on her own and not as part of Team In Training…because she’s disciplined like that. She’s done other races and looks super cute in her running skirt.  Anyway, we got to exchanging pointless emails at work one day and came up with a schedule that fits both of our crazy lives…and poof! Now I have a running buddy for my mid-week runs. Yay! In the land of Farrahzona, she will now be known as Running Buddy. As Supreme Dictator, I say it is so.

The plan with Running Buddy is to run twice a week after work. On treadmills mostly. I’d like to throw a track practice with my TNT marathon coach in to the mix too. It’s still early in my training yet though, so we shall see.

We ran on treadmills today, which may explain why it was easier. The training schedule had today’s run at 20 minutes of running or walking or both. I warmed up for five minutes, and ran for as long as I could. Then I walked for a minute or two and ran as long as I could again and kept that up for an additional 20 minutes. I’m hoping on these 20 minute runs I will get to the point where I’m running 20 solid minutes. I have to if I want to finish the marathon before the roads open back up and they start letting cars back on the streets.

My feet still had the needly tingle like they were falling asleep. Not as bad as yesterday, but still bad enough to be very uncomfortable. That can stop at any time. Seriously. It’s annoying.

Day Three is a rest day. I know I can do that kind of training very well.