Crazy But Why Not???

On March 7^th, 2012; I signed up for my first marathon.  Honestly, I had no intentions of signing up for a full marathon, my plan was to do a 10k or maybe the half (BIG MAYBE) but that morning when I got to work I realized the registration (Circled on my calendar for months now) was only for the full marathon.  I had few hours to make a quick and hard decision. It was extremely important to me to do the Marine Corps race this year because I had signed up for the 10K last year and in August found out I was pregnant and running went out of the window.  I guess I could have trained and still did the 10k but I was a rookie in her first pregnancy and the last thing I wanted to do was take unnecessary risks. So signing up this year would be my way of making up for last years. 

I did quick thinking, doubts started running through my mind. Is it possible? Can I actually train for 26.1 miles in eight months?  I liked the idea of training and what I even liked more was the knowledge that with all the running I will be losing (hopefully) the unwanted weight from my pregnancy.  My daughter is nine months and I still have 10 pounds to lose before I can go back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  I was excited but also nervous and scared.  I wondered if I would actually have time to train.  I work full time and I have a new baby plus all the other everyday things I have to deal with– is it possible to dream this big? 

I have always loved running and in my younger days I wanted to run a marathon but the most I have done was 10 miles and to go from 10 miles to 26.1 is a huge jump.  I emailed my friends to get their opinion and I also called my husband to discuss as this would impact him as much as me and my daughter.  He was very supportive and told me to go for it.   Wish everything else would be that simple!!!

As I analyzed the decision in my head, the most emotional aspect of it was the time that I would be away from my daughter.  I printed a schedule off the web (Jeff Galloway) and noticed that training is actually three days.  Two week day runs which are not longer than 45 minutes and I can take my daughter with me (I am extremely lucky to have received the Bob jogging stroller from my friends Awo and Tina as a shower gift) and one long run on Saturday’s.  At the beginning it would be okay to do the long runs while she is taking her first nap (9am to 11am) but as the long runs get longer I would be missing more of the time she is awake.   Since I am a working mother and do not see much of her on the weekdays, the idea of missing even two hours of the weekend’s sounds unfair to me.   I focused on the positives; my daughter being introduced to active life style from early age, my husband and my daughter getting some alone time without me interfering or taking over and  remembering it is the quality of time rather than the quantity that is important made it easier to deal with my decision.  I think at end my daughter will be happier knowing her mother was happier and healthier. So, I convinced my friend Lily (also her first full marathon) to sign up with me and decision was out of my hands.  

Afterwards, I wonder what I got myself into.  Was I crazy? Is it possible to actually do it? What if I could not? So here begins my journey to the marathon and I will see what happens at the end.  My goal is to finish but if I can do it under 5 hours then I would be even happier.