Day 1

So this is my first time blogging, and we'll see how it goes! Hopefully I will stick with it. I have been a casual fitness runner for quite some time, but earlier this year I became interested in races as well. Of course that's misleading, because I have never 'raced' but rather just 'finished' but hopefully that will change this year! A friend and I did the Crescent City Classic here in New Orleans in March, and both of us were really turned on by it. The CCC is a 10k, and the two of us did that race as well as a couple of 5ks before signing up for Disney's Women Run the World 15k in early May. I enjoyed (if you can truly enjoy exercise!) training for these, and planned to continue but then summer hit. I do not have a gym membership....and I wouldn't advise running outside in Louisiana in the summer unless you have a deathwish! So unfortunately I have had the last three months off. I have half-heartedly gone out a couple of times, but have not been motivated.....Until Now!

So the same friend and I have decided to do the Mardi Gras Marathon here in New Orleans on February 1, 2009. This terrifies me, but by signing up now I will be locked in and forced to follow through. Since this will involve much more intense training than I have previously done, I thought a training blog would be a good way to track my training progress and race results leading up to the marathon. Hopefully seeing it in black and white will keep me motivated and on schedule. I have also decided to enter several races leading up to the marathon, which should also keep me on course.

My first one was Saturday, a virtual run through my neighborhood for World Run Day. It was interesting...you register online and then run where you live. You pick the distance and time yourself. Not truly a race obviously, but still, by registering I felt locked in and went out for 3 miles even though I was completely soaked by the torrential downpours. I did it in 30:27, which is several minutes slow for me for that distance, but given I have only run twice since 5/9/08 I figure I can't complain too much! Today I will do the same route...hopefully a little faster?