February is almost over, and I couldn't be more excited.

Sorry February, it's nothing personal.  It's just that despite the fact you are the shortest month, it's almost always the month I dread.  Here in Northern Indiana we can expect February to be filled with unexpected weather (oh wait, I think that's every month).  But it's still cold here.  We're past Thanksgiving, beyond Christmas, and completely surpassed the need for further snow in case you'd like my opinion.  I apologize February, maybe it's not you, maybe it's Northern Indiana.  Because I can only imagine February in, oh let's say, Mexico right now isn't so bad...

Well, needless to say, I'm ready to move forward February.  I'm ready to be done with you.  But, I have to laugh, because today and even this week gave me hope for March and reminded me that Spring will be returning expediently.  As much as I love Christmas break, it completely ruins the start of my new year.  It's nearly impossible for me to recover from the two weeks of lack of teaching, the sleeping in, the bountiful eating of sugar, fat, sodium, and caffeine...

I know it didn't help that we also recently moved.  Trying to pack everything up so you can be ready to move, that means you have to go out to eat because you can't use your dishes. Or you don't want to wash your dishes again.  Or eating out just sounded better then what you had left to eat in your cupboards.  Somehow, by an obvious mistake, I found a can of mushrooms, noodles and chicken.  Ick, mushrooms, how did that fungus make it in to my kitchen? Nope, Applebees sounds better.

Wow, these events certainly throw out any kind of routine.  And winter, yes, winter is the worst time for this to happen. I'd rather hibernate and take hot baths.  I hit my snooze 5 - 6 times before I actually get up. Yes, I do sleep in 9 minute intervals.  So that tells you how great my last hour of sleep really is come wintertime.

Anyway, back to today, I finally feel like I've been able to get back into a consistent workout regiment.  I'm running three times a week, I'm lifting the other 3 days a week.  Today was symbolic for me though, it was the first day I didn't leave school dog tired.  I wasn't sitting in the car trying to convince myself I was doing something good for me. Okay, well maybe a little bit of that happens everytime, but I felt at least coherent enough (because of sleep deprivation) to go run.

As I ran today, I can say I actually appreciated it.  Maybe it was my body saying thank you.  Thank you for eating better today.  Thank you for getting 8 hours of sleep. Yes, all 2 minutes and 3 seconds of my runs, felt great.  There was a point I forgot I was running!

Anyway, all this excitement I experienced today is because my body knows.  It knows February is almost over.  It knows Spring is waking up from it's long Winter nap.  It knows Winter must end despite what Puxatony Phil thinks he understands about weather patterns.  And I couldn't be more grateful. So February, I'm sorry your stay was short, but I am not.  I can't say I'll miss you, not even a bit.  Like I said though, it's nothing personal...

All things are difficult, before they become easy.... right?

Another day.  I have to laugh at myself.  Last time I posted, I don't want to say I bragged, but I was feeling good about my running.  I was feeling accomplished, almost as if I had found the proverbial moving target of running bliss.  Well, today, I write you with shins that hurts, and thighs that feel like jelly.  No need to visualize, just giving you the current state I find myself in.

I have to admit though, while it was formidable (okay that's a little harsh) to run today and yesterday, it wasn't quite impossible.  Running for 1:51 at a 9 minute pace is not easy for me.  But it is easier then when I first started.  Today, while running I was counting down my  time and realized I had 30 seconds left and... got excited... I was thinking "Fantastic! Only 30 seconds left!"  A few weeks ago, adding an extra six seconds only seemed arduous.

I think half the battle of running, perhaps more than half, is just a mental contention. I'm constantly trying to lose myself in my running.  I'm trying to lose my thoughts into some other part of my life.  But there comes a point when the pounding of my feet, the perspiration on my brow and the heavy breathing bring me to a staunchly back to reality.  It's at that point I realize I can't fool my body anymore and I have to find a way to preserve.  I have to find a way to go on, I have to make my body stride for that next step.  Times like these usually happen  in the last seconds of my runs.  It's when my countdown is less then 30 seconds and I have to bear down and finish well.  My goal is not to cheat out of my time.  I have to endure.  It's at these times I have to remember before anything is ever easy, it once was difficult.

Better late then never..

The original plan was to start writing this blog as soon as I started training for this 1/2 marathon. That was a month ago. Oops. Time slipped. Well, better late then never. So today, February 13th puts me in between my 6th and 7th week of training. Luckily for me, this "mini" isn't until September. Some people wouldn't need nearly the 8 months to train for a "short" 13.1 miles. Others like me, a self proclaimed non-runner, needs all the time I can get. My training schedule was one that I created up until May, where I'll be following a schedule set up by an expert. But in May I have to run 30 minutes straight. No stopping.

While I am a non-runner, {by that meaning, I look so incredibly unnatural, poor form, and really haven't figured out how to breathe and run successfully at the same time} I do love to work out. I love getting on the elliptical, playing sports, and even lifting weights. I like the idea of taking care of my body. Sidenote: however, I don't always eat with that idea in mind. Running just seems unnatural for me, not something that comes easily for me. I guess that's why I said I'd do a 1/2 marathon. I know it's not something I can do without training or preparing - I'm not one of those people. I'm not a natural or gifted athlete. However, what I don't have naturally sometimes I can make up through perservance and discipline. I said sometimes, only because I have to admit, going to run my measly 30 minute walk run combination sounds worse then hearing fingernails on a chalkboard.

But it's in those times, I have to remember my success. As little as my success can be measured, over the past month, I've improved. And that's invigorating. I started running for 1 minute and walking for 4. In total running for a 1/2 hour. Well, every week after that, I've been increasing 10%. So, running, 1:06, 1:13, 1:21, 1:30, and 1:40. Only 6 short weeks ago, I was running 1 minute. Wow, I remember that week too, that minute was a grueling eternity.

I can't say that running a 1:40 is easy, but is better then week 1. I am a bit of a daydreamer {ha, I think that's how I cope with physical pain} so while I'm running, I continue to imagine what its going to feel like in 6 1/2 months when I cross that finish line. Talk about invigorating, that gets me going! I think maybe for the first time I really understand what Paul says, " ¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" {Hebrews 12:1 - 2}. Living our lives for Christ isn't about sprints, or occasional decisions to work out. It is a race. A marathon {that for some of us will span several decades}. In order to run this grueling race, we must be prepared, we must train, we know we will have moments of weakness. But we must preserve. There is something in us all that desires to finish well.