ScoJo15
There will be days when I don't know if I can run
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2005
I know that most of you just post your entries directly on the boards, but I have set up a blog to keep track of my quest to get healthier and complete the Disney Half Marathon....did I mention that I'm not a runner?
So here is the link:
Running Down a Dream
Come see why this couch potato has decided to do the unthinkable and actually complete a half marathon!
Let me know if this is not the norm and I could post all of my entries on this thread if needed...it's just easier to upload to a blog.
thanks!
UPDATE: Here is the entry from my blog....
Hello and welcome to Running Down A Dream, my online journal chronicaling my quest to do something that less than 1% of the population has ever done......run a marathon.
Why do such a crazy thing? A lot of factors figured in the decision, but here are the two main ones:
1. The desire to get in shape and live a more healthier lifestyle
I am currently heavier than I have ever been in my life. I weigh 220 pounds. For a 6' tall non-buff frame, that is somewhere around 40 pounds too heavy depending on what chart or publication you read. I'm not obsessed with hitting a certain weight though, I'm more concerned with just looking better. I'd rather look in the mirror and be satisfied, or notice that my clothes are fitting better than worry if I am 190 or 195 pounds. I feel that if I start exercising regularly and begin watching what I eat, the pounds should start coming off. I will do weekly weigh ins anyway just to monitor the results of my newfound habits.
2. The desire to make a change, do something different and accomplish a goal
Call it a mini mid-life crisis, but I've reached the point in my life where I feel the need to accomplish something. I need a purpose. I need something to work toward every day that will not only satisfy this desire, but also help me complete my first goal of being healthier. It will also allow me to show my daughter how to set your mind on achieving something and how to work towards and hopefully accomplish what you had originally set out to do.
Ok, all of that is fine, but why a marathon? What about a 5K, or a bike race? Goal setting is one thing, but did you really have to go after the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest? You've never ran a mile in your life!
Well, one of the sites that I browse daily is DISboards a Disney Community forum. I was reading some posts regarding the Walt Disney World marathon that had recently concluded and realized that most of the people posting about running the race were not "marathoners", but ordinary average people just like me. So I began wondering....If these people can do it, why can't I? I read a lot more on those boards about the race itself and how people trained for it. It was there that I found the excellent recommendation of a book called Marathoning for Mortals. I decided to go to the bookstore and see what it was all about.
Talk about hitting the jackpot. This book is exactly what I needed to convince me to take on such a task. Without doing a full on review, it is a guide that breaks down how a "mortal" human being can complete a marathon both physically and emotionally. It is a quick read and really got me pumped up about seeing this dream to realization. But I know that I can't just go from 34 year old couch potato to long distance marathoner in 20 weeks. I'd need to take some baby steps first.
So the first goal I have set is to complete the Walt Disney World Half Marathon on January 7, 2007. That would give me nearly one year to train. I realize that running the entire distance is an impossibility given my lifetime avoidance of anything more than a brisk walk. I've decided to utilize the walk/run method outlined in the book. It basically means that you walk for a certain peroid of time and then run for a certain peroid. For example, a 3/1 ratio would mean that you briskly walk for 3 minutes followed by a 1 minute run, then back to the 3 minute walk, etc. The kicker is that you have to maintain a 15 minute per mile pace, or you get "swept" from the course. I figure I can modify my ratios to beat that pace fairly easily. During some 4 mile walks (no running at all) that I went on in January, I was already under the 15 minute pace. Another nice thing about this half marathon is that the course is pretty much flat, perfect for beginning runners.
Naturally, you have to hit some smaller milestones to achieve any goal. I figured since the Half Marathon is just over 13 miles, why not attempt a 10k this summer (over 6 miles)? So my first "milestone" goal is to enter and finish the Peachtree Road Race here in Atlanta on July 4th. If I'm successful, I may look at attempting to run/walk the Disney Half as opposed to walk/run. I'll see how I feel in July and figure out which program I want to use for training.
My second "milestone" goal is to compete in a 5k or 2 along the way. I'll start looking for these races once I am at least one month into my training and can make a respectable showing.
Once I've crossed the finish line in the WDW Half, I plan to take a couple weeks off and then assess the possibilities of completing a full marathon.
So there you have it. It's a pretty crazy thing to do, but in the end I believe that I will not only be a more fit and healthier person but will also accomplish something that I never thought I'd be able to do.
So what will be in this journal? Anything from my thoughts about making it to the start line to how much I weigh on a certain date....from what obstacles get in my way to how I overcome them.....from how long I've done certain exercises to what I ate for dinner before doing them. I hope it will be an all encompassing look at a couch potatoes transformation into a healthier human being. Maybe I can even inspire you to lead a healthier lifestyle, or set out on your own journey to achieve something that you never thought you could.
I welcome all comments and would love to cross-connect with other journals with people who may be doing the same type of thing. Strength in numbers. The more motivation the better!
Thanks for listening and watch for daily updates while I start my program.
Take Care.
So here is the link:
Running Down a Dream
Come see why this couch potato has decided to do the unthinkable and actually complete a half marathon!
Let me know if this is not the norm and I could post all of my entries on this thread if needed...it's just easier to upload to a blog.
thanks!
UPDATE: Here is the entry from my blog....
Hello and welcome to Running Down A Dream, my online journal chronicaling my quest to do something that less than 1% of the population has ever done......run a marathon.
Why do such a crazy thing? A lot of factors figured in the decision, but here are the two main ones:
1. The desire to get in shape and live a more healthier lifestyle
I am currently heavier than I have ever been in my life. I weigh 220 pounds. For a 6' tall non-buff frame, that is somewhere around 40 pounds too heavy depending on what chart or publication you read. I'm not obsessed with hitting a certain weight though, I'm more concerned with just looking better. I'd rather look in the mirror and be satisfied, or notice that my clothes are fitting better than worry if I am 190 or 195 pounds. I feel that if I start exercising regularly and begin watching what I eat, the pounds should start coming off. I will do weekly weigh ins anyway just to monitor the results of my newfound habits.
2. The desire to make a change, do something different and accomplish a goal
Call it a mini mid-life crisis, but I've reached the point in my life where I feel the need to accomplish something. I need a purpose. I need something to work toward every day that will not only satisfy this desire, but also help me complete my first goal of being healthier. It will also allow me to show my daughter how to set your mind on achieving something and how to work towards and hopefully accomplish what you had originally set out to do.
Ok, all of that is fine, but why a marathon? What about a 5K, or a bike race? Goal setting is one thing, but did you really have to go after the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest? You've never ran a mile in your life!
Well, one of the sites that I browse daily is DISboards a Disney Community forum. I was reading some posts regarding the Walt Disney World marathon that had recently concluded and realized that most of the people posting about running the race were not "marathoners", but ordinary average people just like me. So I began wondering....If these people can do it, why can't I? I read a lot more on those boards about the race itself and how people trained for it. It was there that I found the excellent recommendation of a book called Marathoning for Mortals. I decided to go to the bookstore and see what it was all about.
Talk about hitting the jackpot. This book is exactly what I needed to convince me to take on such a task. Without doing a full on review, it is a guide that breaks down how a "mortal" human being can complete a marathon both physically and emotionally. It is a quick read and really got me pumped up about seeing this dream to realization. But I know that I can't just go from 34 year old couch potato to long distance marathoner in 20 weeks. I'd need to take some baby steps first.
So the first goal I have set is to complete the Walt Disney World Half Marathon on January 7, 2007. That would give me nearly one year to train. I realize that running the entire distance is an impossibility given my lifetime avoidance of anything more than a brisk walk. I've decided to utilize the walk/run method outlined in the book. It basically means that you walk for a certain peroid of time and then run for a certain peroid. For example, a 3/1 ratio would mean that you briskly walk for 3 minutes followed by a 1 minute run, then back to the 3 minute walk, etc. The kicker is that you have to maintain a 15 minute per mile pace, or you get "swept" from the course. I figure I can modify my ratios to beat that pace fairly easily. During some 4 mile walks (no running at all) that I went on in January, I was already under the 15 minute pace. Another nice thing about this half marathon is that the course is pretty much flat, perfect for beginning runners.
Naturally, you have to hit some smaller milestones to achieve any goal. I figured since the Half Marathon is just over 13 miles, why not attempt a 10k this summer (over 6 miles)? So my first "milestone" goal is to enter and finish the Peachtree Road Race here in Atlanta on July 4th. If I'm successful, I may look at attempting to run/walk the Disney Half as opposed to walk/run. I'll see how I feel in July and figure out which program I want to use for training.
My second "milestone" goal is to compete in a 5k or 2 along the way. I'll start looking for these races once I am at least one month into my training and can make a respectable showing.
Once I've crossed the finish line in the WDW Half, I plan to take a couple weeks off and then assess the possibilities of completing a full marathon.
So there you have it. It's a pretty crazy thing to do, but in the end I believe that I will not only be a more fit and healthier person but will also accomplish something that I never thought I'd be able to do.
So what will be in this journal? Anything from my thoughts about making it to the start line to how much I weigh on a certain date....from what obstacles get in my way to how I overcome them.....from how long I've done certain exercises to what I ate for dinner before doing them. I hope it will be an all encompassing look at a couch potatoes transformation into a healthier human being. Maybe I can even inspire you to lead a healthier lifestyle, or set out on your own journey to achieve something that you never thought you could.
I welcome all comments and would love to cross-connect with other journals with people who may be doing the same type of thing. Strength in numbers. The more motivation the better!
Thanks for listening and watch for daily updates while I start my program.
Take Care.