Month: July 2011

Marathon Training – Week 4 … Getting It Together!

R. Wallen, R.N.Leave a comment

It’s Week 4 of CIM training, and I planned to make up for last week in a BIG way let me tell you! It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt, right? I know that will be me if I don’t get serious about my training. I don’t have much time to waste, and I have to make good use of the time that I do have. Some days I wish that I could afford a Coach to tell me exactly what to do. Other days, I know I’m okay without one. Every day, though, my friends hold me accountable. Thank God for my friends.

It wasn’t the week that I wanted, although I did try to get it together. I almost feel as if I am bipolar with my training, but more down/low days than good days. To recap my week 4 …

Sunday: It was a great run with my running buddy, Cory. We started off at 7 and ran our scheduled 6 miles. The morning was nice and cool – kinda cold for me, actually, and I ran with a hoodie on the entire time. I know, huh? It’s been in the hundreds temperature wise, and I’m running with a hoodie? What the heck? We had a really nice run along the levee, down to Target, short walk thru Spanos Park to regroup, then we picked it back up all the way back to Cory’s house. We were able to negative split our last half because we were running pretty fast. It was nice! Total mileage was about 7 miles.

Monday: Turned up the heat today. I went to my favorite place to workout … Central Valley Krav Maga, and I hit it up for a double – back to back- a$$ whopping! Dang! What was I thinking? I worked out with the resistance bands around my ankles for two classes – lots of leg work today. Intervals interspersed with squats, lunges, kicks, knee raises, mountain climbers, jacks, “fast feet,” push ups, then core. I felt it in my glutes and hammies the next day, but it was a very good hurt. I love working out there! =) All day I tried to talk myself out of it, and it *almost* worked, but in the end, I did what I always do … I got dressed to go workout, got in my car and drove there, and by the time I got there I was good to go. I left it all on the floor!

Tuesday: Hit InShape for Rodger’s infamous Spin Class! Love that class! I’m thankful to have “free” gym membership there thru work. 20 miles on the spin bike, then 3 mile interval run! Yeah, baby. Brick Tuesday!

Wednesday: Sucked it up and ran 4 miles … in the heat! Ugh.

Thursday: Rest day. After working all night it was a little difficult to get myself going.

Friday: Thought about going to cardio, then thought against it. You see, I’m running the San Francisco Half Marathon on Sunday and I need rest. I haven’t been feeling well, nor have I been getting enough rest. So the decision to skip out was an easy one.

Saturday: Hit San Francisco with my girls, Mac and Melissa. We’re all running the First Half of the San Francisco Marathon. It should be fun! We walked throughout SF for a total of 3 miles. Lots of hills and even a little resistance work.

Sunday starts a new week, so you’ll have to read about SF in another blog. But we’ll see. I have A LOT to say about that because I realized a lot of things during that run. Not just little things either … HUGE realizations.

My training was not as amped up as I would have liked it to be, but I next week not only starts a new training week, it’s a week that I’m starting over kind of. It’s hard to explain, just that in my training my program is 18 weeks long. Starting in July added another 4 weeks. That means next week marks the “official” marathon training. So much to do, so much to say. I’m not starting my marathon training next week. Right now, that’s all that you need to know.

So … so long week 4. It was a good effort … just not the week that I wanted. Time start over … again …

Marathon Training – Week 3 … Kinda …

R. Wallen, R.N.1 Comment

Well, I knew it was going to happen.  I knew that when I went on vacation that it would not go exactly as laid out on paper.  What did Robert Burns say again?  “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray?”  I had it all laid out, ready to go, but life had other plans.  I heartily believe that it was the Universe calling me out, challenging me … Basically saying, “You know, Row., you have this great plan set out, let’s see if you’re gonna stick to it.”  ‘Cause you know that’s usually what happens to me anyway, when I set out to do something.  Yep … the Universe likes to challenge me … over and over … again and again … I set myself up …

I spent my week in BEAUTIFUL South Lake Tahoe with my family.  My week consisted of two birthdays … Milestone birthdays at that.  My son, Samuel, turned 21, and my hubby, Chris, turned 40.  Yep.  So … in typical Wallen fashion, we hit the impromptu vacation – just picking up and taking off whenever we can get a couple days off together.  So … here’s the breakdown of my week …

Monday:  I had a little soreness from my half marathon on Saturday night.  Just a little not a lot.  I hit up my favorite Chiropractor, Dr. Brian Crawford, and had him adjust me from head to toe, feet, ankles, and sinuses.  I had my H-wave treatment done on my feet, and I laid on the traction table for awhile.  Aaaaaahhhhh!  I love manual adjustments of my head, neck, back … I love the feeling and sound of all my spinal cord clicking into place.  I’m a little sadistic, I know, but that’s me.  Afterwards, a 2 mile walk done once in Lake Tahoe to explore our surroundings.

Ski Run Drive in S. Lake Tahoe. Loved this place!

Tuesday: 3 mile run done.  Kind of an interval workout, interspersed with lots of hills.  Was a nice run.  Beautiful weather, great surroundings, nice place to train.  Then another 2 mile walk.

Wednesday:  More walking.  This time about 3 miles.  So much fun here in Tahoe.  I love it here.  In the evening it was time to do a little resistance training, so biceps, triceps, shoulders, and core … DONE.  Today was also my son’s 21st birthday!  Yippee!  Can’t believe that he’s already so “old.”  Wow!

Thursday:  4 miles – walking.  I know, I know … I’m supposed to be running, but it’s time on my feet, right?  At least I wasn’t sedentary.  So proud of my daughter who walked 1.5 miles and only complained a few times.  Did a core workout also.

Friday:  Cardio.  I love cardio!  My cardio is high intensity and includes lots of resistance along with interval training.  I got smart and prepared an ice cold towel to cool me off which was a good idea.  Made it a little more bearable, and I got a good solid hour in!  Intervals, squats, lots of leg work, and core.

Saturday:  I did absolutely nothing …  I had every intention to go to cardio or to yoga and I slept instead.  Yep.  I made it a recovery day … from my vacation.  It was also my husband’s 40th birthday!!!

So there you have it.  My week at a glance.  All in all, even though it was a very “easy” week, it’s okay because I know that not all weeks will be this easy.  I also didn’t make the *best* food choices, not all bad, but not all good either.  Hey, I’m human, okay?  And I like my share of cake and ice cream … it’s not my fault that two birthdays fell within 3 days of each other.  And I don’t go on vacation all the time either so weeks like this will be few and far between!

Tomorrow starts another week.  Hope everyone has a great one.  School starts for my kiddos this week so life will once again start to have some sort of routine.  My sleeping patterns are still somewhat crazy, but at least I’m sleeping.

Happy training everyone.  Make good choices, and just get out there and do it.  That’s the hardest part … getting out there.  But what I have found is that if you just show up and start, it gets a little easier.  Just give yourself 20 minutes … if after 20 minutes you want to stop, then at least you will have gotten a little something done, but chances are you will be ready to finish once you start.

Seeing Double

R. Wallen, R.N.Leave a comment

The good, or bad thing about working in a fairly small county is the ability to work in several area hospitals, getting to know various clientele, and them getting to know you.

Well, sometimes it’s more of a bad thing for some unlucky patients. Let me recount the saga of a gentleman who tried to play me for a Dumb Nurse! BAD move!

Let’s call my patient, *Jon Dough. Now Jonny Boy looks like any “normal” citizen walking around our community. I got to know him very well at Hospital #1 as I had triaged him many times and had been called to deal with him several times as the Charge Nurse. His story was always the *same: “I work at Loss Prevention at Such-n-Such Company and I hurt my hand while I was apprehending this guy and I broke it in three places. It just ain’t healing right and I’m in a lot of pain!”

He wanted his customary shot of narcotics and his prescription for narcotic medications. Sure, no problem, Mr. Dough, I just ask that you provide me with the whites of your ride home eyes and I will gladly carry out whatever the doctor orders for you.

The first time he provided me with a bogus ride in which he asked some “pretty” girl in the lobby and asked her to pose as his ride home. We didn’t doubt him until another patient who heard our interaction pointed out that he flat out lied to us ’cause the pretty girl was still there in the lobby.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Wasn’t gonna happen again, not to me anyway. Nope. I was ready for my next encounter with Mr. Dough. He came back a couple weeks later just as predicted, same sob story, same story for a ride home. Yep. So I said that I would happily escort them both out to their car after all was said and done. She got in his car, drove around the block and got out. I was ready. I smiled as she saw me while she got out of his car. I was on the phone immediately to our Local Police Department with the make, model, and license plate of his car reporting him for driving under the influence. You know, because I can do that. He was flagged in our hospital and every nurse and doctor knew his story.

Enter me at Hospital #2. It’s my very first day and I’m being oriented. I look at my patient assignment list and whose name did I see? My FAVORITE patient was my first patient! I got report from the off-going nurse and wouldn’t you know, same sob story, blah, blah, blah. I laughed and told her that I was very familiar with him. I was sooooo looking forward to this!

I walk into his room with a huge smile on my face. I didn’t have a chance to say a word to him, he looked up, saw me, and all I heard was screaming, “Oh my effing gawd, you work HERE, too?!?”

Yeah, I work here, too. Let me just say that that was several years ago, and I have never seen him again!

Just goes to show you that it’s a small world, and an even smaller community. In my profession, we all pretty much know each other as we have either gone to school with each other, worked with one another, or have worked at several of the area’s hospitals. And chances are we know most of the hospital shoppers … You know who you are …

*Names and complaints have been changed to protect the idiotic!

– Posted using BlogPress from my RowPhone =]

Marathon Training – Week 2 (Really? Only Week 2?)

R. Wallen, R.N.Leave a comment

So … Here we are in week 2.  So far so good … How many weeks left?  22?  Crud … Just kidding.  Just kidding …  I have nothing to complain about.  I got up and got the work that needed to be done … DONE!

Sunday – I wanted to start my week off on Sunday.  I tried.  I called Cory, but she headed off to beautiful Southern Cali.  Who could blame her?  I’d go to.  So … Instead I just hung around the house and took care of things that needed to be taken care of there.

Monday – Not a bad day.  I got my cross-training in with a kick a$$ workout at AMAA.  Dang … I got my a$$ whopped by Meana  … err .. I mean Nina!  I love Nina!  She really worked my entire body, and I left there dripping with sweat!  I got home, and I headed out for the three mile run that I owed my schedule.  I had a really great run surprisingly.  My calves still ached from my Stadium run last Thursday, but all in all it was a good run.  I know it was just a short run today, but I dedicated it to my friend Rosie’s son, Jesse,  because I had gone to his funeral earlier that day, and spent a few minutes with Rosie.   I thought of him and prayed for Rosie and him during my short run.  RIP, Jesse.

This is the overpass that Judy & I run in Lathrop.

Tuesday – I was going to run the Stadium again with Joe and Becky, however, since I’m running a half on Saturday, and I was still kinda aching from the last time I ran the Stadium … I opted for something that was just a run.  I had asked Joe if he wanted to go, but hadn’t heard, so I called Judy and she’s always willing to run our crazy hill workout with me.  So off we went at 0630 in the morning.  It was a nice and cool morning!  However, for some reason I was “off” and Judy could tell.  She said that my workouts are usually near vomit so for me to be so “blah,” was weird.  She didn’t care though.  We were still out there and we got a good 6 mile run in out there in our small “hill” run … the Lathrop Overpass.  We all have our days, I guess.  It didn’t help that I stayed up until 0300 or so … Nope.  I know better.  That was just stupid!

Wednesday – Kinda took it easy.  I hopped on the spin bike in the morning and got a great ride in.  One hour, easy – just to keep the legs loose and moving.  18 miles, then a three mile run.  Nice brick workout.  Yep … that’s how I roll.  I’m a Brick House … I’m Mighty Mighty … Okay … I’m Mini but MIGHTY.  Never underestimate the power of a very small woman, okay!  LOL.  I know … I’m crazy!

Thursday – Rest day.  I’ve learned that it’s getting harder and harder for me to workout after I work all night.  (I work the night shift, in case you were wondering.)  I wonder how other runners who work night shift do it?  I need to ask this question on Twitter.

Friday – Another rest day.  Yeah, well, rest is training also, so deal with it.

Mac, Me, Judy, & Cory Pre Race!

Saturday – Here we go … Davis Moo-nlight *Almost* Half Marathon.  OMG!  This race was something else!  For one, it started at 7 p.m. which is fine, except it was still 80 degrees and sunny out.  Row doesn’t fare well in heat.  And … And … AND it was one mile short, therefore, I have dubbed it the *almost* half marathon.  It’s all good though.  I had a great time with Cory and Judy, and Cory’s hubby, Sam.  I got to see my girl Mac, and also Mellie Mel (or Big Burt, as Grace calls her).  I remember from February’s Davis Half Marathon that I HATED Davis’ crazy tunnels!  Yeah, well, I *still* hate them.  Not sure if I’ll run that one again, or if I’ll ever run in Davis again.

So … That’s Week 2 in a nutshell.  What I’ve learned is that I don’t fare well with little sleep … Um … DUH, Row.!  Where have I been?  Seriously, it’s just harder for me to recover when I work a full weekend – 12 hour night shifts x 3 days … I know that rest is an important aspect of training.

I pulled out my new Saucony Triumph 8s to start training in them this week.  They’re my work horse shoes … and I have found that they are NOT very nice to my ankles.  I ran the half in them and could hardly walk afterwards!  I was walking with a lot of pain to my left ankle, and my gait was severely off.  No plantar fascitis pain to my feet, thankfully!  I spent 1.5 hours with the H-wave on my ankles and feet, then wore my compression stockings to help recover.  I wonder if you can O.D. on too much electrical stimulation?  Oh well, let me tell you, it worked like a charm!  No pain.   I’m not sure what to do about my shoes though.  I may just train in my Triumph 8s and run in my Kinvaras.  I need to figure it out retro STAT!

Next week, I need to see my favorite Chiropractor on Monday and get adjusted.  I plan to focus on core get some resistance training in there along with all the cardio that I’ve been doing.  May be a *little* bit of a challenge since I’m on VACATION!!!  We’ve got 2 birthdays to celebrate:  my son’s 21st birthday, and my hubby’s initiation into a new decade!  LOL!  Happy *almost* Birthdays to my guys!

I know that my exterior is “hard,” but really there’s a real live, caring person underneath.  I’m just not one to let my guard down and show much emotion.  I’m always asked what I think about when I run?  Honestly, it’s my church.  I think a lot, and I spend a lot of time reflecting and in prayer.  I talk to God a lot.  Not just asking Him to help me get through this run or that run either.  Although a lot of is is wondering about all that,  I had more pressing matters at hand.  This was a week filled with emotions, and I had a slightly heavy heart as I prayed for my friend.  You see, I DO believe in God, and I know that there’s always a reason, but sometimes … sometimes the reasons are difficult to accept.

Have a great week, everyone!  Remember that life is good.  Hug your loved ones a little tighter, and remind them that you love them because you just don’t know.  I’m thankful to my hubby who puts up with my insanity and OCD, and to my kiddos who hold my heart in their hands.  And I’m thankful to my friends who run with me and accept me as I am.  =)

Marathon Training – Week 1 – Done!!!

R. Wallen, R.N.Leave a comment

It’s been a rough week for me, add on the start of my marathon training and it kind of compounded it … but … but … but … I was able to chuck most of the excuses and get the required work DONE!!!

I like the schedule that I devised because it offers me a lot of leeway. I’m basically following Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 Training Plan, but I added my own Row. Flair into it. You know what that means … It means prepare to suffer, Sucka!

So … Week One went down like this …

Cory & Row. Day 1. DONE!

Sunday – My buddy, Cory, wanted to start our training off right. So … she suggested that we run early in the morning … at 0630 on Sunday. What?!? She wants to kill me even before we “really” get started. Seriously? 0630? She had things to do earlier that day, and here in Stockton it gets HOT earlier and earlier. So … okay. I get up and meet her at 0630. As much as I wanted to sleep in, as much as I am so NOT a morning person … I wake up and meet Cory at 0630 and off we go. 5 nice, easy miles … DONE! We did a nice out and back in her neighborhood of Spanos Park – down Whistler, up on the levee, and back up Whistler … Perfect.

Monday– The schedule calls for 3 miles. I’ve got the FireCracker 4 Miler planned that Fleet Feet puts on every year.

Mama & Grace! Fireworks! Boom!

Perfect. So I drag my family out to Grupe Park and I get my daughter, Grace, to run the kids run. She has a blast! Me, I take off for the 4 miler shortly after. Whoa, it was HOT and it was only 0800! It slowed my time down, but it was about time on my feet, so I took it for what it was, and was happy with my performance.

Tuesday – Was supposed to run 3 to get the beginning of the week done, instead I did core and skipped the run. I know, I sound as if I’m making excuses, but I was tired.

Wednesday – I have a lot of cross training mixed in my plan. Today would be no exception. I went to Krav Maga. I love Krav Maga. I’ve been doing it since 2001 … I’ve been a member of Chris Ost American Martial Arts/Central Valley Krav Maga since then. I’ve taught Cardio Kickboxing, and I have a Black Belt in Krav Maga. This workout is like no other. Seriously, it’s the BEST cross-training workout EVER and I love it there!

60 up ... 60 down!

Thursday – Joe Rodhe and Becky plan to run the Stadium Stairs. But then they don’t, then they do … so we plan on 0630. Another early day, but I’ll do it because Joe and Becky have graciously agreed to help me, to push me, to encourage me. Ugh, but 0630? Really?! Really! I find an opening in the fence and crawl through, and it’s on … 60 up, 60 down. 60 up, 60 down! Joe started earlier than me, so while he waited for me, he does lunges as I die at the top. I refuse to give up, I finish all of them! 1.9 miles of stairs, and a little bit of a slow run to cool down to make it a little over 2 miles. I get home in time to plan and make dinner, have breakfast, then head off to Spinning with Rodger at InShape. 21 miles on the spin bike! Yee Haw!! Check! Check! Check! =)

Friday – Rest Day. Should’ve ran my long run here, but my partner bailed (it’s okay, Cor), so I opted to rest and run in the morning …

Saturday – Long run … 8 miles on the schedule. I worked a long 12 hour night shift, and I was tired, but I got it done with a one mile walking cool down to my car. I busted it out and did what I needed to do. DONE!

There you have it. My week in a nutshell! Big thanks go out to my running partner, Cory, and to my two a$$ kickers err … motivators, Joe and Becky. They are kind enough to keep me on track and kick my butt when need be!

This week, my good friend, Rosa, lost her young son, Jesse, in a tragic motor vehicle accident. If I thought that my week was rough, my Rosie has had a much rougher week. I could not imagine her pain and suffering, I can only believe it to be an unbearable kind of pain. Rosa has been my friend for a long time. She has been my Muddy Buddy partner for 2 years now, has done Krav Maga with me, and she has trained with me on numerous occasions. I love my Rosie, and I pray for her and her family that God will be with her and ease her pain. My “rough” week pales in comparison, I will not complain. I will run without complaint, and hug my children a little tighter than usual. Thank you, God, for blessing me with Rosie’s friendship. I pray for the health and safety for my children, for all children, please watch over them as I know that I know that I cannot bubble wrap them, just please keep them safe as I love them so. Thank you, Lord. And, Rosie, if you’re reading this, know that I love you dearly … always have … always will.

Today starts another week, but we’ll start tomorrow. I’ve got another wild week planned out. I’m ready for Week 2 … are you?

An Ostrich In Disguise

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I can't see you ... You can't see me ...

I’m not great when it comes to confrontation.  Hell, I’m not even remotely good at it.  I am one of “those” individuals who, like and ostrich, prefers to bury my head in the sand all the while thinking that, “if I can’t see it, then it can’t see me.”

I know.  I know.  I can’t do this.  I can’t live like this.  Truth be told, I don’t … I eventually come around and confront what ever it is that I need to face and deal with, it just takes me a minute or two to gather my bearings and muster up the courage that I need.  I know that pretending that something isn’t really there doesn’t make it so … I know that it’s there and that if I don’t deal with whatever it is head on that it can, and will rear it’s ugly head and deal with me – forcing me into action.

You would think that I, ER Nurse Extrordinaire, mixed martial artist, black belt, and mother of four, could not possibly be one of “those” people.  Row.?  An ostrich?  A freakin’ scardey cat?  No freakin’ way!  Way … but like I said … only to an extent.

I’m human, okay?  I want to live in a “perfect” world.  I want things to go smoothly and don’t want anyone to suffer.  I don’t like being told bad news, or having to confront issues.   I don’t like the feeling that I get when my body is thrown into the “Fight or Flight” mode.   I function well once over the initial shock and trauma, it just takes me a second, or two.  That flood of adrenaline needs to cycle its way out of my system; my heart needs to stop racing so I can take a deep breath and I’m okay.  But sometimes … sometimes I’m not okay.  Sometimes … I don’t function well at all.

FEAR:  False Evidence Appearing Real.

I fear the unknown, even though I am intelligent enough to know that fear is nothing but a state of mind.  I have a tendency to make things out to be bigger than they really are.  I understand that fear can be paralyzing, causing one to stand still.  Although I do stand still for that split second, it’s, like I said, to gather my bearings and courage, and to take a much needed deep breath so that I can cautiously move forward to deal with the fear/issue/problem that I need to deal with.  Fear stands still, and can be paralyzing.  Caution moves forward, albeit slowly, but you move forward to deal with whatever it is that you, need face.  Fear keeps your head buried in the sand.  Caution allows you to face your fear and start taking action to fix whatever needs to be fixed, or to get over it.  Take action, yes, but this is not the same as reacting.  That knee jerk reaction is not the way to deal with all issues – that sometimes exacerbates the problem.  However, over-analyzing is not the answer either.  I’m an over-analyzer, and I am known to have paralysis from over-analysis.  My husband says that I think too much.  I know that I do, but I can’t help it, always expecting the worst, or making things out to be worse than what they are even before I know what I’m facing.  I let my thoughts get the best of me sometimes … what can I say.

I’m not always like this.  When I really need to take action immediately, I can do it.  It’s the other stuff … the crazy, mundane stuff that I let fester and grow in my head – only getting bigger by the thoughts that I feed it.  And I know that things could be much worse, that there are people out there dealing with bigger, far worse things.

So … I will feel the fear … I will feel it some more … then I will start to move … I will do what I need to do.  I promise to not stand still for too long.  I promise to look fear in the eye and take care of what needs to be done.  But you promise me … you promise me … that if you see me falter … that if you see me stand still for a little too long … that you will stand beside me, grab my hand and help me face that fear and not let me go it alone.  Promise me that you will grab me by the hair if you see me attempting to bury my head in the sand.  Just let me know that I am not alone; that I don’t have to do it by myself, and I, in turn, will do the same for you …

Kinda looks like me, right?

Here We Go Again … Marathon Training Starts NOW …

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This Is MY Strong from Saucony by Row. I LOVE THIS!!!

It’s hard to believe – kind of – that marathon training started again for me today.  I still can’t believe that I was dumb enough to sign up to run another marathon, especially when openly stated at the last one I ran that, “I am NEVER running one of these effing things ever again!!!”  Okay, never mind that I said that 2 times before also.  But seriously, what the heck was I thinking?  I wasn’t thinking.  When I signed up for CIM (the California International Marathon), I remember that I got kind of to the end of the registration and I thought it would ask me, “Are you sure?  Are you really sure?”  It didn’t.  The next page just said, “Congratulations, you are registered!”  Wait!  Whaaaaat?  Dang.  I’m not one of those girls who’ll let their hard earned dollars go down the drain so … There’s NO backing out now.

This is a *small* pile of my running reading ...

Five months.  I’m giving myself FIVE  L O N G months to get my legs, my body, my mind into top condition to get this done.  I’m taking my time.  It’s going to be a little bit different this year.  This year I’m training without a coach.  Last year was the only year that I trained with a coach.  My training in previous years were haphazard as I had absolutely NO clue what I was doing, and I thought that just running would be enough.  This year, I know a little bit.  I read a few books, looked up a few plans, then grabbed my calendars and I put together a crazy little plan of attack for me.  Then I set some goals, and decided I’m going for it.  I’m going to do the best that I can, and along the way I am going to illicit the help of several people – although they don’t quite know it yet.

My feet getting H-Wave Therapy! Can you hear them sighing relief?

This year I’m gonna make sure my body is taken care of.  That means seeing my favorite Chiropractor, Dr. Brian Crawford, every month or more if needed.  I’ve also lined up a masseuse – kind of.  I bought a whole bunch of  Groupons to various massage therapists, and I have a few thatMy Sauconys! My feet LOVE these shoes! were given to me as gifts.  I’m going to make sure that my feet are WELL taken care of – that means H-Wave therapy, foot massages, A.R.T., orthotics, ice, training in the “right” shoes which for me are Saucony Triumphs and Saucony Kinvaras, and getting physical therapy.  I’m going to eat right 75 – 80% of the time.  I know that I can’t be 100% and I’m not going to lie.  I love my occasional pastry – this is part of taking care of my body, right?  NOT everyday, just enough to satisfy the cravings when I have them.  I’m going to cross train – with my favorite Krav Maga, spinning with Rodger,  resistance train – with P90X, or at the gym.  I’m gonna work my core until it’s just about shredded!!!  I got my Twitter posse – so many to name, and my Local Girls – Mac, Mel, Cory, and Judy – who are all running CIM with me – to hold me accountable.  And I’m going to read, write, talk running to whoever will listen …

Am I ready?  I’m ready to start training.  As far as the marathon goes … I’ve got time.  But we all know that time just flies when we’re having so much FUN!!!  I’m going to do this.  You know me … Once decided, I will find a way, any way, to get it DONE!

Cory and I - Day 1. 5 miles. DONE!

Anyone care to join me on this crazy adventure?  I can assure you that it will be a wild and fun-filled ride … Com’mon … Who wants to put in some serious mileage?  Let’s goooooo … !!!