Marathon Training - Week 1

I really had no plans to ever run a marathon. It's 26.2 miles! That is crazy.

I have a friend that I run a few miles with on Saturday mornings. One days this
August, we saw the New York City Half Marathon was happening right next to
where we run. There were so many people of all shapes, sizes, fitness levels,
etc. running this thing, and it got us thinking. We were both looking for a goal,
something to run for. We decided that next year we will run a half marathon.
If these people can do it, so can we.

Flash forward a few months...

My friend Liz from work tells me that she is thinking about running a marathon
with Team In Training. She told me all about the group, and said that I could
attend the first training session and decide if I want to join. Liz said that she is
not really a runner, but the Team In Training people seem very confident that
anyone can do a marathon. You just have to be willing to put in the time to train,
and follow the training plan.

I convinced my weekend running buddy Elizabeth to join Liz and I at 8:30 on
Saturday morning in Prospect Park, Brooklyn for the first Team In Training session. It was COLD, only about 30 degrees. It was then that I began thinking, "What have I gotten myself into..."

I'm not really used to running in the cold weather, and I didn't really have the
right clothes on. Cotton shirt = Bad Idea. The cotton doesn't keep you dry at
all. You actually get pretty warm when you run, even in 30 degree weather,
and start sweating. The cotton shirt stays wet, and then you get cold again.

The training group was a lot of fun, and I decided to sign up for the New Jersey
Marathon! At this point, I still can't imagine running anything over 6-7 miles,
but I've got some time to get ready. The race is on May 4th. So, for Cinco de
Mayo, we are planning a big burrito-eating, margarita-drinking, we-just-finished-a-marathon celebration!

Liz (from work) is planning on doing the New Jersey Marathon also, and
Elizabeth is going to do the New Jersey Half Marathon. We have 5 months to
get ready!