It’s been nice and all, these past couple weeks of simultaneously watching “Project Runway” marathons and watching my ass get softer. But now I’m ready to get off the couch and tackle a new challenge. And that’s I why I’m signing up for my very first running race: a half marathon.
OMG, y’all.
I’m a moderately active person. I ride my bike. I walk my dog. I’ve hiked all over the world. But running? No. I have asthma and shin splints and an intense fear of tiny shorts.
But I also have this bizarre desire to invite the things that scare me most into my life.
So, taking a tip from Tim Gunn, I decided to make it work.
I completely changed my running technique so I no longer get shin splints. I managed my asthma with ridiculously expensive inhalers. And … I haven’t been swayed to the tiny shorts side yet.
I still don’t know if I can complete 13.1 miles — like, ever — but it’s worth a try. I can’t reach the finish line if I never start.
Right now I’m conditioning and using a slow but steady training program, but I’m also really enjoying the parts of running that have nothing to do with running whatsoever. Like making running playlists for my iPod. Or checking out running shoes on Zappos.com. Or going to online forums and chatting about running with other people who aren’t running.
My overall goal is to become Gabrielle Reece.
I already know how to play volleyball, so it shouldn’t be hard.
And while I wait for the Gabrielle Reece thing to happen, I’ll be busy messing around with this cool tool, which I found yesterday. It’s a site full of readymade running playlists and songs with pace times. (I like that it has a karaoke section. You know, for those times you just gotta run AND sing.) I’m too embarrassed to reveal what’s on my running mix now, but it might be of the Enrique Iglesias-featuring-Pitbull variety.
Have any of you completed a race before? What was the hardest part of your training? Am I completely insane?