Day 1-Run 1: The Mental Banana...

So now that I'm done with all things school related for the next month, I found myself sitting around for the majority of the morning in my pajamas playing games on Facebook.  I leveled with myself: You deserve this, feel free to let your brain turn to mush while your butt grows into the chair.  Alas, as my Team in Training kick off event is this Thursday (dare I say: Yay!), and training begins Saturday with what I expect will be a 3 mile run, it occured to me that I should probably get dressed and hit the treadmill.

To motivate myself I busted out a favorite book of mine (written by a woman who I swear is actually me, as we have the same voice and sense of humor): The Non-Runner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get off your butt and on with your Training by Dawn Dais.  I highly recommend it for anyone, regardless of whether you've recently been possessed to run 26.2 miles or not, for its sheer hilarity. 
Anyway, after having my pre-run snack and reading a few chapters of the book, I felt motivated enough to lace on my shoes (I think they actually sighed) and get going.  My goal was to try a new split thingy.  For those of you who don't speak run, a split is when you run for so long at one pace and then either walk or speed up or fly or whatever...then back to the regular run.  Well one of the really perky people at my Team in Training sign up meeting (hint: they're all perky and swear that running marathons is addicting...I swore right back at them that I'm convinced I can stop any time I want) whose name I believe is Louise told me she runs 4 minutes then walks 1 minute because, and I quote: "I can do anything for 4 minutes".  Okay, that sounds good, I thought.  My b.f. Hailey called it a good mental banana (you know b/c who wants a carrot?).  To back up, there was this new running theory that came out oh about 6 years ago, that long distance runners who did this run/walk split thing actually did a lot better (I mean of course normal marathon runners....oxymoron?...not like the Kenyans).  6 years ago when I was young and in shape I scoffed at this idea.  Currently, I'm feeling that the "I'm older and fatter" method of walk/run sounds pretty tempting.  Well, turns out that while I can do anything for 4 minutes, I think I'd rather switch things around.  How about if I run 1 minute and walk 4???  I'm thinking that would be the equivalent of a mental candy bar.

Anyway, I managed the mile at 15 mins.  Not bad, considering the older, fatter thing...I tried not to think about how in 2003 I ran 2 miles in 14:07... *looks wistfully away*

Okay, more updates to come.  Tomorrow I'm hitting the greenbelt with an insane running buddy of mine...perhaps if I drown due to flooding I can get out of this?

Cheers,
-Bre

P.S.  Don't forget people, I'm doing this b/c I need your money.  Only YOU can cure cancer...er...and prevent forest fires.  I'm chaffing b/c I'm counting on your fundage so stop being so cheap!  ;)
http://pages.teamintraining.org/oswim/trees11/bcrosbymar