Let the Races Begin!

***Originally posted on cregarstyle on May 29, 2014***

On the night of my bachelorette party, surrounded by some of my closest girlfriends we made a pact.  A pact that I am sure will not hold up considering the state we were in when we made it, but that isn't relevant to the story.  We promised to train for and run the Disney Princess Half Marathon together next February.  Now this is a huge race in Disney World, but it was especially exciting because I live in Texas and my bridesmaids (and other wonderful girlfriends) are scattered across the country.  They live in Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington DC.  Obviously the training we are going to have to do apart, but the idea of meeting up again next February and running 13.1 miles together dressed outrageously like our favorite Disney Princesses sounded so wonderful.

Unfortunately, follow through isn't just a problem of mine, but seems to be a problem for my best girls as well.  Not to worry, I don't love them any less.  Plus, if you make a pact and you're not in your right mind I don't think it holds any validity.  However, I told my husband of the plan to run the half and he was all on board for me to do it, with or without my girls.  I love and hate this about him.  He is the most wonderfully supportive man, but if I had been looking for a way out of running, I wasn't going to find it with him.

With all the craziness that led up to the wedding, I didn't run a single step.  However, in the post-honeymoon world I had nothing to hide behind and had to start training.  Aaron suggested that I start running some shorter races that lead up to the big on in February.  He's just as smart as he is cute :)  A friend of ours and I planned to run a 5K on Fort Hood in the first weekend in May.  Well time went by, I didn't train, and consequently didn't register.  It got to the point that we didn't have the ability to pre-register anymore and just had to show up on race day.

So without training one single step I registered and "ran" a 5K on the first Saturday of May.  Apparently, my thought that it would be all flat was wrong.  My husband had forgotten to tell me that there were some significant hills on the course.  Oh joy!  I had some pretty sore legs (and in fact my whole body ached) but I did it!  I walked a good portion of it but walking is better than sitting on the couch not doing anything at all.  I completed the run in 41:20 which is better than I felt like I was doing but not great.  I couldn't walk normally until Wednesday.  Somehow I thought that it would be a great choice to run a second 5K the following Saturday and once again didn't train between the races....to be fair running was out of the question since I couldn't even walk until Wednesday.

The next Saturday came and I laced up the running shoes for what I thought would be a flat 5K.  Apparently, I think everything is flat until I actually get to the course.  It was a long 3.1 miles of shin splints, sore calves, sweat pouring off of me, and dehydration.  But once again I did it.  It was slower than my first 5K but I walked/stopped since my legs were so unhappy with me.  I am convinced that I actually ran faster but since it wasn't all running, I came in at 43:05.  Another one down.

Please excuse how unflattering the photo is, but I was just happy to have the whole family out at the race.

Since that second 5K I decided it would probably be in my best interest to start training since I clearly was not gifted with the natural running gene.  I started attempting to run 6 miles each week.  Some days I run a half mile, other days I run a mile plus, but just getting 6 total miles each week is good motivation.  After a couple weeks of training (still very painful and out of shape) I registered for the Race for the Cure in Dallas for June 14.  I am so excited to run that race since I have always been a big supporter of Race for the Cure and what girl doesn't like things that are pink?  I got my race packet in the mail this week and I am beyond excited to do this 5K.  I really am going to amp up the training in the next two weeks to see if I can get a new Personal Record (PR) in Dallas.  Wish me luck!