100% Everything

It's official. I am registered to run in the 2010 Bank of American Chicago Marathon.

Registration is the easy part. You type in your name, your information, your credit card numbers and wa-la you are registered. And yet, for me it is 100% the scariest part. When you hit the send button, there is no taking it back. You can't call the people and say, "I didn't really mean to fill all of that out, Can I have my money back?".

The 100% commitment begins instantly. Click, and you have an email in your in-box that is your receipt and official registration. I am not a good commitment person. When I ran the Knoxville Marathon I didn't register until the month of the race. I was 100% sure I was going to fail during my training and not be able to run it. So, why spend the money?!!

I don't know what is going to happen in the next 250 days. I have 100% faith that this is where I wanna go. I don't doubt I want to run in Chicago. I have 100% passion for the beautiful city, it's museums, it's architecture, and it's culture. My blood pumps a little faster every time I imagine the sound of my feet hitting on the Chicago pavement.

I am 100% excited that I will be running with my friend Sarah. She was the one who challenged me to begin running. She was the one that inspired me when I started my training for Knoxville. This time we will run, side by side, or until she decides to kicks my butt and run ahead. When she runs ahead I know she will be cheering me through the finish. (or vise-versa). If we cross that finish line separate or together, it will be 100% AWESOME!!!

I am 100% sure I won't be the fastest runner there. But this is about beating me, not the best runners in the world. I want to take an hour off my time from Knoxville. I know it is a huge goal but a girl can dream, pursue and run her heart out. You never know......the woman that won New York was 37, there is hope for me yet.

I may not have the best athletic coaches surrounding me during training but I am 100% supported. I have an amazing husband, who is willing to sacrifice his time and money to support my dreams. He will tolerate my diet, my aches, my excitement and my disappointments. And everyday, He will remind me of my dream. I have daughters that look up to me and cheer me on and remind me I need to run. I do this as much for them, I want them to be not only dreamers but pursuers of their passions. I have friends who will push and love in just the right doses. With my family/friends, their encouragement, this is 100% possible.

Above all else, I have 100% strength. Not because of my physical health but because when I can no longer push and I can no longer move, my God will be pick me up in my weakness, dust me off and be glorified.

I am 100% confident that I have no idea what the next 8 months of training will be like, what my life will bring me, what the weather will be like. I am 100% ready.

Inject Your Soul With Liberty

I hope everyone had a great holiday. It was busy for us and mellow at the same time. We slacked a little on our Marathon training. We did about half of what we should have. But now it is a new year and time for a little focus.

I was terrified to see what I had done to myself during New Years (We had a big Seafood Feast at our house) so I didn't weigh in last week. I thought the discouragement would be a bad start to the new year. I did however work my butt off and got back in the routine of regular work outs.

I got on the scale today and WootWoot!! I am down 4lbs. Yeah!! Can you see me doing a happy dance? I got on the WiiFit tonight and it gave me a little triumphant trumpet sound because I have crossed the line from Overweight to Normal. Yep, there is something that calls me Normal. Although it can't truly judge my character it can make me pretty happy in knowing that I am at a normal weight for my age and height.

A huge kudos for Ted. He has been working really hard. He is down to 237, which is awesome. He has lost 30 lbs and has bought 3 new pairs of jeans. He is a total Hottie!!

The training is going well. A lot of time is being spent on the dreadmill because of rain and cold. Ted and I have 2 upcoming races that are part of our training. Next Sat (the 24th, I think) we are going to run a 10 mile race. Then, on Valentines Day, we are going to attempt a 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles).

Sorry that I took a hiatus from the playlist and blogging. It was the holidays after all. But, don't fret, I am back on our regular routine and am more than happy to share my favorite songs with you.

This week is a great one for running on the Dreadmill and a favorite from my younger angry chick days.....The Cranberries: Salvation

Hank Williams Got It Right

I had two really bad weeks in a row. At least that is how I felt. I was slow and mad because I had to workout on the Dreadmill. I would love to always have a positive post for our training but it is so easy to get discouraged. Holiday eating is not helping either, makes me feel ick because I just eat too much of it. Last week, every workout was comparable to a dentist appoint. I even talked myself out of working out twice in the morning. Eventually I did them in the afternoons because I knew I needed to.

Ted says that it is important to keep things fun and try not to make our running feel like work. He has a point. It felt like work last week. I knew I needed to do it and it was hard to find the motivation. In my mind I can't imagine that every time I go out and run that it is suppose to be a good time. I mean, this is six months of training. Oh, and I want to run a marathon. Ted is content with the benefits of what is happening today. He would be thrilled to make it to marathon day and actually run it. Me, I want to run it. I want to run the whole thing. Somedays, that is so completely overwhelming that it knocks the wind out of me.

This Monday, I got on the scale as I do every Monday. Expecting to see a weight gain or breaking even I was pleasantly surprised with a 2.2lb loss. WooHoo!! Not expected, at all. This weight thing drives me nuts. One week I kick butt all over my work outs and gain a lb. The next week, I feel like I have had a root canal and I loose two. I know it is a process of time and metabolism, etc...but really?! So, I am now down 11 lbs. And, that got a little more motivation for this week.

I was able to run outside on Monday because it wasn't raining and it was actually over 40 degrees. Yeah! I pushed myself a little too much and ended up with my knee bugging me all day. So, I iced, compressed and took Tuesday off. Back on the horse on Wed and I felt great. Great workout today too.

My playlist pick this week is for the old school rocker in me and christian music lover (okay, I know I have multiple personality issues) but it is a new song (Aug 2008 release) and new to my playlist and great for picking up my pace on the Dreadmill.

Decemberadio: Gasoline

Eat Too Much, Drink Too Much

Dec 8th was the beginning of our Week 11 in training. Ted started with all good news and a 4lb weight loss....seriously....Me on the other hand put on another .4 lbs....my competitive spirit finds it extremely annoying that he is loosing weight so easy and yet I am very proud of him for all of his hard work and the truth is, easy isn't a very good word to describe all of the determination and commitment that he is putting into this.

So, the week was a pretty uneventful one. Most of the running was done on the Dreadmill due to really cold and wet weather. Still, not my favorite way to go running so I have added in alternating the elliptical machine because it isn't as hard on my knee and I find more joy in it. Oh, yeah, my knee has started bugging me a little bit. I don't think it is anything serious but it feels tight. I haven't been spending my usual time doing yoga and stretching and I think it is having an effect on it. I will get back to yoga this week and see if it helps out.

We are having trouble making time for our long runs on the weekends. The commitment is there but we are having trouble finding time. We now need about 2 hours for the run. Madi is currently playing basketball and has a game every Sat until the end of January. To top it off, we need a sitter. Someone to come and play with the girls while we run. So far, we can't find anyone. It is also the holidays and there are lots of to-do's.....I am in need of a little refocus and solution finding.

As you can tell from my tone, I have been feeling discouraged. There are just times when the goal is just far enough away that all of the obstacles become distracting and make it hard to see where we are headed. I know where I want to be and I know hurdles are a part of the process. So, on to a new week.

My song pick for this week is Dave Matthews Band: Too Much (disclaimer: the video is the live version and the language isn't censored.)

All Right Now

Week 10 was not a particularly great week for training. I put on a pound over the the Thanksgiving holiday. Not bad but not great. I had a really good run on Monday and then....

....the crud got me and I was down for the rest of last week. It was hard to convince myself that I needed to rest and get better before going out and running in the cold. Dang, it sucked though. I get tripped up so easy and missing 4 days of running is not a good thing.....

Trying to look forward and keep moving....

This is my playlist choice of the week, mostly because sick days come and go and it is going to be alright.

Free: All Right Now

You Can Ponder Perpetual Motion

This is for the week of Nov 24th. I apologize for being so far behind. It is hard to keep up on the blog when we have company. I promise if you every come to visit that I will also use you as an excuse to procrastinate my posts.....

So, we were truly blessed to have Grandma Joanne come and stay with us for Thanksgiving. I feel a little bad for some of the time we spent running while she was here. I know she understands. But, truly, I don't think I see the amount of time we are spending on our commitment to the marathon training. I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Grandma for being so understanding and for watching the girls for our Thanksgiving Day run.

We had a good training week and of coarse the high of the race was a great motivator for the rest of the weeks training.

No playlist would be complete without a little Creedence, so my addition this week is:
Up Around the Bend by Creedence Clearwater Revival




oh, check out the side bar. I am trying a new widget that is the list of the entire playlist in one place....

8k equals 5 miles

We did it. We ran our very first race. Bluecross Autumnfest 8k in Knoxville. Well, we weren't racing really. Ted and I used the run as part of our marathon training. Part of training is also learning what to do with all those jittery nerves that show up during race day with other runners around us.


Instead of getting up at 5:30 am to put a turkey in the oven on Thanksgiving morning we got up to go running. We had to get up so early so we could "fuel" up and have it digested before the race. On the menu: 1 Banana, 2 pieces of wheat toast, 3 tablespoons of peanut butter and water. Lots and Lots of water.

It was about 30 degrees out when we got to the venue. Brrr. We went to the registration and picked up our chips (it is this little thing you put on your shoe that does the timing). We met these two really nice ladies that are both from the West Coast while we were patiently waiting. Whenever we saw them we would throw the W sign and yell West Coast, hehehe (runners are funny people).

The race started at 8:30am....it was so cool. Everyone crowded together. I think there were almost 900 runners. Have I mentioned that this is also the first time Ted and I had run a continuous 5 miles. Oh, yeah.... We did it in 54:56. Placing 751st and 752nd. Our pace was 11:02 a mile. Perfect. We were able to talk to each other through the whole five miles and really enjoyed the entire experience.

It was really amazing and I wasn't nearly as nervous about the whole thing as I thought I would be. I felt really prepared. There is also something to say about Ted's calming effect on me. Having him there, running next to me, makes this an even more wonderful experience.

Resolution of Happiness

130 days and counting....that is how long we have until the starting line of our 26.2 mile run.

7 days and counting...that is how long we have until the starting line of our very first race. An 8k on Thanksgiving Day. Yesterday, we filled out the registration and paid the entrance fee for our first official run. I am a little freaked. Not so much about running the 5 miles but about getting to the starting line. The worst part of my personality is that I am not a very good starter; I am okay once I get there but the anxiety of getting to the beginning almost requires self-medicating.

Last weeks training was okay. Not my favorite, mostly because Wed through Sat were on all machines and not outdoors. I much prefer the change in scenery, even if it does require the occasional dodging of vehicles that don't expect a woman to be out running at 5:30 in the morning. I still managed to total 22 miles last week. Woo Hoo!!

This week has started out well. I had a great Monday and did 4 miles in 40 minutes. I was booking it. I don't know where the spurt of energy came from. It has been cold, I think I just wanted it to be over as quickly as possible. Today I did another 4 but it took 50 minutes. Seriously, it took me almost 20 to do the first mile, but then I kept good pace. It was 22 degrees when I ran this morning at 4:45am (Ted had to go to work earlier today). Maybe that was the problem, that is too early and too freaking cold.....

So, this Saturday we start running our long runs with the local running club. I am excited and nervous. Hoping there are more beginners than just Ted and I. But they teach us how to refuel and have other clinics and there are about 100 runners that we will be able to learn from.

This weeks song I like for the fact that it is a classic and like most of my other choices has some great guitar that keeps me moving at 5am. While I realize my choices are not the usual hip-hoppy aerobic/cardio expectations of an athletes playlist, I will not apologize for enjoying good music.

INXS: Don't Change

Send You Back To Arkansas

Week 7, yep we are seven weeks into our crazy adventure. 4 months and 17 days until the big race....

Things are good and moving along. Ted and I did our first 5 mile on Saturday and it went really well. We ran over to the high school and did a few of our miles on the track. Wow, running a track is completely different. First, it is flat and that is nice. Second, it is easy to keep track of distance and that is nice. Third, it feels like it never ends and that sucks. Fourth, you aren't going anywhere and that sucks. So, it is an okay way to do a part of our Saturday run but I don't really care for it. I would rather struggle up a hill than go in circles.

For week 6 the total mileage was 21, that includes 4 on the elliptical machine. This week should run about the same but more running than walking. I am hoping to run a consistent 3 miles on Thursday morning. We will see, those hills are going to have my foot prints pound into them by the time this training is over....(hopefully).

My weigh in on Monday was not great, I gained two pounds. It is my own fault, I entered a pie eating contest on Saturday and ate half an apple pie to myself (pictures to come soon). Robin ate the other half and we totally kicked everyone's butt so it was completely worth it ;~D

Alright, this weeks playlist song is just a classic. I like it because my runs are getting longer and it makes me wanna move and keep moving. The video is lame but it was the only one with the same song version I have on my Ipod...

Ray Charles: What'd I Say

Gimme Strength for Round 5

Week 6: It is now the end of week six, I am a little off this week on my posts.

Last week was a wonderful accomplishment. I upped my run/walks to 4 miles and I did a complete 2 mile run, hills and all. I felt great and worked hard and it paid off. When I got on the scale on Monday I was down 4.4 lbs. That puts me just over 10lbs lighter than 6 weeks ago.

It has been a mellow week for me. One that required a little more push. We had a great weekend with very little sleep. It hit me like a ton of bricks when I went for my run on Tuesday. Sleep is still a major issue for me. I keep telling myself how important 8 hours is and still I don't get to bed before 11pm. I have made up for my lazy runs with a little extra cardio and strength training at home. I had a great workout yesterday and today.

Tomorrow we (Ted and I) are going to attempt our first 5 miles (that is a walk/run combo). I'm excited. If we both feel good about it we may sign up to run an 8k on Thanksgiving Day. Now that would certainly take away from the guilt of eating mashed potatoes and turkey while watching football for 4 days straight.......

This weeks song to add to the playlist is a goodie and seems appropriate for election week. Especially since my candidate lost on Tuesday. The video is also a piece of cheezy goodness....

John Mellencamp: Authority Song

Breathing Life

It is officially week 5.

Ted and I both stayed even on the weigh-in this week. Not bad. Considering the extra days off and the extra calories over the weekend. I did my measurements this week. I have lost over 8 inches. I dunno if I did the math right because I only measured one thigh, calf, forearm and bicep. I have lost 3.5 on my waist, but still haven't changed pant size, I don't know what that is all about.

I would call this weeks training triumphant. Tuesday I was able to add an extra mile to my run/walk and still kept my time at 12min miles. Today, Thursday, was a big day for me. I only did 2 miles but I ran the entire way. Up this crazy hill that has been mocking me on a daily basis. Today, that hill had nothing on me. I pushed through and made it up both times.

I actually started crying when I got to the end of the two miles. All week it has been on my mind to run two miles straight and conquer those hills. Ted told me I should be proud of myself if I could make it around one mile. These are pretty intense hills and I know he was trying to make sure I didn't disappoint myself. So, the alarm went off at 4:42am, I lay there for a few minutes talking myself into getting up. Hit the alarm when it goes off the second time, right then our dog walks in to check on us. I crawl out of bed, pee, brush my teeth (yes, I brush my teeth before I go), get dressed, stretch, grab my water, grab my keys and ipod. Yikes, it was freaking cold (28 degrees). I walked the first 5 minutes to warm up, which wasn't working. Then I just started running and kept running and the first hill came and I kept going. It was so strange, on the downhills I could actually feel my heart rate going down and my breathing ease up. Then up the next hill, down the next. Before I knew it, I had done it twice, 10 min miles.

I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have been truly proud of myself. Particularly for something that was up to only me. When I tagged the back of our minivan, I broke into tears. I did it. Me. I ran that @#$% hill. Today, I am a conqueror because I believed I could do it....

To add to the playlist, it is a great song by one of my favorite groups, Skillet. (disclaimer: the video is a little graphic; clips from the movie "We Were Soldiers")

Skillet: Comatose

Keep Me Warm At Night

We are now officially 4 weeks in to our training. WooHoo!!


Last Sat we had a great run/walk together while we were camping. Even Ted was enjoying himself while he was singing the Rocky's theme up one of the hills. I don't know if I have mentioned this yet but this training has brought a new little spark into our marriage. Sometimes life gets busy and complicated and too many things get in the way of having a relationship with each other. Now, on Saturday mornings we are getting to spend time together, work hard together, motivate each other and laugh together.

One of the many life lessons coming from our training is finding balance. Balancing acts are a part of life with work, family, church and school. Learning to balance and find the right placement for all of life's priorities is hard to do. Right now, I feel like we are hitting a good groove. Finding time and energy to take care of our bodies and our relationships. Something always seems to get sacrificed in the process of finding balance. I suppose that is what will make it all worth it, the reminder of the cost to succeed. We are giving up bad habits for good ones. (Even if I have to give up seeing the last season of ER so that I can go to bed by 9:30)

Ted and I both had a great week on the scale. Ted is officially down 8 lbs and I am down 6. Hopefully by the time Spring Break gets here neither of us will be complaining about bathing suit season. We have a pretty good routine down now with my morning runs and his runs when he gets home from work. We both put in around 15 miles each for the weeks training. Fall officially hit this week and it was freaking cold in the mornings, I need to get use to that. On Monday, Ted was still snoozing when I got back so I curled right in next to him, I don't think he appreciated that very much. We should be thankful that we don't have to train in Wisconsin.

I had my first training day on a treadmill because of rain. It was awful. I have used treadmills before, but seriously, I have never run on one. My whole body was rejecting the idea that performing that feat on a treadmill was necessary. I will have to do it again I am sure, hopefully each time it will seem a little less hateful. On Sat I was able to do our run on a nature trail and it was wonderful. I loved the soft ground, the trees and the crisp air. Maybe each time I have to do the treadmill I will reward myself with a nature run, just a thought.

Okay, so the playlist song this week is another oldie but goody. I can't decide if my playlist ages me or not. Oh well, it is keeping me on my feet and pushing forward one step at a time.

The Romantics: What I Like About You

I'll Come Runnin'

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp, or are you going to be strong today?'" --Peter Maher,

I have never really considered myself a strong person. Physically; I am pretty strong, for a girl. Mentally; I am my own worst enemy. In record breaking time I could give myself a thousand reasons why running a marathon is a ridiculous notion. While I am reading some of the wonderful books that are preparing me for the run, I can feel the pressure push in on my chest. I can barely breathe when I think about running the entire 26.2 miles.

Four of my five training days I set the alarm clock for an insane hour, giving myself a few extra minutes to hit the snooze button at least once. In my 9 minute wait until I have to get out of bed, I try with all of my might to overcome the voices in my head. Can I do this? Will I make it? Deep down in me I have to know that I am worth this. It is not the hard work that is the problem, its convincing myself that I, Angie, can be and will be a marathon runner.

I have an amazing accountability partner, Sarah. She is the one that got this crazy idea in my head to begin with. We check in with each other every Monday with our progress and weigh-ins. I was fairly discouraged at the beginning of this week. I had one bad run last week where my legs were bricks and I had cut it short. My weigh-in went the wrong way on the scale, which just sucks. Sarah reminded me, today, of the hard work I am putting in. Thank you, Sarah. Thank you for lifting me up in my time of self doubt and weakness. I only hope I can be the same encouragement when you need me.

I needed the change in perspective. I needed to stop the overwhelming pressure of the forest and just focus on the trees. I need to focus one day at a time. I forgot that I had run 14 miles last week. Me, Angie, I ran 14 miles. GO ME!!

Today I was strong, tomorrow the alarm will go off and I will again decide to be strong.

A special song for all of the friends that keep me moving.

Carole King: You've Got A Friend

While The Mandolins Are Playing

This last weeks training went well. It feels a bit like a drag. I'm not sure why, I am just unmotivated. I got on the scale this Monday only to see a weight gain. Yuck!! Now, I am not in the marathon training to loose a bunch of weight but I was hoping that it would be a positive side-effect.

I walk/ran 14 miles last week. One mile shorter than the training. Thursday morning I felt like someone had tied bricks to my legs so I called it short. I felt better after doing an hour of yoga and stretching everything out.

The Sat and Sunday training with Ted is still going well. He runs faster than I do, I walk faster than he does. I know that our timing will get more off as we both get stronger. We will start doing our long Sat runs with the local running club so we can run with others at our own pace. It should add a fun new element to the training. Also give us a good gage of what we should be doing.

I am still really struggling to get 8 hours of sleep a night. I usually get around 6, on a good night. Luckily the workouts exhaust me, so that helps. I have tried setting a bed time but only have myself to really hold me accountable. Ted reminds me come to bed but doesn't drag me when I need the extra motivation. Maybe we can work something out in that area.

My song this week is a fun one. I couldn't find the exact version I have on the Ipod but this is close. Enjoy :)

Michael Bublè - It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera)

The Road has me hypnotized

Three weeks and still moving. Training is good. I am still moving and not injured. Yeah!!



This week we started actually running as part of the training. Monday morning the first few steps were rough. They aren't kidding about running being a mental sport. It is easy to think you can't do it. Then, you take the first steps, a few more, a little faster. You can hear the sound of your feet hitting the pavement, hypnotized by the road under your feet. Before you know it, its left and right and your not falling on your face and your heart isn't pounding outside of your chest. I don't know if it is endorphins or the voice in my head believing in possibilities but today I feel like I can keep moving.

On my myspace I have been posting my fav songs on the playlist for the week. Sometimes a good song can get you moving up those hills.

Week 1 was: Destroyer by the Kinks (click here to see video)

Week 2 went to: from the Reservoir Dogs soundtrack, Hooked on a feeling by Blue Swede

Drum roll please.....this weeks winner is Radar Love by Golden Earring

Don't forget, I am always looking for good suggestions to keep me moving. I have six months of training. Oh, and maybe something that has been produced in the last 20 years. I have been going seriously old school....

Ted's Alpha Blog

We'll here it is… my first official Blog Post. Even though I can honestly say I've never aspired to be a "blogger", here it is none the less. Then again, I'm probably giving myself too much credit. I suppose those of you who are seasoned veterans might say one post doesn't make me a "blogger". Kind of like a run to the bathroom during the occasional close call doesn't make me a "runner". I concede the point and reserve myself to the title of "That guy formerly known never to have posted a blog".

Looking ahead, I still don't aspire to be a "blogger"… so I don't recommend holding your breath for my next post. I do; however, aspire to be a runner. (If you know me, you might have passed out after reading that last line… so I'll give you a minute to recover….)

If you're surprised, you absolutely should be! Up until 4 weeks ago I would have said people who run for fun are crazy (or at least younger than 10). Actually, I still think people that run for fun are crazy… I'm doing it to support my wife (Oh, and for improved health benefits I guess).

Seriously though, you've read Angie's post that we are training to run a marathon in March '09. We've only been "officially" training for a couple weeks now… but we're still excited and motivated. We have different overall goals of course: She wants to run a marathon, I just want to run in a marathon. (I plan to quit the second I get tired.)

My real goal is nothing more ambitious than to lose some weight, which I'm sure will have the side affect of improving my overall health as well. I also want to stand at the starting line and not have people point and whisper things like "what's up with the portly fellow over there… did he think this was the line for a buffet?" Angie says her target "body image" would be something like Misty May-Treanor. That would be awesome for her (and of course I would enjoy it as well)… but I don't think that way. My target "body image" is less specific… I just want something between a Greek Fisherman a Greek God.

Anywhere in the middle would be great.

So… as we move forward with our goals, we promise to support each other… motivate each other… and hold each other accountable as well. In the process, we will keep you posted of our progress (or at least Angie will).

Wish us luck… we're going to need it…

Morning Run

Anyone that knows me, even for a short time, knows that mornings aren't my thing. Getting up is a bit like torture. Maybe it isn't that bad but it doesn't agree with me. Part of my daily training is having to do my workouts in the morning. Early in morning. Before Ted goes to work, early. Did I mention it is early? Do you know what time Ted goes to work? He leaves between 5:30 and 6:30 on a normal day. My workout takes 40 minutes (right now). Yep, I gotta get my tush out of bed an hour before he is going to be leaving. It is a good thing that training is slow and the time of my workouts won't increase for a while. That will change come December, but we are taking baby steps.


Ted has been my absolute source of motivation this week. He is being amazingly flexible. Going to work a few minutes later so I could do my training. He has had coffee brewing when I come in the door. Never once has he complained about the time this goal will take from him or the girls. It is hard to know how I got such an amazing hubby. I am feeling really blessed by our marriage this week.

Ted is also in training but does his workouts in the evenings. We are doing our long workouts on Saturdays, together. It is become a wonderful time of connection for us. Hopefully it will be a continued renewing in our spirits throughout this process.

Motivation

Expectation

This week we began with a few new steps towards a pretty lofty goal. Ted and I are hoping to run a marathon in March. Now, I realize that March seems very far away. But, it really isn't. Before you know it we will be lining up with a few hundred people to run a race one step at a time.

I hope you don't mind I will be keeping track of our progress on our blog. We are pretty active people but not in great shape. Admittedly we are not getting any younger. We both are overweight and don't currently run. Well, unless we are chasing down Ellie or Madi for some reason.

Luckily we found a nice training program that starts with walking. Taking our lofty goal into bite size pieces. The hardest part is to remember not to get ahead of ourselves. I am so excited that I want to push myself beyond its limits already. One day at a time, I tell myself. I need to honor my body. Not only knowing what I am capable of but understanding that it has limitations that I need to work through. I rested today like the schedule said and feel good. Ready for another good workout tomorrow. So far, no injuries to report. Hopefully we can keep it that way.

So, one day at a time. Our goal: to make it to the starting line.