...but hopefully not a stupid one that I'll regret forever, or alternatively will kill me or at least my heart and my knees. Ok, I'm being a little dramatic here. In reality, I'm very excited about this new endeavor and can't wait for January 2010.
Why? What is happening that month, you ask? Well, it just so happens that as of yesterday, my intrepid boyfriend and I registered for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon. Yes, me. Me who has never run more than a few minutes in her life and really never even exercised all that much outside of gym class and certainly has never been able to play any kind of sport or even had any remote interest in any kind of athletic event known to man. I guess the thing is, though, that's what excites me, oddly enough.
For a long time now I've been looking for some positive change in my life. In various ways, but just generally in terms of lifestyle. The past couple of years I've felt as though I've changed, and have even become a little lost. I've had some negative experiences that unfortunately have reverberated long past their initial sting and have had some of the lowest lows I've ever experienced in my young life. I'm not trying to tell a sob story here or complain about how crappy my life is because that's certainly not true - I've also had some very positive experiences and have been blessed in many ways. But generally, I haven't really felt as though I'm living my ideal life and being my ideal self (sorry to go all Oprah on you, these are just the best words to describe).
One big area of change that I've been meaning to tackle for a while now (and is a manifestation of the aforementioned confusion) is my health. To be frank, I've probably gained 10-15 lbs just in the past 6 months and probably about 40-50 lbs in the past 5 years. In this time, I went from being the smallest I've ever been to the biggest and I've never been happy with that. I have tried many different things to try and lose weight and get in shape and nothing has worked. I've realized that I'm a very impatient person that, if she doesn't see results within the 1st week, immediately quits and moves on (and this goes for many areas of my life, but particularly diet and exercise). Anyone who's ever tried to lose weight and get in shape KNOWS that this attitude is not condusive to losing weight, as it takes a while to see results.
I realized that I needed a swift kick in the ass in the form of a challenge - preferably with a deadline to work towards and a non-refundable cost so that I'd be less likely to bow out before even getting anywhere. Anyway, long story short I found out about the marathon through acquaintances who did it, spoke to another friend who's a running fiend and expert, read countless running forums and resources online, and decided that this could be (finally) the way to reach the lifestyle goals I've been striving and yearning for for a long while.
So, basically I have almost 9 mths to get myself in good enough shape to be able to run a 13.1 mile course in 3.5 hours or less. This is a challenge, but it's also realistic. I can barely contain my glee when I think about how good I could look and feel in 6 mths if I stick strictly to a training schedule of 4-5 days a week and following Canada's Food Guide. I want this more than I've wanted anything in a long time and I can't wait to tackle the challenge. It's very scary but I know if I stick with it (which is against my nature) that I can meet this challenge and get myself in the best shape of my life.
I just wanted to share this to whomever cares (or even if you don't) so that you know that if I'm not home the next few months and you can't get a hold of me, I'm probably out running...or swimming or at a yoga for runners class or something. Also, I hope you will follow our progress in the pages of this blog and support us every step of the way - even small words of encouragement and being able to express my worries and challenges and triumphs, even if it's just out to the "void" and not to anyone in particular - will be SO extremely motivating and appreciated over the coming months. I welcome any thoughts, tips or questions you might have.
It's time for a new adventure and there's no turning back now! Official start date is Monday, April 27th, 2009.
Here we go...
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