First Steps

I've officially registered to train for and run the Maui Marathon this September. 

Let me give you an idea of the insanity in that statement. 

I've never, ever had the desire to run a marathon. In fact, running is one of my least favorite activities. To top it off, I haven't worked out on a regular basis since I stopped playing rugby 5 years ago.... that is, until I got laid off a couple months ago. Since then, I've had a lot more time for myself and so I've re-established a regular workout schedule. But, I really haven't worked cardio into my schedule, unless you count the 10 minute walk to and from the gym... and that should definitely count for something, right? 

Now, I'm not always self-motivated, but I do enjoy motivating others. And, that's how I got myself into this. A friend mentioned that she was considering running the AIDS Marathon in Maui, and I eagerly volunteered to cheer for her at the finish line. Over the next couple days, I began researching the feasibility of training for a marathon in 6 months. I discovered that there are a lot of people who begin only being able to walk 20 minutes and 6 months later they cross the finish line in their first marathon. The more I read, the more I caught myself thinking, "This is something I could do."

So, why am I planning to run a marathon? 

Fitness is one reason, a trip to Hawaii is another, but I'm really running to raise money and awareness for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (donation details coming soon!)

Now, I don't have all of the details of the training program yet. But, this is what I know so far. Once training begins on April 25th, I'll need to run twice a week for 30-45 minutes on my own and then every Saturday I'll train with the team for longer runs. The first training run is a timed 3 mile run to determine my pace group. My goal is to be able to run the entire 3 miles. A couple days ago, I did a 30 min walk/run and only covered 1.87 miles... I have a long way to go! 

Learn more about the National AIDS Marathon Training Program.