The Countdown is On

There are 14 days, 14 hours, and 14 minutes until The Rock the Parkway Half Marathon on April 14th. I see this as a good omen because fourteen is also my favorite number. Things are lining up for this race, now all I can hope for is good weather and that I have prepared myself enough for my first half marathon.

You may be wondering how I decided to take that leap and sign up for a half marathon? Believe me, I was skeptical about whether or not I could run this far, the most I have ever ran at one time before I started training was 4 miles. A friend of mine, Bit Vo, is a marathon runner, and she said this race is a really good one for beginners and that we could train together over the course of the semester. We decided to sign up for this race, and we have been training since mid January for it. One of the things Bit told before we started training is that 13.1 miles may seem like a long distance, but you don't go out on the first day and try to run 13.1 miles, you build up to it. This journey has been a true test of stamina and endurance, but I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and I will eventually get there.

I don't know if we are crazy or gluttons for punishment to try to train for a half marathon while school is in session. Honestly, I was skeptical about committing to signing up. I just didn't see how I could possibly fit in a workout routine in with studying for exams. Now that we are almost to the race day I don't think I could have survived this semester without an exercise routine. Running has been an awesome stress reliever, it has been a great way to break up studying sessions, and I look forward to the time I get to spend running with my friends.

Don't get me wrong, keeping up with my running schedule has been challenging. Waking up early on a Friday morning to run 3 miles has not been an easy thing to do, but when you have someone to hold you accountable it makes it a little easier. It is also great to go on the long runs with a friend, you keep each other motivated and the run goes by a lot faster. If you are thinking about running a race and are hesitant about signing up because you are worried about the time commitment, I'm telling me you CAN do it. It is possible with a crazy work or school schedule. In order to make it work you have to have a plan, and schedule time for the runs. Yes, other things may get pushed to the back burner. However, if it is important to you, then you will find time for it, and when you cross that finish line it will be worth it!

I really wanted to get a Team Beef jersey to wear for this race, but I went to order this jersey from the Team Beef website, and I could not locate how to order it from the Team Beef store. I asked a few friends who have them, and they said orders are only taken a few times a year. Maybe I can get one before my next race. If anyone else has any advice on how to get my hands on one of these I would appreciate it!

Well I'm off to run 4 miles for today's training. Tomorrow will be the long run of 10 miles, then next Saturday I will attempt to run 12 miles, then the next week is the race! Wish me luck! I'll keep you posted on how it went!