Contagious

I haven't written in forever because I've been terrible about running.  I was good for a few weeks after FreezeFest, when I had my 10 mile run, but then things went downhill.  It's not because I haven't wanted to run; it just seems like the universe is conspiring against me.  I was sick, and there have been a lot of days where it's just been too icy or snowy.  I'll run in the cold (I ran in a 0 degree wind chill a few weeks ago!), but not when it's slippery. 

I wasn't too worried, because the half marathon I'm planning on running (the one at U of I in Champaign) isn't until the end of April.  But I looked at the calendar today and realized I'm two weeks behind schedule!  So training starts again this week.  I just need to find a way to get it done.  There are going to be some scheduling challenges for sure (people visiting on weekends, being gone for 1o days for spring break), but I'm going to make it happen.  I am determined to run my first half marathon by the end of the school year!

Also, I feel like a huge hypocrite.  I tend to get pretty excited about the things I love (Jesus, canyoneering, running, etc.) and I want everyone else to experience these awesome things.  So I've been trying to talk everyone into running, and I now have two coworkers starting the Couch 2 5K program.  It's so much fun to check in with them on their progress!  My friend Paula is also doing the Couch 2 5K, and this was a big week for her- the week where you all of a sudden jump to 20 minutes of running.  Like me, she was skeptical.  And I found myself in Joe's place- encouraging her, checking in with her, and letting her know that anything better than her last time would be a win.  (Except I was nicer than Joe.  Of course, I was more of a pain in the ass about it than Paula was...)  I was so excited to get a text from her this morning saying that she did it, and it wasn't as bad as she thought! 

I have another friend in my small group who also just started running.  I love listening to her talk about her experiences so far; she always thought it was something she could never do because of her bad knees.  We were talking about how we love how inclusive running is. I have never felt judged by anyone for my terrible pace.  (Well, except the organizers of the Chicago Get Lucky Half Marathon, who decided on a course time limit that's too short for me.)  My friend was saying how she can't believe how helpful and encouraging everyone is, and I've had the same experience.  And it's funny, because now that I've been running for a few months, I find myself trying to get other people involved in it and wanting to help them the way my friends helped me.  I love being part of this club, even if I do feel like an imposter a lot of the time.  Maybe after my first Half, I'll feel legit.  Either way, I love the attitude that most runners seem to have, and I want to convert all my friends! 

Inspiration to get me out of my slump: