training tips

For the third year in a row, I am walking with friends in our local Half Marathon. That's 13.2 miles, folks and the point two there at the end is the longest part. For the second year in a row I am walking it after proclaiming 12 minutes after crossing the finish line "And next year, we'll run it!" But I don't feel bad about that right now, because this year I am just praying to complete the thing. Walking is ideal, but crawling is likely, and going piggyback on my strong friend Amy's back is being held as a real option. Because unlike in 07 and 08, where we were walking 9-10 miles every Saturday at 6 AM? Umm, this year? Unless training has been revamped to mean "stroll and chat for an hour every 2 or 3 weeks" then, no, we haven't trained for anything more strenuous than purse shopping at your local mall.
So we are buckling down now!
Emailing each other our daily exercise!
Prodding each other to pick up the pace!
Gettin' serious here!
We've only got 6 WEEKS left, ladies!

and this is what I'm learning:

1. Going from 2 miles a week to 18 miles? It's a tad ambitious. Now, my brain has no problem with this kind of all-or-nothing, unbalanced thinking, for this is my modus operandi.
But my quads? They are kind of whiny about it.

2. It is 3.44 miles from my mailbox to my in-laws door, and back. If I want to use the bathroom I should call and make sure they are home.

3. It is 3.99 miles from our mailbox to the school at the end of our road, and back. The 3.99 really bugs me. I am going to have to lap the mailbox a bit next time to kick that up to an even FOUR.

4. When she's on the leash, Lucy is the perfect dog and I AM the pack leader. About the time I am thinking what a beautiful, noble, smart dog she is we pass a yellow street sign and she starts cowering in terror. But after we pass, she is totally fine. Unless the neighbor is raking in his yellow rain slicker, then she quakes in terror again and tries to hide behind my legs. What kind of neurosis causes a fear of yellow? What has French's mustard done to my dog? How will we walk when Scotch Broom or Forsythia starts flowering?

5. My 13.5 year old is an excellent babysitter. I still cannot believe that I am in the stage of motherhood where I can leave the house for over an hour.

6. If the cat barfs, it will be left for me to deal with. He's a good babysitter but he's not a martyr.

7. It is hard not to sing out loud with the Ipod. Especially to Purple Rain.

8. I'm grateful to live in the country, with houses set far back from the road. My neighbors are probably grateful for that too.

9. If the last mile is hard than playing anything by Prince will get me home quicker. I am not proud of that, but it's true.
'Cause if the elevator tries to break ya down?! Go crazy...!

10. I need to get 3 cups of coffee in me, in order to do 4 miles. Yet there are no outhouses, anywhere on my route. So it isn't just Prince that gets me trotting fast, that last mile.