Going the distance

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This year I’ve decided not to make any New Year’s Resolutions. Like half of the world’s population, I’m renowned for not following through with my resolutions. Well, this year I’m determined to make positive changes and don’t want to jinx myself by calling them “resolutions.” One of the goals I have is to train for a marathon.

Ideally I would like to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon, but as out of shape as I am, I feel that may become a long term goal. I’ve been working out on and off since my engagement, which was three years ago yesterday. Yet, even when I work out on a regular basis, I’ve never managed to get in shape. In fact, when I went running on Saturday, I pulled a muscle five minutes into my run. With that in mind, a 13 mile race seems years away right now.

In order to reach my goal, I’ve started by running every other day. So far it takes me fifteen minutes to run a mile and that includes stopping to walk here and there. I know something as big as running a race takes time, so I’m not discouraged by my slow start. I’m going to gradually build my endurance. My goal is to extend the length of time I can run before stopping every week. If I can run a mile by the end of the month without stopping for a walk, I’ll be thrilled with my progress. If I can add a mile every month after that, I’d be ready for the Disney Princess Half Marathon next February!

I’ve been making changes to my diet too. My breakfast usually consists of scrambled eggs and fruit, while chicken, veggies, and rice have become favourites of mine for dinner. I’m trying to keep the chocolate and junk food out of my life, but I’ll confess that chocolate has been my biggest vice for years. I’m thrilled to say I don’t eat as much of it, but I still sneak pieces in every day. I’d like to cut it back to less than once a day in the near future.

Honestly, I have no idea what I’m doing right now. I’m considering a trainer and I have a lot of research ahead of me, but I’m really excited for the future. I’ll be tracking my progress through this blog and welcome any tips from fellow runners!

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