Progress..

It is slow, but it is being made. My math sucks, but I'm pretty certain that my running pace is just about 11:30 per mile. However, because I still walk a bit I'm in the 13-14 minute per mile range overall. I have 86 days or something like that to increase the running time and improve my time. Regardless, I've signed my registration form and put in that I plan to finish in 6 hours. I can easily accomplish that at the pace I currently go, even with the walking. I figure by then I should be able to do a 9-10 minute run/1-2 minute walk and that would have me finishing below 6 hours. Now that the recommitment papers are here, I am VERY nervous. It's all starting to be real now, and I'm realizing just how far I've come, both physically and mentally, with my running.

I'm able to run much further than when I first started. My lungs don't feel tired and I've trained my brain to run landmarks when I start thinking I'm getting tired to keep myself going. I've only lost about 10 pounds (30 overall since last August) since I started running, but I've lost inches and I think I look better now than I did when I weighed the same before. I still have a ways to go on the weight loss, but saying I only have to lose 30 pounds is much nicer than saying I have to lose 60! :)) If I can lose half of the last 30 before the marathon I will be ecstatic. That's five pounds a month and I have three months..shouldn't be too hard at all! I haven't really even been trying that hard to lose since I started running and it's coming off..so if I actually pay attention to my intake I'm pretty sure it would melt like butter. ;)

Mentally it's been helping to release stress. I'm not happy with school right now. I'm burning out and the subject matter this semester isn't really my thing, and with that and work I tend to get really tense and stressed and cranky. So when I really start feeling that, I have been using it as my motivation to get my butt out the door and run. Nine times out of ten I'm happier when I get back. I plan to keep this up well after the marathon. My next goal is Disney in January, and at some point I'd like to do another TNT event. I'm slowly becoming addicted to running..scary! ;)