Running, craziness, and accountability

There won't usually be multiple posts in a day, but that earlier one was more about why this whole thing started, and this one is entirely different.

Around the middle of April, a friend and I were talking about how we wanted to start running, as we live in a city with a great running trail along the coast, and neither of us take advantage of it like we should. Anyway, it took us a few weeks, but by May we were right into it and had gone from jogging for 1 minute and wanting to die to jogging 5 km without stopping. That's a big deal!

I've never been an athletic person. I love walking, I love hiking, I love being out in the water. But sports and track activities have never been my thing. But I will admit it here - I LOVE RUNNING! I sleep better, I've got more energy, I feel fitter, more comfortable in my skin and in my clothes, I feel more confident and I just feel all around happier when I've been running. It's great! My friend shared my enthusiasm completely, so it was with happy and naively optimistic hearts that we signed up for the Cardiff Half Marathon on October 16, and started training to be able to run 21 km.

Unfortunately, I hurt my leg back in June, and my friend busted up her knee and her ankle around the same time. I could barely walk on it, and it's only very recently that I've been able to go out running again without wanting someone to just take pity on me and amputate my useless limb. However, it's now September. The half is in just over a month, and I'm back to being able to run 5k. Just barely.

Needless to say, I'm panicking a bit. I signed up for this and I want to do this, but I'm wondering if it's even possible at this point? What kind of crazy person signs up for a half marathon 2 months after they start running?

Anyway, I've come up with a new training schedule that involves running at least 5k three times a week, and cross training by doing yoga on running days and a cardio/crazy Jillian Michaels workout video on the off days. I'm hoping that by crosstraining and building up my cardio and flexibility I'll be able to run at least 13 km in Cardiff.

And that's okay, I think. At the beginning of April I couldn't run at all, and while I may not be able to run the whole thing, I'll for sure be able to do part of it, which is something I'd never ever thought I'd say.

So - here's my first 'accountability' post. Running 3 times a week, yoga 3 times a week, crazy Jillian 3 x a week. And I will rest on Sundays. Yikes.