C2 WHAT...???

I must be having a mid-life crisis finally...or something! Somehow I got the hair-brained idea that it would be a good idea to run a 1/2 marathon, yeah, me the aging non-runner! Speaking of hair-brained, that's kind of where the story turns!

As mentioned, I have never been a runner, never even really entertained the thought of becoming one. Yes, I did sort of train to 'run' the Wenatchee 5k a few years ago, but I really didn't believe that I'd run it, just that I could give it my really best 'speed walk' effort. I was, after all, raised by Mr. Speed Walker himself, Jerry Larkin.

When I was a kid if you wanted to go anywhere with Dad, you darn well better have your tennis shoes on because there was no 'lolly gagging' around. No sir-eee, WE went places with a PURPOSE! Anyway, that was pretty much the extent of my life long training except when I was getting ready for the Wenatchee race and did some speed walking with a tiny smattering of jogging...UNTIL I went to my hair dresser this spring.

So...I go to Danna just to get a haircut mind you and the darn girl inspires me to add a 1/2 marathon to my bucket list! You see, Danna has never been a runner either, but in 4 months she prepared herself to run a 1/2 marathon. Now keep in mind, my hair dresser is a friend of my daughter Lindsey. They are in their 20s for pete's sake not approaching 50! So in my warped aging mind I figure, well Denise if Danna can prepare in 4 months and you're older than she is, you should give yourself a little extra time. So, in a moment of generosity I decide that 6 months is plenty of time for a 49 year old total couch potato to prepare.

I still don't understand what came over me! But, I'm happy to report that I started the runners journey on April 7th with the Couch to 5k program (aka c25k). This is my first baby step to preparing for a 1/2 marathon, because it's really hard to run 13.1 miles if you can't even run from the front yard to the back! I'm determined to achieve my goal and have made sure that even when I have sick days I do makeup work so I stay on track. I committed (paid my entrance fee) to run a 5k in the Free Wheeling Run in Eagle, ID on June 9th when I'll be in Boise for Lindsey's baby Brooklyn's birth. My final c25k training day is on Wednesday the 6th and then race day on Saturday!

I have my eye on the Indian Summer Run in Tri-Cities at the end of September for my 1/2 marathon (registration doesn't open until June). That would keep me within my 6 month goal and would have me running a 1/2 marathon a few weeks before my 50th birthday. That'd be a pretty good way to celebrate a milestone birthday, don't you think?

My oh my!!