Goals

For months now I've been having vague thoughts about trying to train for a race to get my fat ass in shape and lose some weight. Now that the New Year is here, I just sat down and searched the web for training programs. After looking at a couple of programs for beginners, I am optimistic that around the time of my 33rd birthday in June of this year, I will be able to give myself the birthday present of finishing a 10k race.

Here's how I hope everything will work:

First of all, I have a gym membership to an awesome gym that has been ignored for several months as the busy holiday season, amongst other things, overtook my life. The gym has childcare facilities, and the boys are in desperate need of some socialization, because they now have been home with a nanny since August and are still waitlisted at the daycare of my choice. I'm going to start taking them with me and letting them socialize at the gym preschool facility for an hour or so several days each week while I work out. This is a win / win / win arrangement, because I will get to work out / the boys will get to hang out with other kids /and I will save some money since our nanny is paid hourly and the gym chilcare facilities are included with our family membership. Yes! I love my plan! (The boys just have to cooperate and not scream and fuss when I leave them there. Keep your fingers crossed!)

Now, regarding my fat ass running... I have a plan for that too:
"The Couch-to-5K Running Plan". It's a 9 week program that definitely seems doable that is supposed to have you running 3 miles when you finish. 9 weeks from tomorrow (my start day) puts me into early March, and there is a local 5k race (The Holton Elementary 5k) that I can run on March 8 if all goes well. That is goal number 1.

Then, to get to the 10k, my REAL goal, I move onto this 10k beginner training program that I found. The only pre-requisites are that I be able to run 3 miles comfortably (which I'm hoping to be able to do by March), and that I be able to run 3-4 days a week. It is a 12-week program, and if I start the 2nd week of March right after my 5k, I will finish it by June 1st, just in time to run a local 10k race on that day (The Stratford Hills 10K).

So, in theory, if all goes well, by the time I turn 33 the first week of June, I will have run a 10k and be very, very proud of myself.

That is my plan and I'm all excited. I've never enjoyed running, but I'm a goal-oriented person, and I've got both training programs printed out and will look forward to crossing off each of the 63 training work-outs one by one.

If I get really into it and can find the time, I'll do other cross-training at the gym on my non-running days (weights, biking, aerobic classes, etc). Or if it's not feasible to get to the gym, there's always my collection of Taebo tapes or our eliptical machine in our basement. But all that would be gravy... I'm not going to hold myself to anything beyond the three running days each week, since there are so many other demands for my time right now.

I'm pumped and motivated for my plan!
Go me!!