Why Am I Running A Half Marathon?

Day 2 of six weeks

Weight today: same

Total lost: gained one

1/2 cup of oatmeal:150
1 tsp of brown sugar:15
1 tbl of powder creamer with coffee: 30
with sweet-n-low:0
total:195

vanilla protein shake:110
2 oz banana:50
1 tsp of flaxseed oil:40
total:200
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running total:395

2 large eggs:140
1 lefse:30
1/2 cup of fat free cottage cheese:80
4 oz of sliced strawberries:36
1 tsp of sugar:15
1 tbl of powder creamer for coffee:30
with sweet-n-low:0
total:331
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running total:726

3 1/2 oz banana: 87
vanilla protein powder:110
1 tsp of flaxseed oil:40
total: 200
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running total:926

3 Ritz crackers:48
with 3 Laughing Cow bites spread on:15
total:63
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running total: 989

3 oz chicken breast:104
4 oz potato:88
with 1 tsp of Smart Balance light butter:15
3 oz of strawberries:27
1/2 tsp of sugar:7
1 tbl of powder creamer with coffee:30
with sweet-n-low:0
1 Blue Bunny Bomb pop: 40
total: 312
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running total: 1301

Today's challenge: Have been hungry lately...just staying on-calorie

Planned fitness: 60 minute leg work-out, 2 mile run, my abdominal routine twice.

Note on picture: Gourmet Dining brand beef stir fry. It's only 200 calories per 1 1/2 cups and takes about literally ten minutes to cook up over the stove. You could eat this and still have calories for ice cream afterward.

Why Am I Running A Half-Marathon?

Ok...so I may be asking that question a little too late, after all the race is in hmm...4 1/2 days. But I just know that some of you think I'm a little nutty or a super-eccentric crazy fit chick to attempt to run a half-marathon.

Tell me I'm wrong...

Well, this may come as a surprise to you, but running a half marathon is actually easier than you would think it is.

I know it's hard to believe, but I've developed a little plan to get just about anybody to finish a half-marathon. The only catch is that I wouldn't recommend training for one if you're carrying more than 40 extra pounds of weight. The reason being is that the running is harder on your knees with the extra weight, and quite honestly for women, you just may not want to have to wear four bras to keep everything in place.

But... I have talked my husband into running a half-marathon. It was our first, (his first and my first) marathon together. I know how romantic.

Then, the second one, I talked my sister-in-law into running one. At the time my brother (my sister-in-law's husband) was training for that same half marathon but was unable to compete in it.

Now this third half-marathon, my brother will also be running in, but his wife can not run it because she injured her leg snow boarding.

But how cool is all of this. My first half was with my husband, my second half was with my sister-in-law, and my third will be with my brother.

In the first half-marathon, I put together a training plan that basically took my husband from not even running at all... to finishing the half with about a 10 minute a mile pace.

With my sister-in-law, she had just had a baby about five months before the half, while I'd just had a baby about seven months before the half. Not only did she complete her half, but she beat me by seven minutes.

Hmm...so I never did explain why I'm running one.

To prove that I can?
To lose weight along the way?
To get a long-sleeve T-shirt?
As an excuse to eat energy gels?
To get the free grab bag of goodies?
To help me meet my other weight loss goals?
To work on my tan while running in the sun...you did notice my tan didn't you?
To build my endurance and physical ability?
To be a part of the churning excitement on the day of the event?
To break two hours?
To exhaust my body and sleep like log later that night?

If you can think of any more, Lindsey, let me know.

Well, I hope I've peaked your interest, because tomorrow I'm going to give you the skinny on training for a half-marathon...at least the way I do it.