Back on the Wagon

When the guilt hits, it hits hard. Did I really eat twelve doughnuts? WHO AM I? 

I was an athlete once. I had plaques indicating so. I had a smile on my face and my skin was tanned and I didn't have a vitamin D deficiency.

plaques on plaques on plaques

I tried to stay active as a law student, but it was hard in the beginning. I didn't work out at all my first semester of law school. I let the rigors of 1L transform me into a NARP (non-athletic regular person, a term my fifteen year old brother taught me years ago). I tried working out again during exam week (before torts, you know, negligence and all) and couldn't run a single mile. A single mile! That was a low point—the last straw! 

I got back into shape before my wedding thanks to Jillian's "Making the Cut." Then I ran marathons in each of my 2L and 3L years, raising money for Walking With Anthony. Prayer and Positivity!

PROOF I ran a marathon. And that I'm a dork.
2012 Miami ING Marathon. Copyright MarathonFoto.

I thought keeping a running routine would be easy now that I'm out of law school and into a consistent work routine. It never happened. First of all, I lost my running partner since my schedule is so different from Will's. I even signed us up for the 2013 Miami ING Marathon really early thinking it would be a piece of cake. I was wrong. We downgraded to the half marathon and I endured the most painful two hours and seventeen minutes of my life. The worst.

I believe in redemptive suffering. So I'm back! 

Wondering how to [NOT] get back into a running routine? Here's how I'm going about it...

Step 1 - Splurge on an exorbitantly expensive pair of running shoes. Running shoes are just about the only thing I splurge on. Newtons are just the best for my feet/stride. But even with a 20% military discount, they are expensive. 

Lady Isaacs. So in love.

I know for a fact that if I leave these kicks in the closet and don't get my money's worth, I will get continuous never-ending stink eyes from Will Brez. 

I know for a fact that's not how his face always looks.

Step 2 - Find a running program. I am one of those people that just needs a box to check off. Put mile numbers in my calendar and I will probably complete them. What am I working towards? I don't know. I just found a random twelve-week half marathon training program that seemed doable. I figured for "race day" I would just run 13.1 miles all by myself, because I wasn't going to pay an expensive race fee.

Step 3 - Get your mom to sign you up for a race. When I put the mileage from the training program into my calendar, I realized I would be home in Maryland that weekend for my sister's high school graduation. I knew my mom would want to run a half with me if there was one in town. (My mom recently got into running races and now she is training to run the Marine Corps Marathon for her 50th birthday! She rules.) My friend, Samantha, found the Zooma Annapolis race that weekend and my mom was all over it. Check! Thanks, madre!

Step 4 - Find a running partner that lives 1,000 miles away. That's right, finding a running buddy is last on the list. My college teammate/roommate/bridesmaid was up to the challenge. That, or I just used my lawyer powers to talk her into it. Either way, here she is in all her college student-athlete glory: 

Can you tell we miss college?

She had similar reasons for wanting to get back into shape. We have very productive g-chat convos:

me: why are you running the half?

too much booty in the pants? too much junk in the trunk?

 Sent at 1:13 PM on Tuesday

 Samantha:  basically

I just went ot kohls looking for Pants

the dressing room.. the horrorr

 Sent at 1:15 PM on Tuesday

 Samantha:  I have the hardest time with pants

from cankles to big but.. so tight

and then waist is like normal

so its hard to find anything that fits.. esp with the skinny jeans

I can relate. By the way, we are very productive at work. (This conversation took place during my lunch break. I would like that stated on the record.)

Step 5 - Figure out how to have a running buddy that lives 1,000 miles away. Nothing technology can't handle. Also, Samantha is masterful at excel sheets. I see that business degree shining forth. She crafted this beauty of a google doc that would let us keep tabs on each other. 

Step 6 - Relentlessly peer pressure each other into going to the gym. Exhibit A:

Okay, maybe all the peer pressure is from my end... For now. But this is going to work, I tell you!

Do you have any actually helpful suggestions for staying motivated during training?

We obviously need help.