Motivation - the heat is on!

Back in January I wrote about starting a new regime of eating, exercising and feeling better. Well, almost 6 months later, I can say I'm doing a lot better than I was then but I've gotten off my schedule a little.

Over the past 5 months or so I've started to eat smaller meals and more slowly. I went off the diet a couple of times but usually got back on it pretty quickly. I always started to feel crappy after awhile so it gave me the incentive to get back on that eating-well train. I also started running. Last year, my friend Sarah who is an avid runner and I pinky swore that we'd run a 1/2 marathon together (well, run the same race) this year. As I'm not one to break a pinky swear, we're running a 1/2 in September. As part of my training, I'm also running the Tely 10. It being the winter, I ran on the treadmill downstairs, but I kept up with the schedule and got better at running longer distances. While I haven't lost oodles of weight, I have lost some and trimmed off a couple of inches. I feel a lot better, have more energy and while I still don't really enjoy the running, I have run a couple of longer distance runs (13km being the longest so far) outside.

Up until about a month ago, the running was going well. I finished said 13kms run knowing that the next one would be 15km. I was going to be in Toronto the following weekend so I knew it would be a couple of weeks before I got that run in, but that wouldn't be a problem. Well, a couple of days later I came down with a cold and by the time I got back from TO I had a full blown cold complete with sinus and chest infection. Needless to say, running was the last thing on my mind.

While I usually enjoy the running once I'm doing it (sort of), I don't consider myself a natural runner. In all honesty, if I could get away without doing any exercise, I would. I don't live to exercise like some. Instead, I have to make myself. Last week was the first week that I felt any bit ready to run again. The headaches had finally subsided and I hit the road for the first time in over a month. While it was a little painful, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But, me being me and being rather busy at the moment, it was the only time I ran last week. This week though, that's going to change.

Yesterday, a couple of friends of mine ran the Bluenose 1/2 marathon in Halifax. One of the lovely ladies, Sarah has been running for a long time and loves to run.  As I mentioned above, we're running a 1/2 marathon in September and while we won't be running the same pace, as Sarah's a lot faster than I, I'm determined to run a good one. That brings me to my next friend who ran the 1/2 yesterday. Like me, Colleen ran a marathon about 10 years ago and while she ran over the years following, she decided 5 months ago, to train for the 1/2 marathon. We've run a couple of runs together over the past couple of months (along with Jennifer who is running a marathon this weekend) and I have to say, they helped me get through those longer runs as we encouraged each other when we wanted to stop (or at least I did...stop that is). Colleen ran a great race yesterday, beating her personal goal by 7 minutes.

To say Colleen has inspired me is an understatement. Seeing someone who has admitted to not enjoying running (much like myself) run such a great race has been the motivation I've needed to get back into the training for the Tely 10 and my own 1/2 in September. Starting tomorrow, I'll use this week to get back into running and I'll be back on my schedule this weekend. Colleen plans on running the Tely 10 this year as well and I hope, once she's had time time enjoying her high from running such a fantastic run, she'll join me on the tarmac so we can encourage each other to the next race. Knowing how well she ran the marathon gives me the motivation I need to train so that we can run together in the Tely 10 if at all possible. No, let me rephrase that. I will run with Colleen in the Tely 10. If she lets me. ;-)

So, I say it here. I'm upping my game for the next part of my training schedule. The Tely 10 is in 9 weeks (well, 8 weeks 6 days) and I just registered for it. I'm going to follow the training schedule they have posted on their website and on July 22, 2012, watch out. The heat is on.

8 weeks, 6 days and counting!

These puppies have a number of kms behind them. Me thinks it'll soon be time for another pair.