Team Awesome Employs Mario and Luigi

Week One of Couch to 5k is over! Stretching and going easy on the speed were the keys to my success.  After the first day, I was really worried about hurting myself again! I hadn't stretched properly afterward. BAD IDEA, GUYS. I made it, though, and the 5k I have planned in July will not defeat me!

I am ecstatic about running. I need rest, otherwise I would do it more than three times a week!  It is incredibly physically taxing but the benefits have been enormous. I think the biggest perk is that it sets a positive tone for my day.  That tone is usually "I'm really hot and tired. Leave me alone while I stretch" until about 20 minutes after my run.  Then, I'm annoyingly positive, confident, and resilient for the rest of the day.  It's hard not to get addicted to that feeling. 

Mr. Husband doesn't understand
that we're not competing.

As much as I rave here, Mr. Husband hears twice as much and I've created a bit of a rabble in our household for 5ks. He won't be joining me for the Blood Bank 5k in July or the AIDS Walk/Run in September, but he will train with me and he found the Light the Night Against Crime 5k in October!  I'm not going to lie, I get all googly eyed when I think about the two of us running together.  I love that I'll get to share how it feels to be on Team Awesome! Also, we're planning on dressing up as Mario (Me!) and Luigi (He!).  Mainly, because I'm short and he's not but we also need to make sure that our nerd-heroes are represented.  Anyone else who runs with me MAY be required to dress as Princess Peach. I'm currently googling fake mustaches and crowns that don't fall off when you run.

I want to run a half marathon.  That's one of my big "Before 30" goals.  The America's Finest City Half Marathon and 5k is in August but I'm concerned that I would need more training than I can get in 3 months in order to meet the less than 3 hour requirement.  The good news is that I won't be 30 in August of next year. So,  I have all year to train for my 2012 Half Marathon! Oh, and train I will. This fire for running is just BURNING through me.

I'll be working on a calendar to show what races I'll participate in.  I want to look back on this a year and a half from now when I've completed at least three 5ks and a half marathon and have plans for more.  Man, future Teyie is gonna be the shit.