Running the Pig: The Squeakel

"I look into the window of my mind,

Reflections of the fears I know I've left behind

I step out of the ordinary

I can feel my soul ascending

I am on my way

Can't stop me now..."

-Proud, Heather Small

A lot of people run a marathon just to be able to say they've done it, they cross it off the bucket list, and move on with their lives. I'm apparently not one of those people.

I've never had a baby, but I would imagine that training for and completing a marathon is a similar experience. (I have a friend who HAS done both, and she says childbirth is easier, ha!) I think it's like having a baby because when you cross that finish line, you are so overwhelmed with joy and a sense of accomplishment that you forget the months of pain and sacrifice that went into making it happen. Then when you consider doing it again, you remember that pain and sacrifice, but decide that it's all worth it because of what you got out of the experience. And the fact is, I love the person that I become when I'm training. I'm focused, I'm disciplined, I'm determined. So for all of these reasons, I decided to run the Flying Pig again this year. Here's how it's been going so far:

The Running
I had several options for training groups this year since Meters & Miles closed last summer (frowny-face). While my old M&M pals formed their own group, I decided my training could benefit from joining the most organized group in town. We're two weeks into the program and I'm loving the Running Spot group. So far, they've offered a lot of support and great advice. I tweaked the schedule a little bit since I plan to run 5-6 days a week, and their schedule only calls for 4. I also switched around the mileage for different days to accommodate my cross-training. But, overall, it's a great training plan.

The Gym
I did a pretty good job throughout last summer in terms of keeping in shape since I was training for the Dayton half marathon in September. After the race, between moving and the holidays, I wasn't hitting the gym or the pavement as often and about 15 pounds found their way back on. One of the best things about deciding to run a marathon again is that I'm forced to hold myself accountable for slacking off these past few months. As I start training, I fully intend to be carrying at least 15 less pounds up Gilbert Avenue in May. So, that means hitting the gym.

I wanted to join a gym that is closer to my new home, so I signed up at Five Seasons in Crestview Hills, which is less than 2 miles away from my condo. While it was very convenient and a lot nicer than Fitworks, the group fitness classes just didn't do it for me. They didn't have the structure that the Fitworks classes have; it was almost as if the instructors were making up the moves as they went along. The music wasn't carefully synchronized with the exercises the way Fitworks classes are; the music was just kind of "on" in the background. And the Pilates class was coordinated to that dreadful ping-pingy Chinese music. Ugh. Boring and awful. So I broke up with Five Seasons after 11 days and went skulking back to Fitworks. They accepted me back with open arms (as long as I promised to never leave them again). They now feel confident in our relationship since I am contractually committed to them for at least the next 15 months. (Our relationship auto-renews after that.)

So, from now until April, I'm back to 3-4 classes per week at Fitworks: Mondays and/or Wednesdays Group Power (strength training) and Centergy (yoga/pilates), Tuesdays Abs, and on Thursdays...my new favorite thing in the world... ZUMBA! I went to my first Zumba class last night and it was just awesome. For those who aren't in the know, Zumba is a latin dance-inspired aerobics class. I wasn't sure that lining up in the front row for my first class was such a smart move, but with my dance background, I picked up the moves quickly and enjoyed the class thoroughly. I love, love, love Zumba.

I know my schedule seems like a lot, and some may consider it "overtraining," but I ran a great race last year with the same schedule, so I'm not going to fix what isn't broken. My hope is to run a faster race than last year, but I'm not going to get too crazy. I'm not trying to win the thing. If I can run it 10-20 minutes faster, I'll be thrilled. If I can't, I'll still be happy I finished.

I am going to continue to blog my experience again this year, since it was really helpful to me to think out and write out my feelings during training last year. I also hope it will be a fun read for all of my runner and non-runner friends alike. Enjoy!