My friend has convinced me to run the Boston Marathon with him next year. The training is starting now. I want to do this!

5K hell

I skipped out on the Boilermaker this year, which in hindsight seems like a very good thing since it was incredibly hot and humid. I did decide a week beforehand that I was going to do the Millers Mills Sundae Run again. I trained for a grand total of four days. Ultimately, my time wasn't that bad -- 34:09, which is 1:14 slower than last year but since I really didn't train I can't complain too much. I just love that last quarter mile, coming down the hill from the church and powering across the finish line. Whoo!

Today, with absolutely no running done in the past week, I ran another 5K in Longmeadow with my friend Liz and her gang. It was an almost entirely flat course so I thought, okay, should be easy. On a nicer day, perhaps. This morning, however, by 8 a.m. it was already nearly 90 degrees with (I'm estimating here) 80 percent humidity. I was a sweaty, hard-breathing mess. Finished in 35:45. Horrible! But the winner finished with a time around 20:00 so based on that, you know it was not nearly as easy as it seemed.

Anyway, Liz and co. and I decided this morning we need to start being running buddies, which is awesome, because I really need some. It's so much easier to get motivated when others are with you.

I'm ready for more races! I want to break 30 minutes again in a 5K! Maybe do a 10K before the end of the year!

And, since I can't find my first two race bibs (sadface) I'm going to post my times thus far on here, so I can keep track:
1) Millers Mills Sundae Run 5K, July 19, 2009 -- 32:55
2) Springfield College Halloween 5K, Oct. 31, 2009 -- 29:15
3) American Lung Association Stair Climb, March 6, 2010 -- 8:08
4) Millers Mills Sundae Run 5K, July 18, 2010 -- 34:09
5) BJ Williams BIA-MA 5K, July 24, 2010 -- 35:45
6) Holyoke St. Patrick's Day 10K, March 19, 2011 -- 1:12:05.

Nineteen days at an average of seven miles a day equals 133 miles. Oh, and I've started swimming at the end of my days as well. I'm feeling good. And I think I'm looking good too.

I took yesterday off from walking because my feet (and my legs) were aching a bit, and today I did about 4.5 miles. The past three days of walking were all more or less flat but today there were some little hills thrown in. I like walking uphill. I like the way the incline makes my legs feel. I also like my new arch supports in my sneakers. Very helpful.

I weighed myself for the first time since mid-April today too -- when I visited my friend in Croton I weighed myself on her super-accurate scale it said 155. The Wii Fit today said 153. I'm going to weigh myself next Friday and see what the results of another week of walking are. I need to start weighing myself regularly again, for reference and for motivation.

I also need to register for the Millers Mills 5K Sundae Run. It's happening on my birthday this year. I plan to smash last year's time of 32:55.

After my initial run around the loop at WMA, I tried again about two weeks later. I went at 9 p.m. and between the full moon and the streetlights the lighting was perfect, so I did a full two laps in 38 minutes. Definitely not proud of my time but it wasn't that horrible. I'm feeling encouraged.

In addition to that, I've really been watching what I eat. And in the past three days I've done just shy of 30 miles. I have a whole new appreciation for marathon runners. I also can't wait to walk some more. I just need to rest my feet for a day or two first.

Call me Lil' Wayne, cuz I'm weezy

I felt inspired tonight. Inspired to try a nice, easy run around the loop in the center of town. I was slapped in the face by my out-of-shapeness.

The 1.6 miles took me about 20 minutes to finish. Not cool. It's the first time I've run outside in a long time, though, and I always forget how much the wind messes with my long hair and how much effort it takes to keep upright. But. Now that I can feel that route out -- and I know that two laps is just over a 5K -- I have a goal. I was thinking about doing a 5K in two weeks. We'll see.

When I went down to visit my friend Caroline the weekend of April 24 and 25, I stepped on her fancy electronic scale to see how much I weighed. I'm back up to 155. Very not cool. I was at 145 last year. I'm back to being 20 pounds from my goal. Ugh.

I'm thinking of changing gyms. My old one is way too far from where I live now, but there's one just down the road called Pay As You Go Fitness. Could be beneficial to me. But yeah. I'm ready to do this again. Even though my run sucked, I liked doing it. I want to get better. I want to be better again.

I think it's in my best interest to skip the Boilermaker this year. I just haven't had the time or energy lately to get in proper shape. But! There are plenty of 5Ks coming up and I'm ready to run again.

I actually had the afternoon off today so I took the small dog up to Crane Hill Park again, where we followed a path through the woods to the top of the hill and back down. Then we followed Crane Hill Road up and up and up (and up) to where it meets Glendale and then slowly made our way back down. It was quite the workout. I checked the changes in elevation on Google Maps. We climbed a lot. The route also totals just shy of four miles, so with the hill climbing in the park, I'd say it was a good non-gym day.

I really needed a boost to get me back into the "work it out, girl" mindset and that happened. I started dating Ryan Nov. 11, 2006; he proposed May 1, 2007; we broke up March 23, 2010. The first time I started hitting the gym, it was for him. I wanted to look good for him. Now, I want to get in shape for me.

So. Any motivational thoughts will be much appreciated.

I'll be aiming to run some of these bad boys:
Summer Sizzlers 8K -- Springfield, 6:30 p.m. Walker Memorial Grandstand, Forest Park, Sumner Ave. (Bi-weekly race, refreshments, scenic course and roads.)

Cool Running is a great website.

My lazy ass

So I've been slacking. In a major way. I know it's a lame excuse, but life has been getting in the way. We moved from Springfield to Wilbraham the last weekend in January and since then it's been nothing but settling, working and attempting to catch up on sleep. I like sleep.

Two things have made me realize I really need to get back on track: the American Lung Association Stair Climb on Saturday and the walk I took with the small dog on Sunday. The Stair Climb was way tougher on the actual day of the climb than on the day of the practice climb (Jan. 2). I did it in about six minutes on practice day; my time was 8:08 on race day. Lame.

The walk I took with Kael was excellent though. It was the first warm, sunny day that I had to chance to really get out with the small dog -- who hasn't been on a proper walk since October, when he was hit by the car. It's about a mile and a half from our house to Crane Hill Park and we just had a good time frolicking in the field. There's a Frisbee golf course at Crane Hill. I want to go again. It's been almost a year since I last played.

It's time to get back on the treadmill and back on the roads. I still want to run the Boilermaker this year. I have about four months to get in shape. I can totally do it.

I am sore.

I warmed up today with a mile on the treadmill (running, of course) and then did 40 minutes of circuit training. My arms ache. I shouldn't be surprised, though; I pushed harder than I usually do.

I finished with a half-hour on the elliptical.

Foodwise, today wasn't bad. I had a bowl of Special K for breakfast, a salad and two buffalo chicken strips for lunch...and four slices of pizza for dinner. I do love pizza.

Welcome to 2010

I have big goals lined up for myself in this new year.

• Lose 10 pounds.
• Run the Keep Springfield Beautiful 10K.
• Run the Boilermaker 15K.
• Tone arms, back and core.

I really slacked off last year, but I still managed to lose a net three pounds, so this, I'm going to be a fitness machine. I'm really going to watch what I eat and work out more and just become a better me all around.

I had a dream last night I finished the 10K in 55 minutes. That's my goal now.

As for the working out: Yesterday was my first day back at the gym in a full month, and I thought it went pretty well. I only did an hour, but in that hour, I ran for 18 minutes straight (1.7 miles) and burned about 620 calories. I'm headed back today to do some weight work, which is my least favorite thing to do, but I know it needs to be done.

I'm excited for this year. I'm going to be turning 25, and I feel like this is my time to shine.