Pink Shirts?

I have been wanting to let you in on my fun running antics for days; however, I have been incredibly busy! Gary (my business partner and Mr. Iron Man) is my coach.  I keep asking him for a training schedule and he keeps saying, "Don't worry, you have time!" Yeah, okay Iron Man, maybe YOU can train for a marathon in 12-14 weeks, but I can't.  So I just did what I normally do and went out three days a week.  If you don't already know, it's dark in NJ, in the fall at 5 A.M.  Normally it doesn't bother me, but Tuesday (of last week) someone or something ran behind me.  I turned around to see who or what it was, but nothing was there.  Maybe it was a deer.  They lurk and frolic everywhere, and don't care for jughandles.  So I kept running when something brushed up against my cheek.  I tried to figure out what it could be; but again, nothing was there.  Maybe I should invest in a head lamp, and while I am at it a nicer reflector vest.  The one I am using from Ikea is floppy and unflattering.

Wednesday I bought a head lamp and new reflector vest. Sexy, isn't it? Really, it's so much better than the old one. (I LOVE EMS! I could spend the whole day in that store.)  By Thursday, I was so excited to use my new gear.  I went out with my light on and guess what? Thick fog everywhere.  The lamp just amplified the dense, white, cloud that surrounded me, so no light on that run.  I don't know if anyone could even see the new reflective vest I was sporting.  Come to think of it, I don't think anyone else was out but me.  I never passed a car on the roads that morning and I never found the two other runners crazy enough to run at 5 A.M.  They both wear head lamps and stylish reflective vests.  For some reason, it looks much better on them. They must be fitness models.

The weekend was whirlwind of children, work, work parties, running, and more work.  Finally by Tuesday of this week, Gary hands me a training schedule.  It was to start that day.  Good thing I already got my morning run in, but what is this? He wants me to run four days a week?  FOUR? Is he nuts?! The answer is yes, but I promised to follow his advice and went back out on Wednesday, incorporating hills into my run.  There's a small hill not too far from my house that the fire station sits upon. When I first started running I could NEVER make it up that hill.  Now I can, but I never attempted to run up and down it before.  This day I charged up that hill four times.  I was pleased with my first two uphill sprints. The third time I had to slow down and by the four try, I ended up walking the last bit of it, so I headed back home after that attempt.  I was happy, but boy did I feel the burn in my glutes the next day.  Yesterday, I was supposed to get some cross training in.  Pilates or Yoga would be nice, but I was too tired to get up at five and I never found the time in the evening.  You would think that I would know by now that exercise is never going to happen if it isn't before my minions wake up.

Today is my secret day off.  Shh, don't tell anyone.  Alex (my 6 year old), had his school holiday concert.  Then I had a conference call with Paul and Ginny from the Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF).  Also, on the call were my team mates Les and Tom.  Everyone seems very nice and excited.  Les has run a few marathons before. Tom sounds like a fitness crazed junky.  That's quite all right with me.  I have no problems with running in their dust.  I think I am going to "tra la la" my way to the finish line in my hot pink MTF team shirt. Yes, hot pink.  No, it's not really the color we will be wearing; just merely an entertaining suggestion from the only female runner on the team.  It's also what I am going to imagine what we are all wearing every time I visualize the marathon.  What are YOUR thoughts on the pink team shirt? I'd love to know.  Can't you just see Les,Tom, and I in hot pink shirts? I can!

Well, it's time to help our shelf Elves decorate the house before the minions come home.  In the mean time, I'd really appreciate it if you could help with my fundraiser: http://www.crowdrise.com/kathyborsuk.