Hello February!

It's February kids! You know what that means?! 11 more weeks til the big day. You know what else it means? No more messing around. Since I started training, I've been quite disciplined and stuck to my running schedule. February will be challenging for me as my mileage will continue to go up and I will continue to push my body further then I ever have. February includes my first run above 15 (the longest I've ever run) and my first 20 mile + run. I'm going to be quite frank, I'm freakn' scared. Not scared that I won't do it, because I know I will, but scared that it will be hard, so hard that it makes me doubt myself. I'm hoping and praying that self-doubt falls to the wayside.

Now, since I'm getting into the more serious running mileage, I also plan on getting more serious about other parts of my training. I'm listing them below, not because I won't remember them, but so that when you guys see me, you can hold me accountable and/or root me on. So, if you see me falling off the wagon and diving face first into a tin of frosting don't hesitate to kick me in the booty and say "26.2."

Here goes:
1) I will eat healthy 90% of the time. Most of the books I read say runners should rely on a lot of good carbs, veggies and protein and to lay off the fats. I have stomach issue even w/o all this running, so I plan on sticking to a better diet that is low in fat.
2) I will not drink alcohol during the weekdays and, starting April 1, 2010, I will not drink alcohol until the time I finish the marathon. After that, it's party time!
3) I will lose 10lbs by marathon day. Yes, this might seem easy since I'm running my ass off but, the pounds aren't dropping off like I thought they'd be. My pants fit way better and my belly size is decreasing but the less I weigh on marathon day, the faster I'll be. And by "fast," I mean alive and breathing.
4) I will run more hills, I will run more hills, I will run more hills.

I take pride in setting goals and accomplishing them, something I think I learned from my mom and dad who are both extremely hard workers. It feels good to be able to say, "I set my mind to this and did it." I have come to realize I will probably struggle through this marathon and my time might be less then ideal but as long as I put my "all" into the training and the 26.2 miles I run on April 19th, I will be happy and I will have finished and that's really all that should matter.

I hope ya'll have a fabulous week and a fantastic February!