From: support@active.com
Date: 31 May 2006 20:30:46 -0800
Subject: Registration Confirmation

This message is generated as confirmation of your recent registration on Active.com. You have been successfully registered for the following:

Race: The Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon
Registration Date: 05/31/06
Distance: 13.1 miles
Event Date: 10/01/06

so i’m not listing this task as done yet, by any means. but i started training five weeks ago, with seventeen more to go, and i’m feeling optimistic enough that i forked over the money for the race registration. my name’s listed on their website; i can’t chicken out now.

i’ve long known that i want to complete a marathon some day. i think running the half is a hurdle i have to get past before i can even really comprehend running the full thing. i ran on track and cross country teams in junior high and high school, and for many years being a runner, whatever that means, was central to my sense of self. in college i was distracted by all the usual things that distract college students, and separated from my running companions, and so running became an only very occasional habit. coincidentally, i gained 15 pounds. after college i injured my neck in a ski accident which left me with an impaired sense of balance, making running (or even walking straight) an exhausting feat. i learned to be a gym bunny (lost the 15lbs), used ellipticals, stairmasters and bikes, took yoga and cardio kickboxing classes as i slowly regained my sense of balance over the past five years. this spring i discovered i could run without my vision going all blurry and my feet going wonky. i don’t know how long this improved condition will last, but i’m grateful for it. when my friend becky told she was registered to run the half marathon in chicago in the fall, i decided that this was the right summer for me to train: i have health, a little free time, and a friend to train with. and hey, i’m 28 this summer, so maybe running the full marathon for my 30th birthday is a good goal. i might be getting ahead of myself here, tho – i’m only up to about 3 miles at a time now. 26.2 seems pretty far away.

our high school running coaches instilled in us the notion that running is 95% mental preparation and only 5% sheer physical effort. what’s been a pleasant discovery is that, after taking nearly 10 years off from running, it’s only the physical fitness that deteriorates from lack of use. all of the mental hurdles i’ve had to make with running are all still in place. and so training is, in some ways, easier this time. my head’s in the right place. i just have to get my body in shape. and boy, can i tell that i’m 10 years older than i was last time i ran competitively. yikes.

so in case you were wondering, the countdown in the upper right corner is counting down till race day. if you’re really interested, you can keep tabs on my mileage and other stats on the training log. and cheer me on to my goal on october 1!