Continued...Workout Goals for 2012

Remember about 2 weeks ago I wrote about my workout goals for 2012? Well, since I made an unofficial commitment to run/walk 1000 miles in 2012 I have had this nagging thought..."maybe I should run the NYC marathon..."

Let me elaborate on my love/hate relationship with running. I signed up for the high school cross country team when I was in eighth grade. Before that, the only running I did was through backyards in our neighborhood when we would play manhunt. Cross country freshman year was uneventful....except for the fact that I hurt my knee and never properly took care of it, thus I still have a stabbing pain when I run more than 6 miles at a clip. I continued to do indoor track and outdoor track. Indoor was by far my favorite (when I say favorite I mean I didn't completely dread it) for the sole fact that I hated running around the outdoor track. I can't really explain why, but I just did. But when I think back to why I hated it, I think part of it was the competition. I hated competing. The stress just did not do anything for me. Also, I knew I was not going to be one of the top runners because I didn't have the drive to be.

I think my last season on the track team was spring of my junior year (can't remember if I did it senior year, but I'm leaning towards no) which consisted of me and a certain friend- who will remain nameless- hiding in the cafeteria until the track bus left. Then we would go back to her house, eat bagels and Oreos, and play softball in the back yard.

That was my illustrious high school running career.

Running has always been my go-to workout though. Before I started with my trainer, I didn't lift weights- EVER. I did yoga every once and a while, but I didn't consider that a workout (until I found hot yoga).

When my trainer asked if I wanted to do 1000 miles in 2012 I said yes right away. Something about it just felt right. For the past two weeks I have been mulling over signing up for the marathon in my head. I talked to everyone about it. I tried visualizing running 26.2 miles. I what-if'd myself. I told myself that if old people and fat people can do it...I certainly can. I just have to train properly so that I don't blow out my knee.

Today I signed up. My entry number is 906642 and I will be picking a charity to raise money for when they are all announced in March.

I am excited, and going to keep plugging away at my 1000 miles for this year. At the end of last week I had completed 32.25 which is about 30 miles more than I would have done had I not made this commitment to myself.

Anyone have any advice for training for a marathon?