F*&*(

Two weeks ago I put my official training schedule to paper.

Week 1, with 21 weeks to go, I ran 3 miles. Then blew the rest of the week because I was sick.

Week 2, with 20 weeks to go, I ran a pathetic 2 miles when the schedule called for 3 (was obviously still sick). Then I blew the rest of the week due to long work hours and work stress.

Here we are at beginning of week 3, with 18 weeks to go. I will be in Phoenix for a work conference. I will be up early for meetings and have work functions at night. I'm still packing my running shoes, dammit.

Revised schedule so on call for this week: 3, 4, 3, 5.

This is me stressed

Or, this is my desk when I'm stressed. This doesn't really have anything to do with running, except for the fact that if work wasn't so insane right now I'd have time to run, not to mention a little stress relief.

Desk contents: Red Bull, Coke, Water, Motrin and Stress B-Complex Vitamins

How Could I Forget?

While I was bitchin' and moanin' about being sick I forgot to share the important stuff . . .

My cousin (and hero) John had doctor appointment today and scans are clear and cancer-free!!

John recently completed treatment for his (third) bout with Hodgkin's . . .

and oh yeah, he's only 38.

and oh yeah, he's going to train for the Chicago Marathon this year.

Now you understand why he's one of my heroes.

Still Feeling Crappy, No Run

Grrrr

Only Fooling Myself

Went outside for 3 miles yesterday as planned and ended up running the most pathetic 2 miles . . .

I thought I was feeling better but apparently not well enough. Coincidentally, the song playing on my iPod was Kate Voegele's "Only Fooling Myself."

Hope Wednesday's planned run is significantly better.

Thanks to Jon Hay for his donation to the American Cancer Society!

Marathon Training: Day 1

New week, new schedule. When I prepared my marathon training schedule with a few extra weeks thrown in in case of illness and injury, I didn't think I'd be using one of the sick weeks right off the back. Jesus.

So let's start this again.

On board for this week: 3, 4, 3, 5 - total, 15 miles.

I will be immensely proud of myself if I can stick to the schedule and complete that because this is going to be a very busy week at work and a busy weekend. As always, running around the kids. Meaning . . .running when they're still asleep or when Mike is home for the kids. Mike home is another challenge to the schedule . . .our work schedules are rarely complimentary.

Plan to knock off the first 3 miler when Mike gets home from work today.

Favorite Running Song of the Day: "Sky" by Joshua Radin

Getting Back on Track

Signed up for the Chicago Distance Classic this morning. Still not 100% but no sore throat, so plan to run when Mike gets home from work and get back on my schedule.

Putting Things in Perspective

Been pissy about being sick, not running, a messy house, too much laundry and having to get a lot of work done this weekend.

Then I found this.

I'll stop whining now.

Thanks to Running Jayhawk for directing me to some perspective.

Frustrated and sick

Frustrated and sick, that's me.

Frustrated because I finally got motivated with a set running schedule (I'm a person that thrives on structure and schedules) and I get sick. Haven't run since Monday. Maybe I'll be able to run later today though. Throat not as bad and Mike let me sleep in today. (With our opposite work schedules and two young kids, being able to sleep in is a rare treat.)

I'm not the only one who skipped the Soldier Field 10 Mile today. Jeanine signed up, forgetting that she was going to be in NY for a wedding, cousin Lauren didn't feel she was quite ready, like me. I see Unfocused Life skipped too. Cousin Kim was the only one making it to the start line.

I picked up my packet. Might as well as least get the tech shirt. I see though, that I was a bit optimistic when I signed up for the race in February, and ordered a size smaller than I usually wear.

Reality Bites . . .

. . . but it's time to face it.

Last weekend, with 13 days until the Soldier Field 10 Mile and 5 miles as my longest (recent) run, it hit me. Why am I stressing myself out? Life (and laziness) got in the way of training for the SF 10 and I didn't do a good job about making time to run. So instead of ramping up the mileage way too fast (and subjecting myself to likely injury) I'm pulling out of the SF 10.

Call it a wimpy move if you like, I'm calling it a safe move. My ultimate goal is to finish the Chicago Marathon in October and the last thing I need to do is to run a race (or two) I'm not ready for, only to risk stress fracture. I said hello (well, it was more like WTF) to a stress fracture in my ankle two months before the Marathon last year and it nearly kept me from the starting line.

So, to live up to the promise my sister and I made to ourselves to not train like assholes, I'm going to play it safe. My new (and more realistic) race schedule is below on the right.

I've also dusted off my marathon training bible, The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. The Non-Runner's Guide is a 16 week program, there are 21 weeks until the Marathon. I figure this gives me some cushion for injury or illness.

So, without further ado, here is my "Let's Not Train Like An Asshole This Year" Training Schedule: (while this will make me seem like I have the maturity of a 12-year-old, did you know that if you typed "3704559" into a calculator and turned it upside down it spells . . .well, you try it.)

(Mondays kick off my training weeks)

Week 1:
Week of May 19
3, 4, 3, 5 (15 miles weekly total)

Week 2:
Week of May 26
3, 4, 3, 6 (16)

Week 3:
Week of June 2
3, 4, 3, 7 (17)

Week 4:
Week of June 9
3, 4, 3, 7 (17)

Week 5:
Week of June 16
3, 5, 3, 8 (19)

Week 6:
Week of June 23
3, 5, 3, 8 (19)

Week 7:
Week of June 30
3, 5, 3, 9 (20)

Week 8:
Week of July 7
3, 5, 3, 10 (21)

Week 9:
Week of July 14
3, 5, 3, 6.2 (21)

Week 10:
Week of July 21
4, 5, 4, 11 (24)

Week 11:
Week of July 28
4, 5, 4, 11 (24)

Week 12:
Week of August 4
4, 6, 4, Half-Marathon (Chicago Distance Classic) (27)

Week 13:
Week of August 11
4, 6, 4, 14 (28)

Week 14:
Week of August 18
4, 7, 4, 16 (31)

Week 15:
Week of August 25
5, 8, 6.2, 16 (34)

Week 16:
Week of September 1
5, 8, 5, 16 (34)

Week 17:
Week of September 8
5, 8, 5, 18 (36)

Week 18:
Week of September 15
5, 8, 5, 20 (CARA Ready to Run 20 Miler) (38)

Week 19:
Week of September 22
5, 8, 5, 9 (27)

Week 20:
Week of September 29
3, 5, 3, 8 (19)

Week 21:
Week of October 6 - - Happy Birthday to me and Marathon Week!
3, 3, walk 3, 26.2 (35.2)