I'm back with some updates

Before I even start, thanks if you kept faith and didn't delete me off your Google Reader or completely give up on me ever blogging again. The reasons for my absence have been multiple. I'm quite busy with my job. Like usual, I'm following my own rule and not going into it on this blog, but it's certainly be keeping me busy.

Another big reason is my own writing "hang-ups". I have written several posts in the past few weeks and either never completed them or re-read them and felt they were boring or just rambled on. I haven't had much exciting or extraordinary happening in my life, so that doesn't make for the best post material.

And, of course, running is keeping me busy. I have been running more frequently and longer the past few weeks. I have also tried to stay consistent with doing weights and cross training. I am really liking pushing myself a little more and I can feel myself improving with every week that I am putting forth an effort.

Which leads me to a small announcement.....I have decided to train for the Go! St. Louis FULL Marathon. It wasn't an easy decision by any means, but I know without a doubt, that it is deep down something that I really want to do. I do have some fears though.

Fear #1- The hills. Go! St. Louis is not a flat race. I primarily run flat races, so this makes me nervous. I am trying to view it as a small challenge that I can overcome, but it is still a fear regardless.

Fear #2- The time cut off. Go! isn't a very walker friendly course. It has a time cutoff of 13:45 and it shuts down progressively according to the time cut off. I ran the half in September at right about 13:45, so I need to improve my pace to make sure I wouldn't get kicked off the course.

Fear #3- Training will be too intense and I won't be able to handle it. Many experts would advise someone to have been running for a longer length of time before starting Marathon training. While I have this fear, honestly I think if I can just get myself to continue to dig deep I will be able to handle the training.

Now unto some positives:

Positive #1- I have the time to dedicate to training. One major perk of my job is that I work early in the morning and I am finished usually in the early to mid afternoon. Even though I have to go to bed fairly early, I still have a good chunk of the day to train after work. Who knows what the future could hold and how long I will have such a great schedule for training so I should take advantage of it while I can.

Positive #2- I have an amazing support system that are willing to cheer me on during my training. I have already told some family and friends I am Marathon training and they are beyond supportive. Most importantly, Nathan is completely on board. He has even started his own (non running) training activity, but that deserves a separate post in the future. :)

Positive #3- My pace is getting better. It is a slow improvement for sure, but when I look back on my dailymile page and see my run progress, my pace is steadily improving. It not only is a great sense of accomplishment, but also an indication to me that I the effort I am putting in is paying off.

Positive #4- I work better with a training plan and a race set in the future. In between races when I am not on a official training plan I have noticed that I don't run with the same intensity and desire. Just committing to the marathon and working on a set training plan with an end in mind keeps me motivated and on track.

Positive #5- This one isn't the easiest to put in print, but I think many women find times in their life they aren't 100% satisfied with their bodies. I've been in that category for the majority of my life. Obviously, training for a marathon is going to stretch me to physical limits and even if my weight on the scale doesn't change too much, I know my body will change even more that it already is now.

Even though the fears are in my mind, they do not outweigh the positives. In fact, they don't even come close. I know that big obstacles will hit me at various points. I may get injured and have to stop training or I may make it all the way to the race and not finish before the time cut off. I am taking these and many other things in, but I am accepting that I can't deal with the problems until they arise.

Now that the news is "out" I really hope that posts start coming easier. To be honest, I've know for awhile now that I was going to train for the full in April, but I was apprehensive to post about my decision for various reasons. But at this point, I feel like I need the support and encouragement from my blog readers that I have come to love.

Stay tuned for what I am sure will be a very interesting trip to 26.2!