Hello...

I am a 27 year old mother of 2, military wife, and full time college student.

I weigh 205 pounds at 5 feet 5 inches and I am and have been a vegetarian for a few years now. I am trading my junk food filled vegetarian diet for a healthy low fat high grain diet.

I am starting Marathon training on or before February 23rd, 2004. The first phase is a 13 week program that will get my non-running, tired, exercise lazy butt from 0.00 miles per run to over 6 miles per run. Yeah... groovy baby!

The first phase ends with me running in the 1/4 (Quarter) marathon in Chicago on June 13th, 2004. Bring it on!

The second phase begins with 4 months of further marathon training leading up to a 1/2 marathon in September and a full marathon in November! Woo hoo! Where's my running shoes?

I found a book on Amazon.com that meets the needs of phase one! After you read the 21 raving reviews of it, you too will have hope. It is:

"The Beginning Runner's Handbook: The Proven 13-Week Walk/Run Program"
By: Ian MacNeill

For phase 2, I found another book on Amazon.com called:

"The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer"
By: David A. Whitsett, Tanjala Jo Kole, Tanjala Mabon Kole, Tanjalavo Kole, Forrest A. Dolgener

At active.com, you can find ANY, ANY, ANY type of fitness event (marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, fun runs, and millions of other events in other sports).


Just wanted to share with everyone. This is a big deal to me. Accomplishing this task will make me feel the proudest I have ever felt, and I would love all the support and encouragement I can get.


Anyone else up for a marathon?

Hi Christy!

I love Ian MacNeil's book! My dearest DH and I are training together. We're a little more than midway on the 13 week program. We've run two 5Ks and are registered for another 5K this Saturday.

I'm not sure I'll get to the marathon stage, but I love running.

I'm 58 years old with neuropathy - my annoying symptoms are pain in my legs and a bit of a balance problem. Makes me a perfect runner, right?

I'm vaugly toying with the idea of a marathon as a goal, just to keep me focused on the running. I don't have access to the books right now, but I'm following the advice of this website:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

It's also "couch potato to running 5 miles" in 8 weeks. I'm on week 2. I hope I can keep up with it. Some days I just don't feel like moving off that couch!

Anna

Just wanted to give you all an update!

Marathon training is going great! I love LOVE love the 13 week program! I can't believe I am actually running! When I am running, I feel like I can conquer the world when I am running!

Just want to let you all know how it was going.

Christy

oooooooo....you started early! I was going to ask you on Monday if you'd started yet.

So...details. We need DETAILS!

I did start early, and I am already addicted!

I have completed week one of the official training program (I had been running a few weeks before that).

I feel good... I love running... I can't wait for my marathon!

The only bad thing.... I GAINED weight! 7 pounds! Yuck. I had my husband take the scale and hide it from me. I do not want to think about weight right now... just about getting to my marathons in one piece!

Christy

I'm trying to start running more, too.
I am training for a half marathon this June and am starting to love running, too.
I do my long runs of the week on the weekend and had to do 6 miles this past week. I feel such a sense of accomplishment every time I finish a run, I can remember when I couldn't even jog for 5 minutes at a time and now I can go for an hour!

Christy, don't worry about what the scale says, focus on your training and on eating well and things will come together.

I think hiding the scale was an outstanding idea. I gained when I first started running, too, but my clothes became looser. I'll never be in the marathon class, but I'll keep running the 5Ks and cheering for everybody else!