I'm in!

I got in to the Marine Corps Marathon!

Super, super excited! And nervous, of course.

Yesterday, I went running before work and was able to log two sub-15-minute miles in a row, so only 24 more to go!

(Of course, as I rolled over in bed to check my email for the confirmation just now, I felt tenderness in my knee. Which is kinda freaking me out. Need to get back to serious strength training. Can't afford to get hurt!)

144 days straight!

Hello, hello.

I'm once again in a rush but want to quickly give an update. I finished my second set of 72 days yesterday with a brutal 10-miler.

Here is the proof:

I started with 362 days until the MCM; now we're at 218 days. It's getting more serious! And I'll find out this week if I actually get IN the race. Fingers crossed!

As for yesterday's 10-miler: I'm trying really hard to stick to the 2/3 run/walk rhythm, and I wanted to see how long I could do that solid until I was too tuckered. I got to mile 6.5 or so, though the first mile was walking. So technically, I can go only 5.5 miles straight doing the run/walk method. My first long race (10 miles) is in one month, and there IS a time limit on the course, so I really need to work on my stamina. I was beyond exhausted after yesterday's 10 miles. So I have a ways to go.

Some very exciting news: I don't have to take blood-pressure medication! My doctor had given me four months to get it down (it was rather high for a long time) and I did! It was 122/80 on Friday and she said I earned my pass! Very good news for me.

I'm also down about 30 pounds total. Getting there. Very slowly but surely.

240 days until the MCM: 6 miles
239 days until the MCM: 1 mile
238 days until the MCM: 2 miles
237 days until the MCM: 1 mile
236 days until the MCM: 1 mile
235 days until the MCM: 1.5 miles
234 days until the MCM: 1 mile
233 days until the MCM: 9 miles
232 days until the MCM: 2 miles
231 days until the MCM: 3 miles
230 days until the MCM: 3 miles
229 days until the MCM: 1 mile
228 days until the MCM: 1 mile
227 days until the MCM: 1 mile
226 days until the MCM: 1 mile
225 days until the MCM: 1 mile
224 days until the MCM: 1.5 miles
223 days until the MCM: 2 miles
222 days until the MCM: 2 miles
221 days until the MCM: 1.5 miles
220 days until the MCM: 1 mile
219 days until the MCM: 10 miles

Exciting times

I don't have much time at all to write (so I'll have to update my daily mileage the next time), but I wanted to write about today's run, because it was a huge step for me.

Because of my weight, I have been alternating running/walking in my mileage for years and years now. It has helped keep me injury-free (knock on every wood surface available) and will be key in doing a marathon. But today -- rainy but warm enough to go outside in a T-shirt and hat instead of layers and a muffler -- I decided to see how far I could run straight. One lap? I did it and felt great. OK, let's try two. Still feel good. Three? Yep. And by golly, I did four, meaning I was able to run a mile straight, which hasn't been the case in what feels like forever. It meant so much to me. I felt almost as glorious as I felt back in 2004/05 when I ran a mile for the first time in my life.

Some other fun milestones:

I did nine miles on Saturday -- mostly walking b/c the roads were still icy, but still ... nine!

I don't know the exact number off-hand, but I've gone more than 130 days now walking/jogging at least one mile!

And the weight is still going down. Slowly but it's moving. I'm almost at my lowest weight in two years. The next goal will be my pre-D.C. weight.

Onward!