It Has Begun

 The training.

Behold my sweeeeeeeeeeeeet new kicks:

Ya dig? I do. I like 'em, especially the color. That was the selling point for me, actually.

So I ran 4.5 miles today at a surprisingly acceptable pace. I say surprisingly because I fell off the running wagon when I moved to Myrtle Beach, took up yoga for a couple of months and though I loved it, it was not the cardio workout like I craved. Yoga is challenging; that is a fact. But I like an intense cardio workout and though power yoga was hard and got my heart rate going, it just didn't do it for me. 

My goal when I started running seriously (aka consistently) last year was to run a half-marathon by 2012. Then I moved, life happened, I stopped running consistently and that goal got moved to the "Eh, Maybe Someday" list. Then my pal Gloria told me about a half marathon she was going to run in October and the opportunity just fell in my lap. I had to take it. Now that I have something to work towards, I'll be more motivated to run because let me tell you, I am not built to run. Give me a ball to chase, someone to tackle, or a goal to score and I'll run because I have a purpose, but I don't find much pleasure in running just to run. Running with daily and weekly goals? Now we're talking my language (aka the language of a competitor).

I run with my iPod Nano and I like the Fitness feature. I question how truly accurate it is but it helps me keep track of my progress and that's what counts. The song that got me through my run today was "Fighter" by Gym Class Heroes. GREAT song, GREAT beat. Love, love, love, love it. If stupid playlist.com hadn't disallowed bloggers to have a playlist, it would have been the new #1 on my list. I'm still bitter about that. I wrote them a feedback e-mail. 

I think my soleus, tensor fasciae latae, and glutes (that was for you Jean G and Jess M) are going to be screaming tomorrow because they are already moaning right now. 

But who really cares when....

...this time tomorrow I will be EN ROUTE FOR NEW ENGLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To see my mom! 

 And this studly man graduate! 

And to see friends. And family. And Scotty. And eat lobstah. And go to Lagos (maybe twice?). And visit some of my favorite quintessential New England villages (Newburyport! Exeter!). And eat my mom's baked goods that she has in the freezer (like freezing sweets is going to stop me-HA!). And bask in  the glory of home. 

BLISS. PURE BLISS.