My Fourth First Marathon

This wasn't the plan.

When I dropped off the Chicago Marathon course at the halfway point due to a nasty muscle pull and knee pain last year, I told my husband in between tears that I was taking 2010 off from marathon training. I was going to keep running, but get in shape the right way and only focus on half marathons, with the plan to come back fitter and stronger for 2011.

My friend Suzanne confided in me that she was training for a 2010 marathon. Our friend Maurissa said she was going to run Chicago in 2010. Nope I said, not me. Taking the year off. I'm going to be sensible about it. Good luck guys, I'll be cheering for you, I said.

February 1, Chicago Marathon sign up day, came and went. I did not stay up until midnight to register like I did in previous years.

Then, running a nice easy run on the treadmill at work one day, the endorphins must have had an effect on me because I thought, ya know, it would be kind of cool to train this year. Completing the Marathon by my 40th birthday was always the goal and I turn 40 four days before this year's Chicago race. Plus, 10/10/10 has a nice ring to it. (Apparently I'm a numerologist now.) I can do this I thought.

I signed up with the promise to myself that I would only tell my husband and Suzanne. After all, I'm already a chronic marathon first-timer. I didn't want to embarrass myself by shouting from the rooftops that I was attempting this again - - for the fourth, yes fourth time. (Brief history lesson: In 2007 I made it to mile 16 before the race was called due to extreme heat. In 2008, I never made it to the starting line due to injury. In 2009, I made it to the starting line, but in pain from a muscle pull. Pulled myself off the course at 13.1 miles due to injury.)

Keep it to yourself I thought. Don't broadcast it.

What did I do? I posted my plans on Facebook and talked Suzanne into a joint running blog.

Suzanne - - one of my best friends despite the miles between us, my former co-worker, my partner in crime, my athletic, I-went-to-college-on-a-basketball-scholarship, excels-at-every-sport-she-attempts friend Suzanne. (Yes, we're very different.)

So here I am. In training. Blogging. Again.

Maybe with Suzanne as my virtual training partner I won't train like an asshole this time around. :)

Jenn