Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Day One- And so it begins!

So here I am after just completing day one of my marathon training, and I'm actually feeling pretty good.  I didn't push too hard and I was able to complete a full 30 minutes on the treadmill. Yay!  I was a little disappointed at how difficult the jogging was for me and by the end of 10 minutes my jogging looked more like a brisk walk, but it was a start.  My calf muscles seem to be the area that gives me the most amount of grief right now, so I'm going to talk to the personal trainers at the YMCA to see if there are some specific strength training exercises that I can do to help strengthen my legs as I build endurance.  I also just thought to check my Wii for some strength exercises too. (Gotta love that Wii Fit)!

The training for the next week is very similar to the first week of training for a 5K, and it goes like this:

Tuesday: 20 Min. Run2/Walk 1
Wednesday: 30 Min. Easy Walk
Thursday:  20 Min. Run2/Walk 1
Friday: 30 Min. Easy Walk
Saturday: 30 Min. Run2/Walk 1

I know that people who know me might be totally blown away by this decision to train and run the Twin Cities Marathon. I've been "thinking" about getting to the gym and working to look and feel better for far too long.  I'm currently averaging one day at the gym per week which just isn't doing the trick.  I've been making strides in changing my diet but that's only part of the health equation.  Genetics and time will not be my friend in becoming a healthier me so I needed something big and drastic to push me, force me and encourage me to get better. 

A few weeks ago I received an email from our communications director at work about the opportunity to join the Team World Vision marathon team.  I initially discarded the thought and the email.  After a Grad School rejection letter and a long weekend sitting on the couch, when I went back into work this Monday and saw one last email about the Marathon, that impulsive side of me said, "why not".  And honestly, why not?

Not only am I going to accomplish a 26.2 mile race, but I'm also going to help raise money for a great cause.  I am running with Team World Vision and dedicating my race to helping provide clean water to communities in Africa. 

When a community gains access to clean water:
·         Infant mortality rates drop by half
·         Children can attend school instead of gathering water
·         Women can care for their families instead of walking to the well
·         Crops and livestock thrive

If training and running this marathon for myself wasn't a good enough reason to finish this race, for every $50 I am able to raise gives one person access to enough water to last them their lifetime! A LIFETIME!!!  Some of us can spend $50+ on just a bottle of wine for one meal.  My goal is to raise at least $1300.  That way when I'm running, for each mile marker that I pass I will have given one more person access to clean water for the rest of their lives. 

If you are interested in donating, you can visit my personal race page: Kendra's Team World Vision Personal Page

I want to thank my family and friends in advance for supporting my decision to run, helping get over those physical and mental hurdles that are sure to pop up and for contributing money for the cause.  I expect a big celebration when I cross the finish on race day, but until then there is a lot of work to be done.  Stay tuned for the next update on how the training is going.

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