Training in Progress

School in Maine has begun! I am down to 2 little ones at home during the day! This is going to be a great thing for my training program! I will be able to extend my runs and exercise time because I won't have the 2 older asking me if we are "done yet". The weather has been perfect for getting out for some really nice long walks/jogs and I hope it stays that way for a very long time. I just realized where I live and that the bulk of my big training will be in the dead of Maine's winter. I am trying not to focus on that! For now, I am enjoying this wonderful weather we are getting!

xoxo, Jessica

Making It Happen!

Finding the time to make exercise happen with 4 kiddos on summer vacation and a husband who works 12 hour shift isn't easy! But we will make it happen, we are making it happen! We are getting into a grove that is pretty good. The 2 little ones are in the jogger, the 7 year old rides his bike and the 5 year old is my running partner! I keep telling him that if he wants to keep taking gymnastics in the fall that he has to be physically fit and that means walking and running with me! So far it is working! They are very supportive of my desire to be out exercising and not stopping to chat with neighbors or to smell the flowers as we walk by! It is nice to be able to share with my kiddos how important exercise and physical fitness is!

xoxo, Jessica

6 months to go! You can do it Princess!

Well, Princesses - as of today we have 6 MONTHS to go!! It's not quite time to start the "official" training plan yet... that starts (for Beginners) the first week of October, but I knew I needed as much time as possible to get ready - so, I have now been on the treadmill every SINGLE day for 19 days in a row!  I know I still have SO far to go, but with every mile I log, I feel a *smidge* less terrified!  I don't know how I will do this yet... I read things that still scare me about the pace and time - but I am trying to stay confident that with honest hard-work and training, I WILL BE ready!!  Next decision - SHOES!! Every Princess needs the perfect pair of shoes and the most important decision you will make will be the glass slippers running shoes you choose!! We will do a whole post about that so check back!! Happy Running!!  Remember - no matter how slow you are going, you are still lapping the people still on the couch!



So, keep strong - YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

We are Princesses dammit!

Life in the Fast Lane

No one out there promised this would be easy! In fact, I knew going into this just how difficult it would be. Juggling my new healthy life and 4 kiddos is sure to be, at the very least, a marathon in itself. I knew going into this that there would be times that I would have to drag myself out my front door and train when I didn't want to. Today was not one of those days! I was very excited to round the chicklets up to go out for a walk/jog. Things went downhill fast, so fast, that we hadn't even left our driveway. I very easily could have given up, but I chose not to! I chose to press on and stay out there and exercise! No one ever promised this would be easy..... just worth it!

xoxo, Jessica

Um... a half what???

Okay, so here's how the conversation went: (names should have been changed to protect the crazy - but you might as well know now!!)

Me: Hey, Jess - guess what?
Jess: What?
Me: I have done really great, I have been on my treadmill every day for three days in a row! I decided it was time!
Jess: That's awesome!
Me: Yeah, thanks! You know, this is going to sound crazy coming from me (for the reader's benefit - if we ever have readers - I am one of *the* most couch-potato people you could ever meet) but I think by starting now, I can do the Gate River Run in March here in town.  It's a 15K and I think if I work hard, I'll be able to at least walk it by then - don't you think?
Jess: Sure, I am sure you can! That's awesome!!

THEN, pause for dramatic effect - THIS happened:

Jess:  You know what would be even more cool??
Me: Um, what?
Jess: Well, there is a race in Disney in February, it's the Disney Princess Half-Marathon, wouldn't it be fun to do that??  I have always wanted to do a race in Disney, it's been a dream of mine!
Me: Um, a half what??
Jess: A half MARATHON!
Me: Yeah, that's what I thought you said!  Hmmm - well, I suppose by starting now, and being ready to the 15K in March, if I keep training, I could probably (meaning, HELL no I don't think I could ever do that!) be ready by February 2014.  That gives me almost a year to recover from the 15K!
Jess: No, I meant do the Disney race in Feb 2013!!
Me: Have you lost your mind??
Jess: Yes - but that's not the point!
Me: HONESTLY??? Have you seen me?? I am 46 and more than a few pounds overweight - and oh yeah, I don't RUN.
Jess: C'mon - it'll be a blast!!
Me: HONESTLY??? Have you seen me?? I am 46 and more than a few pounds overweight - and oh yeah, I don't RUN.
Jess: Wait, look - I found this blog... look at the pictures!  Look at how much fun this looks like...

And that was how we started!  We took the PLUNGE!  I have been on my treadmill every day for a whopping 10 days.  Woo.  Whatever! I am TERRIFIED!  Oh, did I mention that me - who can barely walk 2 20 minute miles in a row has to get to a point where I can do a 16 minute mile for 13 POINT 1 miles in a row??? Oh, yeah - did I mention that you have a time limit of 3.5 hours to be able to complete this Half-Marathon from hell??

Oh, yeah - the blog pictures DO look fun.  That girl in that picture looks as old as my Mom!  And that Princess looks at least as heavy as me.

... maybe, just maybe we CAN do this!

If you are reading this - maybe you are thinking about it too?  Join us as we walk you through all we figure out, and how we're doing!  It's a SCARY undertaking - but you know what...  A princess, especially a DISNEY PRINCESS can do anything she wants!  I have decided today...

I am a Princess Dammit!

It's Registration Day!

I feel like a kid who just got their acceptance letter to their first college of choice! Today we made the plunge and registered for our very first half-marathon (I can speak for myself and say my very first race)! Disney's Princess Half Marathon! It is so strange to read that I am actually registered! Talking about it is one thing, actually registering is WAY different! So strange, in fact, that I needed a photo of it to prove that it really happened! I am so excited, nervous, scared.... did I mention excited! This is going to be something that really surprises so many people that I know! People know that I am a major Disney fan, as my family and I regularly vacation there, but to be registered for one of their runs is going to knock their socks off! I am ready to make the serious changes necessary to do this "the right way". I am so thankful for Lisa who has agreed to this crazy idea! Without her it would be just a dream..... but for now we are Princesses in Training!

xoxo, Jessica