Putting it in DRIVE.

The past week or so I have really been vacillating back and forth about whether or not I wanted to sign up for the ½ marathon training program or attempt to train on my own.  I loved the 5K and 10K training programs and the ½ is offered by the same store, just a new and potentially scary coach.  Should I just do it myself and run with my running friends that are also training?  Should I dive head first into the dark unknown abyss and sign up for the program?  What to do?!?!  What to do!?!?  Ack!  My brain hurts for thinking about it!

I suppose you would like a little back story, huh?  Remember I started the running deal on a whim.  I have griped and complained but overall been very successful.  I owe a lot of that success to my running coach, Daphne.  She was right there with encouragement, hand holding, tear wiping and super coaching.  I’ll go ahead and admit here that I like comfort.  I’m comfortable with Daphne.  I love her and value not only her superb coaching but also her friendship.  So do I feel a little bit like Benedict Arnold because I am actually thinking about signing up with another coach?  Oh yeah…big time. 

Enter the “potentially scary coach”, Charles.  I know him from the store and out and about at the races.  He has always, and I mean ALWAYS cheered me on when we’ve met up at the races or seen one another out running.  He also knows what it is to go down the road called weight loss and healthy life style change.  These are pluses.  However I’ve heard through the grapevine that he is a slave driver.  YIKES!  Last night I went to the informational meeting to hear what he had to say.  I figured I needed to weigh all my options before deciding.  My running buddy, P agreed.

I walk into the store for the meeting and was immediately greeted by Charles.  Wow!  He chatted with me about the 5K the Saturday before; so far so good.  Then the meeting starts and I realized something very quickly.  Yes, Charles may be more “hard core” than what I am used to but what I’m training for is also more “hard core” so shouldn’t that be expected?  I also looked over the others assembled for the meeting and realized something else.  I don’t need to feel intimidated.  They are all regular people like me not marathon winners.

I signed up for the program last night and feel good about my decision.  I will not look upon Charles as “potentially scary” anymore.  Maybe the ones that feel this way just didn’t gel with him and that is OK.   He may be hard but I feel confident he will help me improve and reach my goals, just like Daphne did and continues to do.  You can’t go wrong with broadening your scope.  And let’s face facts I have to have a coach.

The program doesn’t actually begin until July so I have a few weeks to just enjoy my runs with my friends and Daphne before I have to get serious about training.  I hope she understands when I tell her the news.  I don’t know why I’m worried, I know she will.  This morning at half past crazy, getting my run in I thought about all this and was at peace. 

Sure hope I continue with this peace and don’t fall to pieces!

You can’t steer a parked car anymore than I can do my first ½ marathon without a structured training plan. 

Remember:  ONWARD and UPWARD!  Of course there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth along the way…it is me we’re talking about here.