Goals + Refueling

I want to start running longer and longer runs.  My current long term goal is to be able to run 16 miles straight by the end of the year.  I want to run the ½ marathon distance at the Austin Marathon in February 2014.  Truthfully, if I can do a ½ this fall, I really want to be able to.  That’s why I’m considering doing the training with USA Fit-Austin starting in May.  It’s only $110 for six months’ worth of training.  I think that’s a good deal.  I’m also about to start reading Runner’s World’s Big Book of Marathon and Half Marathon Training tomorrow.  I’m excited about what the future holds for me in my running career.  And that’s exactly what it is…a career.  I plan to stick with this like I’ve never stuck with anything else (besides my love for cats, of course) before in my life.  I’ve always given up on things, no matter how much I initially wanted it.  This time it’s different.  This time I’ve fallen in love with something…something that is changing my life and who I am as a person.  It’s making me more outgoing.  Showing up somewhere that I’ve never been before, all by myself…in the past, I would have been beyond anxious.  In fact, in the past, there’s a good chance that, even though I paid for the registration fee, that I would have chickened out and not gone because I was so afraid of what could happen.

Anyway, in preparation for running longer and longer runs, I bought a bunch of gels and chews yesterday to start experimenting with.  I figure since they say that you need to take in about 20 grams of carbs for every hour you’re running after an hour of running, I will start taking one in every hour, starting at about mile 5 (that’s right at about 53 minutes into the run).

Oh!  My short term goal for running is to be at the 9 mile mark by the end of April.  So excited!