I dream of running.

I finally had my first pregnancy meltdown over the weekend.  You know the one, the "its not fair." meltdown.

However, I confessed to the friend who got to listen to my melt down, that I felt like I had no right to complain and that I should just keep my mouth shut. I feel like I have no right to complain since this was something I've wanted so badly over the past few years and something I thought I'd never experience again.  Surprisingly, I'm pregnant again and this one has been ten times easier than the first, so it even adds on to the guilt of complaining. 

Being the good friend that she is, she let me complain for a minute and assured me that I was justified.  Being pregnant isn't necessary fun and it's a long nine months.

It seems as though just as I really got the running bug, I've had to put things on hold.

It's been killing me.

I've been living vicariously through my running (and regular life) BFF Alison. Even with me not running currently, we keep up our daily running banter and discuss her training runs.  Yeah, it exciting conversation...to us at least.  She's set to run her first half in just a few short weeks.  It was to be my second half, but obviously, that got sidelined.  I wish so badly I could be right there beside her as she runs those 13.1 miles, but there is always next year.

I'm still keeping up with the exercising, but its just not the same.  I like to race.  I like having a training schedule to keep up with.  I like having a goal to reach and then starting on a new one the day after a race. I love that feeling of accomplishment after a race, whether its 3 miles or 13.  I'll be honest, I loved the feeling of having that medal put around my neck at the end of the 1/2.  It felt better than any piece of jewelry I've ever slipped on (minus the engagement & wedding ring).

So, what is a sidelined runner to do???

Dream of the next few years, I guess.

 

I've been searching for races and deciding how far I want to go.

I want another medal. I want a hundred of them to be honest.

I vagulay started thinking about it before I found out I was pregnant, but its really hit me the past couple of months.  I want to go all the way.  I want to run a full marathon.

I want to run the full 26.2 miles. 

A few years ago, that would have been a completely crazy thought.  Now though, it doesn't seem that crazy.

Obviously, its a long way off, but I've set my sights on a particular race and already have a vague training plan.  And after three months of trying to convince her, over the weekend, I finally convinced my running partner to join me.

I'm giving myself the time off after the baby comes in July, but my goal is to start running again by October of this year and running in my first race on Thanksgiving day.  I feel like that's plenty of time to get back to three miles.

Then its time to start training for our second 1/2 in the Spring.  We're currently looking at the Diva half marathon in April 2014 and since it's at Myrtle Beach, yes, we're planning on making it a girls weekend.

Then the big one will be the Savannah Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in November 2014.  It's flat, so we thought it would be a great first timer.

I honestly want to go a little farther than that though.  I first heard of the Goofy Challenge last fall when everyone was getting excited about the upcoming Disney runs.  You run a 1/2 marathon on a Saturday and a full on Sunday.  My ultimate goal is to complete in the Goofy Challenge sometime in either 2015 or 2016.

So, I'm putting them out there.  My goals, my dreams.

Now to keep counting down the days till I can get started on them! 

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