the challenge

My running history looks a bit like this: 

sign up for a 5k

train really hard 

run the race

don't look at my running shoes for weeks until another race comes up.

It is really easy to put my running on the back burner with school and everything else going on. No matter how much I enjoy the run once I'm out there, actually getting myself out the door has proven to be the most difficult part of being a runner. I would really like to change this bad habit and get into a more consistent running routine so that I can run longer races. Almost anyone can go out and walk/run a 5K with no training. That is not the case for a half marathon or any race that results in finisher bling.

I really want race bling.

More specifically, I want finisher bling from the Atlanta half marathon held in the city each year on Thanksgiving. So I brought it up to Steve this weekend and asked for his advice on the situation. He asked the typical Steve question "how much does this race cost?" and almost choked on air when I said $60.

Apparently paying $60 for the privilege of running 13.1 miles on public streets seems crazy to him.

He ended up having a really great idea though. He suggested setting a challenge for myself and making the "prize" the ability to register for the race. I thought about it for a minute and I came to the conclusion that this might just work. 

So, from now until the end of July I will be training as if I have already registered. If I can stick to the training plan while maintaining my grades during summer semester, then I will register for the half marathon. If not, then I'll be a spectator this year and pick another half marathon to try for in the spring.

It's a good plan because it gives me something to work for, but the reward won't allow me to slow down my training. I'm putting this out here in blog land for accountability. As I finish this up I am going to be heading over to the gym for some quality treadmill time. Wish me luck!