I’m actually posting this a day late, so pretend it is yesterday.

Last January, I decided once and for all I was tired of being overweight and out of shape. Little Man was running me ragged, and although I had immensely enjoyed my two stints with Team in Training, I felt like the slowest “runner” out there. So I decided on January 1, 2014, that I would run the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in November. At midnight I signed up to run 26.2 miles in November.

In February I started a couch to 5k program, using an iOS app from a company called ClearSky (not an affiliate, BTW, but after researching practically all of them in existence at the time, I do think it was the best one out there to go from literally nothing to running 30 minutes in a row without stopping).

In May (May 31, in fact) I was injured. I spent June, July and part of August in and out of physical therapy and the sports medicine doctor’s office (but I love love LOVE my sports medicine doc – he repeatedly calls me a “young athlete,” so I would go see him every day!).

In September I dropped down from the full to the half, because the doctor said I bursitis in my hip, and I could run the full and never run again, or I could run the half and then run again. And again. And again.

In November I set a three minute PR (personal record) at the IMM. I was on track, at the halfway point, to set a twenty minute PR, but then I had my first ever asthma attack. I don’t recommend them.

In December I ran a Jingle Bell Run for arthritis and set a PR.

My first running goal for 2015 are five half-marathons, three of which I will complete in a six week span in March, April and May, in two states. I am running with Team in Training again, in honor of my childhood best friend’s father, who passed away from Leukemia in June. He was basically my second dad. It’s been nothing short of devastating for the family, except we all know he’s in Heaven.

My second goal is to raise $1000 while doing aforementioned Team in Training gig.

My third goal is to run 40 miles per month, since I will be 40 in August.

My fourth goal is to add cross training and stretching/strengthening exercises to my running routine.

I have become fascinated slightly obsessed with running blogs in the past year, and Ironman competitors, and ultramarathoners. I love to read what they accomplish every week and month. So this is my little attempt. Feel free to skip these posts every week. But if you are sitting there thinking, “I’d like to maybe run…I’d like to be able to chase my kid around the yard without heart palpitations or feeling like I’m dying,” let me encourage you… YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!

So this is what I did last week, the first week of 2015:

Dec. 31: 1.8 miles in 26:02
Jan 1: 2.38 miles in 31:36
Jan. 3: 6.4 miles in 1:24:53
Jan. 4: 20 minutes on the indoor bike trainer

Miles YTD: 8.78