Some Background before the Good Stuff Starts

Not only do I want to run this half marathon, but I need to start eating healthier too. Notsomuch a diet, just...well...not as MUCH as I've been eating lately. Why didn't I sleep last night? Oh right, because I had a delicious Klondike Bar minutes before I tried to go to bed. And doesn't Oprah say something about no food after 7pm? Alright so it's Monday. Diet starts....now.

Here is the Cast of Characters in this Road to the Tiarathon:

Me, of course:

This is the only recent picture of me that doesn't have me holding my son. It's not attractive. But hey, won't the "after" picture be that much better when I start out with one like this??

Like I said I'm not a runner and really don't enjoy it...Yet. Who knows, even a commenter on my previous post said I might surprise myself! After a career in finance and most recently as the Head of Investor Relations for a multi-billion dollar asset management firm, I hung up my power suit and stashed away my sensible heels to stay at home with my little guy.  Which is harder? Hands down, staying at home.  Which is more fulfilling? Do I even need to answer that??  A few months ago, I decided to turn something I really love into a fun job - I'm a Disney Vacation Planner for Pixie Vacations. I absolutely love it, I'm having a blast meeting some wonderful people and planning their magical vacations. I was nervous that working with Disney would lose some of the magic for me - nope! I've worked with some great folks at Disney and it's just great.

The little man: 

Thomas at the Bronx Zoo, August 2010

Thomas was born on June 20, 2009.  He's a great kid who just learned to walk, run, squeal, and torture our bulldog Fiona. He's really my biggest motivator! I can tell already he's going to be one active kid. I don't want to be a soccer mom on the sidelines handing out oranges. I want to be mom who PLAYS soccer with him! I want him to know that his mom can go out and play ball with him, can take him on in a running race, and won't be sitting like a lump on beach vacations but instead out on the sand and jumping waves.

The husband:

John and his partner in crime, August 2010

And here's John, husband extraordinaire.  He has gracefully accepted all of my neurosis and is supporting my new endeavor.  Unfortunately the cost of multiple trips down to Disney this year is making it impossible for John and Thomas to join me down for the race.  They will be cheering me on from home, I'm sure!  So yes, Disney's Princess Half Marathon will be one of firsts for me - running and being away from my son more than 7 hours since he was born!

And now onto the running:
Of course I'd want to then combine this whole running thing with Disney, right? After way too much time on the Dis Boards and Intercot, I looked into the Princess Half Marathon.  It's a race that involves training and endurance but it's not CRAZY like the full marathon. Like I've said before, I wasn't quite a coach potato but whatever the next step up from that is? That's me. I started on June 14th with the Couch to 5k App and crushed it.

Ok, I lied.  I suffered through even the first days where I got to walk way more than run! But I completed it and in less than the 9 weeks! My weekday runs are always with Thomas in the stroller. I started off running with him in our Peg Perego - NOT a running stroller! I gave myself a goal.  If I complete a 5k (not necessarily a race, just a 5k on my own) then I'd reward myself with a jogger. Well, around week 7 of my program, my aunt and uncle bought me a jogger!

That's a little more background about what's going on. My plans is to follow a mish-mosh of  a few of the "beginner half marathon" training blogs that I found through Google.  My weekday runs with the stroller are a little difficult because the jogger adds a bit of weight to the run. My weekend runs are childless and will be my long run days. According the the training blogs, it looks like 2, 3, and 4 mile runs are on tap for the weekdays with the weekend runs building up in mileage.

Not only will I blog about my training and it's suckiness (er, I mean how awesome I'll feel) but I have THREE Disney trips planned before the run so if it's ok with you I'll be doing a little Disney blogging too!

To my readers, please oh please feel free to comment freely - tips, complaints, motivating tidbits, ANYTHING!!