I Did It

That's right, friends, I registered for the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. I can't believe it! This will be my first ever marathon and I am excited. The marathon is October 10th (a day after Mr. Hoosier's birthday). I thought October would be a perfect time to run a marathon: the weather (let's hope) will be mild, I won't have to deal with snow for my training, for the majority of my training I won't be in school, and I will already have a solid base from the half marathon. So, with all of this being said, I have no idea what to expect while preparing for this race. I don't even have a time goal set for myself. I know it's my first and I should just be concerned with finishing, however, I am much more motivated when I have a time in my head to shoot for. I can run a half marathon in under two hours (about 1:55), so for all your vetran marathoners out there, what would be a good time goal to shoot for?

I will be running it with my good friend and running buddy R. I am so excited she decided to do it and that we are going to be able to train together. I am not confident I would have been able to make it on those long runs without someone else.

I will be happy to take any tips and advice while training for this race. I can't believe I am doing it, but am so excited.

In addition, R and I will both be running this marathon as a Girls on the Run SoleMate, which was actually the determining factor in me choosing to actually do this. As a SoleMate, we will be running to raise money (at least $262) for Girls on the Run of Hamilton County. When I found out that the Chicago Marathon was the official partner of Girls on the Run SoleMates I decided that I must do it, so here we go! As I am training, my motivation will be that this is not just for me, but also for the girls of my community. I am doing this to provide them with the opportunity to "live a life full of self respect and healthy living".

So, please follow and support me on this journey to not just 26.2, but also $262 for Girls on the Run of Hamilton County! If you would like to donate to my efforts, follow this link- any donation is greatly appreciated and will be applied to efforts to continue to offer Girls on the Run to the girls of Hamilton County.

http://www.active.com/donate/SoleMates2011/HNichol44

Until next time,
H =)