so i lied...

...or maybe just changed my mind. either way... remember that post a few months ago where i was all "oh who cares about another marathon, ive done 5, who needs to do more... blah blah blah...." (actually it was more like "i hate running. i want a break... waaaaah waaaaaah waaaaaaaaaaaaah"...)

since that post, the number of times ive gone back and forth about the decision to run a marathon was ridiculous driving me crazy. id find one i wanted to run, go to the site, get out the credit card, and change my mind. (this happened at least 8 times). i kept going back to some of the reasons why i decided not to do a marathon this year... but the more i thought about it, the more i realized i really do enjoy running the races, even when the training gets tough (both mentally and physically). im pretty sure ive never actually completed an entire "training program" for any of the 5 marathons ive done (lets get real... have you? ok, its probably just me....) regardless, ive still crossed each finish line, with a smile on my face.

maybe its just the talk of everyone around me training for boston or excited for their spring/fall marathon (or the desire for an ice bath.... wait, uh, what?)... but i started longing for the training, remembering the thrill of finishing the distance (yes, us marathon runners have sick minds... we actually enjoy this pain?!), ready to try to tackle the marathon once again.

so on thursday, while everyone was awaiting 3pm to register for the marine corps marathon, i finally followed through and did a little registering myself:

(26.2 hours?! i hope they know im only running 26.2 miles...

and i also hope it wont take me 26.2 hours to do so)

(theres a marathon, a 12 hour ultra, and a 24 hour ultra)

and i just may have gotten a little carried away with this whole "i want to do a marathon" thing... cuz i did this too:

i mean, i AM on their website and all...

i havent completely sold myself on a particular training program just yet, but im leaning towards a slight modification of the pfitz 18/55 program again, (the one that i ultimately failed at last summer for the maine marathon). i didnt fail cuz of the training program itself... just lots and lots of life got in the way. i feel much stronger and a whole lot faster than last year, and i think training in the spring/early summer will be more feasable than summer/fall training (read: dear mother nature, please no heat stroke this year, kthanks). ive thought about 16/14/12 week plans, but i like the layout of the 18 week plan (despite feeling like 18 weeks is a really loooooooooong time). 

im focusing on the around the lake marathon as my goal race vs. mdi, but i couldnt pass up mdi after how beautiful it was last year (seriously, do this race!!). my work schedule doesnt always allow me to do my "long runs" on saturday or sunday, so as always i have to tweak the training program to fit. also, around the lake starts at 7pm on a friday night so my weeks can be saturday to friday instead of monday to sunday. im gonna need to figure out nutrition & fuel in a different way as well since ill be awake all day before the race.

sarah and i talked a lot during our 13 mile run today and came up with some great plans for training. im going to try doing some of my runs at night, and since my towns kinda sketchy, ill stick to running in my neighborhood (this is what i do when i run at 4am, our neighborhood is a 1 mile figure 8). this will also help get me used to the boring monotony (the marathon is a 3.17 mile loop... 8 times. sounds fun right??) and im not sure but im assuming since its at night i wont be able to wear music, so that will be a big change. the last two long runs i went without, but i had someone to talk to... so, the big question remains: who's coming to run with me? :)

needless to say im happy with my choice, and im excited to see what i can do with (hopefully) adequate/strong training. as my training progresses ill figure out my goals (although a few people already know one of them). might the loop race get boring? sure. but i know some friends who are going to be there for the ultra's and im hoping to have a few friends hanging out cheering me on every 3 miles (pretty please? ill buy you ice cream or beer! peeeeer pressure!)

and really, who doesnt love running with a headlamp?