The week following the 10K, I realized that as awful as it was, I really need to stop being depressed about it because the half marathon was happening in 5 weeks. So I needed to pick up the training. I created my own little workout plan running a few days a week with one long run that would increase to 13 miles by the half marathon.

I’ve found different times to run. I get up at 5am some days to run. I’m hoping to stick to this schedule throughout the summer so that I can run at the coolest part of the day. But right now, some days are too cool at 5am to run.

I’ve also tried to run while the six year old is at baseball and lacrosse practice, running circles around the field while the other moms sit and chat or chase their other children. I feel that this is fairly antisocial of me to run during practice. It’s a good time to talk and get to know other parents (also on my bucket list – make a close mom friend in town). But some days it’s the only part of the day I can exercise, so I choose to be anti-social. But one mom did tell me at a baseball game that she saw me running and thought “I should do that too!” so maybe that will be my way of making friends?

I have done long runs in the dark with a light belt on. This is probably the best for me at the moment. The downside to this is that running at night is the fear factor. Our town is small, wooded, and not well lit. I try to avoid the woods at night because of skunks and bears. (This story of an aggressive bear in our town was news a few days after the 10K ran through the Game Refuge. I am sure the bear was just pissed that I ran so slowly through his home turf that he decided to chase out all runners). This leaves me with a one-mile stretch of trail near our house that runs alongside the main road. I have to cross one main street, but after 9pm, there’s barely any traffic. So occasionally at night, I’ve been known to run back and forth on this stretch of trail 4 or 5 times until I get to whatever mileage I’m aiming for. It’s a boring stretch, but it’s probably the safest. I’m never more than a mile from my house. Husband may even be able to hear me scream if a bear decided I looked yummy.

Running at night does have its perks. There has only been one time I’ve run into another person (someone walking home from the YMCA down the street), so if I want to sing along with music, I do. (It has the added benefit of keeping bears away.) I’m also not embarrassed that I look ridiculously wearing a light belt (a.k.a. a very fancy fanny pack) and neon blue compression socks that rarely match my running shoes or the rest of my outfit (are compression socks supposed to make your feet numb? Someone tell me please. Mine do, but I feel I can run longer with them on). Plus, I don’t have to run with all this extra gear like sunglasses and a hat. I don’t have to wear sunscreen. It’s not as hot. There aren’t other runners or bikers or dog walkers to pay attention to. I can run right in the middle of the trail and not worry about others trying to pass me.

I’m not very concerned with my time for the half marathon. This is what I’m hoping to accomplish:

• Run the entire half marathon without stopping
• Not be the last person to finish

Really. Those are my only goals. Those are also my goals for the marathon. I figure that no matter what, I’m going to get a PR in both these races (PR is racer lingo for personal record) because I’ve never run them before. So as long as I run and don’t stop until I finish, I will have something to celebrate.

So far in training, I’m up to eight miles with three and a half weeks left to go to the half marathon.