A half marathon and the Barbarian Challenge this weekend!

So unbelievably, I have decided to do a half marathon in September.  It's here in state only about an hour away so that really helps.  www.talladegahalfmarathon.com.  If you had told me 6 months ago that I would be training to run a half marathon right now I would have told you that you were crazy.  I have never been "a runner".  Run for fun, for exercise, for whatever but not seriously like this.  I am in week two of training.  Training is not horrible.  It's about 3 days a week right now and it actually has started out at distances I am pretty used to running but at much slower paces - now that just drives me crazy.  I see no reason to slow my pace at this point if I am running the same distances I have been.

My husband has decided to do the half too.  And he has NEVER been a runner, not even the casual runner I am.  It should be fun!  At this point, I just cannot imagine running 13.1 miles.  The longest I have ever run is 6 miles.  Doubling that and then some just seems an unsurmountable task, but I am going to try.

Today is speed training.  One mile warm up, about a mile at a pace a little faster than I am used to running, a half mile recovery, a mile at the faster pace again and then a half mile cool down.  I am experimenting too.  It is getting lighter earlier here so I am up in the hopes that it will be light enough in about 20 minutes to go run before work.  It's getting too hot to run on my lunch hour outside at work.  Plus I know the distances around here and at work it would be a little harder to figure out.  I hear the birds already so that's a good sign.

This weekend is the Barbarian Challenge in Gadsden.  www.barbarianchallenge.com  Now this one I am nervous about.  I think it will be fun as we are doing it with a couple other people but I am a little worried about the obstacles and the course.  Plus it's almost a mile longer than the Warrior Dash we did in Jackson, MS a couple months ago.  I think I will finish it but will I finish it faster than the three guys I am running with? That's really my goal - to beat the boys!  Wish me luck!