Well....

I haven't signed up for a race yet. The two I'm looking at are Virginia Beach (3/20) and Cleveland (5/16). So a minimum of 19 weeks from now, a maximum of 27. I need to just make a decision.

I know "half-assed" is a little flip. It's the term I used this spring when I wondered whether I could do two events this fall without killing myself. (Which I did. And had fun. And didn't get injured. And finished the half very close to my original goal time, which I'd given up hoping for when my training kind of fell apart this fall - around the 75th percentile for my age group.) I tried to be focused and consistent in my training, and to use the general principles of published training plans without adhering to any one. I gave myself the flexibility to take a rest day or an easy day when I felt I needed it - figuring that it was my body trying to tell me something.

I could use the term "self-coached," but you know what they say about a lawyer who represents herself, and I think the same goes for trainers.

I spent a lot of time last year asking people how long they trained for their first marathons. Most of the answers came back over a year... but I forgot to ask them, "starting from what?" I'm not starting from the couch - all the free published training plans give me plenty of time.

Part of why I want to do a spring marathon is that I can be a lot more consistent with my training in the winter when I don't have to teach aerobics. Part of it is that I don't ever want to feel like I can't take the time to ride my bike over the summer. Part of it is that I feel like I can be ready, so I should just do it.