13.1 . . . yikes.

Try to act surprised when I tell you I’m not really the outdoorsy type, and tend to stay inside whenever possible (shock! awe!). But even I, a devoted hermit, have to tip my hat to mother nature for giving us a Utah February in the 50s and 60s.

It’s a beautiful change from the norm—this time last year, I was cocooned in blankets, rubbing my hands together over a heating vent. Today, I was opening windows, airing out 4 months of pent-up diaper fumes.

Even a hermit could get used to this.

It’s been especially awesome when it comes to my running—we have a treadmill, but even at its best, treadmill running isn’t awesome. And I am excited and eager to be running outside, because I did something a little bit crazy.

I signed up for a half marathon.

It’s Mel’s fault. I had been toying with the idea of a half marathon (which sounds, frankly, impossible, but also a little neat), and then Mel went and posted a coupon code for the Utah Valley half in June.

So I registered. She made it sound all sorts of inspiring and attainable, and I looked up the course (which I’m already very familiar with, since I drive it regularly), and it’s going to be beautiful in June.

And before you get all, “Oh, how awesome, you’re amazing!” let me just remind you that all I’ve done so far is click the ‘register’ button, which isn’t all that impressive (although I gave myself a hearty pat on the back anyway).

My only races so far have been 5ks (and not many of them, either—maybe 3?), so this is going to be quite the step up for me. I like the idea of having a big goal to work toward, and let’s be honest, I will sound pretty darn cool when I go around telling everyone who will listen that I ran a half marathon. And really, isn’t coolness the best reason to do anything?

I’m following this 20-week training plan, and being able to run outside has been glorious. So another big thank you goes out to the weather gods, because the thought of training for a half marathon on a treadmill makes me want to cry.

So far, the runs haven’t been much different than what I was already doing. But things are going to get intense. Even looking at the schedule is daunting. At this point, I can’t even imagine completing a 6 or 7 mile run, much less 13.1. That sounds absolutely insane.

I’ve always thought of runners as belonging to a species of their own—running must come easily and naturally to them, and they haven’t ever really had to work for it. Like cheetahs. They hardly even have to try, they just run, and they enjoy it, and how weird is that?

I, on the other hand, have had to work and sweat and fight for nearly every step I’ve ever run, so clearly: not a natural-born runner. I’m hoping to discover in the next weeks and months that I’ve been completely wrong about this, and running is, in fact, a learned skill.

So, my half marathon sounds sort of unreachable to me right now. But by gum, I will get it done, if only to prove to myself that I can do something big. Pure mulish stubbornness—I signed up for this race and so help me I will not let that registration fee go to waste.

And purely to remind you that you can never believe what you see on the internet—it’s all fun and games until Mom asks you to pause your play for 2 seconds for a picture.

If you are going to be running the Utah Valley Half Marathon this year, will you let me know? I’d love to hear who else will be there.

And if you’ve run a half before, I’m ready and waiting for your advice and encouragement and ‘what to expect’s, please and thank you :-)