Run, run, run as fast as you can! Can't catch me, oh wait... you can.

February 6th.  Mark your calendars people!  What is on this date?  The Superbowl you say??  While, yes it is Superbowl Sunday, however its an even more epic day for me.

It's my first official race!

That's right, at 9 AM February 6th I will be running through Manhattan for 4 miles.  If I'm serious about my goal to run a marathon (now less than a year away!) I need to get into the mind set that racing requires.  This means that from here on out I will be signing up for as many races as my legs, my knees and my bank account will allow.

Since this first official race is slightly longer than a 5K (and the furthest I've ever run is 3 miles and that was well over a month and a half ago) I realized today that I needed to step up my running, so I altered my route.  I didn't check the mileage of my new trek until I got home, and I was very happy to discover that it was a little over three miles!  I fully expected that at the end of my run I was going to be gasping and wheezing trying to catch my breath, but to my great surprise I felt great!  I felt like I could have gone for at least another mile.  I know, it was the endorphins that gave me a "runner's high" but really my legs felt great.  Granted, I did slow my pace slightly to ensure that I didn't over do it, but either way I was proud of myself.  It made me feel pretty confident that come race day I'll be more than prepared.

Aside from my first official race, this Saturday I'm running in an unofficial 5K that I'm also quite excited about.  One of the biggest influences to help me start running was a blogger by the name of Ben Davis (bendoeslife.com).  He started his journey 2 years ago and since then has lost over 120 pounds, has run marathons and even completed an Ironman race.  He's unstoppable.  Since his inspirational video  went viral a few months ago, he has decided to expand his "Do Life" philosophy and is wanting to create a series of races across the US.  One of his first races is going to be a 5K right here in NYC.  It's unofficial, so there is no sign up or anything like that.  Just show up this Saturday morning at the statue in the middle of Columbus Circle.

I'm not going to lie, I'm a little nervous.  Even though I've gotten slightly faster as I've grown stronger, I'm still really slow in terms of a running pace.  My biggest fear that I'm going to totally be hauling up the back of the pack, but you know what?  Oh well!  The whole "Do Life" mentality is all about just getting out there and living your life and to stop caring about what others think.  I can't live my life in fear, right?

On a scale related note, tomorrow is once again my weigh day and I still haven't shaken my fear of what my scale will say.  I didn't run as much this week as I wanted because NYC was frigid.  Like, I got cold just getting out from underneath my covers.  I was afraid to run in that cold of weather.  I wasn't completely horrible in terms of my diet, but I definitely made some choices that I shouldn't have.  Oh well, I guess the scale is going to say what its going to say I just need to not worry about it.  I'll just keep working hard, stepping up my routine when I feel comfortable about doing so, and try and get that scale back out of my mind.

Always easier said than done, right?

Oh, and by the way... Oscar nominations came out today.  Go King's Speech!  Seriously, if you haven't seen this movie, get out from under the rock from which you dwell and get thee to a theatre!  One of the best movies I've seen in a long time!  Seriously.  Go.  Now.