The beginning...

I have decided to write this blog to help me log my training all the way through to the end - the finish line that is. I thought it would also be a great way for my friends and family to come along on the journey with me. I am not a great writer by any means...i actually despise writing but for some reason i feel that i should document this large milestone in my life. So as of now i am apologizing for incomplete sentences, paragraphs not flowing, missing punctuation and abrupt endings! I hope you will enjoy reading this...if anything this blog should make you feel lucky about not having to go on a 9 mile run on a beautiful and lazy Sunday morning!

The beginning....

I have worked for the Office of Student Life with the University of Iowa for the last 6 months. I have experienced many great groups and organizations the student body has to offer, one of them being Dance Marathon. I have never been more impressed and inspired by what this group accomplishes. Last year the students raised over $1,030,000.00 for children with cancer. With this, they also started Dance Marathon the Marathon last year. A group of 80 some students made a commitment and dedication to raise money, train and complete the Chicago Marathon - and they did! this year our marathon group consists of over 200 students and staff from the University of Iowa. We are considered one of the top charity groups involved with the Chicago Marathon!

I am 28, newly married and looking to start a family very soon. As there was talk early this Spring about the marathon within the office - i started thinking and wondering if that could be me. I would love to be a part of this amazing organization and help families in need and make a difference in this world. of course all of the crazy ideas went through my head like "really? do you really think you can run 26.2 miles? - All at once?" and then i thought - "I want kids... you will never have time again to put this much effort into one task once there are tiny smith's running around" i did think about it a few days and didn't share it with anyone until i had made the final decision.

That night, I broke the news to my husband and sister-in-law. "Hey guess what guys? I'm going to run the Chicago Marathon!" The husband turned around with a smirk and disbelief on his face and said "What? you're kidding right? - you can't do that!" Knowing that I'm not exactly the expert runner and a bit of whiner. My sister in law was a little more encouraging, but i could still see the doubt in her eyes....I KNOW its a big feat.....I'm crazy right? I have only ran one 5K in my whole 28 years on this earth and that was nearly 11 months ago...they had every right to have doubt and smirks and what not - i have never been Miss Fitness USA by any means.

...Although, i am that stubborn - that if you tell me i can't do it - i will do it- just to prove you wrong! It is funny, because i have gotten such a mix of reactions when i have unloaded this feat on my friends and family...Some of my friends said..."you know your toe nails are going to fall off?" or my favorite .."you will shit yourself when you finish the race" uhhhh thanks for the encouragement.... oh and don't forget "are you crazy - why would you put yourself through that?" but on the other hand people have been nothing but positive too -"that's great! - i wish i had your drive" or "I'm so proud of you!" those comments are the ones that have driven me and made me feel that i might actually be able to complete this journey.

So I am what you would call a "novice" runner. I have never really been a huge runner but I have always enjoyed it. In fact in high school, the gym teacher always told me that I should have gone out for track as i ran my 18 laps around the gym - apparently she saw something that i didn't. I never took her advice because i never had an abundance of confidence in myself. Truthfully, i still don't have the amount of confidence in myself as i should. That is one thing i will be working on as i continue this training. Really i have only 2 years of experience with running and those 2 years have been off and on....I have bought some books so i am picking up tips here and there...i hear spandex is a must or else there will be chafing...yikes..

Training has begun for me, but the official marathon training with the DM group has not started yet. I am technically in "Early Bird" training...which is good because i need all the time i can get. After a chat with the husband -he decided to become supportive of this wacky idea i have succumbed on our lives. He is not running the marathon, but has decided to be my running partner. Which i thank my lucky stars every day that he has made this decision, because with out his encouragement and determination for me to complete this task, I'm pretty sure i would be still on the couch catching up on DVR'd shows from 3 weeks ago!

So right now we are on Week 6 of early bird training. i have had an issue with my right foot that after 2 1/2 miles of running my foot will go completely numb. This has never happened to me before - It's like running on a stump. If i stop and massage the calf muscle and take my shoe off...the numbness goes away...although it makes it difficult to continue running because the numbness comes back. As frustrating as this is - I don't want to damage anything in the process. I went to the doctor - she had no suggestions - she just showed me all the stretches that i was already doing and suggested yoga for my off days. I went to get a massage and that has seemed to help, except now i have a deep tissue ache in my foot -not to mention an ache in the right knee that i am hoping will go away because there are many many more weeks of training ahead of me and many more miles to be logged. I'm only 28 i should be in the best shape of my life...unfortunately, I'm not...but I'm hoping to get there soon :)

To help with the muscle aches, cramping and such, I have been taking vitamins galore...i feel like I'm 85 and i may need to get one of those "Sunday through Saturday" pill boxes to keep them all straight! In addition to the vitamins, i have been trying to hydrate myself as much as possible -this is actually hard for me because i am not a thirsty person...i can have coffee in the morning, a drink at lunch and then not drink anything again until dinner time. So this is something that i have been forcing myself to do. the most frustrating part is the constant bathroom breaks - good god, maybe i can just move my desk into the bathroom!

Currently i am able to run about 3.5 miles with minor problems (my foot) here and there..Not to mention a break down with a few tears filled with fear and self doubt-- but glad to have the husband there to wipe them away and encourage me to keep running...No pain, no gain right?

Slowly i am building my endurance and mileage, including the confidence that I WILL BE ABLE TO CROSS THAT FINISH LINE in October. The DM group sends out weekly emails with the training schedule and at the end of each email they remind us that "We run for the kids. When it may feel tough or you feel like stopping, always remember that you are training for this marathon to help raise money for children who must battle cancer every day. They don't quit, so you don't quit!" that is something that i repeat in my head every time i get a side ache or i feel like i can't go one block further...nothing has been so inspiring to me.

Hopefully i didn't completely bore you with this blog. If I did you probably stopped reading after the 1st two paragraphs! ha ha....so any way if you are a family member or friend or just someone random that would like to share in my muscle aches and pain - be sure to stop back and check out to see the progress i am making...cause there is no going back for me - i am officially signed up, i have paid my registration fees - I am woman hear me growl or whatever that saying is... I am Cheri Smith, I am 28 years old, and I will be running the Chicago Marathon on October 11th, 2009!!

For The Kids! (FTK)

Cheri