Running!

On May 3rd, I am running the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis.

This race is the largest half-marathon in the United States, and 34,999 other people are signed up with me.



You might be thinking, Kelley? Really? 13.1 MILES?

I know, I'm not a natural athlete. I'm not built like a runner. I'm built more for...Scrabble. But now with three successful 5Ks under my belt, I got a little ambitious last fall and sent in my registration.

I think this might be the hardest thing I have ever done.

Thanks to my mom, I am lookin' good in my Nike gear! Thank you Mom! Does Nike make Air Booties yet for dogs?

The problem is, running outside in sub-freezing temperatures is no fun. :) Lenny, my loyal training partner, refuses to go any farther than half a mile with me. And it's hard to breathe! But I am trying to stick to my training schedule. I am still in the running/walking phase, but my time spent walking is going down.

I did my "long run" on Saturday, and for the rest of the day, my insides were completely messed up. My dad is helping me a lot and coaching me about training and hydration, so that has been really helpful. Apparently I need to hydrate BEFORE I run...ahhh. Makes sense. I will try that next time, and hopefully my digestive track won't revolt. My sister-in-law Missy, who is a talented marathon runner, has also given me good tips!

On Thursday night, I got some great inspiration. Our local movie theater was showing a documentary - one night only! - called Spirit of the Marathon. The movie got two thumbs up from me! It really got me motivated. The funny thing was that the theater was packed with people wearing their athletic gear - their tech t-shirts, jogging pants, etc., announcing "I am a runner!" I did not feel insecure enough to do that - I know I am a runner! I am so confident in that fact that I didn't even feel bad munching on my popcorn. With "buttery topping." (I ran three miles before I saw the movie. I deserved it!)

Happy 91st birthday, Grumpy!!!