And so it begins....

Yesterday morning at 5:28 I took my first official steps toward training for the Pay It 40ward finale. And this morning at just about the same time, another 4 miles. Tomorrow the alarm will ring at 5 and it will be the same distance. 

Happy, if not photogenic, after yesterday's run.
(The "1" represents training run number one. I am not, in fact #1.)

Not a big deal, really. Just 4 little miles on 3 little mornings.When I look at the whole training plan, though, it does make me a teensy bit (read: enormously) queasy. The difference between this plan and my usual one is that this one is just a series of ever increasing numbers. (Not literally, of course. I have 'cut back' weeks.) In the formal 1/2 and full marathon plans I have followed (most recently those of my beloved Another Mother Runner pals) the mileage increases but there's also a call for some speed work, some hills, some cross training... 

To complete this 40-miler, the to do list is just one word:
Run.

Okay. Two words:
Run slowly.

Maybe four:
Run far and slowly.

Dammit. Five:
Run often, far and slowly.

Alright, alright, alright. TEN words:
Run often, far and slowly and DO NOT GET INJURED.

So I guess it's  more complicated than "RUN". But I am a bit daunted by the 4 months of miles just hanging out there with nary a switch-a-roo for flavor. 

(Note to self: edit in a switch-a-roo for flavor.)

Clearly this is a Senfield Post ("The Blog About Nothing") so let me see if I can squeeze in some info for people who want an update on the Pay It 40-ward Team. We have THREE new team members. I have crossed the 26.2 threshold so this is officially a 'ultra' event. And we are up to 9 states represented. (Hello, Rocky Mountains!)

1. Kathleen - Ctr. Harbor, NH
2. Kerry - VT
3. Megan - Rochester, NH
4. Bethany - Philadelphia, PA
5. Hope - Candor, NY
6. Richard - Candor, NY
7. Sandra - Milford, NH
8. Catherine - Kenosha, WI
9. Anne - Sandwich, NH
10. Mandy - Wolfeboro, NH
11. Mandy - Barnstead, NH
12. Meghan - Rochester, NY
13. Teagan - Rochester, NY
14. Al - Zion, IL
15. Karen - Concord, NH
16. Anika - Tuftonboro, NH
17. Heidi - Ambler, PA
18. Heather - Liverpool, PA
19. Tammy - Triangle, VA
20. Lauren - VT
21. Kim - Candor, NY
22. Cindy - Ithaca, NY
23. Heather - Tuftonboro, NH
24. Carol - Sandwich, NH
25. Jim - Sandwich, NH
26. Jeanne - Center Harbor, NH
27. Saralyn - Denver, CO
28. Susan - Victor, NY

Team Members (and anyone else interested in the project) should know that I am taking a step back from FB for a while - a few days or weeks, not forever - so if you want to get in touch with me, please send me an email. I did a quick attempt to have FB notify me of messages and posts on FB but I don't think I hit all the right buttons. If you have not yet sent me your mailing address, please do that, too!

And, of course, PLEASE pass the word to anyone who you think may want to be part of this project. I will be a little embarrassed if I can't get to 40. Speaking of which....

I have made about a hundred 'to do' and 'to ask'  and 'to ponder' lists so I'll end this post with some of that. Any thoughts or help that you can offer me with these is greatly appreciated:

1. Where, oh, where should I run this darn thing? Flat is best, possibly even necessary. A loop is fine, too, as long as it passes by a 'home base' where I can use the bathroom, refill my hydration, eat something, and direct anyone who wants to wait around for me. My house seems like the obvious choice, but there is nothing flat about these parts. Huh. 

2. Who should be my "Safety Czar"? I am thinking of asking my husband because I think he will understand how important this is to me but also, ultimately, want me not to die... (true love, right there!) He will, thus, allow for calculated, small risks so I can meet this goal but he will not allow for real danger to creep into the situation. But, hey, maybe I need him to just  be the guy holding out the bananas and being the leader of Spartan Spirit. Maybe someone else ought to be the boss of 'go or no go'. Something to think about.

Craig & Arianna will surely have some peppy rhymes and moves for me on March 15.

3. What if nobody else gets on board? Should I do 40 miles even if I don't get 40 participants?

4. What if "everyone" gets on board? I mean, I know I"m not going to run beyond 40 and I know I simply can't spend more than the 40 x $5... but if this thing gets momentum, I would hate for the number 40 to squelch enthusiasm.

5. What am I going to do about training in the deep, dark winter? I know for sure there will be days when I simply canNOT run outside. (What I need is a treadmill. If you have one you want to loan me for the winter, I will not say no!)

The list goes on and on. You don't want to spend anymore time inside my head, though, so we will leave it there.