Ericka's Update

It has been a month or so since you last heard from me and I am excited to say that I am still hanging in there and making progress.  I joined the Mainely Running group through the Y and I think it is going to have the direction and help that I need.  I believe that the group is going to sign-up for the Susan G. Komen 5K in September and I hope that this will build my confidence and prepare me for the half marathon in October.  I have never even watched a race, let alone raced one, and I am hoping that the 5k will give me the lay of the land, as far as logistics and running with a big group of people is concerned. 

One thing that I have found helpful, which seems to boggle some of the runners that I have chatted with, but might be helpful for some of you, is the use of the weight machines before doing my run instead of after.  I’m not sure if it works as a warm-up, or what the reason is, but I seem to have much more endurance during my runs when I do this.  My road runs continue to lag behind my gym runs but they are steadily getting better as well.  Thanks to encouragement from Amy and a run with Christine, I am finally able to run a straight mile.  For someone who has never run before, this is a huge milestone for me.  I also want to give a big thank you to the ladies that I have run with…I am not always the easiest of running partners and your patience is much appreciated!