Accountability?

Last week I started training for a half marathon. I have stated this as a goal for years but have never gotten off my duff and really seriously started training, so blogging about it is a big step. This means I'm going to either have to complete one or find a REALLY good excuse to quit. Guess I'm stuck. I have no idea what I'm doing, so I downloaded an app that tracks my runs and selects motivating music from my itunes account. It's pretty sweet and the training program seems pretty solid after talking to a few of my friends who have trained for half marathons. Problem is, the GPS is complete crap.

Take tonight for instance. My training program has me doing an easy run for an hour. Up until tonight I wasn't even sure if I was capable of running for that long, but I gave it my best shot. At the end of my run, the GPS said I had been running at a 15:00/mile pace and had therefore only run 3.86 miles. My heart sank. How could I have worked so hard for a measly 3.86 miles? I mean, I didn't even stop to wheeze like I normally do after about 1/2 mile. At this rate, I'd be finishing as they packed up the last mile marker.

Thinking this couldn't be right, I logged my run into gmaps pedometer and was relieved to find I had actually done 5.4 miles. I can live with that. That's right around an 11:00/mile pace at an easy jog and I'm only planning on working up to a 10:00 mile. For the first one, I'm really only looking to finish without dying or ending up in the medical tent (I may be a nurse, albeit not yet licensed, but I'm one hell of an awful patient). I get all combative and think I can do stuff I know I shouldn't because I don't like giving up my independence. I'll be the idiot hopping across the finish line with a broken leg.

My goal is to run the freedom half marathon this November. The proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior project which is a fabulous cause. So now that I'm committing to this, any takers?