I’m about to write something that may shock my friends: I am a nerd.  I’ll give you a few minutes to compose yourself about this completely unexpected revelation…

Are you okay now?  Alright.  The reason I share this “duh” statement is to explain this post.  Last fall I decided that it was time to start looking towards a real deal, 26.2 mile marathon.  I had a couple of reasons for this decision.  One was that some friends, and my mother, already thought I had run several marathons and it seemed time to prove them at least a little bit right.  Another was the marathon seems to be this runners life changing experience; a chance to see how far your feet really can go.  Finally I believed I could do it and wanted to see if that faith could be supported one day.  I wanted to prove myself right, and to prove my doubts wrong.

The first step was to put my money where my mouth was and register for a marathon.  I wanted an event in my own community, one that I could know some details about in advance and maybe even get a few friends to celebrate with me along the way (hint hint).  So in January I signed up for the Portland Marathon 2012.  Then I had a small panic attack.  And then I went to the gym because I so was not ready for a marathon.

Now back to that whole I’m a nerd thing.  Part of the way I’m preparing for October is by trying to run several times a week, and the other part is reading about normal people who have successfully completed one or more marathons.  A week ago I finished Second Wind, an autobiography from a middle-aged woman who competed a marathon on every continent and learn about her inner wisdom, warrior, princess, and b!#*h along the way.  What I loved about the book was her honesty and that she was a total back of the pack runner, not an Olympian in the making.

Next up is Marathoning for Mortals.  In the third chapter, the authors present a quiz to ask yourself what your strengths and struggles are going into this training program.  And since one of the things I want to come out of my running and lifestyle choices is encouragement for others, I want to share my answers here (using the multiple choice answers when given in the text).  I am fully mortal, and I am totally going to complete a marathon in 6 months.

• What is your age? – 18-30
• What is your gender? – Female
• What is your weight? – I am 26-50 pounds over my ideal weight
• Describe your health. – I have never had any health problems.
• Describe your injury history. – I have had injuries, but they have since healed, and I am currently injury-free.
• Describe your current activity level. – I participate in some form of continuous aerobic activity most days of the week (4-6 days).
• Describe your past activity level. – I have been active for more than one year.
• What is your training goal? – I would like to run the entire race. (the text didn’t have this exact option, but I want to run the race and not only finish it)
• How many days per week can you commit to training? – 6 days per week.
• How much time can you commit to training? – 8-10 hours per week.
• List the top three factors that motivate you to exercise (e.g., lose weight, train with a group, follow a structured program, relieve stress, find time for myself, have a goal to reach for). – to learn more about who I could be, to lose weight, to explore
• List your top three challenges to finishing this training program (e.g., lack of time, lack of motivation, lack of support). – lack of time, occasional loneliness, lack of motivation regarding weight training

So that is Mortal Meg, nerd and wanna-be marathoner.