What Was I Thinking?

I'm not exactly physically prepared for our stake trek, which just hit me is in three weeks.  We have a practice trek for the ma's and pa's this Saturday and then trek starts July 17.  I figured I'd do the best I could and wing it from there.  It's going to be tough, but I think I can do it.

To physically challenge my out-of-shape, soon-to-be-30 mommy body even further, I signed up for a very difficult race on August 2.  I thought it was at the end of August until I read it after I'd already signed up.  But I probably would've signed up anyway.  There was total peer pressure involved and I fear I may have made the wrong decision.  Two of my sisters-in-law decided to sign up for the race and I couldn't be the only one not participating.  What the crap was I thinking?  It's straight up a mountain for seven miles and back down again.  Hello, I haven't exactly been exercising routinely.  

I've gone running or to the gym a few times, but it's tough to train for a race in the mountains at the gym.  So today I decided I would go running around town, but include a really steep hill.  I conned Marcos into going running with me.  We strapped the kids into the jogging strollers and off we went.  Not a good sign that I wanted to turn back two streets into the run.  Later I decided I must be sending myself too many negative messages with my doubts of my race capabilities.  I repeated all the "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darn it people like me" phrases I could think of, but to no avail.  I was still having to pick up my foot and focus to make each step happen.  I am not a good runner nor do a like running much.  Again, what was I thinking?  The ipod does help though.  

Poor Marcos.  He's always been a good runner and is currently playing a lot of soccer and tennis.  Then there's me.  At best, my "jog" is speed walking with more bounce.  To say that I'm slow would be a huge understatement.  But I've got to do this!  I signed up and the last thing I want to do is back out of this dang race (or not finish).  Marcos thought we'd be running the hill.  I'm sure I was quite a disappointment when I could barely walk it with the stroller.  He was so cute and motivating, trying to yell inspirational words over my noisy ipod songs.  Finally, he decided to just be my hero.  Picture this:  Marcos pushing Dylan in the jogging stroller with one hand, the other around my waist helping push me and my stroller up this ginormous hill.  Yep, cute, but embarrassing.  If this is any indication of how trek is going to go, I'm in big trouble.  I'm glad he has that much endurance.  On the way back, I discovered we had pretty flat tires on the stroller I was pushing.  Stupid, cheap stroller tires.  I decided that must've accounted for part of the difficulty pushing the stroller.  I doubt it, but it makes me feel a little bit better.  I got home and went for a drive to track our progress on the odometer.  It was 4.9+ miles so I'm calling it an even 5.  It took us 1 hr and 10 min, which is quite slow, but at least I made it home.  I definitely had my doubts.  

Needless to say, this is going to be a difficult month.  On top of what I consider to be a pretty full schedule, I've got to find time to train when someone can watch the kids or Marcos can come running with me.  Seriously, how do people do it?  For starters, they probably train for more than 6 weeks.  I must be crazy!