Obviously, y’all, I am sadistic.  I’ve decided to take up jogging.  And not because it looks like a barrel-of-monkeys kind of fun, but only because my body is starting to succumb to 36 years of living on this planet and eating Cheetos.  And hot-buttered bread.  I’m falling apart, people!  And not just in a mental kind of way.  Over the past several months (and when I say several, I mean a year), I have not exercised at all.  As my mother’s husband would say, I’ve been bulking up for the winter.  He’s just nice that way.  And what a long 12-month prelude to winter it has been!

Anyhow, I proclaim that my bulking up months are over!  Over I say!  However, I do not like to jog.  But I need to get in shape for the 5K Race for the Cure that I’m doing in May.  And yes, 5 kilometers is only like 3 miles, but I am hideously out of shape.  And did I not just previously state that I am sadistic?  And I’m really itching at the chance to collapse on the streets of Atlanta in a pool of sweat and Diet Coke (because that’s what runs through my veins).

So, this is why I’ve recruited my friend and co-worker (of 13 years no less!), Deb, to teach me how to jog.  I know, I know…one foot in front of the other.  Duh.  But Deb is crazy into the jog/run scene, and this is also why I’m featuring her in my “Women are Fantastic” Friday post!  Woo-hoo!  She’s pleased, I’m sure. 

Deb ran her first marathon at 46 years old and has been a member of the Galloway Marathon Training program since 2001.  With this program, she has been a group leader for 2 years, and she leads two different groups–one on Monday and Wednesday nights for beginner runners (the program is aptly called Getting Started), and one on Sunday mornings for the marathon program group.  Not to mention that she runs for fun every morning–rain or shine.  She’s a dedicated gal!  And I’ve still yet to figure out how she works a full-time job with all this running business.  Personally, I would be slumped over my desk.

And following is a picture of Deb and me that was taken probably around 1997-ish.  Wait a minute!  That was 10 years ago.  My, my…how we have changed.  Oh, and please disregard our attire.  At the time, our office had a very strict dress-code policy.  Only shorts, slouchy t-shirts, and tennis shoes were allowed.  And bangs.

As a group leader with Galloway, Deb is responsible for leading the group, meaning she helps pace the runners to a specific running pace, gets them through the run, answers any questions they have, puts water out on the route, and makes sure that the runners are marathon-ready by the end of the season.  Now mind you, I am not, I say NOT, training for a marathon.  Did you get that Deb?  So don’t get all crazy on me.  I may be sadistic, but I do know my limitations.  

Deb says that 26 miles, which is the length of a marathon for you non-runners (tee-hee…I said you non-runners, you know, like I’m a runner or something now), is a long way and it takes as much mental fortitude as it does physical ability.  You just never know how you are going to feel after 20 miles–and then you still have 6 more to go!  The Galloway method uses walk break intervals, so you don’t just get up and run 26 miles–you walk on regular, scheduled intervals. 

And that is how Deb is training me–in intervals.  We walk for 20 minutes and then we run for 2 minutes.  At this pace, I’ll be ready to run a 5K in 2009.  Just kidding, people!  She has actually started me out walking one minute, jogging 30 seconds, repeat, repeat, etc. until I collapse.  And once I have that pace mastered, I’ll move up to intervals of something like walking one minute then jogging one minute.  So, hopefully before May, I will be able to jog a mile, walk for a few minutes, jog a mile, walk for a few minutes, then jog another mile.  Pretty lofty goal, huh?  Like I said people…a pool of sweat and Diet Coke.

So, let me just run down the impressive list of marathons that my jogging mentor has completed. 

• Marine Corp in D.C. (4 times!  Show-off.)
• Vancouver
• Country Music in Nashville
• Boston
• Chicago
• Virginia Beach
• Disney
• Tybee Island
• 10K in Munich, Germany (while she was on freaking vacation…Deb, we need to have a talk)
• *Upcoming* ING Georgia in March
• *Upcoming* Edinburgh, Scotland in May  (again, we need to talk)

Anyhow, Deb will be kicking my butt all over the streets of the business park where we work.  On our lunch hour.  When I should be eating Cheetos.  (And don’t worry – we have a shower/locker room at our office.  We don’t go back to work all sweaty!)  Thank you, Deb!  You are my hero. 

Oh, and let me just leave you with this little quote that Deb likes to throw around…

At mile 20 I thought I was dead; at mile 22 I wished I was dead; at mile 24 I knew I was dead; at mile 26.2 I realized I had become too tough to kill.  –Unknown

Well, Deb, I’m glad that you are too tough to kill.  Because, my favorite quote is… 

I believe that the Good Lord gave us a finite number of heartbeats and I’m damned if I’m going to use up mine running up and down a street.  –Neil Armstrong

Deb?  I didn’t say it.  I’m only quoting.

Happy Friday, y’all!