2014 Races and maybe I don't "hate" running anymore

My race schedule this year includes 7 definite's and 3 maybe's (in italics in the left column). T-minus 11 days till Race #1: The Vineyard 20 Miler. They have added a relay option this year and have had 38 teams of two sign up to tackle the visually spectacular and potentially esteem defeating route. If the wind is going the right way the 5 or so miles along the beach could be some of the most beautiful miles I log in a race this year, if we get a SE or East wind, well.....I'm totally screwed. So henceforth I shall be asking the powers that be for fair winds and following seas. 

Just last week I officially committed to 2 half marathons! I'll be heading north for both, the Great Bay Half Marathon in Newmarket, NH in April and later in the year, the Maine Half Marathon up in Portland, ME. Both allow me to visit and enjoy the company of some fantastic friends and enjoy some great towns and local fare.

The blog and the fitness tracking are helping keep me focused and a month into my training I am holding up well. According to my workout spreadsheet (yes, I'm that dorky, actually even more so) I've stuck to my regime and am on target for my 500 miles. I am (dare I say it?)  beginning to like, and look forward to, running. That is something I never saw in my future and I am ecstatic to be looking forward to running. I stumbled upon this website,  iusedtohaterunning.com, and it really helped me get started again. After reading a bit and see what they were all about I started running, slowly. This was in the fall and I wasn't as consistent as I have been since the end of December but it was something, I was getting out there from time to time. The main piece I took away from the site was to not worry about having to walk. If you are running along and hating every second, why bash yourself? Walk until you feel ready again and step it up. Once I took the competitor out of myself for a bit I found myself getting to points where I didn't have to walk and I wasn't hating it. Today, the competitor in me is back and I haven't had to walk in a while, if I'm being honest, it is STILL a struggle to get through the first mile or so on a good number of my runs but I push through, I know that once I get going and get my body in a rhythm, it's going to be great and you know what? 9 times out of ten, it is.