And So It Begins....

Today, I officially began half marathon training.

I don't have my official schedule yet, but I was told my my official schedule maker that I was to start with 3 miles today.

So I went to this place after work, a place where I will be spending a significant amount of time in the coming months.

The Rose Bowl, along with adjacent golf course and parking lots, provide a nice 3.1 mile loop,

popular for runners and walkers of all kinds in Pasadena.

I usually don't listen to music when I run because (a) it's a pain to carry my phone or ipod and I don't have one of those fancy runner arm carrier things and (b) I don't want to get to a point where I can't run without music. My preference is to run with another person so I can pretend that my exercise is actually a social event (I like to trick myself a lot when running, but I'll tell you more about that later).

For example, when I did my first half marathon, I ran with this pretty lady 3-4 times per week. 

It's why we became friends.

But alas, I had no running buddy today because my roommate (see below) forgot her shoes, so I had to entertain myself with my own thoughts.

That's my roommate and me at a Dodger game.

And yes, that does get us up to 2 Dodger pictures in 2 posts.

I must say, I'm pretty amazed at how many very different thoughts I was able to have in 34 minutes and 44 seconds. I started off being simultaneous grateful that it was finally somewhat chilly in Pasadena so I could go running without dying and skeptical that I'd ever be able to keep running the whole way around (I did, in case you were wondering). Sometimes I thought about how my right leg was hurting or how funny it was to watch the little kid picking up the branches as his mom told him not to. Other times I thought about what to do in class next week or how nice it is to live near mountains. Still other times I wondered how hard it will be to figure out how to run distances that aren't multiples of 3 miles or how I'll work in my training over Christmas break when I'm visiting people.

But there was one thing my mind kept returning to, and that's actually where I need some input from all of you.

I decided on one of my pre-training runs last week -- one of the ones I really didn't want to go on -- that I would get through training without a buddy by offering up each of my training runs for someone. Every time I wanted to stop running because of how hot I was or how tired or how miserable, I would think of that person, remember that I was running for him or her and not for myself, and that would get me through. But also it would be a prayer for them.

Sooooooo my request is that you help me put together a list to add to my schedule. If you want me to offer up a run for you, or for someone you know, or for a particular intention you have, please respond in the comments, or email me, or text me, or send me a facebook message -- however you want to do it.

And if you're wondering whether you should, the answer is YES. You'll be helping me, and you'll be helping you. It's a win-win. There's no reason not to.

I look forward to hearing from you and praying for you!

Let me help you help me help you.

And to close, here's what I imagine to be a stereotypical blogging thing: a picture of my dinner. Because I know you were all dying to know what I ate when I got home. This is it.

It may not be a very good picture. But it was delicious. So there.