So I’m training for half marathon. Have I told you that? I’ve been hesitant to tell you all, well, because you all jinx me. I announce my plans to run a long race, and then I get injured or discouraged and quit. Anyway, I’m three weeks into training, and so far, so eehh. Let me explain.

• First, I am training with Linden. Running with Linden makes everything better. +2
• Second, it is February. And no one seems to have given Spring the memo to arrive as normally scheduled. We have been 20 degrees below normal all winter in the Ozarks. -1
• Third, we’re only training three days week while using the FIRST half-marathon training program. The rest of the training is 2-3 days a week of cross training. (This Runner’s World article explains the program very well.) +1
• Fourth, we’ve been doing speedwork indoors. Sharing the two-lane track with 10-year-old baseball players and Springfield’s Rugby Club. On this track, 10 laps equal a mile. I hate running indoors. -1
• Fifth, my shins are sore and my calves are tight, but I’m icing them regularly. 0
• Sixth, my knee and the ITBS is not bothering me, but I’m icing it regularly anyway. +1
• Seventh, I have five days off. We missed our medium-tempo run this week because it was 17 degrees, and we were not willing to freeze our patooties off. (Though I think we both wouldn’t mind losing some of our backsides–and front sides and side sides–in this training.) Training resumes with a long run on Monday then two weeks of every-other-day running for two weeks. +1

I’m not sure how many potential points my little list could have earned, but according to my count, half marathon training has earned three points. Yes, I am enjoying myself. Yes, I am ready for spring. Yes, I am ready to move all my runs outside.

The race is the Boomtown Run Half Marathon in Joplin on June 12. We are training to finish the race between 2:12 and 2:30; anything under 2:30 (or 2:37 in my case) would be a PR for both of us.