Liz needs to learn to count

I just re-examined the calendar and saw that the Rock'N'Roll Marathon is in June, not July. So I have 25 weeks left, not 29. Oops. Guess I'd better get a move on.

Apparently I'm not the only one who makes resolutions to run marathons in six months; there's this group called Seattle Fit which is running a program to train people. They want $120, which is not bad for six months of weekly workshops (they probably make money because a lot of people pay them and then quit), but I don't have that kind of cash lying around at the moment. Maybe I can show up at a couple of their things in late January and try them out first.

I also looked around online for running groups that might be friendly to such as me, but most of the ones I managed to dig up seem either too far away to get to, or a lot more hardcore than I was looking for. (For instance, the Seattle Running Company has weekly trail runs -- of 20 km or more. Not a distance I'm prepared to start out with.) Quite apart from the risk of injury, I don't want to be a slowpoke and ruin everyone else's good time. So I need slow people to hang out with.

Also of note: marathons are expensive. (So are triathlons.) I'd like to sign up for a half-marathon or a few 5-10k races between now and June, to practice racing and meet new people, but those entry fees are steep! I suppose their target demographic is people with lots of disposable income. But it's kind of a downer for people like me, for whom a $100 race entry fee might equal two or three weeks' worth of groceries. The price of shoes is bad enough, but at least those last a few months. So much for running and triathlon as "egalitarian" sports. It's okay for slow people to enter, but not broke people. I wonder whether they'd allow a discount if I contacted the race director and asked very nicely.

The weather was tolerable for a brief period around lunchtime and then turned absolutely horrible. It's pouring rain and really windy. When am I going to learn my lesson, to get out and do the workout while the getting is good. At least the days are getting a little longer. I can see the difference already.

I set my alarm for a reasonable hour this morning, thinking I'd go and check out the Resolution Run (a charity 5k), but I wound up hitting snooze and going right back to sleep. It was a late night last night. I have got to start putting my cell phone on the other side of the room when I want to get up in the morning.