all my reasons why not

Some really good reasons NOT to train for a 5K run the day after Thanksgiving in Provo, Utah:

• I live in Seattle. Yesterday more than an inch of rain fell. I want to train in this?
• I live in Seattle. Do you know the elevation difference between Provo and Seattle? It's something like 6,000 feet difference. No matter how great I feel running here, I'm going to feel pretty crummy running there.
• I live in Seattle. It's the fall. It's wet. It's cold.
• Daylight savings ends on Sunday. Which means it gets dark even earlier. (For those of you keeping track at home: wet. dark. cold. and sea level.)
  
• Running in the dark isn't safe. I need to rope all sorts of buddies into running with me... and who wants to do that? In the wet, in the dark, in the cold?
• The last time I ran an organized race was, um, 25 pounds ago, I mean, 8 years ago.
• The race is at 4:30 in the afternoon.... kinda lame.
• The day after Thanksgiving? C'mon, I want to enjoy that HUGE dinner and HUGE pumpkin pie, not feel guilty about it!
• I've basically given up on running. I used to run every day. Now, I do aerobics videos at home and sometimes yoga and I chase a toddler. I'm not in shape for this.

Well, there you have it. The odds are stacked against me.

But... despite my best judgment, I am going to do this.

Some really good reasons TO train for a 5K run the day after Thanksgiving in Provo, Utah:

• I already paid the $35 fee. It's a "Santa run" before a tree-lighting festival, and the fee includes a Santa outfit (which all runners must wear!) and a Santa outfit for one child of my choice.
• My brother and a friend had told me about this Couch to 5K program. Now I'm not a veritable couch potato, but I definitely can't run 30 minutes slash 3 miles without stopping, so this is a good plan. In 9 weeks, you work up to 30 minutes; for example, a week 6 run is running for 5 minutes, walking for 3, running for 8 minutes, walking for 3, running for 5 minutes, and you're done. Gradually you work your way up to running through it all. I started on Week 4 (not Week 1) and if I keep with it, my last run of Week 9 will be the 5K!
  
• It's good to have an excuse to get off my butt several times a week. Rain or shine, I'm committed.
  
• I have found several buddies -- I have a Tuesday, Wednesday, and two Thursday running buddies now. And on Saturday I can go by myself after the sun comes up since Shane can hang with Wesley. (This way I'm getting in four runs a week -- even more than the 3 runs per week the Couch to 5K suggests.) I like that I get to hang out with some of my friends more often! We go either after our kiddos go to bed, or during the day we work out a swap.
  
• One of my buddies had a great idea -- run where it's lit. We run around the mall every Tuesday. Another run would be some of the high-school tracks in the area.
  
• Running after dinner means I actually eat less at dinner, stopping before I'm too full. A good thing.
• Exercise is a good thing. If the goal is to get rid of those pounds (it is!) then I'm on the right track.
  
• The elevation? My time? Who cares. The fact that I am running is the big deal here. I am doing it. I am setting a goal and working on it. If I'm slow, I'm slow. But I'll finish. I may die, but I'll finish.
  

There you have it. My new "project." Wish me luck!

P.S. If you check out the Santa Run Web site, do you find it hilarious that you are offered milk and cookies during the run, in lieu of Gatorade and granola bars? Ummmmm yeah.