With inestimable help from my friend Kyle, who’s been at this running thing much more seriously than myself, I’ve sketched out a training plan that should take me to the race day and across the finish line in one piece.

The base mileage, I won’t lie, appears very intimidating to me. I don’t really consider myself a runner, per se, I run but I don’t have a competitive spirit beyond the desire to push myself so staring down an actual training plan seems odd. Last year I ran to help lose weight and make mountain biking more fulfilling, and I mountain biked to make me feel good–I ride for the smiles is what I told people. So looking at nearly two-thirds of a year dedicated to training leaves me worried about my ability to execute.

It looks like a chore.

However, it is a goal; one that I need to hit so that I feel fulfilled. Having spent a good portion of my 20′s and most of my 30′s focused on school and work I let the rest of my life wither so this is an attempt to bring balance back, to assert personal meaning.

Here is hoping I can do this.