And here's what I wrote in June when I was beginning to understand.

June 29, 2016

Last time I wrote, running a marathon was kind of an abstract idea. Like, "Ok, you're gonna run 26 miles several months from now. NO PROBLEM!" But since then I've started some preliminary training, and remembered that a 20 minute run feels a lot different than an hour long run...that running two miles is much less taxing than running seven...and that preparing to run 26 miles is a pretty big deal.

The good news is that so far, making this commitment, scheduling runs and getting out there feels really good.

You know how it goes. It's usually easier NOT to do something. A five-mile-run vs. coffee while watching more news coverage of the 2016 political circus? I'll take the latter.

But I can't, because I've committed to this thing, and while I can wing it with certain activities (pretending I'm into crafting, for instance, or that I know the rules of tennis) I can't wing running a marathon. I've got to put the miles in first.

It's hard to get out the door, especially with all my responsibilities at home. Once I do, though, it feels great. Maybe not at first, but a mile or so in I get my stride. I remember that choosing to work towards this feels sooooooo incredibly worth it.

As you know, one of the reasons this whole process means so much is because I'm raising money for the American Cancer Society in memory of my Uncle Jimmy. As of today I'm at nearly half my goal of $3,200! My plan is to achieve that goal by August, and keep fundraising from there.

To those of you who have donated so far: You're amazing! Thank you SO MUCH!

To those of you who haven't and are able, please know that your donation means the world to me, and helps the ACS with all the incredible, life-changing work that they do.

You can visit my fundraising page and make a donation here.

Thanks for listening, for donating and for supporting me. More to come in July, when I will update you on the new running gear I plan to buy, such as one of those cool armbands for my iPhone, and possibly some kind of fanny pack.