When it comes to the Flying Pig Marathon, my May Save the World Diet challenge, I hope to come in last.
My husband is running the race, which is Sunday, May 3. He hopes to finish in four hours. My aim is to finish walking the 26.2-mile course in the seven hours that it will be open. Sure, you can finish later than that, sticking to the sidewalks with a map at your side, but I want to cross the finish when there are still spectators to cheer me on in those last few steps of the race. I want someone there to drape a pig medal around my neck the moment I cross the finish line.
To finish a marathon in 7 hours means keeping up a 16-minute-mile pace, which is quite a clip. Actually, I trained at a 15-mile pace, but we'll see how fast I'm going at mile 20 or so. To train while being a full-time journalist, a full-time mom and running a blog, meant getting in workouts here and there. I often broke them up into two-hour stints, but the miles added up. The most I did in one day was 20 miles. I'm hoping toting a nearly 30-pound baby all around counted as training too.
I'm walking this event on behalf of the American Heart Association, a way to recognize the strongest muscle in my body -- my heart. The aim on race day is to finish, to just keep going and going, no matter how tired I get and push myself to the finish line, no matter how far back in line I am.
www.fatwomanonthemountain.com
