Road to Vegas Day 1

Ok....I guess I am blogging. Why? Mostly to keep myself honest in training for the Las Vegas Half Marathon on December 6, 2009. This is my first attempt at something like this and am probably going to stumble quite a few times and thought it would be quite entertaining to read about all the missteps along the way. So first things first...

Why am I running? Well Team Challenge is the training program for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. Crohn's and Colitis (known jointly as Inflamatory Bowel Disease,IBD). Over 1.4 million Americans suffer from IBD and I myself am one of them. Awesome. I was diagnosed about 4 years ago and it has been an interesting road to recovery....at some point along this journey I will fill you, today I'm just trying to get started. Lets just say I am finally at a point where I can be proactive about finding a cure instead of just letting my doctors, family, and friends be the ones to take matters into their own hads.

So...I'm not taking matters into my own hads...I'm taking it to the streets...and ok I'm not doing it alons. My boyfriend and sister will be running along side me and SO many of my friends and family have alread donated to help me reach my fundraising goal, which combined with Mike (the bf) is $5,200. Yikes.

Where does this leave us today? I am begining my training today with a round of strength training. I took a peak for the one hundreth time this morning at the training schedule, and I have to tell you, it looks like a piece of cake...if it wasnt for all the running:( I, by nature am not a runner. That is not to say that I am not active, I teach kickboxing and step aerobics and basically love going to the gym to weight train whenever I get the chance. I also have taken a liking to riding my new Cyclocross bike. But nowhere in that mix does running make a regular apperance except to warm up for weight training. Hmmm. Why couldn't Team Challenge have a kickboxing tourney? Running...well I was a soccer player back in the day begore I got sick , and I was pretty good, I can't lie though I was a goalie, althogh I did dabble in midfield. So if I chased a soccer ball for the whole 13.1 miles would it make the race easier? I don't think so. Running with my sister who is an amazing distance runner, and Mike who just squashed the Chicago Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon with a time of 1:49:57 will help, but in the end these old legs are going to have to carry me across the finish line.

Now...before you start feeling too sorry for me, poor IBD girl doesn't know how to run, I must tell you I am beginning my training from sunny Hilton Head Island S.C. I I am here on my annual family vacation, Mom, Dad, and dog, Gus. Marina (sister) had to stay home and work. So I have been spending my days tracking thr fundraising while I lay by the pool and perseverating over the impending doom of my training. Today I will be off to the island gym, my comfort zone, to lift. But then the fun begins, running. It starts easily enough a mile. I can do a mile, I do a mile all the time to warm up. But then the wheels start turning, 1 mile turns into 3 into 13! One day at a time right?? Wait a minute that was my motto for the last four years dealing with IBD...maybe I'm onto something....

Check out my team Challenge link!

http://www.active.com/donate/lv09illinois/sophiapanos