Let's Start at the Very Beginning...

Well folks, here we are. I am Kel, and I am going to run a marathon. As I say those words, they still sound kind of crazy, like they are about someone who is not really me. But here we are at the end of the first week of pre-training (and what a week it was!) and I am still resolved. I am going to run a marathon, and my hope is that you will go on this journey with me. It'll be hard! But we will learn things.

A little background on me. I am an actor/teacher working in Chicago and teaching younglings (ages 3.5-13) about theatre and drama. I have a huge passion for Shakespeare and his contemporaries, and just completed an M.F.A. in Staging Shakespeare in England. I have been lucky enough to have a lot of adventures, and a lot of struggles in my life, and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is next on the list.

IMPORTANT: I am not a runner! I never have been! "Why did you sign up for a marathon," you ask? Well my friends, in the last year or two I have actually started working out regularly and become fairly fit. I have discovered how much of a wonderful metaphor for life a hard workout can be: It can be terrible. It will be hard. You WILL get through it, and even if not in top form, tomorrow you will perform better because of it. I love the endorphins it gives me and the confidence I gain, both in my appearance and in my ability to achieve a difficult goal. A marathon is an expanded version of that metaphor. I feel that if I can accomplish this, I can do anything.

Now that you've gotten to know me, I will briefly address this first week of training. I began on Monday, April 15, the day of the Boston Marathon. Let me tell you guys... this was really emotional for me. It made my week really hard. I was sad for the participants and spectators who went to enjoy themselves, support one another, and have fun. I was sad for the families and the victims. I was sad that an activity that countless people across the globe participate in became deadly. And I was sad for the people who worked so hard, put in so many hours, and who had their day of achievement tarnished, many not even allowed to complete the race. Let's all say a little prayer, wish, or send some good juju to the people who were there. We could all use some hugs on this one.

All these feelings combined with some really terrible running weather (Soaking rain! Cold! You guys, I got up at 7 am on Saturday to run before work and there was snow on the ground. SNOW!) did not make it easy for me to change my routine. After all, I typically work out at home. It's warm, dry, and I don't even have to go outside to get to my workout space.

See how warm and dry they are?

Right now I miss that, but I know that as Chicago gets warmer it will become a beautiful way to explore and enjoy my city.

Whew, that's long enough for now, but there was a lot to get through this time! Good thing you guys are troopers!
Stay tuned: I'm aiming for weekly updates about my progress, struggles, and shining moments on the road from April to October 13th, 2013.