This is going to hurt.

I haven't ran since June 2012.  Several days before running the Platte River Half Marathon in April 2012, I found out that I was expecting a child due in December.  I had had a series of horrible runs leading up to that race and felt "off" but couldn't figure out why.  I complained to a friend about the awful runs and he commented that when that happened, it was usually because something was going on with your body.  Well, apparently he was right.  As the pregnancy progressed, my running went downhill until I stopped running in June or so.  It was just too uncomfortable.  I kept meaning to try and run at least a mile, but it just never happened.  I had hoped to run throughout my pregnancy so I was very disappointed with myself.

My beautiful daughter arrived a few weeks ago and I'm finally itching to run again, but I'm a little afraid of how much it is going to suck to get back into running shape.  I also am not back at my pre-pregnancy weight yet so the extra weight doesn't help.

I want to do more half marathons but I'm trying to pace myself since I haven't ran in several months.  I couldn't do the Pikes Peak Ascent last August because of the altitude and low oxygen levels being harmful for the kiddo.  I also had to bail on other races.  I have to admit that I'm tempted to sign up for the Pikes Peak Ascent again this year but I think I'm putting the cart before the horse for such an extreme race.

I plan on signing up for a 5K or two and blogging again to motivate myself.  I've really missed running.  I also want to start swimming laps on a regular basis.  I can't run more than 3-4 times a week or I get sick of it, so I want to incorporate swimming laps.  I used to be a competitive swimmer and have swam several open water races.  I haven't done that in several years so I'd like to start doing that again because I think I'm a good open water swimmer.  I'd like to do at least one open water race this summer.

I've heard from several women that they became faster runners after having a child, so I REALLY hope that proves to be true for me.  I'm already a slow runner as it is, so I could use the help!

So, my goals for 2013 are:

• Get back into running shape.
• Register for and complete at least one half marathon.
• Register for and complete at least one open water swim race.