We’re training for a half-marathon with our girls. Boy, has it been hard to drag ourselves out and log the miles. Thursday it was all we could do to make it out and back again for a total of 3.8 miles. And I can’t call that outing a run; for that matter, it wasn’t even a jog. Part walk/part jog … I believe we went on a “wog.” At any rate, this is our second year training to wog the Indianapolis half-marathon, known locally as the Mini.Last year, we weren’t sure we could pull it off. I’d run the Mini once on my own, and the Belgian Wonder ran a similar race in Belgium in his early 20s. This was different. Could all of us finish 13.1 miles? Or had we aimed too high?Our first time out to train, the girls could barely make it a mile. Could they possibly finish the race? Could they persevere to the end?You can read more about our first family half-marathon experience in “Persevering to the Finish Line Together” at The High Calling. By the way, we didn’t sign up our eight-year-old son for the Mini, but he does join us as we train. While we wog, he bikes. Pedaling alongside us, he encourages each wogger with “You can do it!”, “Keep it up!” or “You’re almost home!” I’m telling you: every walker, runner and cyclist should have her own personal cheerleader along for the ride.All that encouragement might transform a wogger into a full-fledged jogger.
“Snow Jog” photo by Ann Kroeker © 2007
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Great post. I like your blog. I blog from a similar, less talented angle. 🙂 Good luck on the training.
Happy running,
Rundad
So glad to meet someone who’s doing the same thing–except you’re actually a runner! (instead of a wogger) Thanks for the encouragement! Can I bring you along on race day? I won’t have my bicycling boy at my side, but I think you could keep us plugging away for all 13.1 miles!
The encouragement is key! At one point my mother was visiting and we went on tread mills together – and it was the best workout because we just kept talking each other through it (we were both doing the couch to 5k program… it fizzled though… 😉 )
Good luck!
I can loan you my enthusiastic boy for a week to help you get on track again, if you like! 🙂
Seriously, thanks for taking time to comment. We do indeed try to encourage each other, even on the slow days, snow days, and otherwise gloomy, cold, blah days.
I just want to say: You are awesome! Wow, what a great family project. I’m looking at that snow and my respect for you grows. I recently ventured out on my first run of the season…this because the sun was shining and the snow melted. Finally. I couldn’t walk down steps normally for three days.
You da bomb, Ann!
Check out the date on that photo: 2007. That’s from the year I trained on my own. We did our first long-ish run (wog) on Thursday, when the sun was shining! The worst for us was an outing at a park where the road is hilly. All of our other routes are flat as Kansas. Our muscles ached after going up and down and up and down on the little hill loop. Thanks for your great comment!
First, let me say that I love the term “wog”. That would describe my jogging every time I jog. I am impressed that your family does this. What a wonderful activity and challenge. (And, I’d love a personal cheerleader. What a fantastic way to include your little man!)
I thought I was so clever for coining the term, then found it elsewhere on the web (I hyperlinked the word to an article). And don’t be too impressed–it’s a lot of work and I hear a LOT of complaining! The encourager provides a nice antidote and lift.
I’m just starting out – hoping to one day run a 5K. I hope I can get my oldest along as a cheerleader on some of my ‘wogs’ – even if he’s on his scooter 🙂
We probably should have worked our way up, starting with a 5K, long before diving into the half-marathon. It’s a little nuts. Love the scooter idea!
This is so sweet! How great to have the whole family in on the training. I can relate to wogging—especially on the hills. That’s where I completely lose steam. 🙂
We live where it’s very flat, but a nearby park has a rolling hill that we ran the other day. Wow. Our wog slowed to a walk, which slowed to a scuffle. Hills are tough.
I didn’t know if you would read the comment over at High Calling Blogs, but I really liked your post over there and I left you a comment. 🙂 Just so you know.
Thanks so much for directing me to your The High Calling comment!
I stand in awe…not run, no afraid not…just stand…smile…