Fine... I'll do it.

Those of you who know me well know that I'm a bit of an individualist. (That's just a nice way of saying that I'm a stubborn, rebellious, control freak). I pretty much always have been. I like to do things my way and don't take too well to people telling me what to do or how to do it.

Now, I got a C+ in Psych 101, so I feel pretty comfortable in explaining this situation to you from a psychological standpoint. Indulge me for a moment...

I'm the youngest of three children. I have two older brothers and there is quite a bit of distance between them and me. 9 and 7 years to be exact. So, I've always felt like I've been trying to catch up. It's kind of like being the new kid at school. The people are nice to you for the most part (cause they kind of have to be), but you missed out on all the good times last year, like that time that Timmy got caught skinny dipping in the school pool or when Stacy blew a noodle out of her nose from laughing so hard in the cafeteria. It's the same thing being the youngest. It seems like all the good times happened before you were born. And you desperately want people (your family) to like you so much that you try anything to be likeable and you try to bring up stories that you're apart of to laugh about instead of all those dumb stories that happened before you were born.

What I'm saying here (although not too eloquently) is that I've always felt like I needed to be different. To add something new and unusual to mix, so that I'll be liked. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not in therapy or anything because I'm the youngest, I was a happy kid with a great childhood, I just know that this kind of explains my need to be an individualist.

I know what you're thinking... "what the hell does this have to do with running?"

Well, I have been taking the same individualist approach to my marathon training. I know my body, I know my limitations... I don't need no stinking "coach" to tell me how far to run on a tuesday. I will run as far as I want to run! Well, at least that was my approach.

April has always been the one to follow "plans" and to incorporate different types of workouts, etc... she takes her training seriously (I'm SURE that this has to do with her being the oldest, but I'll leave her C+ psych analysis for another post). I'm more of like the lazy slob who just kind of rolls out of bed runs my 5 miles everyday and then sometimes gets in a good long run on the weekend. It's how I roll. My Way, baby.

But, I want to get better. I want to improve. I want to make it to Boston. And so, because of that I've decided to join April in her Hal Higdon training plan. (Uggghhh... It kind of hurts me a little deep inside to type that out loud, I must admit).

While deciding to follow a training plan that thousands of other people have followed crushes a little piece of my soul, I'm pretty damn excited about it, too. I mean, I really feel like this training plan will help me improve. And if doesn't, well then I can always go back to my "make my own training plan" ways. And that my friends, that's what they call psychological growth. Or... something like that.