My husband has peer pressured me into running a half marathon with him. I did one back in 2008 and while it was a wonderful experience, I also promised myself that I would never do it again. I’m just not made to run long distances. And I’m a huge wimp. And it takes forever.

Now, organizing a marathon, I can do. I’ve helped with our town’s local marathon every year since 2006, and it’s one of my favorite things to volunteer for. I may not be good at running 13.1 miles, but I’m very good at handing out t-shirts to 20,000+ runners.

But I do remember how tight my tushy was after I ran that half marathon, and how my metabolism stayed crazy high for months after I finished. This year when I spent so many months stuck at home sick, I mulled the idea of running another race as a sign of health victory. I’m big on marking wins. And so, in honor of reducing my tush and celebrating some good doctor visits, I’ve decided to jump right in. I’ve been running for a few weeks, so thankfully I’m already up to about 3 miles.

I have no plans to make it a fast or pretty half. The last time I ran it, my goals were to (1) not die and (2) not throw up. This time my goal will be to have fun and to do my best.

Now I need to start thinking about what I want my shirt to say… it’s the best part of a race, putting some witty slogan on your back for all those people behind you to enjoy. Not that there will be many people slower than me, but I’m hoping for a few. I welcome your suggestions.