24 days? That can't be right...

A realization was had today. I could not be any less prepared for this little running shindig I have planned on April 30th. Physically. Mentally is another story.

This week was a step in the right direction. Being the non-runner I am, I figured I was helping out my training by increasing my incline on the treadmill. Yeah, that was an amateur mistake. Made perfectly clear when I attempted to run outside for the first time this spring. Don't let the clear skies fool you - it might look like fantastic weather to run in, but you don't experience 20 mph-sustained winds with wind chills, bright sunshine and rolling Wisconsin hills on a rubber conveyor belt. Normally I would never complain of such a gorgeous spring day, but oh my goodness was that an eye opener. Made me realize I hadn't been moving in the direction I had planned with my CrazyLegs "training."

Clearly I was a fooled on that first day of April - By my ego. So to mend what was bruised, I trekked a healthy three miles on the treadmill the next day. I was Freud's dream model that morning and just like that - ego restored.

On the list of downfalls this week:

• Obsessive amounts of caffeine.

• Cranberry Almond scones from Barriques.

• Opening Day at Miller Park. ('nuff said.)

The upward slope:

• Had a monumental hour and a half long massage. Worth every penny.

• Spring decided to show it's pretty little face.

• Drove with the windows down and belted out some tunes this afternoon.

• Met a potential running buddy. Someone who hasn't completed the Chicago Marathon, like my one running partner has. That's also a plus for my ego. (See: Paragraph 2)

• Did a circuit training exercise for 15 minutes that included wind sprints and abs. I regretted that decision the next day. (Kind of like the time I thought 1/10 of a mile in lunges would be a smart move.)

• Spent a few days in the Milwaukee area. Cleared my head. For sanity's sake.

I know all of those perks of the week weren't entirely detrimental to my running ability, but more so for my mental health. Something about that first breath of cool, spring air. An uplifting face-to-face conversation with someone for the first time. Being able to sit down to dinner with my family - all five of us. The sound of your cracked muffler as the bass to your Sara Bareilles' tune. It all makes you put life into perspective.

It was a good week - for "me."