Getting an Early Start on My New Year's Resolution, I Guess

So I'm starting a blog to keep myself on track for getting back into shape.  Not that I'm incredibly out of shape, just that I'm not where I want to be.  Yes, boring regular stuff, right?  
Hopefully not.  What I'm hoping is that you other bloggers out there that are athletes, whether hardcore or just for fun, will help me with either motivation or advice, as I put my attempts and successes (and of course failures) up in my blogs.  


My current goal is to be able to run a full marathon, but that's long term.  My short term, hopefully achievable goal, is to be able to run a half marathon by March (in the Florida Halfathon Challenge).  I have four halfathons in the next four months, one this Sunday, one in January, one in February (Disney Princess Half Marathon!!!!  Gotta love it, but more on that later), and one in March.  The March half marathon is the last in the challenge series, and I want to be able to run the full thing.  
Right now, I can finish a half marathon in the walk/run interval manner, but I am certainly not fast or even remarkably skilled at running, I just like to workout and love to compete.  It may not sound like the best, but I do appreciate the fact that even though someone beats me, I am still beating someone else...a nicer way to say this is that there is always the chance for improvement.

This is my mom and I...SHE is my inspiration for running.  As you may be able to tell, we were running when we took this, so don't judge on the quality (she was definitely the photographer, though...my attempt looked like someone was having a seizure and taking the picture at the same time).

I am also doing a bike ride this Sunday, the Ride to Defeat ALS.  My high school swim coach died due to this disease, so I really want to help in any way that I can, which, for me, includes the 25 mile bike ride fundraiser.

To be fully honest, by Monday of next week, my legs might be dead from attempting so much at once, but I don't try if there's no push, so I'm giving it my go.  My favorite motto, taken from the Marines (and often quoted by my dad), is "PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY", so let's just say that I plan to test my weakness this weekend.

Well, I'm off to study for my finals (I'm in college), so I'll post more later.  So far, my workout attempt for today was merely doing 55 pushups (both regular and breakdance style, according to bodyrock.tv), and then studying earlier, followed by a nap with the puppy...Economics put me to sleep, what can I say?