It's a miracle I can lift my arms to type.

Day 3 of the push up challenge. Basically, a repeat of Day 2. Only harder. And my body is sorer. More sore? Both, probably.

But, I'm glad I'm doing this. I feel stronger, in that can-barely-lift-my-arms type of way. So, I'll keep going. Only 5 weeks left!

And here is where I shift gears awkwardly --

I was over at MizFit's blog this morning, when I was avoiding starting my push ups. Her Friday posts are called Link Love, where she shares all kinds of links to cool stuff found around the Internet. One of them really got me today, in part because it called up my total inner geek. It's called Typeracer and, I don't know, I guess it reminds me of waaaaaay back when I was first interviewing at publishing houses in NYC and I had to take all kinds of typing tests. Plus, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I love a challenge!

Shifting gears yet again --

I'm going on vacation. Yahoo!!! So, I'm checking out some running routes where we'll be staying, getting that all set so I can be a happy runner while I'm away. I love running on vacation -- I get to see new sights and the different routes help shake things up.

Jersey shore, here I come!

Why I run . . . in 13 words.

Too uncoordinated for aerobics, swimming, biking or anything else, really. So I run.

This post is part of the Runners Lounge Take it and Run Thursdays. This week we were asked to finish the thought, "Why I run..." in 13 words (or less).

Day 2.

This 100 push up challenge is kicking my butt. Seriously.

Today is Day 2, which calls for 54 -- yes, that's right, 54 -- push ups, broken into sets of 12/12/10/10/10, with 90 seconds of rest between sets.

How was Day 1 so easy and Day 2 such a killer?

Why am I such a sucker for a challenge?

Because, you see, I am. I'm a sucker for a challenge. I signed up for the NaBloPoMo challenge over at The Little Jobber, in part because I had to see if I could write something (of interest, I hope) every day for a month. And I signed up for this push up thing because I had to see if I could actually work up to 100 push ups in 6 weeks. Why not, right?

I guess that's part of why I like running -- it is a challenge. Every time I go out for a run, there's a challenge involved. Will I run as far as I've planned to? Will I gleefully bound up the hills? Will I add a few strides at the end of my run? And then there are the races. As I've mentioned before, I love races. Since I'm not the fastest runner out there, I'm not going to win any races. But, the challenge lies in running my own race: Meeting my goal, feeling good when I'm done, running strong across the finish line.

Yes, the challenge is a big part of why I like to run and I enjoy a good challenge. And, for all the soreness of my arms this morning (and my core -- why didn't I know that push ups are all about the core????), I really am enjoying this push up challenge.

Pushin' it.

Have you heard of the 100 Push Up Challenge? I learned about it on Workout Mommy and after visiting the site and reading the details of the challenge, I decided to take it. After all, how cool would it be to actually be able to drop and do 100 push ups? In a row! I'd be so impressed with myself.

I took the initial test last week and I squeaked out 17 good form push ups. Yes, the full-on push ups, not the bent-knee kind! So, with that information, I started the challenge today. It requires a commitment of three days a week for six weeks. Check it out -- and check back to see how I am doing because I'll post updates throughout the challenge. Unless, of course, I can't move my arms to type . . .