Against The Wind

It was Shawn's fault. He's the one who thought the Couch-to-5K would be would be a good idea. Something about exercise being good for us. And always wanting to make jogging a part of his life. And hoping to impress a certain lady friend.

Ashley picked the race because the promise of 200,000 pieces of candy and 18,000 ounces of chocolate fondue at the finish line were pretty much the only things that would motivate her to strap on her sneakers and go for a run. (For the sake of full disclosure, beer would have worked too. Or cheese.)

Together, these two reluctant runners are making an unbreakable vow (or, really, just shaking hands. In front of witnesses.) to commit to a nine-week training regimen, while holding each other accountable along the way. Their goal: to finish, to the best of their ability and with as little walking as possible, the Hot Chocolate 5K on Nov. 1.

Living several L stops apart and burdened with grueling work schedules, these Type A Geeks are creating a blog to track their progress. In the process, they’re also proving to the world that each is desperately in need of a hobby.

But first, the ground rules … They’re simple: 1) No laughing at each other. Only ourselves.; 2) To support each other through training.; 3) To promise to actually go through with this to the best of our ability.

The penalty…. Should either Shawn or Ashley fail to complete the training and wuss out on the race, the L-O-S-E-R will be forced to bake from-scratch cookies for the other's department and wear an apron of the winner's choice all day at work. Exceptions will be given only for medical reasons and fleeting moments of humanitarian weakness.