Me and My Marathon

So I've picked up running.

I know what you're thinking, "Why?" Well that's a good question. Until recently, running always brought back memories of long days on the track, the field or in gym. Days of a coach yelling at you, pushing you to go further.. dig deeper.. until you puke. Especially LONG DISTANCE running.

But my running today is different from then. I'm no longer a sprinter. And I actually enjoy the extended pain. To a point.

Last weekend I ran in my first half marathon. That's 13.1 miles. I spent nearly three months training for it. I worked my way from 15 minutes of running, all the way up to 2 hours of running, non-stop. As I was running in the big race, at times I felt like an athlete again. It's amazing what cheering crowds do for your energy level. On top of the adrenaline high, I've also lost weight and lowered my blood pressure. My doctor should be happy to hear that.

My friend Clint also ran with me. Now he wants to run a full marathon, 26.2 miles. Six months ago I would have laughed and said he was crazy. Today, I'm actually considering it. Of course, I'll have to start training when I can walk again. Thanks to the race, right now I'm hobbling along like an old man with arthritis.