I am not him! Really!! I'm not. I'M NOT! Okay, maybe just a bit...

(My friend Christine  --  another slightly-obsessed-runner, I might add --  posted this in facebook.)  

Thanks Christine!  I owe you .....  and I know where you live .....

Gore-Tex! (Dedicated to my brother Larry.)

"Don't let the rain stop you," Larry says.  Just get some Gore-Tex.  (I suspect he may be a stockholder.)

Okay, technically, I'm wearing "Omni-Tech".  And yes, it did keep me dry,

except for my Garmin, which I trust is waterproof ....

and my shoes, which are now drying on the heat vent.

Marathon? No way.

That was me, two years ago.  26.2 miles was unthinkable!  But the thought wouldn't go away.  It kept nagging and nagging.  I looked at some marathons in my area and then dismissed them.   Most were not doable.  In July?  Too hot.  On a Sunday?  Not an option.   Some don't allow music players and for me, that's a deal breaker.  Besides I'm too old.   Then again.....

I'm a fan of the Biggest Loser show.  I love to see the contestants gain new identities and new hope for the future.  I love to see them shrink and gain back their necks, squared shoulders, and arms that hang straight down rather than out over their girth.  Most of all, I love seeing their confidence grow from doing something hard.  Something they didn't think was possible.  It's inspiring and real.  But when the show added a marathon at the end of the season, I thought, "Darn it.  I've gotta do that.  If they can ...."  But I dismissed it again.  Then the next year, I gave in.  It wasn't going away.  I have to do a marathon.  And it's now or never.

So I'm in training.  It's hard.  So hard.  Four weeks ago I had to run 11 miles.  Two weeks ago I ran 12.  Yesterday I did 13, and in two weeks it'll be 14.  And on up.  I watch the weather nervously, knowing that I'll be out there rain or shine.  The rest of the week I'm doing short runs and cross-training.  I'm one month into this with five months to go.  The schedule is taped on my kitchen cupboard and I cross off each day.  20 or 30 years ago, I could have fudged and cheated on my program.  Young bones and muscles can make up for a lot of fudging.  But at my age, I simply don't have that luxury.

I completely agree with what all non-runners are thinking.  This is crazy.  But if I don't, what do I do with the Regret?  So for now it boils down to Regret VS long hours of Hard Work.   And for now, I'm choosing Hard Work, darn it.  I'm banking on Hard Work eventually becoming Victory.