The Kickoff
Hi Guys!! This is my first time blogging. I only recently figured out what blogging is. It is one of those words I would hear but always feel behind the times because I didnt know what it was. I didn’t realize it was something so simple as typing on the internet for all to see. Anyhow, I imagine some care must be taken to make sure it doesn’t get out of hand. You don’t want to disclose ultra personal stuff out there. So what is a blog for? What I am excited about is getting to share things that I think are cool. So whenever I have something to share that I think is cool, that’s when I’ll blog. So I have no idea where this is going to go. But I know I have something cool to share today. I recently ran a marathon. Two weekends ago in Chicago. It was one heck of an experience. It was an eighteen week training program that I did for it. I learned a lot about the body by doing it. I was amazed at how used to going out and running seven miles I got. Before I started I looked at the training schedule and felt like it was a very daunting task. By the end of the training schedule, I almost felt like I barely got a workout running eight miles. The schedule I did had two twenty mile runs involved that I built up to. There was a long run every weekend, and near the end of the thing there were two twenty milers. I thought those were going to put the hurt on. But they ended up being some of the easiest and most pleasant runs of the entire training cycle. (there were a few long runs that were tough though. I did a seventeen miler on a relatively warm day with not enough water and gatorade, and that wasn’t a pleasant experience). Anyhow to the meat. What was the marathon like? It was very hard (surprising?). I tried to run eight minute miles. The quicker pace gave me an upset stomach by about halfway through. So the whole second half my stomach was upset. I could barely get down the food you are supposed to eat while going. Somewhere around mile seventeen I realized I needed to slow down or something bad was going to happen. So I slowed it down quite a bit and went into “take it easy and just finish” mode. I remember somewhere around mile twenty thinking “remember this moment….remember how it feels and don’t ever let yourself run another marathon!!” I hope I remember that advice. So I was slowed down quite a bit. I think there may have been a ten minute mile or two in there. But I was getting more near the finish line, and I thought I was going to finish just fine. Then it happened. A few yards infront of the 25 mile sign, my entire body cramped up all at once!! It was amazing. It started in the hamstring and then quickly I started cramping all over my body. Including arms, chest muscles, everything. I didn’t even know that could happen!! I hobbled off the course and tried to work out the cramps. I limped ahead to the gatorade table that was just after the 25 mile marker and pounded some gatorades. I started walking towards the finish line. Each time I tried to run, my legs would cramp up immediately. My goal by then was to run the end of the race so Heather could see me finish running!! Praise God that I was able to shuffle those last 400 meters on the home stretch without cramping up again. People were just streaming by me left and right. But I finished!!! I am not too emotional of a guy but I felt tears almost spontaneously burst out of me after that was over. Its the most intense thing Ive done. My original goal, at eight minute miles was to run under 3 hours and 30 minutes. I ended up barely sneaking in under four hours. I figured it out and my last mile must have taken about twenty-five minutes!! But I finished….a marathon!! My friend Ben had a similar experience that same day. But our friend Brad got a 3:22…that’s awesome. Our friends that we stayed with did really well too. A couple named Kevin and Elle. They both got right around 3:32…and Elle qualified for Boston. Later on at the apartment she had already booked a room and a flight for Boston. As for me I think I’ll stick with one marathon!!
