Marathon Training Post #1

This is my third blog post of the night. This is SO me. In college (STOP READING PARENTS), I typically didn't do anything for a semester, and then crammed all my studying into the week before finals. That would help to explain my poor grades throughout most of my scholastic career. Anyway, I'm hoping to make up for my pitiful blogosphere presence over the past few months by making tonight memorable.

So, without further delay, I will describe my run tonight (because I know you care)...

Tonight was an important run for many reasons:

1) I feel fat / disgusting / out of shape right now, and tonight marks the start of my return to the world of fitness. Up to October of 2009, I was logging a lot of mileage every week in preparation for the Baltimore Half-Marathon. And, once I crushed the Half-Marathon, like any champion, I promptly quit running.

Sidenote: Great champions like Michael Jordan also once quit the sports that they would eventually return to, and DOMINATE...

Sidenote Concession: Michael Jordan is the only athlete who I can think of that has successfully done this... But hell, it's an example I can follow!

Anyway, fast forward to now. In the past few months... okay... six months... I haven't really done much physical activity other than my kung-fu. That said, I'm putting FITNESS FIRST for the next several months and I'm going to regain my six pack (of cut abs... although beer is sounding good right now).

2) It was one of the rare times where I've run while really under the weather. I currently have the cold from hell.

3) It was the first time I've ever run while doped up on Sudafed.

4) While not only does it mark the first run in my return to fitn

ess, it also marks the first run in my Marine Corps Marathon training regimen!

So how did this important run go? Terribly! I didn't stop or anything, but I felt like I was going to throw up all over Friendship Heights (my neighborhood). AND, the Sudafed made my head feel like a balloon that was just tugging my body in all kinds of funny directions.

Sidenote: Did you ever notice how all cold medicines make the claim that they will NOT give you "Medicinehead?" They're all full of shit.

In spite of all the obstacles the cold and the Sudafed posed, I did in fact finish my 6.0 mile run. Did I feel like I could run another 20.2 at the end? NO FUCKING WAY. But is it October 31st yet? NO! I'm going to be soooooooo ready for this thing... Just wait...

I'm even looking at costumes... and I think we have a winner!

DC Marine Corps Marathon

I recently signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon!

Here's what I would LIKE to say about this:

"I, Steve, thrive off of setting tough, yet attainable goals. I enjoy the dedication and work that is required in working towards reaching these goals. I feel an enormous satisfaction once I complete something that I know most people cannot."

While the above is true, it is misleading, because none of the above is why I actually signed up for the marathon. The reason I signed up is because I cave in easily to peer pressure. All it took was an email from my college roommate (Karl) and a former DC roommate (Adam) saying "Hey, run 26.2 miles with us! It will be fun!" , and I signed up for it. I didn't really think of what I was signing up for, I just kindof did it... In retrospect, I acted like a lemming.

BUT, I was a lemming with REASON! The last time Karl suggested a crazy idea, the proposition went something like this:

VIA TELEPHONE:

KARL- "Dude, when you come up to New York in a few weeks, do you want to go skydiving?!"

ME- "Dude, I'm drunk right now! I'll do anything!

As it turned out, Karl DID sign me up for skydiving, and it turned out to be AWESOME! Therefore, any idea he suggests will be awesome... Right? RIGHT?! I sure hope so!

My blogging frequency is dismal

Updating this blog is sure a lot harder than I anticipated!

I attribute this to many factors:

a) I am working a lot more now. Economic downturns sure are a lot of fun. I keep reading about how worker productivity increases and wages stay stagnant, or decrease. Awesome, right? Sign me up! My hours are usually 730/8 to 530/6. Now while this in itself is not THAT bad, I find myself constantly taking work home for the evenings or weekend. And THAT blows.

b) I started taking kung fu in November. I'm not going to lie. I partially started taking kung fu because I re-watched both Kill Bill movies around this time, and said to myself: "This shit is so awesome. I must learn it." Anyway, that's what I said, and that's what I'm doing. Kung fu is three to four days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday). Mondays and Tuesdays are usually reserved for learning/practicing basic techniques and forms, while Wednesdays and Saturdays are reserved for sparring, and/or brutal workouts. Now, when I started kung fu, I was in pretty good shape. I had recently run a half marathon at a good pace, and felt good about my fitness. The Wed/Sat workouts brought me to my knees. They are absolutely brutal. Anyway, it's a HELL OF A LOT OF FUN, and since November, I have earned my Yellow Belt. Go ahead and laugh, but I am dead serious about this hobby and in three years or so, I will have a Black Belt, and the ability to effortlessly roundhouse kick you in the head.

c) Okay... well it turns out those are really the only two reasons I can think of at the moment as to why I've been so bad about blogging. BUT, I have a bunch of bloggable ideas that I'm working on, so stay tuned and you will be rewarded with exciting 45 second reads to spice up your workday!