Dear God I Signed Up for a Marathon
The latest in a long line of bad ideas by yours truly
I started weightlifting during my divorce a decade ago and got really good at it. I found that lifting was the perfect way to punch through hardship- you had consistent goals (don’t drop the weight on your throat) and you could see and feel yourself getting stronger over time. And I got really good at it. At my best, I could bench press over 400 pounds and deadlift almost 600.
But all that muscle mass has its drawbacks. Yes, I’m built like a barge, but I weigh as much as one too. And frankly, that’s not good for Colorado, where all the dudes named Chad, Trent, or Todd weigh 165lbs (excluding their mustaches).
I’ve always been afraid of running. For me, lifting is easy. My body just does it. But running? Running is painful. Difficult. And I don’t want to do it.
So naturally I signed up for a half marathon this morning. It’s called the Rock Canyon Half Marathon. In December, less than five months away. And right now I don’t know if I can run a mile. So why do it?
Well, first, my buddy Chris has been challenging me to do this for a long time. We’ll usually have an exchange about how I don’t need to run because I can stay and fight while he scurries off.
I’ve been worried about burning off all the muscle mass that I’ve built up, but really, I can afford to lose some. And I really need to drop a few more pounds (I weigh 100lbs more than Chad, Trent, and Todd), so that plays into signing up.
But mainly, I’m doing this because it is hard. It’s something I don’t know that I can do. And as I told my son the other day, that is the reason we do things. So, I suppose you can expect to hear more about this new journey as we move on.
Any tips? Hit me below.
One more thing. If you’re into running or know someone with diabetes, my friend Megan is running the NYC in support of her adorable little boy, Toby, who has Type 1 diabetes. If you want to support them, take a look here: https://beyondtyperun.funraise.org/fundraiser/megan-conklin
Alright, that’s it for now. I have to go train. But first, cheeseburgers.
This will take some work.
Jason
Exactly what Liviu Horvath and Inkwrat said. Listen to your body, plan to actually run a half before the actual half, and dgaf about times. I don’t run with music but by mile two, regardless of how far I plan to run, I’m usually deep in thought anyway. Sometimes I can conjure up a nice rhythmic song to kick around in my head in between thinking. For me, running has gone from punishment to pleasure and has had an incredibly therapeutic effect on my mental health. Get yourself a goofy hat from sprints and a nice pair of running shoes at a good knowledgeable running store. I also love balega socks, lol. Oh, and yeah, body glide is your best friend. And for me, any diaper cream will heal chafing. Maybe other people use other things, but that’s what works for me. Enjoy!
I started running for the same reason you started weight lifting. The thing that keeps me running is the community. I meet friends most mornings to run and we have this great time slot where we can catch up, in a healthy way. There’s no alcohol or food, just a solid block of time to talk, and we get exercise done for the day. Find someone to run with
For actually getting to the start line: there are some good free training plans on the runners world site