I May be Crazy...But Then You Knew That!

About 5 years ago I decided I wanted to run a marathon. Lot's of people do this and describe it as a life changing event, somewhat safer than sky diving. The fact that I had never run farther than 2 miles in my life and hated to run didn't seem relevant. I mean I wasn't running for the joy of it, I was running to scratch it off the bucket list.

It didn't help that I confided my desire to one person. Just one! She, as luck would have it, had done just what I was describing, and had a book to teach her how. Which she loaned to me.

And so it began. My first run was less than 30 steps. Literally. But amazingly within a few months I running double digits runs, and I even have witnesses. Then life threw me a roadblock. My job changed and I had new hours. My nightly runs after work started about 7pm. Did I mention I lived in Duluth, MN? Running in the pitch black was not good for a klutz. The second time I fell and had to limp home with my knee gushing blood I decided the marathon would have to wait for better timing.

Of course even though I trained last time, and my last run was 16 miles, quitting made the fear grow. Plus I am now 5 years older, and ever so slightly fatter. But I watched the "1 ton man" on the Discovery channel last night and decided I need to take steps before they have to cut me out of my house. Apparently the theory I was working on...that there is a limit to the size your butt can get...is completely wrong! This is very disturbing. So I dusted off my "non-runners marathon guide" and went for a jog last night. I only made it 18 minutes so I have to work up to the 30 minutes required to start officially training, but I'm going to give it the old college try. (For those of you who knew me in college, please try not to laugh...I might have graduated Magna cum Lucky, but I made it!)

Because misery loves company, I'm trying to talk my two sisters into joining me. Not only will I have other people to commiserate with, but we may be able to buy life insurance policies at a group discount. Hey, gotta find discounts where you can! Plus two of us have kids old enough to dial 911. Sorry Mol, you're on your own. But in 6 months you can find me at the finish line. Or dead. Might be a photo finish.