My Excuse

Running is hard! That is why I didn't post yesterday.

Yesterday, I finished the Marine Corp Marathon 10K race. I didn't go as fast as I wanted, but I finished. I even have a cool medal to prove it...but I won't be a dork and wear it after race day.

I was tempted though...I just wore the t-shirt to FSI today instead.

My wife, however, is the really impressive one. Last year, she did the MCM 10K.

This year, she did the marathon!

I am so proud of her I just cannot tell you.

And do you know how much this woman loves me? After 26 miles, she kicked it up and RAN up the hill to the Iwo Jima memorial so she would look good for me. I have a great shot of her smiling and waving at me!

Everyone should be so lucky as to have a wife like mine!

Back to something completely different

So I am still running.

I'll wait while you pick yourself up off of the floor.

I finished the Couch to 5K program (which is great, and if you don't run but want to, you should try it. You can find the program here.) and ran my first 5K on June 5th (the Race for the Cure in DC).

You can get back off the floor now. Or just stay there, you may end up hurting yourself if you keep falling over.

I was really slow, but I did it. And it felt pretty good.

So I've signed up for the Marine Corps 10K.

See, I told you to stay on the floor.

I am currently running three days a week for about 30 minutes. I can run for 30 minutes now without stopping (at the beginning of April, running for one minute was hard, so this is a big deal). But now, I am doing intervals to increase my speed. So I run for a minute, walk for a minute. It has increased my pre-race pace by about 2.5 minutes per mile. I'm still really slow, but I am pleased with the improvement. and I really think the 10K will be doable. and I have until October 31 to train.

I am really liking running, and am beginning to see changes in my body too. And this is a sport I can do even when overseas. Which is nice.

I am beginning to think that getting a hat like my wife's is within reach.

Though my new goal is to run a marathon before I head back overseas in 2011, probably the Shamrock Marathon (which is where my wife got her hat for the 1/2 marathon), so the hat I would get will be even cooler.

Yeah, just stay on the floor.

Now for something totally different...

I have decided to take up running.

I'll wait for those of you who know me to stop laughing.

:::tapping foot:::::

Still waiting.

I could give you lots of really good reasons for why I am doing it:

*my wife inspired me
*walking the HASH in Jerusalem inspired me very slowly.
*my cousin died of a heart attack a few weeks ago at age 40 (for those who did not instantly think "wow, that's younger than you are!", I thank you).
*I want to lose weight and get in shape
*I wanted to be able to run with my wife (who am I kidding...she'd pass me in 2.5 seconds at her SLOW pace)
*I've always wanted to run but always started it the wrong way and gave up.

All of those things are true, but they aren't the real reason.

The real reason I decided to take up jogging is that last month, my wife ran her first half marathon.

And she got a cool free hat that says so (well, free if you don't count the entry fee and having to run 13.1 miles to get it).

And I WANT one.

Now I know many of you are thinking I am a little fat for running. I'll just say it is really rude of you to point that out.

So now I am doing the Couch to 5k program and learning to run the right way. And the weirdest thing? I kinda like it. I even have this urge to jog down the long hallways at Main State (though in a suit, that might look weird. Actually, it might look weird under any circumstance at Main State. No, scratch that, they will just think I am a staffer. Which I am. So maybe I will!)

And the endorphines are great.

Plus maybe one day I'll get a cool hat. For free (after paying an entry fee and running a really long way!)