A Marathon, what the heck was I thinking?

by Bill C.
(Lancaster, PA)

OK, been a while, I am a very busy painter, and in these parts our local building association has whats known as the Parade of homes. Not only am I a young aspiring first time marathoner, but I am an accomplished painter, with two houses on this showcase of homes, I spent 6 to 7 days a week, and some days up to 15 hours a day painting, but somehow, miraculously I still got my run on.

Some weeks it was all short runs, others I packed on some miles. Isn't there a T-shirt that says something like "Running, Cheaper Than Therapy" that is so true.

So now schedules are loosening up a bit and now I can really get more focused on my runs. The Official marathon training phase is beginning. It terrifies the crap out of me to think I will be running in Greece in October, up a mountain and down the other side. So I try not to think about that. My biggest concern is staying injury free. If I make any mistakes here, it could cost me the whole dang thing.

Humidity Sucks!

Literally it sucks the energy and sweat out of you! summer is here. I used to run in the evening hours back in the winter, it was my way of self flogging so to speak. I figured I would make it so tough, that I could handle anything that came my way. Remember the winter, some nights I ran in zero degree temps, even wind gusts up to 40mph. freakin insane right? I would give my left pinky toenail for that cold weather right now (oh damn, my pinky toe nail fell off on that last 8 mile run) that's right, cold vs. hot stanky and humid.

Now I read a short article from Coach Carvey about wetting your head before you run, I tried that, as I have a buzz cut, it was the hottest, day of the forecast! Shitty with partly crappy humidity and severe stink late in the day. The wet head theory works, although my head was dry by the time I got to the top of the block. It did work! my head stayed cooler, slightly longer.

Running Benefit # 215:

Running is great for weight loss!
So you do the math, I started this journey on December 7th. I weighed my Big Fat Greek Self and tipped the scales at 224lbs, today I weighed myself and I am down to 192lbs, Say What? 32 lbs gone, disappeared, I feel lighter, look better, you can actually see muscles that were hiding under pudge, my pants are hanging on my hips. It will soon be time to get back into size 34's Woot!
and yes. I have the sexiest Manlegs on the block. You know if I could just adjust my eating habits a little more, I am thinking i would have been down to 185 by now, wow!

So I am signed up for some half marathons, you can find me this fall at the Philly Rock N Roll half marathon on September 19th, a very fun half marathon, I am a shameless promoter of all things good in my life, so I blurted it out on Facebook, and now have about 20-30 friends going, Also this just in, Hershey half marathon, on Oct 3rd and there will be chocolate along the race route, heck yeah, that's what I am talking about.