Getting up at 5:30 in the morning to run 16 miles on my day off...
Waking up, lying there staring at the ceiling for a few minutes taking a silent inventory of every ache and pain, every stiff muscle and sore joint, thinking about the relative virtues of more sleep versus rolling my ass out of bed and JUST DOING IT.
Only 50 days left until the Chicago Marathon. The hardest part of the training is coming up now, increasing mileage every week peaking with a 20 mile run on September 15. Then, not a a moment too soon, comes three weeks of tapering off before race day on October 7. Really I only have about 4 weeks of difficult training left, then 3 weeks of coasting.
I'm really not built for this. I know I have arthritis in my knees (which knock wood hasn't manifested itself this year) and I'm about 20 pounds overweight. I run like I'm carrying a refrigerator up a flight of stairs; probably the only thing that would make it worse would be if I took up smoking as I ran.
Thing is, though, I crave that endorphin rush, and I keep reminding myself of that. Hopefully, by the time I finish today, I'll be carried away by a giddy megalomania, making huge plans for future running adventures, my achy pre-dawn angst swept away in a rush of good brain chemicals. I'll eat better, starting today. I'll do those stretches religiously. At least 5 pounds will melt from my frame between now and October. I'll finish faster and stronger than I did in 2004.
Yeah. And maybe I'm a Chinese jet pilot.
Did I mention that I've gone totally around the bend? I'm going to be running a second marathon in December: the Las Vegas Marathon, 8 weeks after Chicago. I'm proving something to myself; I don't know what, but I'm proving something. I meant to mention this on Thursday-- I think I might be running in an Elvis costume, helping to set a world record for most running Elvii in a single event. Oh yes.
It's time to get going.
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11 comments:
Dude, good luck.
Carry all our blogs with you for good luck Bubs. And pretend Christopher Walken's chasing you in the make up.
Dale, that's my incentive. I'm going to party with Chris Walken in the makeup.
Dr. MVM, thanks. I"m going to wrap ice packs around my knees now.
I'm horrified. All those miles seem a little excessive. Isn't just one plain old mile good enough for you? I mean really, when are you going to need to run 26 miles? I can imagine MAYBE needing to run a mile or two in some emergency, but come on! Frodo has already destroyed the ring and we won the battle for middle earth-when else will man actually need to run 26 miles straight?
Endorphins. Good enough reason to do a lot of things.
Which Elvis are you going with?
I'd opt for the younger one, as the jumpsuit could really overheat you.
Splotchy, I'm thinking either 1957 Gold Lame Suit Elvis, or Jailhouse Rock Elvis.
Ten, I love my endorphins.
Sin, point well-taken. I run because I really, really treasure the sweating, wheezing gasping sense of penance it gives me.
"Yeah. And maybe I'm a Chinese jet pilot."
From now on, you will be known as "Bubs Zhing Zhao," or "Zhao Zhing Bubs" on the other side of the Pacific.
BTW, good luck and show those Kenyans just what Illini are all about...at least for the first five miles.
Bubz sed: Thing is, though, I crave that endorphin rush, and I keep reminding myself of that. Hopefully, by the time I finish today, I'll be carried away by a giddy megalomania, making huge plans for future running adventures, my achy pre-dawn angst swept away in a rush of good brain chemicals.
Personally, before I would go to that much trouble I would fly to Amsterdam or some such place and jut pop some psychedelics. (Disclaimer: please obey your local laws)
Seriously though I am impressed and inspired. I'm setting my alarm for 5 a.m. now. Watch me work.
are you nuts??? why would you want to exhaust yourself that much - its not healthy. good luck be sure to have Miz Bubs take pictures
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