About a month ago, I was deep in study; trying to finish out the semester and (between that, work, and the baby) hopefully get my life back. It was about that time that I began to realize a few things:
- Wow, I'm getting out of shape.
- So out of shape that my "shape" is starting to change.
- I need to take decisive action to get back to where I was, and
- Hopefully, I can do better than that and take it a few steps further.
We've been vacationing on the North Shore of Lake Superior for the last 3 summers now. On our last trip, we timed our vacation to allow us to participate in the MS150 in Duluth on the opening weekend of the trip. It turned out to be a great way to "get the most" out of our vacation. Both Erin and I are very active (well, I try to keep up anyway), so any time we can throw in a fun physical activity to do, it's a win-win for everyone.
Where am I going with this? Well, the same week that we're usually up there, the City of Duluth puts on a Marathon along Lake Superior. Usually, that just means we suffer through a little more traffic on the way home that day, but it got me to thinking... (bullet points this time)
- I've never done a marathon
- People that do marathons have to get in shape to do them
- It would keep me motivated, as I like a big goal to chase
- Hey, we'll already be up there anyway, and most importantly,
- The course is flat, the weather is nice, and I'll have plenty of time to get ready.
So, that's where I'm at. Tonight, I'm signing up for the Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN (hence, the title of the blog). On Saturday, June 16th, I will be putting together the longest run of my life (to date) - 26.2 Miles. The best part, Erin is signing up too! Team McCarter (a.k.a., Team Pump-n-Go (Our MS150 Team Name - Long story)) will be back in action this year to tackle another amazing feat of physical endurance! This will be Erin's 2nd Marathon, and my first.
More about me... I've done a few endurance events in my day, so it's not a total shock that I'm trying for the Marathon. Erin and I have done two MS150 biking events (2008 & 2011), a half-ironman triathlon (2009 - and currently the background image of this blog), a few smaller triathlons, 5 & 10k's, and anything else we could weasel our way into. Basically, I think we thrive on these types of athletic competitions - the atmosphere, the people, and of course the challenge itself. I'm really looking forward to a fun 5-1/2 months ahead!
My specific "game plan" will follow in the next post. Basically, January 1st is go-time, so stay tuned. I plan to document my daily efforts (though maybe not though daily posts), and any trials and tribulations along the way. Hopefully, I'll have some good "before and after" shots, measurements, run times and PR's to chronicle as we go!
With that, Erin and I are officially entered into the race. Confirmation numbers and everything...
I promise to keep you in the loop, and hopefully have one more tool to keep me motivated!
Until later,
Dar-run
