Join me on my journey of conquering 26.2 miles as I work toward running the Country Music Marathon with 35,000 other crazy people right here in my hometown of Nashville on Aprtil 28, 2012. It won’t be easy. It may not be pretty. But it will undoubtedly be interesting.
What do I think about while I run? Well, the video below pretty much sums it up. Nipple chafing. (Not) pooping your pants. Top 40 hits from the 90s…
If I’m going to survive 26.2, I better tape up, go easy on the Kashi Fiber-Crisp cereal, and brush up on my Matchbox 20 (though I’m already well-versed on Salt n’ Pepa, Ace of Base, and Montell Jordan).
To all you runners out there: What do you think about while you’re hitting the pavement?
Thanks to Cali Harris for sharing this gem with me.
“Why are you running a marathon?”, is by far the most frequent question I’ve gotten since announcing that I’d be running one in late April. It’s a valid question, and one that I still ask myself when I start to get tired after mile 5 of my current running regiment.
I’m at day two of my official training schedule, and in the video above, I share some insight as to why I’m embarking on this journey.
In short, running is a battle not against competition, but rather, against yourself. It’s an extremely personal experience. It’s a battle against your own mind and body. It’s a test of wills. Who will be triumphant? The bruised feet, the heavily beating heart, and the chaffed nipples, or a person who was able to overcome himself to achieve something great?
It was a cold morning. Barely 40 degrees. As I put on my warm clothes, laced my shoes, and made sure my iPod was queued up to the perfect playlist, I knew that this day was the day for me to finally attempt half-marathon distance.
Gearing up for a long run, there’s a lot of things that swirl around in your head. Confidence builds, self-doubt mounts, energy pumps. Today wasn’t a competition with anyone but myself. It was a battle with my own mind. My own body. I’m confident. Nervous. But confident.
