The Story thus Far

Someone asked me to write this up so here goes...

The Story Thus Far

Hard Choices

On January 1, 2008 I started running.  Again.  I weighed three bills and things were out of control.  Things weren't always this way.  I played quite a few sports in high school and college, all semi-adequately.  Fairly fit.  I didn't like running much but was able to tolerate it in order to do other stuff like playing basketball and baseball, and eating three large pizzas in a sitting and things like that.  

When I got to grad school I hurt my legs (stress fractures?) and didn't do anything at all for many months.  I gained a 'fitty spot.  I got married.  I tried running once or twice and hurt a leg again.  I gained another 'fitty spot.  There may have been Twinkies involved.

Then I decided after waddling for many moons that enough was enough.  Or at least THIS TIME enough was enough.  As opposed to all those other times of self-loathing and starting and failing...

One day I started walking up and down the stairs in our house.  I needed to do...something.  I went up and down the stairs about 50 times.  My kids and wife thought I was losing my mind.  I thought that too after the second time up the stairs.

Then I decided to run around the .175 mile block next to our house.  I ran this loop.  I wore black and did it at night.  I thought the neighbors might call the police.  The next day I did it twice.  I did it a few more times.  A police helicopter spotlighted me.  I remembered how much I dislike running.

I did a couch to 5k program, mostly.  Right before and leading up to January 1, 2008. The couch sounded pretty good.  

Then, I decided to do the hardest thing I could think of.  I decided to run every day for a year, at least one mile continuously.  The first day was torture.  I wanted to quit.  I ran for 670 days.  I even ran a marathon.  

Then I hurt my back.  I was in bed for almost a week.  The running streak was over.  I decided I needed a new goal.  (Besides going to the bathroom by myself.)  The next hardest thing I could think of was running a trail 100 miler.  So I decided to run Leadville.

I've spent this year since January training.  It's been some successful, some not-so-successful.  I weigh a lot less than before.  I ran forty miles in one day.  Despite an injury I'm on track to start this Leadville thing.  I'm realistic enough to know that I'm probably the longest long shot out there to finish, but I'm crazy enough to try and believe anyway.

Here's to choosing and doing hard things!

Also, here's to police helicopters leaving me alone...