Two nights ago I get an e-mail from my Uncle Dennis. To give you a quick background of Uncle Dennis, he has ran a marathon in all 50 states. He is a marathon runner and has been for a very long time. I always thought it was crazy that someone would not only volunteer but actually pay money to run 26.2 miles. That was until I get an e-mail challenging everyone on the Jennings side of the family to run a marathon. My first thought while reading this was something along the lines of, "there is no way in hell I'm going to run a marathon!" That was until I read the rules, which are:
1. All of Grandpa Gene's/Grandma Lola's grandkids are eligible as well as their significant others (limited to spouses or engaged).
2. The participant can run in the Quad City Marathon on Sept 25 or as needed if can't be at QC marathon - ANY other 2011 official marathon.
3. If you "beat" the crazy old uncle's QC Marathon time, you win(earn) $1000. If you just finish the marathon before cutoff, you win $500.
4. For males, beating means having a better clock time and/or being within a minute (in case my incredible kick leaves you behind in homestretch).
5. For females, beating means being within 30 minutes of crazy old uncle's clock time (this is based on Boston Marathon Qualifying Standards which allows a 30 minute difference to females).
6. I will also reimburse for registration.
After 24 hours six people had already accepted the challenge. One of them accepting it even though she has never ran more then two miles at one time. Me being the type who loves a challenge just couldn't refuse. My uncle posted a website that has a training schedule. First day was a three mile run. That was today.
I woke up early this morning, ate a couple granola bars and was ready to go. The first mile was very rough, but I managed to run most of it. The second mile was terrible. I thought I was going to die. I walked half the mile and ran the other half. For the third mile I decided I was going to alternate walking and running every tenth of a mile. I started the mile running. Before I knew it I had completed half the mile. I decided to walk for a minute. That minute went by very quick because before I knew it I was running again. Then the next thing I know I had gone over three miles. It was time to stop. I walked around panting while trying to find my legs. To my surprise I actually felt much better after the three miles then I thought I would. This meant the challenge was a go.
Why did I accept the challenge? The thousand dollar reward plays a huge part seeing as how my bank account has never seen anything close to that amount of money. Really though, I am doing it for myself. My health has been getting worse and worse the last couple of years. I need to do something to get back in shape. Even if I don't complete the marathon or even compete in the marathon, this training is exactly what I need to get in shape. It's a perfect excuse to start eating healthier and to quit smoking. Two things I have been trying to do since I started this blog.
Everyday from now until the day of the marathon I will be giving short updates on how my training is going. Writing it here is the only way I know to keep myself focused on the big prize. I wish myself the best of luck because after all, it's a marathon not a sprint. Goodbye.
What I'm Listening To:
"Cousins" by Vampire Weekend
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