“THE EDGE, there is no
honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is
are the ones who have gone over.” ― Hunter S. Thompson
It seemed logical at the time, even
inspired. I was watching a wounded
warrior run the Marine Corps Marathon -- with a prosthetic leg, no less -- and
decided that I should run one, too. Never
mind that I can’t run a mile...or even a quarter mile. In fact, I can barely jog for a minute
nonstop. Never mind that I am too old
(58), too worn out with a degenerating spine and hips, and that I have arthritis
in my neck. And never mind that the
people my age who ran the marathon barely hobbled over the finish line, looking
as if they were walking over hot needles in bare feet -- and enjoying it even
less. I decided that if that amputee
could run every day, facing far more obstacles than I have, I could certainly
give it a try. Besides, I’ve never let
reality deter me before, so why start now?
The first step:
To get started, I spent a few hours searching online for marathon-in-a-year
training programs. It wasn’t easy to
find one for someone whose level was as low as mine. Most programs assume you are already an
established jogger who can run three to five miles at a stretch, four or five
days a week. But I finally found one that
would supposedly get me in shape for a marathon in one year, starting with one
minute jogs. It sounds ridiculous, I know. Maybe it is ridiculous. Am I crazy to even try? I guess I’m about to find out.
Goal: run
the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon
Training time:
twelve months
Starting level:
zero. Nowhere to go but up!
I’ve broken my training into four phases, each consisting of
three months. In this first phase, I’ll
run four days a week on my treadmill (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays),
rest two days (Wednesdays, Sundays) and engage in one long walk
(Saturdays). I’ll also do a light weight
workout four days a week for toning and strength.
My goal for phase one is to build up my endurance
until I can run for three to four miles nonstop. Right now that sounds about as possible as swimming
across the Arctic Ocean in the winter without a wetsuit, but I hope to get to
that point by the end of January (three months).
I have decided not to tell my family about this crazy idea for
now. I’ll wait until I can run for three
or four miles nonstop. If I can make it that far, then I’ll divulge my
plan. At that point, it will still sound
nutty, but not nearly as insane as it does right now.
And so I begin...
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