Why I Run

I realized yesterday, that every step I take on these long run days gets me a step closer to being the person I want to be.

I set a personal best Saturday by running 24 miles. My previous high had been 20 miles. By the 20-mile mark I thought, "hey, every step I'm taking right now is the farthest I've ever gone at one time."

My legs are trashed and tired. I'm dehydrated like a mofo. My face is wind/sunburned. My butt developed some sort of heat rash out there that's gonna be around for days. But I'll be damned if I don't feel absolutely great about myself.

Nobody close to me has ever run that far. It doesn't jump off the top of my head if anyone I know has ever run a marathon. I guess it's kind of rare.

Okay, enough self-aggrandizing. Ooh, wait, the best part was when I went to McDonald's for my post-run meal. I got a Double Quarter-Pounder with Cheese, Large Fries, Large Powerade, and a 20 piece McNugget (for those of you that want to know, that's approximately 2380 calories; gross).

I'm making leaps and bounds towards my goal and it's still fun at this point because I'm progressing nicely. At some point, I'm going to hit a wall in my training and it will become difficult to be motivated or to find the time (I was running for around 4 hrs and 40 mins yesterday), but right now it's as exhilarating as ever.

Barring injury, I'm confident I will finish the ING Marathon in Atlanta in 6 weeks, but that's only the first big step of the journey.

Sorry, It's Official: My Life Rules

This whole economic meltdown thing has been worrying me for awhile (my IRA account lost 20% of its value from Dec. '07 - Dec. '08; luckily I'm only 27), not least of all b/c I have to find a lawyerin' job for this summer pretty soon, and, well, for the rest of my life 18 months from now. Prospects are bleak. Even top-tier students are having a difficult time, so where does that put a mediocre chap like me? Crapsville.

But, it doesn't really bother me right now. I chalk it up to my latest hobby/obsession. My calm has been enhanced. I mean, I still worry. I'm not apathetic to the situation, but it doesn't destroy me from the inside out. Ever since I was 19 years old, I started pushing to do well in school all with the eye toward getting into a good law school. Then landing a top corporate law firm position.

My LSAT score completely changed the likelihood of that plan manifesting itself. And now my grades in law school have all but put the nail in the coffin of that "dream." It's forced me to think about it (and I very well could just be justifying it to myself so I don't feel like a failure), but I'm not sure I wanted an 80 hr. per week job anyway. Yes, the money would be fantastic, and I appreciate the finer things in life, but I'm happiest when my life is simple. The salaries for those positions are high precisely because the lifestyle required to fulfill that position is utterly horrendous. Not to mention, I've effectively been weeded out of obtaining such a job. My skills lay elsewhere. I probably would struggle in a high-stress job for a lifetime. Eff that.

I feel the most fulfilled when my life is simple and I can apply 100% of myself to something. I'm on that track now. It's simple and I'm giving everything I have towards a goal. I'm happy.*





*Well, there are some snags. Like today for example, I was putting the dishes away and I realized: I absolutely hate how the water sits on top of plastic cups in the dishwasher, so you have to dry each and every one before you stack them and put them away. In a house of 4 dudes that has company nearly every day, we use plastic cups a lot. Drives me bonkers.

Sorry I Haven't Written To All You Faithful Readers In So Long

My latest obsession has been taking time, but that is no excuse. So here goes, I recently read a bio book (Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All Night Runner) about Dean Karnazes the ultra-marathoner. Needless to say it was pretty inspiring. As no stranger to endurance sports, I began running again, a lot. It's only been about a month since I started back hard core and I'm doing base training so the speed is snail-ish, but I'm making great gains and have continuously achieved personal bests for distance so far (ran 20 miles on a trail run this past Saturday in 4 hours; burned 4077 calories).

In addition to my new hobby, I have been dieting 3 days per week eating a low-calorie intake. This has worked pretty well with the exercise plan and I have lost around 13-15 lbs in just a month.

I will keep pushing my body to get leaner and leaner as this will be easier on my frame for the ridiculous distances and long hours of pounding my body is about to take. I plan on running the ING Marathon in Atlanta on March 29th this year and my goal in the next 12 mos. is to finish an ultra-marathon of 50 miles or more. I also wish to complete a century ride (100 miles) on my road bike this year.

What makes me think I'm cut out for this type of insanity? To be honest, I think I was born for it: I'm patient, diligent, and actually enjoy pushing myself to the limit (it's the only time I feel truly at peace with myself, when I'm moving forward). One side of my family has a history of obesity and the other side has a history of mental instability. Couple those two things together and you have the makings of an ultra-endurance athlete. Why? Think about it, the natural propensity to carry fat will give me an advantage in storing energy for the ridiculously long efforts. And let's be honest, patience will carry you only so far, to finish you have to be a little messed up in the head. Best combo ever (thanks mom and dad!).

So there it is. Right now this pasttime is easy. I imagine once school kicks in full time or I tweak an ankle or knee, that's when nothing short of clinical OCD/perserverance/fortitude will help me prevail.