A "little" challenge, and other musings...

So the gauntlet has been thrown down. The challenge has been made. The goal is set and I have a TON of work to do! What am I talking about, well, I need a goal to remain focused and one was placed right in front of me yesterday. A new friend (and fellow runner) on Facebook and I were talking about the annual Brew To Brew race from Boulevard Brewery in Kansas City, MO to the Free State Brewery in Lawrence, KS. We both said that we had considered running it either solo or as a relay at some point in the future. Well, yesterday she came back with the challenge. She said that if I would commit to running it solo in 2012 she would too. If you know me, you know I like a challenge. I quickly told her challenge accepted. Now I am just 3 days away from my first EVER marathon and now I am faced with the challenge of running a 44 mile race in April of 2012. So I've got just a little over a year to get there. To this point my longest run ever is a pair of 20 milers. I'm confident that I'll get there and it will no doubt help keep my focus on a goal and keep me motivated. Now we are looking to recruit friends and family to provide support along the way and even form relay teams to run along with us if they'd like. I'm confident it will be great fun and I will be successful. If you'd like to follow my challenger as well her blog is Jill Goes Long.

More currently, I am on my way for my date with destiny. I'm sitting in the Denver airport with my wife and mother-in-law on our way to California for the Napa Valley Marathon. Our layover was supposed to be 1 1/2 hours, but apparently our connecting flight is delayed so it is now a 3 hour layover. Oh well, it gives me a chance to update you fine folks on all of this stuff! I do have a 5 mile run to do today, so once we get to Napa it will be time to strap on the Adidas Marathon TR10s and get moving!! I'm SOOO excited for this race. Just 6 months ago I said that I HOPED to SOMEDAY complete a marathon, but honestly I didn't think it was something that I was capable of. I thought it was an impossibility reserved for the "true" athletes. Well, after 12 weeks of training I feel physically and mentally ready to go. I KNOW I will be successful in joining the less than 1/2 of 1% of the population that has even completed a marathon. After that there is nothing that can stop me. I intend to continue pushing myself to see what I am capable of. Isn't that kind of the point of running anyway? Of course, this thinking has led my poor wife Kristy to decided that I am completely and totally insane. She may be right, but that's just the way I am, it's all or nothing!!

On the flight from KC to Denver I finished reading The Runner's Guide To The Meaning Of Life. It is a short book, but it is absolutely fantastic! It is full of great insights into not only running but also life in general. It was a true joy to read and I highly recommend it. Now I'm starting The Barefoot Running Book since I will be rewarding myself with some Vibram Five Fingers after the marathon. I look forward to reading it and learning, and I look forward to the challenge of learning a new and more natural way of running.

Well, that's about all I've got for now, time to sit patiently and wait for our flight. Hey, waiting at an airport is still better than work, right?!?!? HAPPY RUNNING!!!