Taking the Plunge

I'd been tracking the registration dates for the SCMM for weeks now, and when the opportunity came I was quick to act. As I filled out the online Registration form, I was more than a little conflicted on whether I'd have a chance in hell of finishing. But i don't want to give it more of a sense of drama than there truly was. I knew I was going to sign up - I had to sign up. I'd spent too much time obsessing over this to back away now.


The form had this unexpected wrinkle, though. It indicated that in the event of over-application, runners would be selected by way of lottery, unless the applicant could provide a time-log of a previous run. Since I've never run this distance, let alone gotten an officially clocked time, it was pretty easy to duck this step and move on. I figured the provision was in as a technicality, and was unlikely to be enforced.

10K on the treadmill

I got to the gym early today, psyched to break the 10K barrier, which has held sway these past 36 years. Early because I didn't want my travails abruptly shortened, by some jaunty up and comer, looking to get his heart rate up, who'd bounce me off the treadmill. Psyched because it felt like today would be the day.

Loosening up, warming up, stretching all went like clockwork. I climbed on, set off at a brisk clip, and before I knew it I was 3k to the good, and "Eye of the Tiger" was keeping rhythm. The next 2ks were a little harder, but no real problems.

At the 5K mark the customary nagging doubts began ... i started to question my ability to go all the way. I began to feel every little tightening of the calf muscles, I sensed twinges of pain in the lower back and my quads hurt like hell. But I pulled through to the 7k mark blocking just counting numbers to keep my mind fom wandering.

Rasta running

At 7k, a new calm came over me, and I began to experience what I had only read about as a "runner's high." While i have no illusions about hitting this high at my pace and only 7ks of distance, I have no other way to explain what I experienced either. While I've read multiple versions of the reason for this experience, from the physiological to the metaphysical none of which make much sense, that it even exists is pretty cool!! From 7k to 11k I ran as though in a trance, and i only stopped because I had to get home ... and for the first time since I kicked off this madness, I STARTED TO BELIEVE!!

10K on my 10th in Kerala

I thought I'd surprise myself and run 10k on my 10th anniversary (Jul 12), to show how 10 married years hadn't dulled the flesh any. I happened to be basking at the time in the Kerala backwaters with the missus, and figured this would be the perfect backdrop to an epic run.

Tranquil ... as far as the eye can see

Unfortunately, I never got a chance to test the flesh, since the spirit gave up the ghost pretty early in the day. The Kerala backwaters, where time stands still and the soul soars, would have to do without the sight of a large man trotting across the horizon, blotting out the sunset.

Even I couldn't stay cross with my weakening spirit for long, for in Gods own country, it's peace on Earth for as far as the eye can see. 10K would have to wait for another day ...