Signed Up, Good God

I signed up for the Lost Dutchman marathon. Its on Valentines day, about six weeks from today. I have been putting up trial balloons with friends and family for a couple months on this as even I was not sure what I wanted to do for 2010. As many would tell you, more than half I talked too, doing a marathon as my first race back from the injury I sustained is dumb, stupid, idiotic, selfish, and on and on and on.

And this is probably all true. But I will be honest about this and 80% of you reading this will not understand this at all. I am an A-Type personality. I am an all-go, no-quit, full speed, adrenaline junkie, competitive nature, must win, on the edge animal.

That being said it has led to some Epic Fails. God knows I have failed spectacularly. This blog is replete with a history of my attempts at truly awesome events. But I have also had some truly awesome successes. Some spectacularly amazing adventures in my life that I would never have had the chance or courage to do if I had not been this person. On balance I think my life has benefited more from this than not. It got me walking again, it got me thinking again. It got me through 10 years of military service. It got me a wife way outside my league. It helped me start a successful company in a state far removed from my comfort zone. It has got me through Ironmans and marathons and 1,000 of hours of training. It got me from being told by a half dozen different medical experts, "Never workout again", to signing up for Lost Dutchman.

This last injury and recovery has very much taught me how to listen to my body. How to go for it without losing control. And even though at my core I am the person I was pre April 2008,,I have a fully fleshed out plan to stay in bounds and control myself. I know even if that doesn't work, I can stop. I don't have to finish this race. I don't have to finish any race ever again.

I will be running with at least two other people from my team and they will be my outside monitors and pacers. I will run at a very comfortable pace and just do the best I can. If they tell me I am done, I am done.

But really enough of the selling. I am doing a marathon next month! How freaking awesome is that.

Its not enough to exist. I am going to live.