Marathon Update...

So, just a quick update on the marathon front... if you look a couple of posts down, I plan on four big races for my big 4-0 year.

Just two weeks til the Illinois Marathon -- I feel ready for it... but we have the Uber-fun Brew-to-Brew (http://www.brewtobrew.com/) next weekend. Of course, that is more drinking than runnin', but LOTS of fun. As of now, the weather is supposed to be pretty good too.

But for the summer -- I had only been looking to the great, white north for a cool summertime run -- welp, I didn't think of looking to Mark Twain's summer hang out. The San Francisco Marathon (http://www.runsfm.com/) is July 26th. Plus with Jane, Judy, and Bill there -- I can have some quality family time to boot!

Chicago has been taken off the books for October -- which was one day after my 40th birthday -- welp, apparently my beloved has some form of plans in the works, which may result in me being impared on that day (?!?!). So I will do the local KC Marathon (http://www.waddellandreedkcmarathon.org/)the following weekend.

Everthing is still on for Orlando in January (I've already paid for that one).

On On...

D.

Do you ever wonder "What if..."

"I, Daron Pratt, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

It was 20 years ago TODAY (St. Paddy's Day 1989) that I recited those words (for the first time)... kind of made me wonder "What if..." Several people have questioned my decision to separate from the military at the half-way point, and not stick it out to retire at 20. The decision, at the time, was based on two things:

1. I was doing desert duty pretty regularly, and the kids were small -- three months was FOREVER when you have two kids under three years old.
2. The economy (then, not now)... the dot.com bubble was still expanding, and jobs were high-paying and prevelant.

It just made sense. I have always said, the best decision I ever made was joing the Air Force -- the second, was probably getting out when I did (of course, marrying Tracy was probably up there in the top two or three, somewhere).

Regardless -- and in the vein of "It's A Wonderful Life", "Mr. Destiny", and couple of Simpsons episodes, I still wonder.

Adding to this, I recently got a note from a good friend, who was a fellow Airman with me back at Ramstein AB, Germany -- he has just been selected for Major. WOW -- it still blows my mind!!!! When I got out, I had just gotten my Associates from the Community College of the Air Force (woo hoo?!?!)... but have since finished both my Bachelors and a Masters degree. Would I have done this had I stayed in? Would I have remained enlisted, or gone for a commission? How many tours would I have done to the desert? Where would we have gone post Langley?

Now, looking back at the (almost) 10 years since I separated, at the life I have, the experiences I have had, what I have learned, where I have been -- and most certainly, the friends I have... I'm sure I'll always wonder "what if" -- I'll NEVER regret "What is."

It's all mental (no Chris... not you)

I am not a running coach, I don't pretend to be a running coach (I don't even play one 0n TV) -- I'll leave the coaching to Rusty... but, on occasion, those who know I run, have solicited advice on various aspects of running, apparel, training et al... And while I am always willing to opine about whatever the subject, the general piece of advice I always provide this this:

"Running is 30 percent respiratory health, 20 percent physical health, and 50 percent mental health."  

What I mean by that is simple -- once you have mentally decided you are going to run five, ten... or 26.2 miles, you will do so (assuming you have marginally trained).

That brings us to today -- I had planned (that is, mentally prepared) to run 15 miles.  Because, as some of you know, I am running the Illinois Marathon next month.  However, about an hour before I went to run -- my virtual training buddy (and Illinois Marathon partner) Aimme (who just also happens to be my sister in-law) posted to her Facebook page that she is running 18 this weekend.  

So off I went on my run -- a marked, set of trails by Longview Lake... still planning on 15 -- but when I got to around seven miles, I decided I'd turn around at eight, making the run 16 miles.  Good, my mind was OK with that, so that's what I did... and I began plodding back the 8 miles.  Because I had predetermined I was running 16 miles, I began to feel the normal, phantom pains around mile 14 (cuz with two left, that is where my mind decided I should start to hurt.... whatver!!!) 

But then something funny happend... I began to think about Aimee, and how resilient she is, how strong she is.  I talk a tough game... but sometimes, it's just that; talk (how many marathons have I registered for in the last couple of years; only to have something come up -- to where I haven't completed a single one in over ten years!).  But back in mid-January Aimee said she was going to run Illinois (and the ridiculously-egotistical side of me always promised her I would run one with her, whenever she decided to do so).  For those of you non-marathoners -- ANY marathon training plan is 16 weeks long (you do the math).

So back to that funny-thing, I knew if I was in Iowa running with Aimee -- there was no way she would stop two miles before me... so the next thing I know, the pain goes away (was it really ever there), and I just blazed right past my car -- another mile out, another back.

So there you have it... 16 for me -- two you for you, Aimee -- you are truly inspirational.