WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

It was Sunday Morning, December 9, 2007. I was sitting on the couch waiting for the rest of the family, ready to go to church. I flip on the T.V. and begin watching the Dallas White Rock Marathon being televised live. Two thoughts immediately go through the brainhousing group: a. you've gotten fat (190 lbs.), and b. You should be out there running this thing.

It was less than 6 years ago that I had run the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. Because of a new job, a new baby, and more time constraints, running had gone by the wayside. I pretty much have always run. I ran in the Marine Corp, I ran a little in college, I really started running when I got out of college. I ran Marathons, 1/2 marathons, 20k's, and 30k's. But as most runners know, running doesn't let you quite it...at least completely. That afternoon I laced up a pair of running shoes and ran...and it hurt! Training had begun....for what? I didn't know.

As my wife will attest to, I am obsessive compulsive when it comes to training. I am either training full bore....or I am vegged out. My training continued. My milage increased. The legs and asthmatic lungs begin to show signs of life....and I started eyeballing race events...something big.

In January I read a copy of Ultramarathon Man, Confessions of An All Night Runner by Dean Karanzes. Karnazes has run distances of 350 miles and has completed 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days. Inspired, I kept training with still no event in sight.