I have long thought the best way to go 26.2 miles is by car, ideally with someone else driving. But that doesn't mean I haven't been, at the very least, intrigued at the thought of running a marathon. So few try it, and even fewer finish.
Then along come the folks at the National AIDS Marathon Training Program ( NAMTP ) , who claim the marathon is something anyone and everyone can accomplish, if that person is committed.
Well, maybe I need to be committed ( to a room with padded walls ) because I'm gonna give this NAMTP a run, literally. I am officially throwing my hat into the marathon ring.
In Florence, Italy, of all places.
The NAMTP's spring-training session ( now underway ) leads to the Chicago Marathon or the Chicago Distance Classic Half Marathon, both in October. ( I'm too late to start training for those. ) The NAMTP's summer session, which trains potential marathoners for the Las Vegas Marathon on Dec. 2 and the Florence Marathon a week earlier, formally kicks off along the lakefront on June 9 with the group's first official run: a three-mile journey.
And I'll be there.
I'm actually excited for the six months of training, not too nervous. How will I feel? Will I be able to finish? What can I eat? What can't I eat? What if I miss a Saturday morning training session? How sore will I be?
When I'm not writing, I work in the world of professional wrestling. ( No jokes, please. ) And there's no business that's more fitness-driven than pro wrestling. Many of the muscle-packed wrestlers can lift small cars, but I'm sure none has run a marathon. It's definitely motivation to finish, to do something fitness-related that, again, none has ever attempted.
Motivation comes in many forms, too, I've learned over the past few weeks as I've contemplated this life-changing decision. Hector Torres, for instance, is the ultimate driving force. He's changed from a fat 270-pounder to, truly, an Ironman.
I will document my marathon journey over the next seven months or so with regular updates. I'll share my training; my ups and my downs; my concerns; and my accomplishments.
Until next time, I'm off to run.
E-mail Ross at Rossco814@aol.com .