I ran my first and only marathon in 1998. The Silver State marathon, in Carson, Nevada. I was living in the East Bay at the time, and saw a flyer for the marathon on a bulletin board at the Coast Guard base. That was how we found out about things in 1998—flyers tacked to bulletin boards.
Good piece, and as a fellow sprinter-not-marathoner I had a similar experience. I've done tons of halfs and two fulls. First full, everything was great till a major leg cramp at mile 18 made me limp the rest of the way. Second full, trained more, made it to mile 19 before an even worse leg cramp. I figured the Universe was telling me something. The rowing machine is better for my 55 y.o. knees anyway.
Nice read. I have always hated running. Did power yoga for many years and that was great exercise. Got to get back into that.
As for your colonoscopy, I can recommend a handheld bidet (SonTiy) if you don't have a bidet at your home. I had a regular bidet at my house and it made the "cleansing" process so easy compared to when I didn't have one. I bought the (SonTiy) when I sold my house. I also had to recently recommend it to my brother who's roommate was dying of cancer and could no longer take care of himself in that department. His roommate died this morning. RIP Warren.
Another thoughtful note. I ran to stay fit for soccer. In college as captain senior year I blew everyone away in the 2 miler to start camp, guaranteed my 23 and me would never show sprinter. In Over 30s, then Over 40s in Jersey for 30 years I ran fat dudes into the ground as a central midfielder even when I myself was fat like when Jared walked in the door at Lehman. After moving to Vail and ‘retiring’ after 50 years of soccer it’s Peloton, road biking to stay fit and an even more inane activity, skinning (walking up the mountain). I’m happy not run, it sucked at 8000 feet. The fitness stuff is so I can still ski the bumps and not look like most golfers back in Jersey (fitness and hubris). Like money, just a means to an end.
Ha, 1996 was my bucket year. Saw the Gators beat the OSU in the Natty in January. My wife had us running (me waddling) 5k's 10k's and she even qualified for Boston buy a BCH (a fine unit of measurement). I geared up to do Chicago with Team in Training. I hurt my calf 6 weeks before doing speed drills. Why the hell do they do speed drills for guys who run 5 mph? Or anybody? Went to Israel in August on a solidarity mission for 5 days during the Second Lebanon War. Our members had 2 minutes to find miklatoat (bomb shelters) based on counter battery radar. No problem tho some women belly flopped on the way. I helped them...Got home and watched a storm from the Philippines to the Midwest over 2 weeks. Cold miserable weather. Finished in 5:59:37. Been there, done that got the medal. I don't like to drive 26.2 miles...
PS Wouldn't know an endorphin if it bit me in the ass.
PPS Training and waddling did -0- for any part of me. No "runner's high," no libido difference. Now when I get the urge to exercise, as Robert Maynard Hutchins, the youngest president of the University of Chicago also said: "I immediately lie down until it goes away.."
I have been doing 15 minutes on the treadmill to warm up for my lifting. I can't imagine hours of running and my PB back before I was 30 was a 10 minute mile. I am not wired for running or speed. I can get strong and I can walk indefinitely. Weight lifting is far more efficient for weight loss. Building muscle causes a 24/7 metabolic increase and I have been slowly, but steadily shrinking. I can hammer my whole body in half an hour. 15 minute warm up on treadmill. 15 minute systematic warm up of joints, and 30 minutes lifting. I have dramatically increased my range of motion as my joint warm up includes dynamic stretching. I am even starting to fantasize about getting back into rock climbing, my all time favorite sport. Any exercise increases sex drive, a very happy side effect. When you wrote about 5 memorable times, climbing a 1200ft wall was my longest and most memorable climb as the walk-in was long and the descent an epic, plus I am afraid of heights so it was a mental marathon of overcoming irrational fear. I am not naturally athletic so what is trivial for others is hard for me.
Good piece, and as a fellow sprinter-not-marathoner I had a similar experience. I've done tons of halfs and two fulls. First full, everything was great till a major leg cramp at mile 18 made me limp the rest of the way. Second full, trained more, made it to mile 19 before an even worse leg cramp. I figured the Universe was telling me something. The rowing machine is better for my 55 y.o. knees anyway.
Nice read. I have always hated running. Did power yoga for many years and that was great exercise. Got to get back into that.
As for your colonoscopy, I can recommend a handheld bidet (SonTiy) if you don't have a bidet at your home. I had a regular bidet at my house and it made the "cleansing" process so easy compared to when I didn't have one. I bought the (SonTiy) when I sold my house. I also had to recently recommend it to my brother who's roommate was dying of cancer and could no longer take care of himself in that department. His roommate died this morning. RIP Warren.
Another thoughtful note. I ran to stay fit for soccer. In college as captain senior year I blew everyone away in the 2 miler to start camp, guaranteed my 23 and me would never show sprinter. In Over 30s, then Over 40s in Jersey for 30 years I ran fat dudes into the ground as a central midfielder even when I myself was fat like when Jared walked in the door at Lehman. After moving to Vail and ‘retiring’ after 50 years of soccer it’s Peloton, road biking to stay fit and an even more inane activity, skinning (walking up the mountain). I’m happy not run, it sucked at 8000 feet. The fitness stuff is so I can still ski the bumps and not look like most golfers back in Jersey (fitness and hubris). Like money, just a means to an end.
Ha, 1996 was my bucket year. Saw the Gators beat the OSU in the Natty in January. My wife had us running (me waddling) 5k's 10k's and she even qualified for Boston buy a BCH (a fine unit of measurement). I geared up to do Chicago with Team in Training. I hurt my calf 6 weeks before doing speed drills. Why the hell do they do speed drills for guys who run 5 mph? Or anybody? Went to Israel in August on a solidarity mission for 5 days during the Second Lebanon War. Our members had 2 minutes to find miklatoat (bomb shelters) based on counter battery radar. No problem tho some women belly flopped on the way. I helped them...Got home and watched a storm from the Philippines to the Midwest over 2 weeks. Cold miserable weather. Finished in 5:59:37. Been there, done that got the medal. I don't like to drive 26.2 miles...
PS Wouldn't know an endorphin if it bit me in the ass.
PPS Training and waddling did -0- for any part of me. No "runner's high," no libido difference. Now when I get the urge to exercise, as Robert Maynard Hutchins, the youngest president of the University of Chicago also said: "I immediately lie down until it goes away.."
Audiobooks man at 2x speed.. start w/ all the biographies on Audible and get out of your damn head!!
I have been doing 15 minutes on the treadmill to warm up for my lifting. I can't imagine hours of running and my PB back before I was 30 was a 10 minute mile. I am not wired for running or speed. I can get strong and I can walk indefinitely. Weight lifting is far more efficient for weight loss. Building muscle causes a 24/7 metabolic increase and I have been slowly, but steadily shrinking. I can hammer my whole body in half an hour. 15 minute warm up on treadmill. 15 minute systematic warm up of joints, and 30 minutes lifting. I have dramatically increased my range of motion as my joint warm up includes dynamic stretching. I am even starting to fantasize about getting back into rock climbing, my all time favorite sport. Any exercise increases sex drive, a very happy side effect. When you wrote about 5 memorable times, climbing a 1200ft wall was my longest and most memorable climb as the walk-in was long and the descent an epic, plus I am afraid of heights so it was a mental marathon of overcoming irrational fear. I am not naturally athletic so what is trivial for others is hard for me.