An Athlete Always

Tomorrow I'll be part of my staff's team running the relay portion of our city's marathon. There are three others running the half, and one crazy-ass running the full 26.2 miles, which by the way, will be his second year in a row for doing so. He's my hero.  I did the full 26.2 in 1999. At the time I said I'd never ever do that again, but in the years since, I've flirted with the idea of the doing the full again. Not only is it a beast of a run, but the time required to train for it is pretty extensive. You don't just show up ready to run 26.2 miles without logging some serious wear on your sneakers.

I've completed two sprint triathlons, and this is my second year doing the relay. Big Red thinks I'm coconuts for participating in these events. He thinks it's inconceivable that someone would pay to participate in such a torturous event. But how do you approach a pedestrian perspective with your own that's chalk full of a history of athletics? I've been competing in some form of sport my entire life. For as long as I can remember, really. Gymnastics, swimming, soccer, triathlons, marathons. It's safe to say that I'm no longer a "competitive" athlete in the sense that I'm trying to win trophies and championships. No one is counting on me for anything. In my adult life, athletics has become more of an internal competition. Man vs. Man - Me vs. Me. Can I best my time from the last round? I enjoy pushing myself and challenging my body, and I will admit it's nice not having a coach screaming at me to do so. I like relying on my own intrinsic motivation. The pressure cooker of high-end competitive athletics is one I absolutely do no miss. Not for one second.

I just got finished making my mix for tomorrow's leg of the marathon: Black-Eyed Peas, Kanye West, Ke$ha,  Lady GaGa, Michael Jackson, P!nk, Pitbul, Tina Turner, Nelly, Rihanna, LMFAO, Whitney Houston, The Monkees, and Queen.  A motley crew of music, no?

4.7 miles. Wish me luck.

And Happy Cinco de Mayo.

ps: I think I may have broken my plateau - logged another 1.4 lbs lost. Score.