November 3, 2012. That is the date for the Really Big Free Marathon. I have been signed up for it since last Fall. So far in 2012, I have ran a combined… 6 miles. That was in two, approximately 3 mile runs each.

I now have just about 9 months to build my legs and lungs up for a 26.2 full marathon. Reviewing the course map today, I noticed that there is over a 1,070 foot elevation gain from the start line to about the halfway mark. From there it’s mostly downhill.

Thus far in my running “career” my longest single run was an 8.5 mile uphill run in Washington during the Summer of 2011. My total single day distance record stands at 21.5 miles during three and a half legs of a Ragnar Relay event. That was done without training, which definitely showed.

Being that this will be my first long distance race, I am not setting goals for the event, aside from finishing.This year may include a couple half marathons to gauge my training progress as the year runs by.

If a child can grow from two cells into a real, miniature human being in 9 months, then there is no reason that I can not focus on running regularly and become… a marathoner.

Following an 18.5 mile effort at the 2011 Ragnar Relay Las Vegas event, which was fraught with disorganization and just an overall lack of pure enjoyment, things turned from hectic to extremely crazy.

With an extremely successful 2011 Scoobies For Boobies fundraiser, I was kept very (or too) busy for close to three months. Working from 7am to 4pm at my day job, then heading to the shop to work until almost 1am on a regular basis took its toll. Add to that the demanding nature of the work, mind and body, I was, and still am, exhausted.

Now that the holiday season is over, a new year has arrived, on schedule I might add, it is time to get back into the swing of things. Unfortunately, last week, I was the proud recipient of a moderately serious case of food poisoning. Since last Thursday, I have lost close to 20 pounds, or approximately 12% of my body weight. I didn’t have 2o pounds to lose!

With my stomach not throwing a fit when I eat, it won’t be long before I can try to regain my strength and the weight I lost.

On the list for the comeback caloric assault:

• Steak n Shake
• Five Guys Burgers and Fries
• Sura All You Can Eat Korean BBQ
• Firehouse Subs
• Capriotti’s Subs
• Ciao Pizza
• Badger Cafe
• Carlito’s Burritos
• Filipito’s
• Pop’s Steaks
• More as my stomach craves them.

That being said, if any restaurants would like to sponsor my insatiable stomach, we are open to discuss what food is available!

Once my strength is back, training has to start in earnest. I now have 10 months to prepare for my first full marathon, that’s right 26.2 miles! To make this a little more challenging, I have not ran since the RRLV event last October.

Have I bitten off too much? Guess we will see just how strong my will is come race day!