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.