first update

Its Sunday night and the training has been rough. When I was finishing mile 3 of 9 last night, I could practically hear the crowds. "Bene, Bene" As I passed the 23 mile mark in Rome feeling strong and trying to beat 3 hours, forty-five minutes "Vaya senor, fin, fin" Not knowing any Italian made it difficult to visualize what the teeming crowd would be screaming precisely as I effortlessly passed undertrained and oversmoked locals with a caesar wreath draped atop my drenched head. Unfortunately, by mile 7, I felt like I need a cig just to get my mind off of how bad my lower half throbbed. At least, I was not worried because one part of my leg, like my heel or my knee had an acute ache, because I wanted to chop off everything below mid thigh.

It was late Saturday night and I had not eaten anything since lunch. (This is not what the running bible suggests, btw) So it was not long before I started drifting into delusion. The man in the moon exists, or at least he did last night because i got a free counseling session between miles 3 and 4 with him. That is not all. In the midst of running mile 5 and 6, I may or may not have preached an entire children's sermon. It was filled with lots of interaction from my audience ( nevermind), and as I remember, I was quite winsome.

At the end of my eighty minute psychadelic experience as I caught my breath and tried not to smell my dripping "dri-fit" top, I thought to myself, "I only ran a third of it tonight." The actual marathon that is. Who knows what the "Idies" will have in store for them come race day from this tourist seer? Although, I have to believe the full moon had something to do with it. Must have.

So two weeks down and "I-don't-even-want-to-think-how-many" left-to-go. By the way, I feel that the contribution from the other two authors of this blog has not even been woeful, it is literally non-existent. It feels like I am talking to myself, which brings back images of last night (shiver).

Oh and I have resolved not to get on a scale until thanksgiving. To see how much my hard work has paid off. (kinda hooked on biggest loser, go red) Then I am going to get on the scale immediately after the meal to see how quickly all that work can go for naught.

Until the moon's next phase (ahwooooooooooooo),
Jonathan

Ready, Set, Go

A little less talk, a lot more action. That is what I am feeling as far as the beginning of this training goes. We can talk ourselves til blue in the face but the dash around the colloseum will not happen until we quit saying how cool it would be to run 26.2 in Rome. At least, it will be easy to get to, all roads lead there right?

And who doesn't want to follow in the footsteps of Julius Caesar, and collapse in the middle of cobblestone roads brown with the blood of caesars, nazis, and protestants alike. I do. I finished a 40 minute run today. Had a nice long run on SUnday, and am eager to get after it tomorrow.

The wise mage said, " Beware the ides of march" and I don't know exactly the day of the marathon but it would be poetic justice for my body to deal me "the cruelest cut of all" at mile 22 of March "whenever the ides of march is/are"?

Questions:
Are the Herzogs in?
Does your knee feel okay Dad?
Does your hip feel ok, Katie?
What does the course look like?
WHat date is the race?
What do tickets cost right now to go?
What time is it starting?

See you all in cyberspace