The everyman's sport: James' First Post

I'll have to say that I was never a sporty kid while growing up. I was pretty bookish, though I preferred being outside as much as I could. Running, hiking and walks through the city were the family choice outings, whether it was in the city, in our nearby park or just through the subdivision at dusk.

So jogging and running is an activity that I just attribute to my family more than anything else now. No one ever did it competitively and it was always something that we all just did until we were tired. In college however, I started running 5Ks. They were mostly for charity events, but I started to enjoy it more and more. After a night out of drinking, running the next morning seemed to be the only way that I could feel comfortably recovered the next day. So it became a ritual; getting up early the next morning to start the weekend and having a late brunch before taking a nice nap.

Over time, I appreciated running more and more. Running requires no special equipment (though good shoes became necessary as I increased my distances and runs weekly) and could be done anywhere and anytime. The streets of Charlottesville are sleepy and safe for a male to go running at 10 pm and I just needed to get through the door and to the street to enjoy the activity. It truly was an everyman's sport for myself.

Eventually the 5Ks became 10Ks and then I targeted a half marathon. After that, the next natural step for me was to run a full marathon. It's a common saying that one will know if they are a true runner if after their first marathon they feel the surge to do it again (not right away necessarily) rather than a lethargic mood of a sense of accomplishment and no need to rush into another one. For me, Marine Corps Marathon 2004, was finished after a lengthy 5 hours and 20 minute time. I was exhausted, but my friends had cheered me on and I was already thinking of the next year.

So, today after a break I'm trying to get my marathon time down even more as I prepare for the Cleveland marathon in May. In the coming weeks, I'll post some "crash" preparation plans that I've heard about.