Getting Ready to Race

Here is a quick recap of the ING Georgia Marathon with Team Samaritan's Purse!

Sharing why I run at the Team Samaritan's Purse dinner.

First Team Samaritan's Purse race photo.

A bit of a Where's Waldo if you are looking for me.

Everyone find a running buddy!

Me making it look easy?

Down the stretch.

Mile 26.20000001

The ING Georgia Marathon was tough, always up or down hills. I finished in average 4:30 time for me. If you asked me it wasn't "nothing," but it feels too easy to recover so quickly from something so difficult. It makes me wonder how it would go if I ran without reserves, ran without regard of recovery. The first guy to run a marathon died... poor Pheidippides.

I can go faster, but it has to be done in training. It has never really been a focus for me. I can finish all these races, and until now I have been fine collecting medals and running a huge event every month to keep up my endurance without training. For once, and really for the first time, I am going to train.

We will know how fast I can go. I am not going to just finish this Ironman, I am going to race.

A Sign

ING Georgia Marathon

This weekend I ran a marathon. It was the hilliest course I have ever ran and my knees hurt pretty badly afterward. Today, you'd never know it. The human body is amazing. I love being able to run a marathon and the next day walk around and people who don't know I just ran a marathon have no idea.

I ran with Team Samaritan's Purse who organized a great race weekend around the event. During the marathon a woman who knew I had done an Ironman asked, "So is this just like nothing to you?" I laughed because I was struggling a bit and this was on mile 12. Any marathon is so tough.

But if she asked me today, well...

Badge of Honor

One thing that is crazy is my dulled sense of 'the event.' I have run enough events that little phases me in the preparation, or lack of, leading up to an event. Plus, I have the ultimate badge of racing honor, an Ironman. There is a sense, really not even a false sense, that I can finish anything.

I've felt a bit sick recently, not good timing for a cold, really haven't been running too much, and am 3 days away from the most challenging marathon course I have ever run.

And I can't wait to run.

Bay to Breakers

These race photos are awesome.

Air Max

I love running in new shoes.

Welcome to Atlanta

Less than two weeks until I go sightseeing in the ATL.

Vote for my photo in this contest!

Vote everyday, on every computer you own, like I am.

Ultra Training

How do you run an ultra marathon? You walk too.

I started by running 16 miles.

Then I walked 4, ran 3, walked 6, and ran the last 2 miles.

Cowtown.

Just in case I didn't make it, half way through, I took a "finisher" photo.

Still posing.

The Bear and my biscuits at mile 16.

Ready to walk and roll in my MBTs.

One foot in front of the other, literally.

Look closely, and yes, unfortunately a man in a cow outfit just passed me.

An awesome recycling spectacle on display. Magneto crushing metal at mile 26.

6 hours and 30 minutes of my life later, trucking it to the finish.

Really finishing.

31 miles and the refuel now light is on.

2/5 of the greatest finisher medal idea ever.

*Editor's Note: I did eat a couple packs of those expired gels. They didn't taste too good, but they usually don't. And they didn't throw any monkey wrenches in my system either, so I think I'll continue to stockpile the goods.