That's excite! Very nice! So marathon...

The blog is up and running.  I'm sure I'll have more changes to make as we go along, but it's started.  So yeah, this is very similar to a few years back when Erin and I ran the "Grandma's Marathon" in Duluth, MN.  I was sitting there a few days before New Year's Eve - thinking about what I wanted to do... physically, in the next year.  I knew I wanted to lose some weight, and I knew I needed something fun to train for to keep motivated.

Welp, here we are again!  I had initially set out to complete a half-ironman triathlon this year, but the timing is just not going to be there.  That, and other excuses:

1. We're having a baby in late May/early June..ish.  My triathlon was set to happen in late June.  
2. The marathon is in late October - there should be some time to hopefully sneak in a long run or 7 and not default on Dad duties.
3. Tri training takes a LOT more time... and money.  Mostly time though.  With a marathon, I'm training for the least expensive portion of the 3.  It might be the one that shares the least "cross benefit", but it's easy to pick up and go.
4. That.... that is about it.  I need some new shoes, I guess.  This is a good excuse to get them.

Signup doesn't start until March, so I can't post that I'm 100% committed yet, but just know that I'm about 99.8% at this point.  I learned a lot about running long distances from the last training session.  There's no longer going to be a mental barrier to "taking on" a long run.  I know I'm capable of surviving a 26.2 mile "run", and much shorter distances than that, too.  I've seen what "training times" are like, and how that translates into racing.  I also know that, while I'm behind where I was 2 years or so ago, I have more time to get ready.  I had been on a great track of weight loss and exercise over the past 4 months, but 2 broken appendages and a ton of "overtime work" later, I'm getting back to where I started.  If I can stay healthy, I'll be back at it.

I'm going to hopefully lay out a training plan soon.  I'm hopeful that by the time my "4 month countdown" hits, I'll be in the position to do a more "intermediate style" preparation regimen.  I'm also going to track mileage (and hopefully map out) my runs again.  That stuff is fun to me, and it helps keep me motivated.  It would be nice to be close to the mileage I was at by the marathon time last year, and build from there.  There were, of  course some long runs thrown in there that I won't have this time (by June), but I missed a lot of last year (early) due to injury.  That might even things out.  Additionally, I expect a lot of treadmill time this go-around.  Cold weather sucks, and if an asthmatic like me can avoid it, I have to.  

So, now that I've vomited on my keyboard/screen, expect a "goals" post, a "training plan" post, and hopefully a "first run" post in the coming days.

Did I mention the most important part!?! reading...reading...reading...NOPE!  My sister Meredith and my friends Andrew and Tremaine are going to play too!  I think Meredith has a companion blog to this one set up - Read it here!.

Okay...stay tuned, yo.  Happy New Year!

Darren, err...Dar-run

P.S. - Enjoy the glorious background photo!