Life after a Marathon

So it has been about three weeks since I ran my marathon, 5 hours and 20 minutes was my time, I am glad I finished but was way off my goal time. Am I satisfied about finishing the race? Hell ya! Am I going to put myself through that hell again? You bet! Crazy I know but the feeling of accomplishing something so insane is weird. I know most of you are thinking no way in hell would I do that but distance runners are insane.

I now find myself feeling like a bum, part of me want to run again then part of me just wants to be a bum. Well I have also been eating like I was still training for a marathon so I am starting to see a bit of a buldge in my so recently "almost ab showing stomach". So I am getting back on the wagon and hit it again and get or stay in shape. I learned alot from that first one so now I am training harder and smarter so I can get my target time. Here we go again

Running

Why do people, like myself punish their bodies so they can get in shape or do something really crazy like run 26.2 miles. I ask myself that question everyday and get ask that question just as often by random people and friends. The only thing I can answer I can tell them is "I'm not sure I just do." The past month or so I have been training for my first marathon, it's on my life list, anyway, the past two weekends I have had to run in double digits for runs and after 2 miles I feel my body really warmed up, after 5 or 6 miles I feel great and start running like a mad man. About 8 miles I start asking myself "what the hell am I doing?" I keep going cause I have a goal in mind, running and completing this marathon and my 5000 mile goal in two years. So why do I run? Its my drug, I feel like crap on the run itself but then when I finish I feel like I am on top of the world, for about 15 minutes then the pain comes. So to my fellow runners out there, RUN cause in the end of the day the only real question you have to answer is your own.

A day in history!

So I could write about our first black president or how last time it was this cold on Inauguration day was with Harrison, it was before my time or yours. His has the record for the longest inauguration speech in history, 30 days later he died of pneumonia. I think but for now let me talk about cold weather and having a cold.

So I have been training for a marathon and have been running outside, I can't stand treadmills and stay off them as much as possible. Now yes it is winter but I just bundle up and go for it. Believe me I hate running in the cold but I hate it less than than the treadmill. For the most part I have been ok running outside till about 2 day ago. That is when I get this stupid cold, I can't breath, I keep sneezing, I keep blowing my nose, I am miserable, but here is the weird part about all of this. I tend to feel a better when I am running. I know running will loosen phlegm, but whatever. As much as I want to keep running so I can feel better, the cold seems to be trying to make me not want to run. Like it knows that I am trying to kill it, I have been forcing my self to keep on going but man this cold is horrible. On the other hand, a part of me thinks that me sweating and being outside is probally not so good for me either, but what am I suppose to do? I will suffer through it but this day in history I have my first officail cold of the year. Ok I know it stupid.

Anyway back to the elephant in the room, today is by far one of those days that we will all remember. I am sure that this day will affect everyone differently, but it is by far a remarkable day. A few months ago this great country of ours elected the first black president. For me that is huge, just decades earlier blacks and other non-caucasian ethnicities where discriminated and looked down upon. I know it still happens today as much as people want to say it doesn't, but look at what this country has done. From all the hatred and animosity that the older generation might still have this country chose to elect Barrack Obama as the 44th president of the United States Of America. That should really have a new meaning now, UNITED States of America, I mean the first time in this great nations history we are united as a country in electing him and the race card was not an issue. White, black, asain, latino, european, a majority of US citizens elected him. HOPE was the main thing people keep saying about this man, and hope he has given this country and world really. Not all of you will agree but I still think that George W. Bush did a fine job and history will look back and find that he did things because they were right. Who is to say you would have not made the same decision in his place.

Future generation will look back at our time and say that the early part of the 21st century was a time of change for the country and the world. What will President Obama do? Not sure but he has given people a chance to believe in our country again that anyone can be president. Good luck Mr. President, these are big shoes to fill.

Death

So this weekend, I went with my wife to his cousin funeral. I did not the the kid, and yes he was just a kid, 19. I mean he was just starting his life. His sister was really close to him and his friends and family were just as close to him and here I am starting to get teary and depressed. I mean I did not want to go at all but it was my wife's family and had to go. It make you think about your own funeral, I know it sound depressing but really we never think about it.

I have "life insurance", still don't why we call it that, just in case something happens. I want to make sure the my family is ok if I go but then you think about your funeral, cremation or buried? My wife and I talked about it and she wants to be cremated, me not really sure but I do know one thing, when I go I want everyone to dress up and have a big party and just celebrate my life and who I was. I mean it is bad enough that I am gone but as the preacher said at the funeral "we will always have them in our memory." So why not have a party. I am catholic and I am sure there are certain rituals dealing with death but it my life and I want to end it my way.

It make you think who is going to be at my funeral? What is my wife going to do? Will my kids be ok, the future ones atleast? My mom and dad will they still be here? My borthers? It is sad when you think that when we go we leave so many people behind. They say when you go you just don't leave your family when you go but everyone you have ever met and touched with your life. Well will all those people show up to your funeral? Depressing I know but we have to die sometime I just wish that I live my life with every possible thing that I can do cause "shit happens" when you don't expect it. I tell my wife that I live her everyday cause I do and well you never know. Live your life and everyday, and everyday you know we will have lived.

Having a cold

So I know that the common cold has no real "cure," but really we can put a man on the moon, have 4 gig of memory in a chip the size of a pinky, have super thin TV's, Demi Moore, should I say anything else, but we can't get rid of a stupid bug. Really the thing has been around for ever, sure it keep "evolving" or mutating. Makes me think that corporations are making medicine that only make us feel a bit better so later on we can get it back in a few months. Come on corporation not making us medicine that works to get our money. They would never do a thing like that I mean their are honest people like you and me. Man I am really sick or that run has really strained me and there is no blood flowing to my brain. Must eat now before I think that peopel are reading this.

2009

Well it is a new year and well it started a bit rocky. Seriously every year hundreds, thousands, hell millions of people every year start the year of a bit rocky. Just like the millions of people around the world I had celebrated New Years Eve with several drinks, and with a few drinks the morning after we all pay for it. Hang overs is how a lot of us start our first day of a new year. I was in target today and it was like walking in to a ghost town, it was empty. I mean last week the place was so crowded that it was nuts, today I got in and well it was empty. Besides that I think it will be a pretty good year, Married, have a house, have two dogs and well the wife want to try for kids this year. As far as for me I think I will just go with the flow like I always have. Oh as far as a new years resolution, I am going to run. I mean I run now but I am going to RUN. Going all out this year, marathons, half-marathons, 5k's and hell even tri-athalons. So 2009 will either make me or break me, find me in 2010 and see how I did