My New Year's resolution this year was to run a marathon in 2012--not just any marathon, but the Detroit marathon on my 51st birthday.
Well, Sunday, October 21 rolled around this year and yeah, I ran my marathon. Not only did I run it, but I finished in the top third of all runners, which isn't bad for a first effort. Actually achieved all my goals: time under four hours (three hours and forty-eight minutes to be exact), ran the whole way (ok, I did spend a minute in the porta potty at mile 14), and no injuries. Mission accomplished.
Fortunately for me, the day was perfect--cool temps, sunny skies and light breeze. The view from the middle of the Ambassador Bride made me gasp. The air in the tunnel was stale like I expected, but not scarey being down there. And, the residents of the Indian Village are much cooler than most Grosse Pointers--they were blasting tunes, dancing, and passing out beer (for the carbs!) to thirsty runners.
Best moments of the day include my wife's loving send off at 6:20 a.m. and seeing my boys enthusiastically cheer me on--waving signs and yelling my name. Also enjoyed my girls bragging about my exploits on Facebook ("my Dad is tougher than your Dad"). For a guy my age, these thrills happen less often than I'd like.
But the experience was not a one-day thing. My serious training for the race began in June. Armed with advice from experienced friends and following a training plan developed by Hanson's Running Shop, my preparation was methodical. As the summer ground on, the plan demanded increasingly long runs that occupied more and more of my time. Towards the end, I was running fifty + miles a week, and running became more or less my only physical fitness activity--I stopped swimming, biking and gym workouts--from September 1 on, I was a runner.
Fortunately, good friends helped make the long runs bearable, even fun. Without Joe, Monique, Laura and Keith, I never would have stuck to the plan. They pushed me to try harder and their wisdom regarding race preparation proved invaluable.
Since the day of the race, I've been feeling a little disoriented--not tired or sore, so much as hung over. Despite all the praise this effort has garnered and my satisfaction at meeting a pretty awesome goal, I'm wondering, "What next?"
In the end, a race is just a race. My achievement was not unique or all that special. I didn't find a cure for cancer during this effort, nor did I come up with a plan for saving Detroit. What I did do was push myself to do something difficult, something I had never done before, something that, barely three years ago seemed beyond my reach. Which is why I ran this marathon. I need to continue pushing myself if I'm going to remain physically and mentally fit for the next thirty years or more. Rather than give in to physical limitations that are inevitable with age, I want to marshall the wisdom that comes with experience to drive me further. Growing older should be less about limits and more about new opportunities.
So what's next? Since the knees and ankles are still solid, I'm thinking about a new running goal. I've never been a fast runner, but instead a steady one. Next year I want to be fast, at least for a day. My goal is to run a 5 kilometer race is less than 20 minutes. That time would not qualify me for a high school cross country team, but it would represent the fastest time I've ever run. Hey, if Oscar Pistorius can run fast without legs, what's my excuse? In fact, I want to run this speedy race at the annual Grosse Pointe Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Day 2013. How's that for a goal?
What's a life without goals? A boring one. An unfulfilling one. Someone else's life, not mine.
Well, Sunday, October 21 rolled around this year and yeah, I ran my marathon. Not only did I run it, but I finished in the top third of all runners, which isn't bad for a first effort. Actually achieved all my goals: time under four hours (three hours and forty-eight minutes to be exact), ran the whole way (ok, I did spend a minute in the porta potty at mile 14), and no injuries. Mission accomplished.
Fortunately for me, the day was perfect--cool temps, sunny skies and light breeze. The view from the middle of the Ambassador Bride made me gasp. The air in the tunnel was stale like I expected, but not scarey being down there. And, the residents of the Indian Village are much cooler than most Grosse Pointers--they were blasting tunes, dancing, and passing out beer (for the carbs!) to thirsty runners.
Best moments of the day include my wife's loving send off at 6:20 a.m. and seeing my boys enthusiastically cheer me on--waving signs and yelling my name. Also enjoyed my girls bragging about my exploits on Facebook ("my Dad is tougher than your Dad"). For a guy my age, these thrills happen less often than I'd like.
But the experience was not a one-day thing. My serious training for the race began in June. Armed with advice from experienced friends and following a training plan developed by Hanson's Running Shop, my preparation was methodical. As the summer ground on, the plan demanded increasingly long runs that occupied more and more of my time. Towards the end, I was running fifty + miles a week, and running became more or less my only physical fitness activity--I stopped swimming, biking and gym workouts--from September 1 on, I was a runner.
Fortunately, good friends helped make the long runs bearable, even fun. Without Joe, Monique, Laura and Keith, I never would have stuck to the plan. They pushed me to try harder and their wisdom regarding race preparation proved invaluable.
Since the day of the race, I've been feeling a little disoriented--not tired or sore, so much as hung over. Despite all the praise this effort has garnered and my satisfaction at meeting a pretty awesome goal, I'm wondering, "What next?"
In the end, a race is just a race. My achievement was not unique or all that special. I didn't find a cure for cancer during this effort, nor did I come up with a plan for saving Detroit. What I did do was push myself to do something difficult, something I had never done before, something that, barely three years ago seemed beyond my reach. Which is why I ran this marathon. I need to continue pushing myself if I'm going to remain physically and mentally fit for the next thirty years or more. Rather than give in to physical limitations that are inevitable with age, I want to marshall the wisdom that comes with experience to drive me further. Growing older should be less about limits and more about new opportunities.
So what's next? Since the knees and ankles are still solid, I'm thinking about a new running goal. I've never been a fast runner, but instead a steady one. Next year I want to be fast, at least for a day. My goal is to run a 5 kilometer race is less than 20 minutes. That time would not qualify me for a high school cross country team, but it would represent the fastest time I've ever run. Hey, if Oscar Pistorius can run fast without legs, what's my excuse? In fact, I want to run this speedy race at the annual Grosse Pointe Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Day 2013. How's that for a goal?
What's a life without goals? A boring one. An unfulfilling one. Someone else's life, not mine.
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