First Medal - 2:32:43 Later

So I did it. I got my first medal today! I completed the Palm Beach Half Marathon in two hours, 32 minutes, and 43 seconds. Not great but decent for a first timer who's 'big boned.'

I learned something from this event. It's easy to get caught up in the energy and not run what you've been training for. I've been training using the Galloway Method. This just means I do it with walk breaks. My testosterone got the better of me and I ran continously from Mile 5 to the end. I only stopped a couple of times at the water breaks and another for a Gu. It hurt. I should have taken my walk breaks.

I was super beyond emotional when I crossed that finish line. I was about to start crying when I say Joanne. She's from my running group, Miami Feet. I gave her a hug to sort of help recuperate and not start balling. I had my medal in hand and ecstatic. The medal is a beaut. Shiny and gold and very South Florida. I will see if I can post some pictures later.

Eve of the Palm Beach Marathon

It's tomorrow. Well, not really IT. IT is really happening on January 28th, 2007. That is when I run the FULL 26.2 miles of the Miami Marathon. Tomorrow is when I am running the Palm Beach 1/2 marathon. I have been a little nervous leading up to to today. However, my stomach has gone a little weird in the past 30 minutes. I think it's the realization that I am leaving my apartment and traveling two counties away to run a race. I don't know the course. I will be sleeping somewhere else. It's my first long distance race. I know I am going to be forgetting something even though I've triple checked to make sure I have everything. I've packed my running shoes, shorts, shirts, and other paraphernalia that non-runnners won't understand. My Garmin, my stick of glide, water belt, gu's. I think I have it all, but still I know I will get to Palm Beach and realize I forgot something. I will be done by 9am tomorrow morning. That's the plan at least. By 9am tomorrow I should be sporting my very first marathon medal.

In Memory Of...

Something irks me. How many of my readers have seen automobiles with In Memory Of emblazoned on the back windshield. In Memory of? They have taken something as sacred as someone's memory and put it on a sticker on the back of one of our most materialistic possessions? Did this vehicle belong to the deceased? No because I see this sign on a brand new car. I hate to see something like this on a car.

What happens when it comes time to sell the car? Worse, what if the car is leased? What does it say about how much you love this person that you put this message on a leased vehicle? You don't even own the vehicle? Worse, you know exactly how long you are keeping it. So what, you only plan to cherish this loved one for 3 years or 36 thousand miles? What happens when it comes time to return the lease? Who peels off this sticker? Does the dealer charge you extra to remove it for you?

I just think it's downright ridiculous.

It all started this Summer

That is not an accurate statement. It really started back in February. That is when I signed up for the Footworks Fitness 101 program. It was a short 8 to 9 week program which trained me to run 4 miles. I finished the program and was able to run 4 miles without skipping a beat.

Later in that summer, I was tricked into signing up for the Footworks Marathon Training Program. Yes, I went from not being able to run 3 miles in February to thinking that I would be able to run 26.2 miles on January 28, 2007. For those who don't know, a marathon, all marathons, are 26.2 miles. There are no short marathons or long marathons. They are all 26.2 miles.

I signed up for a variety of reasons. First, the health reasons. The more I ran the better I felt. It was that simple. Second, I was meeting people and making friends. Third, there were girls. After a few unsuccessful relationships I needed a fresh outlook. Finally, my cousins gave me the final push. They had done it before and they assured me I could complete one.

I would like to give people an insight on how they lure you into this. They are these crazy fools who run marathons. It basically starts like this. They remind you that you've already ran 4 miles. They ask if you think you can run another mile? Can you do 5? I say yeah I think I can. So ok lets do 5 miles on Saturday morning. Now I've done 5 miles. Do you think you can do 6? Eventually, yes - I believe I can run 6. This little by little approach continues until you reach the 20 mile mark. That's when they tell you that at this point a full marathon is only 6 miles away.

See, they trick you. Back in February before Fitness 101 I would scoff at anyone who suggested I would be running 10 miles 3 months later on April 29. This past Saturday we ONLY ran 10 miles. Yes ONLY. I am using the adjective? Adverb? (Grammarians, help me out here) of ONLY to describe the 10 miles. There is nothing ONLY about 10 miles. 10 miles is a LONG WAY. However, that's how your mind thinks. We've done 10 miles so many times now that it feels like a walk in the park. 10 miles now is a short run. It's crazy to think that way but it's happened to each of us. Ask anyone in my group and they will agree. They will all agree on two things:

1) Anyone can run a marathon with proper training and
2) They will utter the words, "Only 10 miles"

It's too late now to start training for the Miami Marathon. But February would be the perfect time to start training for 4 miles.

Snow Angels in Bristol

I have to admit that I loved Kurt Busch's Finish Line Snow Angels. Very appropriate and unique celebration. Several of the weekend's events were cancelled due to snow. I laughed when he dropped on the Finish line and proceeded to create a snow angel. Watching him in the Blue Deuce at Bristol was almost like watching Rusty. That car with Rusty and Kurt Busch in his old ride have both been very successful there. Putting the most dominate driver at Bristol in the most dominate car at Bristol almost didn't seem fair to the competitors. Busch got into trouble early when he cut a tire, going a lap down. He made up the deficit, getting back on the lead lap and eventually began to challenge for the lead. He had to punt Matt Kenseth for the pass but all's fair. As the saying goes, rubbin is racin. The rub on Matt's back bumper was enough to move him up the track but not spin him out. Kurt took over the lead and won the race. The battles didn't end with the wave of the checkered flag. Kenseth showed Kurt what he thought of the rub. He drove up next to Kurt's car and showed his appreciation by swerving towards him. Jeff Gordon then shared his thoughts with Matt. Matt wanted to apologize to Jeff for spinning him out. Jeff let Matt know what he thought of the apology by shoving Matt. The emotions that spill out off the track is the icing on the cake. The speed, the cars, the smells, the skill of the drivers as they regain control of the car, is the actual cake. That's why I love NASCAR.

Bit by a Gator

I've been running with a group at Footworks across from Sunset Place. I've been thinking about someone while I wait for the run to start. I guess being around Sunset Place is reminding me of her. That's where she called me 'Mr. Suarez' in such a seductive way and it's also where I think we kissed for the first time.

Today I logged onto Match.com and saw she's back on there and that she looked at my profile. What's it mean? Does it mean I should say Hello to her? I really do but what if she just clicked and wasn't really interested in meeting me again?

I've answered my own question. I know I should say Hello. But wouldn't it be nice for her to say Hey since she was the one who broke it off with me? I'll give her a couple days and see what transpires.

African-American NASCAR driver Bill Lester drives for Waste Management

Yes, sometimes the jokes just write themselves. This weekend, I noticed that African-American race car driver Bill Lester drives a truck sponsored by Waste Management. Black and drives a truck with "Waste Management" printed on its side. If this world was not so PC there would be a ton of jokes flying around about this.

Hypocrite

Yes, it's deleted. I realized I was not following my own advice by having posted it.

You live, you learn

I was just informed that maybe I should go check out my old home. Looks like I am not welcomed there anymore. It's ok. The Nardozzi clan can post away, gratifying each others' needs and not truly expressing how they really feel. Melissa can go and and on how she is chasing boys and how she is fat and how she can't get a man. Funny, I never heard Liz complain about Melissa's sexually oriented posts.

Whatever.

Diane forgives JTO (Johnny the O), Yuri, Mats, and Michael too. I guess pulled a worse stunt than any of the aforementioned? If she didn't want to have me on the Blog anymore she could have just told me straight up. We've been friends for awhile and been rather honest with each other for her to have done it this way.

You live, you learn, you move on.

Like Riding a Bike

I feel a little guilty. I left an old friend abandoned. I moved my diggs to a new place. I was over at a multi-user blog for a few months. Well, like with everything, it's over. You put different personalities and differing opinions into the same room and sparks are bound to fly. Well, they did. And boy did they! I contemplated expressing myself back in this blog for a couple days. Am I up for this? I really hate the design. I loved the design of the old multi-blog. You could, in laymen's, hit NEXT through each of the posts and similarly through all the comments. It was unique and usually something interesting to read. But like all good things, it comes a time when it must come to an end. The site had to be shutdown. Friendships were at risk. There are those couple things you never want to discuss, religion and politics. If I had to pick which of these two brought the site down, I would guess Religion. The multi-blog is not a uni-blog. Me? I've moved back in here. Hopefully I am still welcomed back into my home.