running running!

Hi Everyone!

As I am writing this post, there are 34 days, 16 hours, and some amount of minutes until the start of the Athens marathon! I can't believe its getting so close, and infact, some days I just want the marathon to happen tomorrow! today I ran 18 miles, and I'm pretty proud of that! I had to take a few breaks for water and re-fueling (after all, that was about 1800 calories I burned!), but I generally feel prepared to do all of this!

I recently met a PC trainee (someone who will become a volunteer after successfully completing the 3 month training) who has ran several marathons, and he loaned me this book by an "ultramarathoner," Dean Karnazes. This book is interesting, and its amazing the things he's done! he's run 100 mile races through mountainous terrain in less than 24 hours, won the 130ish mile ultramarathon through death valley, run 262 miles straight without stopping or sleeping, and run a marathon in the south pole! this dude is amazing! he's currently trying to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days...

So this got me to thinking about the sport, and of course I wikipedia-ed it. Turns out that there is a woman named Rosie Swale-Pope who is RUNNING around the WORLD! not only that, but she runs while carrying a little cart behind her...much like the ones bikes carry! http://www.rosiearoundtheworld.co.uk/ she was born in 1946, so she's older than both my parents and doing this insane thing!

Another woman, Pam Reed, ran the same ultramarathon as Karnazes through death valley...and she won it twice! one time, she beat her nearest competitor by FIVE HOURS! she wrote a book called "the extra mile," and currently orchestrates the Tuson Marathon.

so though I have found my 18 miles to be somewhat of a success...its been both humbling and amazing to read about the trials, struggles, and accopmlishments of these super athletes!