A glutton for punishment?

I've actually been thinking about disbanding this blog since I'm don't seem to bring much creativity to it these days. Plus I feel like I write about the same things, or don't' take enough time to write when I do. However, I will keep it going for another two weeks and I'll explain why later.



I decided to sign up for the month-long boot camp class to jumpstart my fitness level. I'd been going to the gym occasionally but most of my exercise free time was taken up with walking Quixote and if you know me, you know I don't feel that's really strenuous exercise, in terms of pushing myself outside my comfort level. My thinking was that 12 tough classes over the course of a month would help whip me into shape. And if I think I'm increasing my prowess, well I can measure my before and after results at boot camp. The first week we did about five exercises and recorded our times or repetitions and after a month, we'll see how much we have improved. We also had ourselves measured which was a new thing to me. My curiosity is definitely aroused seeing what kind of differences will show up. I thought it was funny that the diameter of my calf was measured. Ha! Watch out world! Here comes my explosive calves above my birdlike ankles!!



Well anyways, I'm a couple classes in and Ed starts talking to me about his Hallunication 100. The thought alone makes me nearly hallucinate. He will be running approximately six 16-mile laps to raise money for LLS and prove what a maniac he truly is. Why does this matter to me? Because Ed suckered me into "pacing" him for a loop. Keep in mind, a loop is 16 miles. I don't even know what a pacer really does. All I can think of is a pace maker. Guess I'm supposed to help keep him alive, but I'm unsure of how to do that because really I'll be questioning if any sane person who has never walked 16 miles at one time would really try and accomplish this. The longest event I ever finished was a half-marathon and it wasn't my best effort with my increasingly sore knee. However, I did finish and I'm proud of that. Plus I like to be the sort of person who tests myself and sees how deep inside me I can dig to accomplish what I thought was previously un-accomplishable. (Even if I only like to do that about once every five years, if that.)


Well I told Ed to pencil me in and then I went to sleep that night and woke up in a fright of anxiety, wondering how overwhelming and and difficult this would be. This event is only two weeks away. This event will be on a weekend that is b eing bookended by two boot camp classes. I voiced my concerns to Ed but he assured me that while it would be tough, he'd be coming off some previous 48 miles and wouldn't be thinking of running 8:00 miles for our loop. Hmmm, only a small consolation. Then he said it'd be mostly walking and maybe about three miles of running. Hmmm, that is still 13 miles of walking. Then he says we can take time to stand and cry. Okay, glad that's factored in. Plus, if I totally can't go on and I can quit, right? I can fall down at an aid station. Right now I'm still committed and I'm just repeating the mantra that sometimes the big accomplishment isn't what you finish, it's what you start. I can at least do that much and help out Hallucination Ed.