Before and After

I have to put up a new post, because I can't let my feet be the lead post on my blog. My feet are really unpleasant, and I prefer not to discuss them.

Spring race season is here! For me, it will mean a repeat of last year, in essence. Run in the various NYRR road races, and cap the end of the season with the Fairfield Half Marathon on June 27, 2010. After that it is summer, and marathon training begins. First up is the Colon Cancer 15K in Central Park on Sunday. I have never run this distance before, and it should be interesting. I looked at the course map, and it is basically two short loops around Central Park -- they cut out the Harlem Hill. Whew.

And I never did the post on the "What a Difference a year makes!" I think I had no one reading my blog last March (March 2009), because (1) I wasn't running; (2) I wasn't posting and (3) I had nothing to say. Then, I ran the NY 8000 meter race in the park on March 15, 2009, after my father in law bet me $100 I would sleep in and blow off the race. I got up, ran the race and pocketed $100 feeling pretty good about myself.

And then I got the race picture. I was stunned at how...out of shape... I looked. Deep down, I knew I was way out of shape. But I rationalized it that I could still run 5 miles in 43 minutes, so it wasn't that bad. But a picture says a thousand words. Here it is:

I was stunned at how lumpy I looked.

Ok, so I went on a diet, lost a bunch of weight and started running again. I had qualified for the 2009 NY marathon based on my 2007 racing season. (I actually qualified for the 2008 marathon but deferred my entry.)

So here is the marathon picture, at Mile 26, just after my disastrous cramp:


That picture is really satisfying. I remember that point in the race. I remember that feeling of almost there, and turning back into Central Park, off 5th Avenue, just after my cramp.

So, even now when I am not in marathon shape, both pictures motivate.