Its official: Im running my first marathon!

This week, I finally went ahead and did it - I registered for my first marathon! So - after MONTHS of rumination, back and forth, and after 3 different times over the past month when I *almost* signed up - I finally managed to gather the guts to go ahead and make the committment. So there's no turning back now.

I am running the California International Marathon (referred by people lovingly as Cal International). Sunday, December 4th, 2005 it will be. Exactly 10 weeks to go.

Cal International has quite a great sound to it - surely it conjures images of the great outdoors in this immensely well endowed state. You must be thinking - hmm, california - probably its a run along some stretch of the spectacular coastline? No, not quite. Well then - maybe a run through the grandness of the Sierra Nevada? Nope, wrong again! Well - it runs from Folsom to Sacramento - not exactly the most scenic part of the state. And no, I couldn't figure out whats so "international" about it..

But here's what's makes it GREAT for me - it is known as the 'fastest race in the west' - which, to us novice runners who don't care too much about speed, translates to - EASY!. Its a flat, net-downhill course, thanks to the fact that it is a one-way route. The weather also should be mild during that time of the year. (so long as it doesn't rain). And from the pictures on the website, looks like it might even be somewhat pretty..

Another reason for choosing this particular marathon is because of my track club. As some of you may know, I am a member of the Santa Cruz Track Club (which makes me sound like an athlete or something - but believe me, I m not) The SCTC is basically a gathering place for folks in the local community that are interested in running. Old and young, runners of all stripes and skills and speed (including folks who are just starting to run for the first time) are welcome here. The SCTC is a huge reason why running has become a part of my life in the last couple years. Hope to write more about SCTC in a later post, but I digress for now..

Where was I? Oh yeah. At the track club, in fall, folks band together to form "marathon training groups" every so often, aiming to train 3-4 months for a marathon at the end of fall or early spring. Last year there was one which had me tempted for 5 minutes, before I realized it was going to consist of all the super-speedy crazy guys. This year though, there is a different (read - normal) group of folks that also came together to start a marathon training group, aiming for a 4-hour marathon. And while I had no clue whether I was capable of running a 4-hr marathon or not, I knew some of the people in this group, and I have been more-or-less able to keep up with them during our short workouts on wednesdays - and that made me feel that this might actually work.

The big reason why marathons are such a big deal is because of the fact that doing it requires a lot more than just running ability to do it. Many people will tell you is that the marathon is in many ways a metaphor for life. Whether you are a novice or a great sprinter, one thing still holds - you cannot run a marathon without training for it. And so it requires discipline, diligence, perseverance, patience, and all of that good stuff. And after a point its not really about running ability, but more about making that committment, week after week, day after day - to go out and put in the miles. And hence, it REALLY makes sense to have a support group - or atleast a group of folks who are going through the same suffering, to go on those loooong, runs with, and who can keep you honest.

So here I was, thinking about a marathon (especially since in the last couple years I have seen quite a few of my friends and acquaintances do the thing) - and here there was, a group in my track club, consisting of normal, non-speedy folks forming a marathon training group just when I was starting to have some free time.. seemed too good for me to pass. And when my colleague Martin, who had never breathed a word ever about running before, suddenly mentioned out of the blue that he was running a marathon in Dec, I couldn't keep giving myself the same old excuses anymore.. [And his training efforts as it unfolds, continues to be quite inspiring]

So here we are. As of now, I am about a month into the training, and feeling at home with this small, motley crew of ours. The long run mileages are starting to climb - I already broke my personal record for the longest run last week - 16 miles!. Weekly mileage is starting to get past the 30 mile mark. The increased frequency of running and increased mileage are also making "running" a more central piece of my life than it has ever been. (This blog is a product of that). Which is good and bad, in some ways. And also starting to make my legs feel 10 pounds heavier. But, no injures so far, touch-wood. And am sure, as the mileage increases, there will be newer challenges to overcome, and richer experiences. I'll get to feel the "runners' high" (the result of increased endorphin release by the body causing you to feel really good, and feel like you can go on forever. Runners report it on especially long runs). And "The Wall" - the point in your run where you apparently feel, physically and psychologically that you CANNOT go on - a common thing that happens with marathon-level mileage, typically when people pass 20 miles. And many more unknowns.

Looking forward to all of that...