One year ago....

I'm currently sick and my training is temporarily on hold until that situation is resolved. It is absolutely beautiful outside and I'm kicking myself for not being able to capitalize on it by going on a long bike ride. Instead of moping I'm going to tell you about the last year of my life, athletically.

One year ago today...February 18th, 2009, I went for a run. It was only 1.5 miles. In what seemed like a fairly harmless gesture of curiosity, I decided to keep track of my mileage using a website called Gyminee(now it's been renamed Daily Burn). Since that day, a year ago, I have done the following:

Run 565 miles
Biked 904 miles
Swam 30 miles

Completed 2 half marathons, 1 half Ironman, 2 marathons, the MS Ride, a 10k in Boulder, numerous charity 5ks, and the Brew 2 Brew relay

All of my long races were either my first attempt at that distance, or a personal time record.

It seems diminishing to see all of these accomplishments in print, as they take up relatively little space and they took so much time and effort to achieve.

What seems even more important to me is that not only has my body changed for the better, my mind and outlook on life have changed, turning me into a person I never thought I'd become. I am motivated in every area of life and I have an energy that I've never felt before. Even sitting in my room, sick as a dog, I know I could go out and run a marathon today(though it would be considerably bad for my health).

What seems most important to me, is the effect I've seen on those around me. Pardon me while I appear momentarily egotistical. I know watching others achieve great things has always been inspirational for me, and I have seen this in my friends and family who have watched me meet my goals. My brother has started running. My father has started running. My mom does yoga and zumba. Countless friends have asked me for advice on how to train for their first half marathon and many have completed this goal. What I find most uplifting about this is that motivation and enthusiasm for fitness is highly contagious, and for every person I inspire to get off of their couches and take control of their health, they may inspire 2 or 3 more additional people.

A lot has been said in the media in regards to the many deaths that occurred during marathons this year. While it is incredibly sad to hear about, it tells me one thing. Americans are doing more marathons. Statistically, if more people do something then more people will fall victim to the risks associated with said activity. Marathons carry many risks: dehydration, hyponatremia(elecrolyte deficiency), and heart failure. I see this change happening around the country, and it gives me hope for the future, at least as far as personal health is concerned. Politics and education are another story, unfortunately.

I am overjoyed to have become an active person, and I am even more excited that my friends and family have chosen similar paths, and I hope that this domino effect continues indefinitely.

You Wouldn't Understand...

It's a _________ thing....you wouldn't understand.

What exactly does that mean? I was driving behind a Jeep on the highway, and his spare tire cover read, "It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand." I immediately thought to myself, "How difficult is it to understand that you have a small penis and have decided to compensate by appearing to be rugged and outdoorsy, driving around during the summertime with your doors off, your shirt off, and blasting T-Pain from your waterproof stereo system?"
I chuckled to myself and congratulated myself for being clever. But then I kept thinking. I have seen variations on this slogan for a wide variety of different activities: cheerleading, Greek life, culinary school, etc. I started to wonder if these people legitimately thought that their chosen hobby is so incomprehensible that "normal" folk literally could not grasp the enjoyment therein. The rest of us, the boorish, unrefined and uneducated lot that we are, simply will never possess the cognitive prowess to ever wrap our sad little brains around the grandeur and pure bliss that encompasses your chosen activity. Or maybe.....

Maybe what you really mean is "It's a _________ thing, you wouldn't appreciate, enjoy, or find fulfilling any aspect of that which I and my kind do in our spare time." But that really isn't as catchy and uppity(catchity?) as what they prefer to print on their t-shirts, bumper stickers, and coffee mugs.

I think, ultimately, people want to feel special, and there's nothing wrong with that. If somebody enjoys a particular activity that is not widely appreciated, they may be inclined to feel a sense of elitism. This is especially true if they can convince themselves that the reason their hobby is not widely appreciated is because most are unable to do so. In some cases, this is true(skydiving, bear wrestling, father-raping), but in most cases a given activity is nowhere near out of reach to the common person. They almost dare us to "Go ahead, give it a try", but would be sad to find out that if most of us did so, they would either prove their activity to be dull and boring, or they would all love it, and suddenly your precious exclusive "club" is overflowing with people, and you are no longer special or unique.

Because let's face it.....you aren't. Neither am I. Everything I've ever done, thought, or thought to do has BEEN DONE. Many people before you have been cheerleaders, chess club members, and overly aggressive Jeep drivers.

It's a "I desperately crave attention and just want to be loved" thing....you wouldn't understand.