Unfinished Business

"The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep."

~Robert Frost~

"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible."


~Doug Larson~


When I was 19 years old,  I was returning to college after taking a semester away to "find myself".  My motivation was fueled by being accepted as a "walk-on" to the University of Nebraska's Track Team.  I considered it a privilege and an honor to be on the same field with some of the nation's most elite athletes.  Although I was never scholarship-worthy or NCAA All-American caliber, I still got to breathe the same air with those that were.  I LOVED it!

Less than stellar genetics relating to my foot structure and a very long-to-heal injury later, what was once a dream gave way to the reality I was at school to learn, not run.  And that's really where this little story begins. 

After I was no longer able to sprint or hurdle, a friend from college suggested I start running for fun....you know, long distance stuff.  My first reaction was to remind him I'd never "run" more than 400 meters at one time and the thought of doing miles and miles made me nauseous.  He continued to prod until I invested in my first pair of running shoes and signed my entry form to the "running craze".  As it turns out, like sprinting, I loved running too!!

At my peak, I ran anywhere from 8 to 10 miles nearly every day.  "Light" days were 5 to 6 miles.  You probably see where this is going.  My friend eventually convinced me to sign up for the Lincoln Marathon, which I did willingly.  It sounded like fun......FUN!!  Are you kidding me?  In March of 1983, I ran a half- marathon as part of my training.  When I reached the end, winded and sore, I thought to myself, "I'm only half way!"  Now today I would know to tell my self-conscious, "I'm ALREADY half way!", but that was a different time.  At any rate, with the marathon two months away which happened to be only a week before a major life event, I decided to pull out.  I'd been reading the stories about people taking weeks to recover, defecating on themselves, etc.  I just felt it was a bad idea.  I never tried again.

The other day I was jogging/walking and it occurred to me I had unfinished business.  27 years ago I started something I never finished.  At almost 50 years old, it's time.  I am 40 pounds heavier, 27 years older and a bit creakier than I was at 22, but it's time I put that behind me.  So, on May 1, 2011 I'll be entered in the 34th running of the Lincoln Marathon; the very race I was registered to run so many years ago. 

I won't be going it alone.  Linda already has a marathon to her credit and has agreed to coach, encourage and run with me.  It's almost a year away, and I already feel a little scared.  I'm not running to win some age division or even set some personal mark.  I just want to do it.  I want to finish.  And by the way, I'll be opening a new blog site dedicated to my training.  Don't look for any great tips, it'll just be a diary of the journey from here to May 1st.  http://www.diaryofamiddleagedmarathoner.blogspot.com/. 

Let's do this.  I have unfinished business.