Full disclosure  

Running a marathon has NEVER been on my bucket list

And yet, WTF !!!  Four to six days a week, I find myself on the long sweaty road to running my first ever marathon.  So you’re asking, why on earth am I training for one? I’m asking myself the same question. And, I’m hoping that at this stage in life, I can actually pull this off without blowing a knee or fast tracking myself for hip replacement surgery.

Why am I doing it?

The answer is simple.  I won the lottery.  The ‘entry lottery’ that is. For popular ‘destination races’ like Chicago or New York, it’s the luck of the draw if you don’t qualify with a fast-enough time to get in based on athletic merit.  So I won the entry lottery.  And the booby prize is a self-imposed goal – one of many I torture myself with to keep me on my toes.   Or, maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment.

If they can do it, can I?

Truth is, I was also inspired by friends who had recently run their first full marathon.  If they could do it, I wondered, could I?  On a lark, after a trip to ‘the windy city’ last year, I was so enamored with the place that I convinced a bunch of my running friends to apply to the lottery to get into the Chicago Marathon.   It’s famous for being a beautiful run and most importantly for a first timer – it’s a flat course.   And, besides, what were the chances we’d actually get in?  As predicted, not so good.  No one got in … except ME! GULP!  And once in, you can’t exactly pass up the chance without giving it the old college try.  So, I’m in.   And that’s how I find myself training for my first marathon! Chicago here I come!  The countdown is on – 14 weeks to go!

Leading up to the October the 13^th race date, I’m going to give you a glimpse of my journey in my latest blog series ‘Running My First Marathon – The Road to Chicago’.  I’ll share my training schedule, nutrition, supplements and even the importance of toe nail maintenance with you.  

Also, I’m going to try to raise money for a good cause.  ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ (Canadian Foundation for Control of Neurodegenerative Disease) is a charity near and dear to my heart.  (you can donate here) If you want to know more about the impact Jacob Schwartz had in his short life, read  about the life lessons his mother Ellen learned from him and shared with us all here.   (I should mention that the article was written when Jacob was still alive. He unfortunately passed away this year)

There’s lots coming up!  So stay tuned – in my next post I’ll tell you my 3 goals. Meantime, I’m having a running shirt printed up that sums up how I often feel about running: