Running into 2009…way behind, time to catch up!

On this first day of 2009, I can now relax and reflect on the reality of my plans and what has occurred since “birthing” this blog back in November. But first, let me explain the blog’s title. My tempter-friend Bill Parady, who has his own blog chronicling his Ironman training adventures, suggested I model my blog after a book written by Mark Twain: A Tramp Abroad . The book was published in 1880 and details a journey by the author, with his friend Harris (a character created for the book), through central and southern Europe. While the stated goal of the journey is to walk most of the way, the men find themselves using other forms of transport as they traverse the continent. As the two men make their way through Germany, the Alps, and Italy, they encounter situations made all the more humorous by their reactions to them. The narrator (Twain) plays the part of the American tourist of the time, believing that he understands all that he sees but in reality understanding none of it.

I was sold on Bill’s idea and after downing a cold Guinness, modified the book title to reflect what I had in store for “Harris” and myself. But then, who would be my sidekick…who would be “Harris”? This is when I now became the tempter. Being a fisherman, I threw out some bait and tried setting the hook in a number of individuals. I got a few curious nibbles but nothing that I could set the hook in and net. Then it happened, my buddy and running mentor Bob Bowker (known as the Silver Fox because of his flashy full head of silver hair) took the hook and ran with it. As I reeled him in I became more excited because I knew this would be a keeper…but my excitement was short-lived. Because of a recently diagnosed medical condition (more on that some other time), Bob had to decline the role of “Harris.” I’ve put my fishing pole away for now but may throw a hook out there later and see what I can catch.

So how did I get this wild idea of running some of the great European marathons? The idea came to mind in 2008 after reading an article in Runners World about must-run marathons of the world. The top 10 list was packed with familiar venues, Boston, New York, Berlin, London, Rome, Paris, Chicago, etc. I was thrilled to see that some I have already run were on the list (New York, Boston, Chicago) but what really caught my eye were the dates of the London, Rome, and Paris marathons…in 2008, they were scheduled to be all 2 weeks apart. So, my mind started to work…why not combine a 2009 trip to Europe with running the London, Rome, and Paris marathons? I had already fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting some of the ancient ruins of Greece in 2002 (to celebrate my 50th birthday) and combining it with running the Athens Marathon, so I figured I’d also fulfill another lifelong dream of visiting some of the great cities of Europe and throw in a marathon or two or, in this case, three. Because in 2009 London was not scheduled close enough to Rome and Paris, I chose to add Vienna instead. Vienna will be very cool because I love the Great Masters’ classical music and often listen to it during my training runs. I’ll have to run London and Berlin some other time…it will happen! The timing of this Trampathon is perfect because tomorrow I’ll be retiring after ~32 years of federal civil service. Actually, my federal career is sort-of like a Trampathon…after growing up in Wayne, NJ and attending college in AZ (UofA and ASU), I took my first federal job in San Diego, CA, then took federal jobs in Spearfish, SD, East Lansing, MI, and then since 1982, I’ve been in Anchorage, AK.

TRAINING

It’s –10 degrees out and we are in the middle of a cold snap with no end in sight. Conditions like this make marathon training very challenging. However, thank God we now have in Anchorage an unbelievable indoor training facility…The Dome (check it out via the link I provided). I hate treadmill running so having an indoor 400-meter track is a lifesaver. After running the Twin Cities Marathon the first week in October and taking the rest of the month off, I started running at the Dome in November. I worked my way back up to 10-milers before being thrown on my back around Thanksgiving with a sinus infection, which also aggravated my exercise-induced asthma…real bummer (understatement). Attempts to continue running under this condition were met with exhaustion and total frustration. One training day, I couldn’t even run one lap without feeling dizzy. Currently, I’m off meds (hooray) and working on longer runs while under my doctor’s watchful eye. (NOTE: My doctor wants my knees when I die because recent tests - that’s another story - revealed I have the knees of an 18 year old). I had some blood work done last week and this next week I have a cardiac stress test scheduled…stay tuned. Bottomline: I’m not totally off schedule, but will be if I’m not regularly running 8+ miles by January 11. Luckily, I’m not training for a PR…just training to finish the marathons and have fun along the way.

TRIP PLANNING

Too much to report in this blog entry…I’ll save it for the next one. However, here are some key words to satisfy your curiosity: Sorrento, Munich, a new “Harris”, flights from/to Paris, my sister Carol, Holy Week, Rick Steves’ Europe through the Backdoor, and Keen shoes.

Have a great, healthy, and happy 2009!

Remember, Train hard...run far!