People need to know

First of all if you haven't run four miles while listening to a playlist of Disney songs, you need to, life changing. This is no joke, I actually finished the run today on "I'll make a man out of you" from Mulan, not even on purpose. It started playing and I just knew that it was time to increase the speed and run it out. Super cool, super life changing. But now to the real topic of today. Ran four miles today, it was easy. Can you believe that? Up until this point I've been amazed at my bodies ability to push through the pain and exhaustion to finish. Today, whole different story. Started the run with easy breathing, finished the run with easy breathing, no push through, no pain, no moment where dramatic music would play as I shut out my thoughts of anguish and force my legs to keep moving. Four miles people! Four fracking miles! Two weeks ago I almost died trying to run a mile. So what the world needs to know is that you can run if you just run. My body changed so fast. I walked out of the gym today with a huge smile in disbelief that this is actually happening. So if you want to run, just run. Yes it will be hard for the first week. But you can do it, your body will change and in no time you will be like me saying "four miles...no big deal." So put your running shoes on and hit the streets. Four miles....wow

Almost blacking out is bad news bears

Back in high school I remember sitting on the steps of the left wing of the A building during lunch period everyday, hoping that someone would spare some of their food so that I could eat. You see I was the biggest moocher ever, I never packed a lunch and often times ended up with an assortment of half eaten sandwiches, bags of chips or oily choocolate muffins that I would shove down my throat without discrimination.(stay away from the chocolate muffins...it never turns out well...someday I will tell that story) One thing I always remember was that I would stare at Cecily's gallon size ziploc bag of food hoping that would spare some for the hungry chubby kid. She never did. This all makes sense now, Cecily was a track girl. Track girls need to eat. Whats funny is that I look back and remember being obnoxious about how she ate sooooo much and I ate hardly anything, yet she was the skinny one. What I neglected to admit was that Cecily was a track girl and I walked the mile. So Cecily if you're out there...sorry if my nagging or staring ever annoyed you. At the end of week one of training, aside from learning that the body is capable of miracles, I learned that if your going to run 14 miles you best eat. Part of beginning marathon training was a drastic diet change. I cut out all the soy with whip zebra hot chocolates, iced venti chocolate milks, pizzas, fast food, and taqueria burritos and replaced them with water and lots of vegatables. This turned out to not be the most effective runners diet, almost blacking out every time you stand is bad news bears. So now as I embark on week two of training(four miles tomorrow! Woot!) I am also starting my search for a structured diet plan. The only problem is that I freaking love to eat. I eat when I'm stressed, eat when I'm happy, sad, depressed, anxious...I guess you could say I'm one of those people that eats their problems. But this is no big deal, here's the plan, instead of eating...I'm going to run. Maybe not as satisfying, but in the long run I know that it is best. I can't ruin my training by polluting my body with the garbage that I love to stuff my face with. People get ready, I'm about to be the fittest person you all know. So if there is a nutritionist out there I would love a little assistance. Holler at your boy!

Here comes week two yall!

Four Miles...are you kidding me?

Running has already begun to flood my thoughts, not in a good way. On my days off I think about the next day, think about the distance, think about how hard its going to be. I woke up this morning with a little bit of anxiety, doubting my ability to get through the four. On my last training day, I didn't make it, had to walk a little bit and it wasn't even four miles, wanted to cry my eyes out. Just in case the anxiety and self-doubt wasn't enough, I had a horrible day at work. So I get home, sad about being a boss and leave for the gym saying "I'll try." Forty five minutes later I had done it. Ran the whole four miles without stopping. I wanted to, like really wanted to, but pushed my body to its limit. The key to my success today was my marathon training buddy, Raul. I think that having someone with you, having someone you don't want to let down allows yourself to push to do things you couldn't do alone. I do believe in myself, but today made me realize that having a friend is invaluable. There is also the realization that there is no way I will be able to make it in the end if I don't give it my all everyday...no big deal. It's so weird how running works, the hardest part for me was between mile two and three. Three to four was nowhere near as difficult. There was a moment between mile three and four where the realization that I was going to finish just made me smile and laugh...who smiles and laughs when they're sweating their face off?! Anyways, day three is over, I'm super tired and my stomach hurts, but it I feel better about my life and the world. Can't wait until day four!

The race is on

People get ready, serious announcement time. No big deal, but Ben is going to run a marathon. Yes, thats right...the kid that walked the mile every wednesday from six grade to junior year is going to run 26.2 miles. Not only am I going to run a marathon, but I'm going to run the Disney World marathon. This of course makes it easier, it being the happiest place on earth. Plus I've heard from other Disney marathon runners that there are characters at the starting line, charaters like Beast, whom I've yet to see walking free and huggable in the park. Knowing that this may be my only chance to hug and get a photo op with Beast I really have no choice. But seriously, now that I think of it, before starting training on Saturday 1/16 I don't think I had ever run or jogged an entire mile. So, what has brought on this madness? Well I've had many goals through life; get an A, finish school, get a job, get promoted, grow sales. All things that of course I wanted to do, but they were also all things that were expected of me or goals that our world told me I should have. That is why I am excited to announce that I have finally chosen a goal that only I said I should have. I'm going to train for and run the Disneyworld Full Marathon! Why? Because I want to, because I want to set a goal that only I am in control of, do something not because of anything other than that I want to do it. It's weird, but its only day four and I already feel like my life is going to be changed. I am already getting a taste of the sense of accomplishment that I am going to experience when I cross the finish line. Just completing day one of training, three miles, NBD, affected me in a profound way that I can't quite yet describe. And so it begins. Two training days down, 11 months more to go. So join me, as I journey to "a whole new world", that of a marathon runner.