Marathon Loser

I've promised my doctor, my family, and my friends that I would lose 30 pounds this year. So far I've gained six. Arrrghh.

I'd like to work walking back into my daily routine, but the weather so far has been discouraging, and I'm not one of those folks who can get out and walk no matter what's going on outside. At least not yet. I'm hoping to get my treadmill dusted off and repaired - the belt has a tendency to go off center and fray itself - but so far that's still just on my "to do" list.

Which brings me to the story of Cliff Young. Australia has a grueling endurance marathon each year from Sydney to Melbourne - about 875 kilometres (544 miles) - and in 1983 Mr. Young entered the race. Now get this, he was 61 years old and he wore boots and work overalls. To make a long story short, and I'd encourage you to visit the link, he won the race because he never stopped to sleep. He just kept shuffling along and today the "Young Shuffle" is known among distance runners to be the most energy-efficient way to run a long race.

Would that I could be as determined....

+++

SIGNS YOU MAY NOT WIN THAT MARATHON

Breakfast? McDonalds. Lunch? McDonalds. Dinner? McDonalds.

Training program: one mile each day this week. Two miles starting the second Tuesday of next week.

You realize you misplaced a decimal and the race is actually 26.2 miles, not 2.62 miles.

The book you read to help you train was, "Run, Spot, Run."

At every aid station you take a Gatorade, a water, and a nap.

[selected from Elite Feet for Runners with edits by Mark Raymond]

+++

WORD for YOUR WEEK: In Old Latin, "perdere" meant to lose which became "perditus," which was loss. The word was used mostly in religious circles and "perdition" came to mean the loss of your soul. A more contemporary definition would be "utter ruin." Adds new weight to the phrase, "...the road to perdition..." doesn't it?

+++

While it won't redeem your soul, you can get your own subscription for free by clicking here. Mark's Musings is also sent each weekday via email and can be received through your RSS Feed Reader.