Daily Juice

Okay, so I have a new obsession – Daily Juice Cafe in Hyde Park.

If you’ve never lived in Austin, Daily Juice is like the super-indie version of Jamba Juice. Basically, it is a juice bar that serves fresh organic juices, smoothies, and superfoods. Additionally, everything that Daily Juice serves is all-natural with a preference for local, organic products.

What do I get at Daily Juice?

Goji shots

If you can’t read the picture above, it states the following: “traditionally used for youthing, stamina, mood, and libido.” Yah, that is a pretty compelling list of benefits. Frankly, I think you should just take Daily Juice at its word, but, for all you skeptics out there, here is what WebMD has to say…

· Goji berries also have compounds rich in vitamin A that may have anti-aging benefits. (http://www.webmd.com/balance/goji-berries-health-benefits-and-side-effects)

Personally, I haven’t experienced any youthing effects, yet; however, I do believe that drinking goji does improve my mood and stamina. I used goji shots to improve my mood after watching Alabama put its NCAA tournament hopes on life support after losing to Ole Miss. I might need a truckload of goji to improve my mood if we lose to Florida on Tuesday, which probably will happen.

I’m not trying to be preachy about healthy eating. Lord knows I love me some Whataburger. Just trying to pass along some useful nutritional information.

“The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition.” -Thomas Edison

And The Oscar Goes To...

Like Billy Hoyle (pictured above) in White Man Can’t Jump, I was in the zone this morning. I plowed through my long run with relative ease. I almost pushed myself to run a half-marathon, but I decided to stop myself at 10 ½ miles. I was definitely aided by a new addition to my workout playlist – Wolfmother.

During my run, I kept thinking that the guitar player reminded me of Slash, who is my favorite musician of all time. Well, turns out that Andrew Stockdale, the guitar player of Wolfmother, played on Slash’s recent solo album. I thought that was pretty cool.

Anyway, tonight is one of my favorite nights of non-sports television – the Academy Awards. I’ve seen 90% of the movies nominated for best picture this year (sorry, I didn’t get around to seeing Winter’s Bone). I’m going to run you through my definitive list of Oscar winners in the six biggest categories.

Actress in a Supporting Role:

· Amy Adams – The Fighter

· Helena Bonham Carter – The King’s Speech

· Melissa Leo – The Fighter

· Hailee Steinfeld – True Grit <--- WINNER

· Jacki Weaver – Animal Kingdom

First off, I would have been tempted to vote for Hailee Steinfeld in the Best Actress category. The success of True Grit was most dependent on Steinfeld mastering the intense dialogue. The scene where she is bartering with a county judge over her murdered father's belonging was beyond impressive. She also blew Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges off the screen, which isn’t an easy feet.

Actor in a Supporting Role:

· Christian Bale – The Fighter <--- WINNER

· John Hawes – Winter’s Bone

· Jeremy Renner – The Town

· Mark Ruffalo – The Kids Are All Right

· Geoffrey Rush – The King’s Speech

Lock of the night. Christian Bale’s depiction of crack addled Dicky Eklund is the type of performance the Academy usually eats up. I just hope somebody doesn’t interrupt his speech, sending him into another psychotic rant. Although he isn’t going to win, I think Jeremy Renner was amazing in The Town.

Actress in a Leading Role:

· Annette Bening – The Kids Are All Right

· Nicole Kidman – Rabbit Hole

· Jennifer Lawrence – Winter’s Bone

· Natalie Portman – The Black Swan <--- WINNER

· Michelle Williams – Blue Valentine

Admission: This is my weakest category. I have only seen two of the actresses’ performances – Natalie Portman and Annette Bening; however, I feel confident in saying that Natalie Portman deserves this award. Portman’s transformation from the white swan to the black swan was remarkable. Early in the movie, she is so weak, meager, and, unbelievably, unattractive. By the end of the movie, she is unrecognizable as the black swan.

Actor in a Leading Role:

· Javier Bardem – Biutiful

· Jeff Bridges – True Grit

· Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network

· Colin Firth – The King’s Speech

· James Franco – 127 Hours <--- WINNER

All the buzz is that Colin Firth is going to win this award. While I think he is a worthy candidate, James Franco should win this award. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, Franco really nailed his representation of Aron Ralston. Additionally, Franco’s supporting actor was a rock, not Geoffrey Rush.

Best Director:

· Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan

· David O. Russell – The Fighter

· Tom Hopper – The King’s Speech

· David Fincher – The Social Network <--- WINNER

· David and Ethan Cohen – True Grit

I’m probably in the minority, but I don’t think that Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, or Armie Hammer (what a name!) are great actors. I think they were all propped up in how Fincher used them in the movie. Additionally, Fincher seamlessly was able to incorporate the fast-forward litigation scenes without losing the audience, which can prove very tricky ***cough*** LOST: Season Six ***cough***

Best Picture:

· Black Swan

· The Fighter

· True Grit

· The Social Network

· 127 Hours

· Toy Story 3

· Winter’s Bone

· The King’s Speech <--- WINNER

· Inception

· The Kids Are All Right

I just can’t find a flaw with The King’s Speech. The exchanges between Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are truly gripping. Also, while I am by no-means an expert on set design, Lionel Logue’s (Geoffrey Rush’s character) office really added to the movie in a tangible way. Trust me, I wanted to pick Social Network. I really did. However, for me, what separated the two movies was the ending. I was somewhat disappointed with the ending of Social Network. In stark contrast, Colin Firth’s final speech had me hanging on every word. I was emotionally invested in the outcome of that speech. I would have been crushed if Bertie (Firth’s character) hadn’t nailed it.

"If you train hard, you'll not only be hard, you'll be hard to beat." - Herschel Walker

Day #15: 10.55 miles – 81 min.

Game Theory

Game theory: A mathematical framework for analyzing what choices rational individuals will make, when the pay-offs depend on the combination of all player's choices

And for all you visual learners…

Why am I writing about game theory?

Because I have been practicing a version of game theory everyday while running. Let me explain…

Austin has a high volume of dog owners. Because the weather has been awesome lately, people have been taking their dogs out for walks in mass numbers. This presents a problem on narrow sidewalks for me.

Option #1: I pass on the dog side

Risk: The dog thinks my calf is a T-bone steak and takes a bite

Option #2: I pass on the human side

Risk: The human gets startled and knocks me into oncoming traffic

Now a few factors come into play when making my decision about which option to take:

· Dog size: Yah, I usually will pass on the human side if there is a Bullmastiff in front of me

· iPod: Humans are much more likely to get startled if someone approaches them from behind if they have an iPod in

· Cell Phone: See iPod explanation

I run through these variables every time I approach someone walking a dog from behind. But yeah, I haven’t quite worked out the correct formula because I have already had to use some Michael Scott–esq. parkour to avoid getting bitten by man’s best friend.

I’m going to abdicate for a general rule about dog ownership. If you can’t take your dog down in hand to hand combat then you shouldn’t own that animal. The world needs more Papillons!

Tomorrow is my day of rest. I'm going to need it because I've got a 10-mile run on deck for Sunday. Till then, I leave you with the motivational quote of the day...

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” – Muhammad Ali

Day #13: 4.62 miles – 36 min

Death To My Computer!

Man, I was frustrated this morning.

The Tide played awful against Auburn last night, I didn’t sleep worth a crap, and it started to rain on my walk home from school. I was in an awful mood when I walked in the door. Then, my computer started acting up, which, for some reason, always makes me lose my cool.

Basically, I felt like this guy…

However, despite the rain, I decided to head out on a run. I felt instantly better. All the stress in my body slowly dissipated the further I ran. Then it dawned on me.

I don’t have a hobby to release stress. Other people release stress by playing the guitar, cooking, etc. Me? I usually let my stress consume me until it boils over.

Maybe running is my stress reliever?

“Champions aren’t made in the gym. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision.” – Muhammad Ali

Day #12: 5.93 miles – 45 min

BAHSTON

Last week, I watched a documentary called Spirit of the Marathon. The movie chronicles the journey of six people trying to complete the Chicago Marathon.

There is a man in the movie that is obsessed with the prospect of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. He kept going on and on about qualifying for Boston. Frankly, I got sick of him talking about it.

Quick rant: So I have recently become convinced that the Mayor of Boston sold the city’s soul to the devil in exchange ten years of prosperity on February 2, 2002. Why that date? The next day the Patriots upset the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. Lets take stock of what has happened since that date.

· The Patriots, Celtics, and Red Sox have been crowned champions in their respective sports.

· Movies such as The Town, The Departed, and The Fighter have made Boston an epicenter of movie culture.

· The world’s largest social media company, Facebook.com, was launched from a Harvard dormitory.

As you can probably tell, I am a little sick of hearing about anything having to do with Boston. Well, that was until the character in Spirit of the Marathon outlined what it takes to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

Age/Group - Men - Women

18-34 - 3hrs 10min - 3hrs 40min

35-39 - 3hrs 15min - 3hrs 45min

40-44 - 3hrs 20min - 3hrs 50min

45-49 - 3hrs 30min - 4hrs 00min

50-54 - 3hrs 35min - 4hrs 05min

55-59 - 3hrs 45min - 4hrs 15min

60-64 - 4hrs 00min - 4hrs 30min

That is incredible. Lets put the 18-34 age/group time into perspective.

Yesterday, I probably had my best day of running. I completed 6.4 miles at a 7.30 min/mile pace #humblebrag (I love twitter lingo). I would have to better that pace by 15 sec/mile for the entire 26.2 miles. That is humming! Right now, I would consider it a success if I finish the marathon in under four hours, which would make me a qualifier if I was in my retirement age.

I know that I am a long, long way from entertaining the thought of trying to qualify for Boston. However, Born to Run states that an athlete reaches his peak in distance running at the age of 27. So maybe with three years of training I could qualify?

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal, nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong attitude.” – Thomas Jefferson

Day #11: 6.33 miles – 48 min

The Toughest Man Alive?

I have seen a lot of movies this year in the theater. In fact, I have seen eight of the ten movies nominated for “Best Picture” at next weekend’s Academy Awards. So yesterday, I decided to cross another best picture nominee off my list – 127 Hours.

127 Hours tells the story of Aron Ralston. While canyoneering in Utah, Aron feel into Blue John Canyon and got his arm stuck under a boulder. After six days of being trapped, Aron’s will to survive allowed him to saw his arm off and escape the canyon.

Here is actual audio from Aron’s video camera before he made the decision to saw his arm off…

And here is video of Aron describing the amputation to Tom Brokaw…

Quick movie review: One word – powerful. Danny Boyle, the director of the movie, does a masterful job building suspense with such a limited story. Additionally, after watching a few videos of the real life Aron Ralston, I think James Franco nailed his portrayal of Ralston.

After leaving the movie theater, I called my mother to tell her that I loved the movie, but I recommended that she shouldn't go see it. She would pass out during the scene where Franco saws off his arm. Anyway, she reminded me of something that I had forgotten. Aron Ralston was mentioned in Born to Run, which, for those of you haven’t read my blog much, is the book that inspired my blog.

Turns out that Aron, aside from being the toughest man alive, is also an ultramarathoner. Little over a year after sawing his arm off, Aron completed the grueling Leadville Trail 100 ultramarathon. Here is a brief description of the race from Wikipedia…

Leadville Trail 100 Ultramarathon (aka The Race Across The Sky or the LT100), first run in 1983, is an ultramarathon held annually on trails and dirt roads at high altitude west and south of Leadville, Colorado, through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. The course is difficult, with runners climbing and descending 15,600 feet (4,800 m), with elevations ranging between 9,200-12,620 feet. Because of its difficulty, it is common for less than half the starters to complete the race ahead of its 30 hour time limit.

How much more gnarly can a human being be?

I’ll leave you with some wisdom from Mr. Ralston…

“At this point, I've got the confidence to know that I'll get through anything in my life given I have the motivation to do it, ... If it's an act of survival, we've all got a reason to keep living. It may not be pretty, but surviving is grit and determination in its highest form. I learned that I've got the capacity to do a hell of a lot more than I thought I could if I have the proper motivation.” –Aron Ralston

Day #10: 6.4 miles - 48 min.

One More Round

When people speak of inspirational sports figures, they often are quick to list names like Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, or Brett Favre.

Edit: Whoops, forgot Favre completely murdered his legacy by becoming a prima donna, playing for the Packers’ archrivals, and allowing his dong to be seen by the entire world.

People don’t often immediately say the name of an athlete who was born in April 6, 1947 as the only child to a Roman Catholic Italian American Family. They forget about the Philadelphian who ended Apollo Creed’s unbeaten run, knocked out Clubber Lang in the third round, and ended the Cold War by defeating Ivan Drago in Moscow. Yes, I am talking about the Italian Stallion – Rocky Balboa.

How many other movie characters that date back to the 1970s have stayed culturally relevant as Rocky has?

I’d argue that it is because we want to believe that grit, toughness, and determination can beat talent. We want to believe that, if given our chance, we wouldn’t shrink from the spotlight. We want to believe that we’d have the courage to go one more round…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOpUSSpGoWw

Note: I couldn’t embed this video, but I would highly, highly suggest you click on it.

The scene that has always resonated with me the most from the Rocky franchise starts at the 1.08 mark from the video above.

I know that I will never be a great distance runner. Moreover, I will probably never be half as good as my father was. But, like Rocky says in the scene, it doesn’t matter if I ever become a good distance runner. I just want to go the distance - 26.2 miles.

“You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” – Rocky Balboa

Why is everyone wearing medals?

It was hard to find motivation to run this morning. I spent last night drinking on 6^th street with some of my graduate school buddies. Not the way you want to prepare for the longest run of your life.

So slightly off my game, I took off this morning on a planned 8-mile route that would take me from my apartment to Town Lake. For those not familiar with Austin, Town Lake is located right next to downtown.

Anyway, as I neared downtown, I kept getting funny looks from people in running clothes. Then I noticed that they had medals around their necks. Then I noticed that a majority of them were wearing the same t-shirt. I started to do the math.

High volume of runners + Medals + Common t-shirts = Austin Marathon

The Austin Marathon took place this morning. And my planned route was going to place me right in the middle of the activities. I thought about changing my route, but I had already mapped out my exact distance. I decided to press on.

Once I reached 6^th street things started to get a bit awkward. People started giving me quizzical looks as they tried to determine if I was taking a shortcut or had gotten lost. This confusion reached a pinnacle once I hit 11^th street.

11^th street runs right in front of the Texas State Capital Building. Naturally, this would be an ideal street to include in any planned running activity. Problem was that both the Austin Marathon Committee and I both shared that view.

I decided this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity to mess with people’s heads.

I burst onto the race route, running way faster than the rest of the competitors. Then after about a quarter of a mile, I abruptly lept into the crowd and made my way toward Lavaca street. People had no idea what was happening. The sheer look of confusion as I raced past tired runners and their families kept had me in stitches the remaining two miles of my run.

All in all, it was an amazing run this morning, despite the lingering effects of last night.

“If you want to hoot with the owls, you’ve got to soar with the eagles.” – Unknown

Day #8: 8.22 miles – 64 min

Perfection

Today is a day off from running for me. Frankly, I want to run today, but, like my family has warned, I need to be careful of not over-training.

Me? Overdoing something? Where would they get that notion…?

My tendency to overdo things like school, exercise, and, well I guess now, blogging comes from the drive to be perfect. Fear not, my perspective on perfection is a bit saner than Natalie Portman’s character in the Black Swan.

Just don’t check my back for mysterious scratches.

No, I have always liked Coach Gary Gaines’ definition of perfection from the movie version of Friday Night Lights.

That speech is one of the major reasons this blog was created. I know that I won’t fully achieve Coach Gaines’ definition of perfection in my quest to run 26.2 miles, but I want yall to know that I gave it my best effort.

Till tomorrow, I leave yall with the quote of the day…

“All of us failed to match our dreams of perfection. So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible.” – William Faulkner

Ch-ch-chia!

While reading about the Tarahumara Indians, I immediately began to question how these super-athletes were able to hydrate themselves on +100 mile runs. There aren’t many water sources in the Copper Canyons where they live. Well, it turns out their secret is chia seeds.

I know what you're thinking…

Yes, it’s the very same seed that have brought millions of American children joy in the form of the “Chia Pet”.

In all seriousness, the chia seed has the ability to hold x10 its weight in water. What does that mean for athletes? Basically, eating chia seeds before physical activity will keep you hydrated for an extended period of time. Other benefits of chia include:

· Chia contains the largest levels of omega 3 of any plant-based food. Omega 3 is especially necessary for a healthy heart, and can lessen cholesterol.

· Chia comprises 36% fiber. Eating soluble fiber can lower cholesterol in the body.

· Chia seeds contain about 20% protein.

American corporations are starting to get on board with chia seeds…

The best part of chia seeds???

They don’t have a distinct taste. You can sprinkle them on anything. I eat them with my breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Day #6: 5.07 miles – 38.2 min

“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.” – Tim Duncan

You'll Never Walk Alone

My workout playlist is pretty unremarkable. It features a lot of Guns N’ Roses, Daft Punk, and Eminem. What is remarkable is the song that I listen to the most while running…

Gerry and The Pacemakers = You’ll Never Walk Alone

Anyone who knows my fanatical allegiance to Chelsea cannot believe that statement. You see, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is the anthem of one of Chelsea’s biggest rivals – Liverpool. And boy do I dislike Liverpool. In fact, I used to cringe every time I heard “You’ll Never Walk Alone” because it made me think of the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, and Fernando Torres (wait, he plays for Chelsea now!).

As you have probably deduced, my opinion about the song has changed dramatically. A few years ago, I came across a video of the Celtic v Barcelona match on March 11, 2004.

Does that date sound familiar…?

On March 11, 2004, 191 people lost their lives in the Madrid train bombings. From Wikipedia…

The Madrid train bombings consisted of a series of coordinated bombings against the Cercanías (commuter train) system of Madrid, Spain on the morning of 11 March 2004 (three days before Spain's general elections), killing 191 people and wounding 1,800.^[1] The official investigation by the Spanish Judiciary determined the attacks were directed by an al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist cell although no direct al-Qaeda participation (only "inspiration") has been established.

The match between Celtic and Barcelona was not canceled. Instead, Celtic supporters offered their condolences and support by dedicating a rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” to their Spanish counterparts. Below is the chilling video…

This song now reminds me that I am never alone in my journey. My family and friends are always there to support me in the darkest of hours. Their faith in me gives me the motivation not to quit.

“When you’re playing against a stacked deck, compete even harder. Show the world how much you’ll fight for the winners’ circle. If you do, someday the cellophane will crackle off a fresh pack, one that belongs to you, and the cards will be stacked in your favor.” – Pat Riley

Day #5: 5.17 miles – 39.4 min

The Persistence Hunt

People have a hard time believing that humans are the best distance runners on the planet. You only need to go to a Wal-Mart to understand why people are skeptical.

Yes, we as a species have gotten really, really lazy; however, it wasn’t always that way. We, Homo-erectus, actually won Darwin’s survival game because we were able to run animals to death. Scientists believe the “persistence hunt" is the oldest form of hunting known to man. Don’t believe that is even remotely possible? The following video is from David Attenborough’s documentary The Life of Mammals:

How crazy is that?!

People, including myself, state that they often get a “high” from running, which is said to occur when strenuous exercise takes a person over a threshold that activates endorphin production (thanks Wikipedia!). Could it be that running stimulates endorphin production because that is what we were put on earth to do?

On a more personal note, Dad and I are still hammering out the details of my marathon schedule. For those of you who don't know, my dad, the self-proclaimed "ICON", was an ultramarathoner back in the day. He may or may not make a few appearances on this blog... Till then, I leave you with the motivational quote of the day.

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." - Vince Lombardi

Day #4: 5.25 miles - 40 min

Scott Jurek

I often time look for inspirational figures when embarking on something new. In running this marathon, I have identified a few people that provide me with the belief that I can overcome physical limitations and pull this thing off.

You probably don’t know who Scott Jurek is. It is understandable. I didn’t know who he was until a couple months ago. Scott is probably the greatest ultramarathoner in history. In 2005, Scott Jurek ran the 135-mile race called “Badwater”. Here is Wikipedia’s description of the Badwater Ultramarathon:

“The Badwater Ultramarathon describes itself as "the world's toughest foot race". It is a 135-mile (217 km) course starting at 282 feet (85 m) below sea level in the Badwater Basin, in California's Death Valley, and ending at an elevation of 8360 feet (2548 m) at Whitney Portal, the trailhead to Mount Whitney. It takes place annually in mid-July, when the weather conditions are most extreme and temperatures over 120 °F (49 °C), even in the shade, are not uncommon. Consequently, very few people—even among ultramarathoners—are capable of finishing this grueling race.”

70 miles into the race, which he didn’t properly train for, Scott Jurek was almost beaten by the heat. He started to shake, vomit, and, ultimately, collapsed on the +200 degree asphalt. For 10 minutes, Scott lay on the road unable to move. He grappled with idea of quitting. His friends and family had never seen him look so bad. As he laid on the ground, he reasoned that if he was going to continue that he would have to run the fastest 75 miles he had ever run to win the race.

Well, he did get up. And yes, he won the race, setting the all-time course record. Below is an interview Scott did with CNN…

Every time my foot, hip, or knee starts to hurt I think about Scott Jurek lying on that asphalt. The human body can withstand a lot more than we give it credit for. Pain is something that can be overcome.

“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have.” –unknown

Scott’s blog: http://www.scottjurek.com/blog/

Nike Free Run+

For my second blog entry, I wanted to tell inform my millions of readers (come on, indulge me a bit) about the shoe that is going to make this quest possible.

Let me introduce you to the Nike Free Run+….

Did yall really think I wouldn’t figure out some way to work Nike into this quest?

In all seriousness, I couldn’t be happier with these shoes (pictured above) after two days of running. After wearing New Balance 990/991/992s for years, I feel like I am running on air with these shoes. Additionally, it is usually hell to find shoes that are comfortable for my Fred Flinstone feet. These are the most comfortable shoes I have ever purchased. They fit like a sock, giving me the perfect fit around my surgically mangled feet.

I didn’t intend to run today. I was going to rest after running for the last three days. That was until I watched Chelsea crap their season away by not putting Fulham away. I was so angry with the performance that I had to blow off some steam by pounding the pavement.

Fernando Torres, the $80 million man, was absolutely shocking today. Hey Liverpool, is there a month long trial period before we can return to sender? Anyway, the game did yield one positive. I think I found my new favorite Chelsea player –David Luiz (aka Sideshow Bob).

I am not going to run tomorrow. My body needs the rest. But I am going to spend tomorrow trying to find a good 12-week marathon program. Till then, I leave you with my motivational quote of the day…

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

Day #2: 4.8 miles – 35 min

Humble Beginnings

For those of you who know me, which is probably 99.999% of anyone who will ever come across this blog, know that I have had some physical issues in the past couple years. What other twenty-three year old do you know that had to have hip surgery and get a bunion taken out of his foot?

Doctors have consistently told me that my life as a runner is over. My old man body cannot handle the stress that comes from running. Essentially, they have already set the over/under for my eventual hip replacement at 42 years old.

But who really thinks that doctors know what they are talking about? Its not like they went to school to develop a qualified medical opinion…

As you can probably guess, I have ignored the opinions of my doctors and have been running; however, I am always in fear of my hip breaking into a thousand pieces. Mike Winchell, the starting quarterback for the ’88 Odessa Permian Panthers, sums up my feelings about getting injured while running in the following quote from the movie Friday Night Lights:

“You ever feel cursed, Coach? Like, no matter what, inside your heart you feel that you're gonna lose. Like something's hanging over you, following you like a witch or a demon that just... I feel like that all the time. Even when things are going good.”

That was my outlook until this Christmas.

What happened this Christmas?

My mother, who easily ranks as the top mother in the history of the world, gave me a book called Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall. I won’t bore you with a summary of the book. I’ll let the author do it!

The book taught me a few things:

· Homo erectus (that’s us!) evolved because we are the best distance runners on the planet

· Barefoot running prevents injury because it teaches you to run correctly

· The Tarahumara Indians from Mexico have conquered disease, depression, and other ailments through running, diet, and over all outlook on life

What does this mean for me?

I am going to run 26.2 miles on Thursday, May 19, 2011.

I am going to use this blog as a way to keep myself on track and inform my friends of my progress.

“There is a subtle difference between a mission and a promise. A mission is something you strive to accomplish – a promise is something you are compelled to keep. One is individual, the other is shared. When a mission and a promise are one and the same… that’s when mountains are moved and races are won.” – Hala Maddelmog

Day #1: 5.05 miles - 39 min