Second Time Around

I made a spur of the moment decision yesterday. It's going to dictate a few things in my life and schedule for the next few months. I may end up hating myself. But for better or worse:

I am going to run the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon.

This will be my second marathon. I ran my first two years ago in 4 hours, 1 minute, and 9 seconds. My dad paid the $80 registration fee because I had zero money to my name. I had the unwavering support of my mother and sister, who memorably took me out to lunch at the Ugly American directly after the race. I remember eating some eggs benedict. And then I remember launching that eggs benedict into my dorm toilet later that afternoon and then lying motionless on my friends' couch for several hours.

Running a marathon was on my list of life goals that I made when I was 13. I never thought I'd want to do more than one. Believe me, at mile 22 of my last one, the last thing on earth I ever thought I'd do is sign up for that hell again.

To be honest, I really wouldn't do it again, except I think I can do better this time. In 2010, I didn't follow a real training schedule. I didn't have a goal time or any concept of pacing at all. I was horrifically sick the day of the race. Perhaps the most damning of all, as a first-semester sophomore at Temple, I was a borderline alcoholic who ate nothing but popcorn chicken doused in buffalo sauce for weeks on end.

This time around I enter the training process as a quasi-responsible adult with a goal of 3 hours and 40 minutes.

I'll keep you posted.