Dedication

So, I realize it's odd timing for a post, since it's 11pm on a Tuesday and I just updated this bad boy on Sunday, but I had some thoughts I wanted to share.

I ran after work (a lovely little 3.7 mile jaunt with a few hills) and then later this evening I went to a karaoke bar here in St. Louis. Missouri has yet to pass a smoking ban in public places, so when I came home just now I realized I smelled like smoke. I didn't have a single cigarette, and no one in our immediate group was smoking, and yet I'm debating showering for the 3rd time today to get the smell out of my hair. In this day and age, how dumb do you have to be to smoke? Not only is it disgusting, it is a huge contributor to cancers of various types (not just lung). There are too many options these days to quit - gum, patches, plastic inhalers, 12-step programs, insurance-paid smoking cessation programs, cold turkey, etc - for you to still be smoking. I suggest you smarten up. **Disclaimer: I used to be a smoker, for roughly 4 years. I get it. And I still quit. SO SHOULD YOU.

The other thing that occurred to me tonight, as I hastily left early with my boss while everyone else was singing and drinking, is that this marathon training requires a whole lot of dedication. I knew that ahead of time, I'm not an idiot, but scheduling the workouts alone requires dedication, let alone completing them. I can't really go out on weeknights and expect to train in the morning. I feel it the next morning if I have even one beer - not significantly, but I feel it - so multiple beers are out of the question. And as tonight taught me, it turns out it's pretty hard to be in a karaoke bar and not drink. And by hard, I mean H-A-R-D.

The thing about this marathon is that there are no shortcuts. I can't skip workouts, because it makes the next one that much harder, which will be discouraging and likely painful, and that will mess with both my head and my body. That old addage "You're only cheating yourself" is ringing wildly true throughout this process. And I don't cheat.

So, instead of downing shots and belting out a memorable rendition of "I Will Survive," I am off to bed. And I'm OK with that :)