Goal The End Of 2009...Be Like More Like Forest!

Anyone who has ever logged any serious miles as a distance runner has to love the movie Forest Gump. It's an American classic.

How many times in our life do you just feel like quitting your job, your school, your life and just go out and do something really crazy like running across the United States.

I remember being awake while my doctor was getting skin cancer (malignant melanoma) off of my leg 7 years ago. The only thing I could think about was how much I wish I could have been out running at that moment.

For a period in my life, one of my favorite things to do was run. I ran 3 to 5 miles a day every day. Rain, snow or shine. Somehow life beat me up and I lost the passion to run. I've run some road races and a half marathon over the years. But it hasn't felt easy to run for me for over 10 years.

A huge part of the problem is my weight. I used to weigh about 165 to 175 19 years ago. Right now my weight fluctuates between 240 and 260. So for the rest of the year I'm committing to "Run Forest Run"! Hopefully you'll join the run.

Darin

Training For Your First Marathon

My cousin Keith Pearson ran his first marathon this year. I'm extremely proud of him.

Keith and I used to be on the same 2 mile relay team in high school. We had one of the better 2 mile relays in South Dakota in the early 80's. I believe we got third at the state track meet my junion year of high school.

Keith recently sent me a photo of himself running the 2009 Grandmas Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. Here's "Proof" that he ran.

I know he trained by running a half marathon a couple of months prior in Omaha. I'd still like to run a marathon. Hopefully I can drop enough weight to make this possible.

If you still haven't given up on training for your first Marathon. Check out this great article in the New York Times http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/time-to-train-for-your-first-marathon/.