And the Marathon is......

I have been tentatively planning to run my third marathon this winter, but had not yet selected the specific race. I had actually registered for Houston but sold my registration when the logistics did not work.

The race needed to be not too far from SW Louisiana, not too small and not too warm. It also needs to fit into some existing travel plans our family has made.

With that in mind.....I am please to announce that the marathon is.....The Mississippi Blues Marathon in Jackson, MS on January 3, 2009. http://www.msbluesmarathon.com/

The race is a Saturday race which is a nice bonus for a pastor. The downside is that of the 47 reviews (www.marathonguide.com/races/racedetails.cfm?MIDD=2795090103) approximately....all of them choose to describe the race as challenging or difficult. Apparently Jackson has some hills. This may jeopardize my chances to achieve my goal of breaking 4:00.

At the same time, these same reviewers all raved about the race. So they must be doing something right.

I am looking forward to the race and getting underway with the training.

Church 5K Scheduled

This week our church, First Baptist Church of Eunice, LA finalized the date for next year's Five Loaves, Two Fish 5K. The race will be held on Saturday, February 14th. Yes, we know it is Valentine's Day, but I think that can add some extra fun to the day.

Last year our first ever Five Loaves, Two Fish had over 150 registered participants and we look forward to improving on that this year.

Here are some reasons you should plan to participate --

1. Best post race meal for participants and spectators in all of 5Kdom.

2. All proceeds go to Relay for Life (I mean, you are not pro cancer are you?)

3. Great long sleeve t-shirt.

4. Did somebody say door prizes?

5. It's a Eunice tradition since 2008.

My Favorite Running Stuff

I have been a runner for about four and a half years now. One of the attractions to running as a hobby and fitness strategy is that there is "no equipment" and "it can't cost that much to run around the block a couple of times."

Turns out it costs more than you think and there is quite a bit of equipment that you can buy. Over time however I have found that not every I bought really made a difference in my life. Here is a list of some of the things I am glad I bought --

1. Running clothes by Starter. Shorts and shirts for under $15 each at Walmart. What is not to love?

2. Body Glide. Don't leave home without it or you could spend the weekend walking like a cowboy who lost his horse.

3. Nexcare™ Heavy Duty Flexible Fabric Bandages. Best way to save your shirts and avoid awkward stares after a long run.

4. Cliff Bar Shot Blocks. Giant gummy cubes provide fuel and something to do during marathon training. I like the ones that have caffeine.

5. Asics GT 2120. After hitting every running store on the Gulf Coast in search of the perfect shoe that would provide a "cloud like" running experience, I discovered that shoe did not exist (and neither did a bunch of my money). I can usually find the 2120's online for less than $60 that are at least equal to the ones I paid twice that much for.

6. Garmin Forerunner 301. Without a doubt my favorite purchase, tracking my every mile and instantly revealing my current pace.

Top 10 Favorite Runs of All Time

10. My first two miler.

To achieve this distance once again after so many years and pounds brought a tear to my eye.

9. Macclay Gardens State Park, Tallahassee, FL.

Ran this Runner's World "Rave Run" with my son not long after he started running.

8. Littleton, NH.

Scenic New England town featured covered bridges and an old mill. Note to Runner's World you may want to check this place out.

7. Running the Boardwalk and Beach resorts at Disney with my son.

Highlighted by hearing "Chariots of Fire" playing over the loudspeakers of the empty parking lot at MGM Studios as we approached the park. Talk about movie magic!

6. Leominster State Park, Fitchburg MA.

First ever 10 miler on single track through heavy forest. Fantastic. The fact that not a single person in the world knew where I was and that I was running it alone may not have been so wise. Still a fantastic run!

5. St. Johnsbury, VT.

Running in the town my father grew up and where my grandfather delivered the mail was a wonderful experience. So was the 39 degree late May temperature for this Florida/Louisiana runner.

4. Cades Cove, TN.

Great 11 mile loop featuring beautiful scenery and rolling countryside.

3. Rail to Trail Saginaw to St. Charles, MI.

Incredible 8+ mile run through 6 to 8 inches of brand new snow. Funnest run ever!

2. Houston Marathon, Houston, TX

Incredible crowd support, wonderfully diverse course.

1. Hyde Park, London England.

I read about someone running both Hyde Park, London and Central Park, NYC in the same day. I would like to run them both in the same lifetime.

A Milestone Morning

This morning my daughter completed her first ever 2 mile run. The goal was for her to do this on her 10th birthday which is a couple of weeks away. But we have been adding a bit of distance each week and Friday she was quite upset with me when she discovered that she had 1.92 miles. She came in the house and said "dad wouldn't let me run 2 miles!"

I had no idea she cared that much. It was good to know that my daughter had joined the running ranks.

This week will also mark another running milestone in the family. Based on my son's somewhat loosely maintained running log, he will hit one thousand miles as a runner in a couple of days time.

I returned to running myself about four and a half years ago after a nearly 15 year hiatus from all forms of athletic activity. (The fact that I did spend much of that time carb-loading hinted that there was a runner within....way within.)

Today I am nearly 60 pounds lighter than I once was. I am proud that, but the best is running with both of my kids three times each week.