Weirdest Dream lately :
I dreamed I was on the "other side" when my Dad was passing. I spoke to him and made sure he was okay. Then I woke, and knew he was gone. 30 minutes later, we got the call from the hospital saying that his blood pressure had crashed in the last 30 minutes.
Currently working on :
A BTVS related story called "Long Goodbye" which deals with a member of the Watchers Council being vamped as part of an experiment.
Also completing my nanowrimo effort.
A blog for that outspoken and aggressive member of the Buffy Bulletin Board.
Saturday, April 19, 2003
London Marathon
Now I'm not the fittest guy you'd meet on the street. My gym membership is still paid up, but before today, I hadn't been in at least a few weeks. And most of my lifestyle now is spent either in front of some keyboard typing, or walking from point A to B. I don't have a lot of time for running or cycling anymore.
That wasn't always the case though. In my more youthful days, I used to be a long distance runner. While I never had the physique for sprints, I ran a lot of long distance races, getting to the Nationals one year. My trophies are still gathering dust on a shelf somewhere, and they haven't been added to in over 20 years or thereabouts. But I remember how good it used to feel, pounding away at the track with the sun beating down over head.
When I was in London the other week, my brother and I spent some time near the 17 mile marker on the London Marathon. It occurred to me at the time (though I didn't voice it) that it was a pity I had never run the Marathon in my younger days, when I was properly trained and had the exhuberance of youth to my advantage.
Then today, I saw a byline on the news that Michael Watson (the Former World Middleweight Boxer who suffered severe brain damage in career ending title fight with Chris Eubank) has finished the London Marathon after SIX DAYS.
And it really kind of hit me. It doesn't matter what time it takes you to complete the course. So long as you don't quit. And money raised is still money raised in a good cause, no matter how badly the race is run.
So I've decided (and I'm stating it here and now to re-enforce it) that I'm going to run the London Marathon next year. I'll be talking to friends and family about raising money for Cancer research (obvious really, given my Dad and all) in the next few weeks. But for now, today's session at the gym was a good start. Sure I'm not fit yet, but I'm not chronically unfit either. I'd like to get around the course in a reasonable time (something like 3 hours) but it doesn't matter if I don't.
Saturday, April 19, 2003
