Day 34: The day I done plumb gone and lost whatever mind I had to start with.

Well, technically it was yesterday but today is the day I realized that I truly am nuts.

I've signed up for the Eugene Marathon on May 2, 2010. 

What am I thinking?

I was paying bills last night so since prices were going to be going up today I decided to go ahead and register.  I don't know why it took more than 12 hours after that for it to sink in but crazy people don't make much sense anyway, do they? 

It really hit me when I pulled up the list of last year's participants.  I wanted to see how long it took people in the bottom rung.  The course closes after seven hours, so that is one of marathon goals:  Finish in seven hours.  There were a lot of people in the sixes, and some in the sevens.  I don't know if the seven hour limit was in place last year also, although no one went up to eight.  That's still no more than a 17 minute mile, y'all.  For 26.2 miles.  In a row. 

What am I thinking?

I guess I'm thinking I can do it.  I'm going to have to believe I can do it in order to do it so officially, here goes:  I can do this.  I can complete the Eugene Marathon.  Short of some sort of medical issue (and I have none that I know about), I will complete the Eugene Marathon. 

Whatever I was thinking that got me into all of this in the first place (that's all kind of a mystery in itself), I know what I will be thinking until after 2:00 p.m. on May 2, 2010.  At 2:01 p.m. on May 2, 2010, I may be wondering why the paramedics are being so stingy with the good drugs, but that's just speculative.  For now, I can do this.

My marathon goal is to cross the finish line in seven hours without dying.  I can die after I cross the finish line.  Falling down dead on the finish line would also be acceptable as long as it counts as finishing.

When I signed up, it asks for your estimated time of completion.  I put down 6:30.  I was feeling optimistic.  But seven hours is when the course closes and then they drive you back to the finish line if you're still out there.  I refuse to set a target goal of anything under seven hours, even 6:59:59. 

If I were going to set another goal, it would be to finish in front of one other person.  I don't care who that is, I'd just rather not be last.  This is more of a secondary, all the stars have aligned and the gods have smiled sort of a goal.   It might spur me to a last great surge of energy to the finish line if it is between me and that other person.  If it doesn't, that's okay too:  I've got to have a goal for the next marathon, right?

Yeah.  What am I thinking?

Cwazily yours,
the CilleyGirl