Surf City 2012

Surf City Done!

I really know how to take a good photo. Tyra Banks has taught me well over the years. A model needs to work the angles and lighting to make themselves appear tall and thin. By jumping on to the cement wall, sucking the gut in, sticking the chest out, and straightening out the neck, I give the illusion that I am Cover Boy material! It also helps that I am sporting the slim fitting black Endorphin uniform. I look great in the above photo, but don't be fooled by that huge grin. Deep down inside, I was hurting.

The truth of the matter is that I have gained quite a bit of weight in the past few months. During my Titanium quest, all I ate was junk. Sure, I'd burn off a lot of those calories by completing 26.2 miles every weekend, but once the running stopped, the weight started to pile on. I was burnt out after hitting 52 marathons in 52 weeks and I just did not want to run anymore. Surf City was a huge disappointment to me. I completed this half marathon in 3:46. It took me three hours and 46 minutes to complete 13.1 miles! You know you have hit rock bottom when you peter out at mile 0.8 and downgrade your pathetic jog to an excruciatingly slow walk. Had I been on the Galapagos Island, turtles would have passed me up.

This year's Surf City Half Marathon served as a huge wake up call for me. I had plans to run my first 100 miler at Rocky Road in mid February, but seeing how out of shape I was after this race, I made the decision to pull out that race. I really want that belt buckle, but I certainly cannot do it the shape that I am in. Heck, I barely got through this half marathon! Back to the drawing board. Time to reboot and get back to the basics. Starting tomorrow, I will take Chewbacca on a walk around the block.