Oktoberun Half Marathon

You gotta love the paparazzi...

My marathon mantra is "always hydrate, GU up when necessary, and never ever forget to smile for the paparazzi." I guess I didn't practice what I preach in the above photo. That horrid picture was taken shortly after I crossed the finish line of the Surf City Half Marathon back in February. That race took me 3 hours and 46 minutes to complete. Yes, nearly four hours to complete 13.1 miles. 

I had just come off my 52 marathons in 52 weeks, and quite frankly, I was burnt out.  I gained about 30 pounds from Halloween up to that point and I simply lost all motivation to run. I couldn't even walk that day! I remember shuffling along and faking a limp so people thought I was injured. That's when I knew I hit rock bottom. How could Endorphin Dude, once a 2:11 half marathon finisher, let himself go like this? It was definitely time for a reboot.

With the support and motivation of my Titanium Brothers, Jonesy and Pete, I went into Beast Mode. I changed my diet, mixed up my work out routine, and got rid of that defeatist attitude. For the next few months, I focused on getting healthy and returning to my pre-Titanium form. Eight months later, I dropped 40 pounds and earned my half marathon PR. It took me 3 years and 76 tries to get that personal record! I must either be really persistent or just plain stubborn. Check out my 2012 progression:

3:46:02 - Surf City (2/6/12)
3:15:28 - Hellyer (2/18/12)

2:53:09 - Oakland (3/25/12)

2:41:31 - US Half (4/8/12)
2:33:23 - Pleasanton (4/29/12)

2:14:49 - Giant Race (9/16/12)
2:07:04 - Oktoberun (10/13/12)

Finally!

I am bouncing off walls. Earning that PR has done wonders for my confidence. After Surf City, I thought my running days were over. I didn't just fall off the wagon, but I had gained so much weight that the passenger side wheel fell off causing me to lose control. My wagon went off the cliff, rolled down the ravine, flipped over a few times, and ended up in the creek. I had to fix that wagon before I could get back on. I am now cruising once again, faster than ever!

Ready for the paparazzi this time!