It's not gonna happen...?? Days to go

My predicition of me faulting on this goal has come to fruition. I just can't keep up the training. I've tried getting up early in the morning, but after going to bed around 12am-1am, a 5am wake up for an hour run, followed by a full days of work, then another night of research/studying for my college classes, and preparing for the next school day--well, it is just not working.

I am going to try to run occassionally, but not to the level I once thought I would. Perhaps the 2010 St. Jude Marathon will work out better with my life. I just need to finish this masters and be effective at work. And to do that, it will take up time that I would have spent training.

I suppose I could do it, but I am just too mentally weak to think I could do all this in these few months.

Well, I'll try to stay updated on here and let you know if a miracle happens and I start training rigorously somehow.

Until then...bye.

--Jason

Can I rebound??...103 Days to go

So I have not ran since last Wednesday, today is Monday. Hopefully I run tonight, but I'm going to our school's first football game and I have all this school prep work to continue. Tomorrow is the first day of school!! Plus, I started my two graduate classes today. Ooooooooh, I don't know...I need to figure out how to get my running in or I won't make it to Memphis. I was in Wichita this weekend, so that's my excuse there, but I still could have figured it out.

We will see is all I can say, I just have all these other priorities and I suppose I am not managing my time well enough. The solution that I really believe in is getting up an hour earlier and doing my runs, but that would also involve me going to bed earlier and it is just tough for me turn in before 10pm. We will see...WE WILL SEE!!

And so it begins...107 Days to go

So no running today...Just TOOOO much is going on. Was at school today from 8am-8pm basically due to working on my curriculum and then a welcoming dinner at night. Then tonight I need to complete lots of school stuff and I just can't go waste an hour running. I guess I could, but without running I will be up until 1-2am anyways. So I just can't see myself taking care of my little running adventure when I have bigger priorities to take of.

I plan to run tomorrow though, then Saturday will be the off day and the long run on Sunday since I will be in Wichita this weekend. Ooookay, start saying some prayers that I can manage these things. Every thing is about to GO CRRRRRAZY!!

Doubt is building...108 Days to go

So I ran about 2.5 miles today, it took 24:05. Knowing it was a 2-3 mile day, I started off SOOOO confident because that seemed so easy, but I really began to struggle after the first mile. I did not walk at all though, so I'm proud of that. 2 minutes into my run my heart started hurting again, I slowed down a little but just kept going. After about 8 minutes the pain went away.

So yeah, my confidence is really lacking. It is just SUUCH a mental toll to look at my training and seeing that in just a few weeks I am suppose to be doing 7-8 mile runs 3x a week!! It is just hard to believe that I will be doing that when my longest run has only been 5.5 miles. Beyond that, the time committment behind running 7-8 miles during the week is tough!! I RRRREALLY need to manage my time brilliantly to make this happen. I don't know, we'll see...3-4 miles tomorrow I have.

Also, since Brooke and I will be going to Wichita this weekend I'll have to adjust my schedule. Therefore, Friday will not be an off day and I will run the easy 2-3 miles. Then take Saturday off and run 6 miles on Sunday and back to cross training on Monday--or so that's the plan!!

All right, let's hope I can mentally do it tomorrow!! I guess just taking it one day at a time is the approach to take.

PAID the school bill

Around 12:00pm today I paid for the courses!! LOTS OF MONEY!! I better follow through on my committment and get this accomplishment!! If I do, then I'll have a BIIIIG party to celebrate!!

Course accepted!!

Memphis has accepted this course and hopefully after I get an "A" in the course they will accept the transfer!! Easy 2-3 mile run today. I'll let you know how it goes.

Ahhhh...some relief

I don't think I have ever experienced relief when I'm about to fork over $1500 for a college course and then having many sleepless nights completing the work for the course. BUUUUT I think I have found the class I need to complete my Masters!! I'll give you final confirmation tomorrow when Memphis let's me know if it is okay!! Hopefully Memphis will follow through on their word and allow this course to transfer!! Jeesh--it only took me about 6 hours of searching tonight to find it!! Ridiculous!! Ahhhh...G'night!!

Having LOTS of doubts...109 Days to go

So I finally got to my run and did about 3.6 miles. It took me 36:05. It was a hilly route. About 4 minutes into the run my heart started really feeling painful, but I committed to myself that I will run the first mile without stopping and I did push on--it was pretty excruciating to keep that up. I can't move my left arm when my heart area begins to hurt, so I place my hand right under my shoulder. So I did push through and did a good first mile pace of about 9 minutes. I kept pushing and did not walk because of the heart pain and eventually the pain went away about 15 minutes into the run.

But I am beginning to have LOTS of doubts about me keeping this up. First of all, I almost did not make it to this run tonight, simply because I have a lot more important things to complete. For instance, I am REALLY stressing out right now because I thought I was ready to graduate this fall from my Masters program, but now they are not accepting a transfer course that they had approved prior. THUS, I need to not only complete my Thesis this fall, but I also need to complete this silly course. HOWEVER, if I can't find this course to take somewhere, then I cannot enroll in the thesis class because it MUST be the final course you take. THEREFORE, this could push my graduation back a whole 'nother year!!

If I can find a this extra course to take though, then I will have a course to take and I will need to complete my thesis--ALL THIS FALL!!

On top of all that, I have my first responsibility with my school and creating a quality curriculum for my students, quality daily lesson plans, grading assignments, etc. etc. etc. etc...This is a huge stressor that I put A LOT of pressure on myself with.

Beyond that, I am always trying to prepare for the baseball season and help get my baseball boys head's straight.

Then there are always other responsibilities around the house, with family, and then the random day when the car breaks down and that ruins a couple days.

So the first thing to come off this list would be the marathon training. School and these course will take up TONS of time!! I don't know, so we'll just see.

I did have a very surreal moment tonight while running though...In the "mist" of all my doubting toward the end of my run, I came upon a sidewalk section of about a quarter of a mile, where there were sprinklers about every 20 feet. I was running at about 9:30pm. So it was kind of a quaint setting. As I'm running through these sprinklers they are splashing me and I can't really see where I am heading because of the mist everywhere, so I just kept going on with trust that God would keep me safe. And as I ran through this, I thought of it as a great metaphor for what I'm going through right now...While there is lots of stuff (mist) going on right now and I can't quite see where I am at, what's under my feet, if I'll get to the end, I need to just keep going further and trust that Christ will see me through it all...

So with that I was given some peace of mind that maybe all will be okay, and I'll wake up in January with completing a successful first semester, a Master's Degree, prepared for the baseball season, and a completed marathon under 4 hours!! We'll see!!

WHAT SHOULD I RUN FOR??...110 Days to go

So today was my cross training day and I did about 16 minutes on a stationary bike, another 6 minutes on an elliptical, and then I lifted for another 20 minutes. Not too rough, my training guide advises for only a 30 minute workout this week.

Throughout these workouts I keep thinking that I need to be running for a purpose--ya know something to raise money for or something?? I don't really know what cause I need to be running for, so let me know if you have any good ideas...Running for cancer, for educational issues, for my school, for my baseball team--those are just some of the things that I have been thinking of lately. Anyways, if you have any ideas, let me know!!

An easy 3-4 miles tomorrow!! Hopefully my heart is better and my achilles is not so tender!! G'night.

Struuuuuuuuggle...111 Days to go

So I ran a little over 2.5 miles today, it took me right at 26 minutes. However, I stopped twice for about 3-4 minutes in the first mile because of my heart pain. I also had the pain in the final couple minutes, but pushed through it. I think I need to see a cardiologist to make sure all is okay. I'm gonna keep training like I planned though and try to get in and see one by this week or next.

The run was really a struggle, my legs were very heavy and I never really hit a stride, I guess yesterday's longer run might have taken a bit out of me. I really wanted to quit and walkduring the last 10 minutes of the run, but I didn't and pushed on. It is SOOOO easy to quit, but it's relatively easy to keep going when I just think how upset I would be if I quit. I really don't know how I'm going to keep this up for another 15 or so weeks!! I hope I can manage it all with school starting up!!

Tomorrow, I have cross training on my schedule. So I may go to the gym and lift, do a spinning class, or something to that nature.

Also, I weighed myself and I am actually down to 205 pounds, but my weight fluctuates so much that I don't really take notice to that. I really think I need to get down to 190 or maybe even 185 to take the stress off of my knees. I really feel extra stress on my knees that I had not felt before. I'm not going to change my diet or anything significantly, I imagine it'll just come off with continued running and only drinking water. I'll try to keep you updated on that.

All right, just finished watching Shark Tank and these people with these great inventions are IDIOTS!! It just goes to show you that making a great product or a great idea only means so much. You really need the skill of managing and operating a business for it to be successful!!

AAAAAAAAMAZING!!!!...112 Days to go

My long run today, 5.5 miles, I ran it in 54:44!! Not too bad of a pace, right at 10 minute mile pace. I had to stop for 3-4 minutes in the first 10 minutes of my run because my heart was hurting again, but the rest of the run I did not stop--although at about the 35 minute mark I felt a little pain in the heart region. I didn't want to walk there, so I just slowed down my pace a bit and it went away after a few minutes. From mile 2 through the end I was CRUIIIIISING!! I felt great!! Also, WHAT A DIFFERENCE it makes when you run on a flat part. The first 2 miles and last 2 miles were hilly, but the middle 1.5 miles was flat and it really is so much easier. I think the St. Jude Marathon is fairly flat.

Brooke ran with me today and she probably ran about 7 miles in the same amount of time. She ran with me at some points, but then she would take off and I'd lose sight of her, then she'd come back to me. It's kind of embarrassing, but whatever.

What is so "AAAAAAAAMAZING" is how I ran 5.5 miles under 55 minutes!! Crrrrazy!! I can't believe I am doing it, and the truth is that it is NOT as impossible as I once thought. It's amazing what happens when you just start DOING instead of imagining, guessing, etc. When Brooke and I got a membership to a local gym a couple months ago I would do a jog warm up on the treadmill before lifting at 4 mph for about 6 minutes and it would be a STRUGGLE!! And this occurred as early as 2 weeks ago!!

Welp, its just amazing what we can conquer if we don't place limits on ourselves...Hopefully I continue to stay mentally strong and my body stays healthy (my achilles is killing)

Brooke and I are about to watch this highly recommended movie called "Knowing"...It's suppose to be some scary thriller!!

HEADACHE...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...113 Days to go

So I woke up this morning with an excruciating headache, something I never really experienced before. I have no clue, but I feel like it was a dehydration headache--if there is such a thing?? Anyways, no running today because I am following that training guide. Tomorrow, I will do a longer run of about 6 miles!! Here is how the training kind of breaks down on a weekly basis:
XT = Cross Train
ER = Easy Run
TR = Tempo Run
LR = Long Run

M........T..........W...........R............F..........Sa.........Su

XT.....ER ......ER.........TR.......Rest........LR........ER

Body is Killin'!!...114 Days to go

So I ran for 35:16 today, a little over 3 miles, my heart started hurting on three separate occassions so I walked it off each time for about 2 minutes. That hasn't happened since my first or second run. My legs are SOOOO heavy!! Plus, that pain on the bottom of my left leg is still throbbing--I think it may be my achilles. Tomorrow I will rest, I have done some research and found this marathon training, so I'm going to follow it...The link to it is below. I will also get some expert advice in the near future from my old track coach. Overall though, my mentality is very strong and I look to get a good run in on Saturday.

Rookie Marathon Training Guide

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244-255-11937-0,00.html

Can I Keep This Up??!!...115 Days to go

Today's run was GRUUUUUUUELING!! I planned to do a light easy run of about 30 minutes. Thus, I was going to turn around at about 15 minutes, but I didn't turn around at that point because I thought I could take another route back in about the same time. However, the route I chose to take on the way back took nearly 30 more minutes!! The route back took me on a road that is under construction and is dripping with brand new steaming asphault!! Plus, it was 95 degrees when I was running around 5:30pm!! Anyways, I was STRRRRUGLING and I just kept thinking in my mind "Can I MENTALLY keep this up for another 4 months??" I am really lacking some confidence and can only respond with "I don't know."

And I don't think anything is wrong with that answer, because I really don't know if I can do this. I only know that I will only have the chance to do it if I keep pushing myself each day. It is not a defeatist attitude, it is just an attitude that I must bust my butt to get my confidence. I can't just falsely say I am so confident, I need to build that confidence with hard work. This is nothing I have ever done before, so we will see!!

All right, I'm gonna go get my next run in. Also, that last run was about 4 miles and it took me 44:07, however, it was a VERY hilly route, espsecially that back road with the construction.

Overcome the Mental Barrier...and it gets easier...116 Days to go

I ran the same path today (3.64 miles) that I ran two days ago and once I got going, I knew I would do it and improve my time. And that is exactly what I did. I ran 3.64 miles in 36:04!! That is 9:50 mile pace!! Large improvement from the 10:30 mile pace from Sunday. So was I in that much of better shape today than I was two days ago?? HECK NO!! I improved my time by nearly 2 minutes because of mental mindset. I told myself that I will run in that time, so I did it. I did not place limits on myself. I feel fortunate to now, at 25, begin to learn that the ability to accomplish things is all what limits (or limits you don't place) you place on yourself. I believe there is no shame in shooting for a really high standard and coming up short. I believe that one will reach a higher standard by failing at high standards than having surpassing a low standard. Of course the standard needs to be feasible, but it must be set to a standard that is only going to get accomplished with fierce dedication. I'm a baseball coach, so let's use a high school baseball team as an example:

So let's say we have a high school baseball team called the WOLFPACK. Now, the Wolfpack has some quality players and can compete with all the teams in the state. Are most teams betting on them to win state? No, but other teams understand that they are a team to be reckoned with and won't take them lightly. So this team has ability and it really just comes down to how the execute each game. The team has two options when setting their overall big goal--Goal 1 can be: Win a state championship. Goal 2 can be: Be over .500. Well, I would ALWAYS choose the first option because that is going to maximize my players dedication to making this the best possible season. While decendants of this philosophy would say that I am setting my team up for failure, I would vehemently disagree. I am translating a message to my athletes that we have the ingredients to make this happen, it all comes down to our dedication and execution. The thing that must be communicated is that it is entirely possible to have overflowing dedication and execution, but fail at reaching our goal. Yet, this does not mean we are failures and it does not even mean that we weren't good enough, it merely means another team beat us on that day. However, it could also be an indication of a lack of dedication and execution. The failure in the case will make the team and I be more reflective--THUS, making the WOLFPACK a better team in the long run. On the other hand, we could set the goal of being over .500 with the same team and feel like we are a success because our team goes 14-12. This would make us less reflective and thus making our development for the future to be less effective. Beyond all that, if we take the .500 season as a huge success then we could be giving ourselves a false hope and really setting us up for failure down the line. An important factor in all of this is that the coach must communicate to the Wolfpack what failure/success means, and how do we respond to each of them. Many people win and think their work is over, many people fail and think they can't reach their goals. Communication between a coach and his athletes, or just a self-understanding of a personal goal must be understood that it is all mostly a learning experience to make us better individuals!! Okay, I hope all enjoyed that tangent!!

BODY IS HURTIN'
So my body is feeling a little beat up right now, at about halfway through my run today my the back of my left shin (I hope that makes sense) started THROBBING!! However, I didn't stop and pushed through. It is still very sore and I've been stretching it out all night. On a better note!! My heart did not hurt while running today!! Plus, I did not stop once during that 36 minute run!!

All right, time for bed or some more tv!! I gotta start getting more sleep too!! Okay, g'night!!

UH OH!! 117 Days to Go

I'm not going to be running today!! Not good!! I have the excuses of course. I have been battling with my graduate school over a discrepancy with my courses, standardized tests, etc...IT IS REALLY REALLY FRUSTRATING!! I need to solve this to ensure I graduate when I should, ARRRRRRRRRGH!! I need to figure out how to still run when issues come up like this!! Maybe I just don't want this bad enough--I hope not!! We'll see!!

Limitations are What We Place on Ourselves...118 Days to go

WOW!! I just completed a late night run. I felt great!! Not once did my heart hurt and I only stopped once!! I haven't ran for 2 days, but I felt great today. I just google mapped the point I ran to and it is 1.82 miles and I did a round trip, thus, I ran 3.64 miles approximately. I really thought it was A LOT farther, but I am still estatic about that run. I completed the run in 37:57.57!! That is a shade under a 10:30 mile pace!! I have to run a 9:10 pace to get this four hour marathon!! I felt like I was running so fast, but I guess not that quick. It took me 19:11 to get to the midpoint, then I walked for 49 seconds and got back in 17:57!! So somehow I picked it up on the way back, I am beginning to realize that I start at a very slow pace and then slowly increase to a steady pace. Honestly, I can't believe that was only 10:30 mile pace, I truly thought I might have been at 8 minute mile pace!! At the same time, I cannot believe I pushed myself to run all the way to that intersection!! There are lots of hills along the way and it just seems to be quite a ways.

When I started this run I planned on only going 20 minutes and to stop at this specfici neighborhood, but at the turning point I challenged myself to push myself to the intersection. And I did it!!

The reason I titled this blog "Limitations are what we place on our ourselves" is because this thought kept running through my head the entire run. Running is so psychological and it is making me more mentally tough. NO WAY did I truly think I could run that distance and keep up that pace (a strong pace I thought)!! Somehow though, I had some inspiration in me and I EASILY accomplished the feat. The mind is truly a funny machine, the more experiences I have in life the more I realize that only I can stop myself from accomplishing what I want to do. I really do not care what the challenge is, no one can stop me from achieving that challenge but myself--THAT IS IT!! I need to keep this fresh in my mind in all I do: whether it is completing school work, keeping my car clean, getting enough sleep, making sure I floss, becoming a great baseball coach, WHATEVER!! If I TRULY want it, then I can have it because no one can stop me!! Actually, one person can...ME!!

All right, time to get some work done and get ready for my first day of school tomorrow...no students, just faculty inservice!!

PS. I drove back from Memphis today, I ate at Central BBQ down there today and BOY OH BOY, if you go to Memphis you better head there!!

WALKING IN MEMPHIS!!!!

I'm in Memphis for the weekend catching up with some friends. Of course my training has taken a back seat. No running on Friday, no running on Saturday. This is obviously a setback. This should be such a priority that regardless of what is going on in my day, I should be able to do an easy 20 minute run. I WILL run tomorrow once I get back in St. Louis. I'll probably run with Brooke. Also, I was thinking that I should give my body descriptions, so we can see if it changes. I stand at 6'2" and weigh in at about 210 pounds. I imagine that I will be under 200 when I run this marathon, we'll see. Also, I think I mentioned my ocmmittment to give up soda and I AM FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH THAT!! So I guess I am being committed in some parts of my life. Water has been my choice of beverage. I will drink good juices and sports drinks though. All right, I'm gonna get back to enjoying my time in Memphis!! I miss this place!!

30 minutes 35 seconds!!

30:35!! I just ran for 30 minutes and I feel really good about it. I didn't start my run until around 10:30 tonight, but I did get it in!! It is SOOOO easy to just say, "I'll just do it tomorrow." But I just have to overcome that, it is sad that already on Day 2 my mind is getting weak like that. However, I did do it!! It is also encouraging that I did it since my body is still SOO sore from yesterday. I could barely pick my legs up as I ran, but after about 12 minutes I started feeling good and I said to myself, "Soreness should definitely not give me an excuse in the future to not run." It really is largely mentality. I heard someone say one time something to the effect of, "if you will your mind to do it, then you will do it." I hope that made sense. All right, it is late. I'm going out of town tomorrow for the weekend, so we'll see if I'll be able to manage to get a run in each day.

Day 2, 121 Days to St. Jude Marathon

So my body is ABSOLUTELY throbbing!! Especially my thighs/quad area!! THEY FEEL SO HEAVY!! I really do not feel like running today, am I already surrendering to this challenge?? I don't think so. I'm going to get up and try to do a 20-30 minute run at some point today. I also need to get some training routine.

My wife, Brooke, has ran a couple marathons and ran them both in the the 3:30's. So she has some material for me. Now, I am an okay athlete, Brooke is a phenomenal athlete. She was a top ranked 800 meter runner in college. Then without training to the extent that she should have, she ran a 3:32 marathon, then ran a 3:35 marathon with even less training. It was quite amazing, although she did have a solid base from 5 years of running in college. She is very mentally strong. Her next marathon will be the Boston Marathon in April for her. I think she will run the Half Marathon at the St. Jude.

Another person who I can contact is a coach/friend of mine, Eric Heins. He coached the cross country runners at Southeast and we really became good friends. His story is really inspirational in many ways. He is currently the head coach at Northern Arizona, his dream job. Another testament to the man that if you work hard enough, you truly have a chance of accomplishing your goals. A big goal that he accomplished was qualifying for the Olympic Trials in 2008. Here is a guy that was not even a state qualifier out of high school in cross country, but went on to accomplish great things in the running world. I have huge respeect for the Eric and what he has been able to accomplish. Below is an article that Heins wrote that I have found inspiration from and I pass along to people in search of inspiration. This article discusses his quest of winning a marathon, but it is truly about one's quest of reaching a goal and what it truly takes.

http://gosoutheast.cstv.com/sports/c-track/spec-rel/062405aaa.html

All right, I'm gonna get back to doing something and I'll update you on how my run went today...I WILL RUN TODAY!! Plus, I think I need to make a pledge to only drink water for now on. I drink too much soda and that probably doesn't help. I guess I can just ask my wife, she's a dietitian!!

Day 1, 122 Days until St. Jude Marathon

I started my "training" today for the St. Jude Marathon on December 5, 2009. Somehow I ran 47 minutes and 10 seconds. Actually, I probably ran about 35 minutes and walked the rest. I was trying to keep track of how many times I had to stop, but I lost track. It was somewhere around 7-8 times. However, 4 times I stopped was due to this horrible knifing pain I get in my heart area. Ever since my sophomore year of college, I experience this when I run. I use to just keep running through it, but now I just stop and continue to walk. During the Spring of my Sophomore year of college, I essentially tore cartilage and separated some ribs while lifting. Since that point, I always get this pain, so I am guessing that this is where the pain stems from.

So who am I: Well, my name is Jason Theodorakos. I'm 25 years old, married for 9 months, a high school history teacher, and the head baseball coach at my school.

Athletic Background: I'd consider myself to be a slightly above average athlete. Baseball was my main sport growing up and after a good high school career, I took my abilities to play baseball at Southeast Missouri State. It never really worked out there with baseball and I only played 2 years. I did have injuries (elbow, chest) plague me my sophomore year, which made me redshirt that year. Some time during the summer of my Sophomore year, I felt like I couldn't compete at the level I wanted due to these injuries so I just quit. As I look back in hindsight, it was a pretty stupid decision. I had plenty of time to get my body back in shape, I guess I lost the desire.

Track becomes my sport??!!: Through some friends encouragement, I somehow found my way to the track team to throw the javelin. I wasn't too confident that I would be able to compete due to my injuries, but I was able to "baby" my workouts. My coach did a great job accomodating my injuries and setting up a workout schedule that would make me stronger, while not endangering my injuries. I also went through some periods (weeks, even months) of not practicing at all due to having to rest my arm and chest.

I ended up having some relative success with the javelin, I won the Ohio Valley Conference Championship my first year, made the finals of the Mideast Regional, and finished 33rd in NCAA-Division I. My senior year, I threw even less as my elbow weakened and got 2nd in conference. From there I went to the University of Memphis and threw during my first year of graduate school, I had a very consistent solid season, but never tapped the BIG throw and finished 4th in a the strong Conference USA. Also, all three years that I competed in collegiate track, our team won the conference championship.

Why is my goal to run a marathon in 4 hours at the St. Jude Marathon: I need a new challenge in my life, so I guess this is one of them for the time being. Plus, since I last competed collegiately in May 2007, I have worked out about 8-10 times in those two years. That's pretty pathetic, so I gotta get back on track. Also, I am beginning to notice how my body doesn't naturally burn off all the calories from the food I eat. Plus, I get tired/out of breath so much quicker than I once did.

Other reasons to do this: I want to see if it possible!! I have absolutely NO running base!! NONE!! So can I run a 4 hour marathon in less than 4 months?? If I do, I truly think it would be remarkable. I know TONS of people have ran marathons under 4 hours (even Oprah came close), but for me this would be a REMARKABLE accomplishment. Just Running/Walking for 47 minutes yesterday was a HUUGE accomplishment for me. Also, I think long distance running is a true test of mental toughness. Long Distance running is one of the few sports where you can't hide the training. To have ANY chance of winning or accomplishing your goal, then you MUST get up everyday and train, or else you have no shot at winning or reaching your goal. In baseball, basketball, football, soccer, sprints/throws in track, I believe it is possible to have great results, but put in little to no training. Now, by in large you MUST work everyday on your craft in these sports to have success, but you can fool people by getting some luck and getting a few base hits. However, in the long term, I'm confident in all sports your work ethic will show off whether it be positive or negative...With that in mind, in long distance running, there is NO hiding your work ethic. There is no luck (albeit injuries) involved with being able to reach your goals, it is all hard work.

What else: Well, I guess that pretty much covers all the bases. Can I run a 4 hour marathon on December 5th?? We will see. I tend to always get on kicks for a short period of time and then don't follow through with it to reach the ultimate summit. People who know me would probably say this is something I will only do for a couple weeks, and they may be right. I really do not have much confidence in myself here. I have not been able to manage my time to this point in my life to workout for an hour or so a day, so I don't know why it would change now unless I mentally tell myself to. So should I make a predicition...

Predicition: Again, I really have little confidence that I will keep this up, but I will predict that if I am still running consistently come September 15th, then I believe I will make it. So maybe my short term goal is to run consistently until September 15th. So that wasn't much of a prediction, I predict that if I run the marathon on December 5th, I will run under 4 hours!! Make sure you look at the key phrase of "if I run the marathon."