two topics in one

As it is 2010 and my year for the activity that distracts me from golf, my wife's recent participation in the Shamrock Shuffle inspired me to state that I could easily do a 5K run in 40 minutes. (In April 2009, I posted a chart called my circle of golf which explains why 2010 is my year of distraction. I can't get the Html to work correctly to provide a direct link)

The responses have mostly ranged from concern about me hurting myself to doubt, to laughter, and to stating that people who run 5 kilometer races generally don't eat vending machine cheeseburgers at nine in the morning. I decided to try to do it without telling anyone in my family so I can show them the result of me doing a 40 minute 5K and with many good things that happen in my life or any time I make an undisputable point get the awkward silent response from them.



Yes, the chart is based on about 3.1 X minutes/mile. I would need to average 12:52 per mile to make it in 40 minutes.

I realized that to accomplish that goal that I would definitely need to train and since my legs mainly suffer from lack of fitness, I decided to join the park district fitness studio for three months and if I have not injured myself or got disgusted with it, to continue from there. I have realized that there will be pain in my life but if I work out there, the pain will only occur in that room and not every minute like it can happen now.

This Tuesday, I left work, changed into my decent gym shoes and shorts and went inside. I then realized over the next half hour that my fitness level is significantly worse than 2006 and my 40 minute goal is likely not going to happen.

At least I won't have a reason to try to overdo it. If this allows me to hurt less throughout the day, then it will be a benefit.

I also discovered that someone created a Facebook group about people who grew up at the park where I played tag football. Looking at pics I noticed one taken in 1990 of my former teammate who was the starting center of the team that won the 1986 championship.



A few years later we were on different teams and as he caught a point after touchdown conversion in the end zone I knocked him down as hard as I could in an effort to get my lethargic teammates going. When he got up and punched me as hard as he could, the benches emptied.

Though he was tossed out of the game and suspended for the next one, we were ok with it. He was surprised that I knocked him down and that his punch did not knock me down let alone out. His teammates were pissed at me and the rematch would have been interesting had I not hurt my knee the following game.

The game after that I cost my team a touchdown on a kickoff by protecting myself instead of trying to fight through a block and realized that it was time to do something else.