The Thursday Stoke (major announcment!)

I've been struggling with a topic, or should I say headline, for a repeating blog that I can post once a week like some other sites do here and here. At first I thought.... hmmm... Friday seems like a good day. Then came the name game. What rhymes or sounds good with "Friday," and defines a post that would include random ramblings as subject matter? I came up with "Fluky Friday Flash," and made a few post under that name until my recent Puerto Rico trip when Friday rolled around and I opted to go surfing and snorkeling in crystal clear Caribbean waters rather than use the free Wi-Fi in a nearby Burger King to update my blog. After that I said farewell "Fluky Friday Flash," after all the name is kind of LAME and who seriously wants to be concerned with coming up with content for a blog every Friday when the only thing that really matters is finishing up the work week and gearing up for surfing sessions and long runs?

Today I introduce to you:

wait for it....

The Thursday Stoke!

It sounds soooooo much better than Fluky Friday Flash and it means sooooo much more. Every week I pride myself on finding something to be "stoked" about and Thursday is a much better day to be writing blogs than Friday so now I'll share my weekly "stoke" every Thursday along with some random ramblings!

Riverview during my Wednesday
run before sunrise.

And for the Inaugural Thursday Stoke I have a major announcement!

It's official. As of 10:30 a.m. September 16, 2009 this very one TallGuySurfing is registered for the Disney Marathon. Yup.... in 111 days on Jan. 10th at an hour when most of you will be sleeping in I'll be running 26.2 miles... a distance that killed the first runner every to attempt do it. I think I've officially gone mad.

For the past three months I've been training for the marathon, but now that I've actually bit the bullet, charged my credit card and have the electronic confirmation in my email account, I'M SO STOKED! It really is a different feeling not to just say your training for a marathon, but to be officially registered for one.

Other things I'm stoked about this week:

1.) The pain in my left IT Band seems to be gone. After taking it easy the past week with only short easy runs, surfing sessions and playing infield rather than outfield in softball I think I've avoided the notorious ITB injury I hear so much about.

2.) My favorite number is 15. It was always my jersey number in all the sports I played (soccer, basketball, baseball, etc.) growing up. This Sunday it will be exactly 15 weeks until the Disney Marathon. This Saturday I'm scheduled to run 15 miles on my training program. Let it be noted I've never run this far in my life. Hiked, trekked, climbed YES.... run NO! I've been running solo the past three months and I've noticed after 10 miles I get extremely bored, not to mention burning leg syndrome, which I find leads to maybe I'll just stop running syndrome! It's not that I'm tired. I can surf 6-hours a day. Energy isn't the problem, it's leg muscles. They become tired and start feeling like they're on fire! When I realized I was up for 15 miles I became anxious. I somehow feel like 15-miles is some kind of barrier to overcome in distance running. To help me cross this imaginary barrier my friend Redhead Running is coming for a visit with one of her fellow runner friends to join me. They will run 18-miles and I'll stop at 15-miles. I'm super stoked about this and with the realization that 15 is also my favorite number I'm no longer anxious about breaking through the 15-mile barrier! Bring it!

Me after a short easy 5 miler yesterday and just before officially registering for the Disney Marathon! Woohoo! Bring it 15-miler!

*If anyone is already using "The Thursday Stoke," I apologize. I'm not trying to steal it and the only reason I'm mentioning this is I'm not sure how it came about in my head. I may have heard it somewhere or maybe it's original, but I'm going to use it nevertheless.