Blurb
What kind of idiot would run a marathon without training for
it first? Me.
Sure, I’d heard all the horror stories. Endurance athletes
always fear “hitting the wall,” that point where the body runs out of energy
and, BAM! Roadkill. With no conditioning, I feared smashing into this wall hard
enough to leave a dent.
I wanted to train for the 2010 St. George Marathon, but
after breaking my foot, the only marathon I could handle was on Netflix. When
the race came, I just wanted to pick up the shirt I paid for, but peer pressure
and the energy of the other 7,000 runners convinced me to go for it. My plan?
Push the wall past the finish line. Then I could grab some ice cream, crawl
into my truck, and drive home.
This memoir details my love/hate affair with running, why I
didn’t prepare, and how I survived 26.2 grueling miles that I had no business
attempting. This book also includes running tips for anybody looking to
maximize their training experience, covering topics like:
- Finding
the right running pace
- Speed
workouts
- Running
safely at night
- Tapering
and carb-loading before a race
- Basic
first aid for runners
- Injury
prevention
- And more!
It’s whimsical, yet educational. It’s whimsucational!
Foreward by Aaron Metler, winner of the 2010 and 2014 St.
George Marathons.
Excerpt
Setup: After that last incident, I ended up in this boot-instead-of-a-cast thing and didn't train for the marathon. But curiosity got the best of me and I ended up on the bus to the starting line the morning of the race. I figured I'd watch the runners take off and then find a ride back down into town. But this happened:
I got to the loading area by 4:40 am and climbed onto
a bus. Two hours remained until the starting time and more self-doubt crept
in. What am I doing here? I’m a fraud and it won’t be long before
everybody realizes it. I didn’t train; I don’t deserve to be here.
It was a dark ride, both outside the bus and in my mind. The
drive itself took over half an hour and I stared out the window the entire time
wondering how I could ever cover all this ground. The girl I sat next to was
the polar opposite of me. She’d ran eleven marathons; I feared I’d not survive
my first attempt. She tried to make small talk; intimidation overwhelmed my
every thought. She tried to encourage me with her giddy attitude; I probably
came across as very rude as I questioned why I didn’t just stay in bed. She was
relaxed and good to go; I was wound up like a jack-in-the-box and on the verge
of puking from the butterflies in my stomach.
And of course, every worse-case scenario kept popping into my
head. I wondered how far I’d get before I keeled over. How long would it take
for paramedics to show up and scrape me off the road before throwing me in the
back of an ambulance? My legs were stiff and my hamstring bothered me, and
overworking them for over twenty-six miles only spelled doom. Running guides
suggested putting in a good twenty-mile run a few weeks before a marathon, but
I still hadn’t recovered from the longest run of my life which came nowhere
close to that goal. Not only that, but those 13.1 miles left me with zero energy.
What was I doing here, attempting twice that?
The girl I sat next to tried her best to rid me of my doubts,
but it was easy to dismiss the energy and excitement of one crazy person. I’d
embraced the doom and gloom; the bus driver had turned out the lights for the
drive up there and it only added to my lack of confidence.
However, my pessimism vanished as soon as I stepped off the bus
at the starting line and the night disappeared. Not that the sun had risen—that
wouldn’t happen for another hour or so—but the city had set up so many lights
in the area that it dispelled all darkness. The bright lights took on a
symbolic meaning for me as it fought the doubt and discouragement that had
built up in my soul.
There was also a different energy in the air. While one excited
runner couldn’t penetrate my shield of fears, I could not resist the
inspiration that came from over six thousand enthusiastic runners. Some of them
appeared excited and anxious, yet ready for their big day. Some of them took on
a demeanor like it was a typical morning for them—I wasn’t a big fan of those
people. Most were something in between these extremes, but I didn’t see anybody
that seemed as nervous or doubtful as me. This new energy was contagious, and I
had nothing but excitement for whatever came next.
Music also filled the air, adding to the wonderful mood. The
city hired a DJ who played upbeat music from the top hits at the time, and the
throngs of runners reacted with the energy of a bunch of groupies at a rock
concert. This wasn’t a dreary place to contemplate the fears of running, this
was a party!
Every now and then, a moment happens that changes my entire
perspective on a situation. A paradigm that, once embraced, I’d desire to share
it with everybody I knew so they could see and understand the miracles of life.
Call it spiritual experiences. Call it life-changing events. They happen so
rarely, but they always leave a profound impact on my body and soul.
This was one of those moments.
My discouragement not only fled, but I forgot I even had any as
an eagerness to participate took its place. I may not end up finishing this
race, but nothing was going to stop me from trying.
About The Author
James
loves to write, but he doesn't like to brag. Just kidding, he totally loves to
brag. And refer to himself in the third person. Because both those things are
cool. Right?
Right?
James
Duckett is a founder and Chief Technology Officer of the Authors' Think Tank
Facebook Group and Podcast. He wrote his first story in the 2nd grade and has
been excited about writing ever since. He wrote his first book when he was 14,
but one of his friends did the world a favor and accidentally threw it away.
“Pushing
the Wall: A Memoir” is his first book. A contemporary romance (yeah, you read
that right) novella will appear in an anthology on March 31st, 2015. He's
introverted, geeky, funny looking, unpredictable, and easily distracted by the
latest gadgets.
My
top ten favorite things:
1) Socks. Seriously, I love socks! When people ask what I want
for my birthday or for Christmas, the answer is always socks.
2) Scriptures. I read them and life just feels better.
3) Dogs. Cats barely register as "tolerable", but
then, that's how they think about humans.
4) Running, which might be a duh. But really, anything that gets
my heart racing. Racquetball is a favorite.
5) High fives and fist bumps. Much more sanitary than a
handshake. I'm saddened by the decreasing use of the high five, it just says so
much about a person and I think society is worse off for abandoning its use.
Fist bumps kind of make up for it, but you can't do it with a ton of excitement
like you can a high five.
6) Foods: Italian pastas. Brownies. Combinations of peanut
butter and chocolate (Reese's are my favorite).
7) Movies: A Few Good Men, Dan in Real Life, How to Train Your
Dragon, and The Wedding Singer are the first that come to mind. Not in that
order.
8) Actor: Robin Williams will always be king to me. I wept when
I got news of his passing. I still haven't brought my self to be able to watch
one of his movies. Actress: Ummmmm..... nobody comes to mind. As a teenager I
seriously crushed all over Alyssa Milano, but I'm over that. She isn't yet, but
I keep telling her to give it time. Otherwise... sorry, nobody comes to mind.
WAIT! Mrs. Doubtfire. Whoever played her was BRILLIANT!
9) My Kindle. I love reading, but I hated lugging around books
by my favorite authors. Stephen King and Brandon Sanderson have teamed up to
give me back problems. But I love my Kindle Paperwhite. Tons of battery, no eye
strain, and it doesn't way a ton to copy around.
10) Friends and family. Though I'm an introvert, I'm still
grateful to those who have been there to enrich my life.
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