New Orleans Marathon -- AWESOME new course!!

Run through the CBD, Garden District, St. Charles Ave., Audubon Park, the Quarter, up Esplanade through City Park, to the Lakefront... man, that's hitting all the great hot spots in NOLA -- at least the ones that don't serve adults. Check it out: New Orleans R&R Marathon course map. The race is all the way in March but I am already so psyched for it. By then I will have finished the Houston Marathon and Rouge Orleans Ultra Relay. Boo-yah! So psyched!

What have I done?!?

Have you ever run an Ultramarathon relay? I signed up for one today. In the words of David Byrne, "My God, what have I done?"

You may ask yourself,
where does that highway lead to

On the weekend of Feb 10-12, 2012, my team of 6 will run 126.2 miles from downtown Baton Rouge to Audubon Park in New Orleans. As the crow flies it is a 68-ish mile, hour+ drive on I-10 from hither to yon. But the meandering path on the Mississippi River levee along River Rd. is a marathon + 100 miles.

Our team will include a bold starter and strong finisher. Somewhere between will be me, the Clydesdale who will lope along like someone is pushing me from behind.

The ultra is a pretty thrilling concept, I must say. It is quite intimidating. It will probably present the most phyically demanding test of my life. And like all major decisions that I have been peer pressured to make, I am gradually warming up to the idea.

The ultra is a Big Thing. You've seen me refer to the Big Thing before. It is something intimidating, "impossible," beyond my reach and capabilities, but the thought of conquering it gives me butterflies. It is scary and exhilerating all at once. Training for a successful finish will require planning and strategy. Lucky for me I am already training for Houston and New Orleans, which should totally prepare me for the ultra.

Wow. My first ultra. I will celebrate with a beer.

Off to a slow start

I ran a measly 6 miles Sunday morning and another 3 miles yesterday. combined with the 4 I ran last Wednesday, my 7-day total was (drumroll) 13 miles. So I basically ran a half marathon over the course of a week. Not quite the training log of braggadocio.

So, I am preparing for the Houston Marathon on January 14, 2012. I still have plenty of time to train, but shame on me since I signed up for the race back in the Spring. I should be running like Chariots of Fire, but given my obsessive compulsive devotion to procrastination, I have to admit, I've been tied up with meaningless, tedious distractions. I only have so much time in the day!

Still, below is my lazy man's sure fire 4-month training program that is guaranteed to get me across the finish line, albeit rode hard and put away wet.

WEEK	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	TOTAL
1	Rest	4	4	4	Rest or X-train	3	6	21
2	Rest	4	4	4	Rest or X-train	3	8	23
3	Rest	4	4	4	Rest or X-train	4	10	26
4	Rest	4	4	4	Rest or X-train	3	12	27
5	Rest	4	4	6	Rest or X-train	4	RACE/10K	28
6	Rest	4	4	6	Rest or X-train	3	14	31
7	Rest	4	4	6	Rest or X-train	6	10	30
8	Rest	4	4	6	Rest or X-train	3	16	33
9	Rest	4	4	8	Rest or X-train	6	RACE/13.1 mi	32
10	Rest	4	4	8	Rest or X-train	3	18	37
12	Rest	4	4	8	Rest or X-train	8	10	34
13	Rest	4	4	8	Rest or X-train	3	20	39	Buy new shoes
14	Rest	4	4	6	Rest or X-train	8	16	38
15	Rest	4	4	4	Rest or X-train	3	10	25	Start Carbo Loading
16	Rest	3	3	3	2	REST	MARATHON!	37	You did it! Now TAPER!