It Begins...

AL ROKER IS RUNNING THE FUCKING NEW YORK CITY MARATHON?????

That was the immediate visceral thought that screamed through my brain.  Sure, since it is early November in New York I have been hearing for weeks about how this celebrity or that athlete is running in the 2010 NYC Marathon.  But Al Roker???   Al was America’s fat, jolly weatherman.  He made his fortune talking about warm fronts on NBC while scarfing down bbq and peach pie on the Food Network.  Then he went and had his stomach stapled and started working out and lost a bunch of weight.  That I could deal with, but today I heard he’s running the damn marathon????  This is the final insult.

 If Al-freaking-Roker can get his act together and actually become disciplined enough to train for and run in the NYC marathon, then why can’t I?  Well, that’s actually an easy to question to answer.  Because I am a lazy, procrastinating, undisciplined, overweight, out-of-shape 40-year-old with an addiction to all you can eat Chinese buffet restaurants and an aversion to any type of prolonged physical activity.  I blame fantasy football.  For the past 18 years that I have been involved in a fantasy football league I have been able to get my athletic kicks without actually being, you know, athletic.

 Anyway, now that I have hit 40 if there is any hope of me doing anything spectacular with my life the time is running out.  I need to make some type of drastic change…now.  I need to force myself into a disciplined, productive routine of health and training.  And discipline isn't exactly my forte.  I can’t even watch a television series anymore, because having to watch a particular episode once a week is just too much of a commitment for me.

 So that’s where this little blog comes in.  The one almighty force in life that serves as a great motivator is…fear of shame.  If I throw it out there for anyone to see, and make a public proclamation that I plan on doing something, I will at least have the spectre of public humiliation hanging over my head to force me to get out there and hit the pavement.  Day after day after day, for the next year.

 The goal…The 2011 New York City Marathon.