I realized over the weekend that I am less than a week away from my next marathon. Yes, those 26.2 Miles are staring me right in the face ... however, it’s not the distance nor the possibility of disgracing The King in his birthplace that is most threatening.
As part of my quest to do a marathon a month for my 26th birthday year, I signed up to run the Tupelo Marathon in Mississippi on Sunday, September 6th. While any marathon is a daunting endeavor, the heat and humidity is something I have yet to face in any such endurance event. Training in New Orleans for the summer probably gave me some of the stamina needed to complete the task at hand, but I have yet to run a long distance in such grueling weather.
Over this past weekend, I ran two 8 Mile routes as part of my last days of training. (I am now referring to myself in the third person as 'Slim Shady.') The track in Audubon Park and the streetcar tracks along St. Charles Avenue were sweltering to say the least, but I completed each loop without incident. Hopefully the 5am start time this Sunday in Tupelo will afford me enough of a lead in front of the heat so that I can get a chunk of the race done before the iced tea glasses begin to sweat (southern enough for you?).
Obviously, a race whose motto is 'Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead,' isn't playing around ... I just hope to make it home to New Orleans Sunday afternoon without footprints on the back of my head ... and some bling around my neck.
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