It might sound crazy, but it’s no joke

You all know how I feel about marathons. (I know, I know – 2 running posts in a week?! Bear with me.)

Basically, I’m hooked. And since I’ve started running them I’ve noted a few special ones that I want to check off my list – Boston, Chicago, Philly, to name a few. But I always figured that after last year, I’d cut back to just one marathon a year instead of two. That would be the sane thing to do, right?

Right. Until MJ suggested to me that we could turn 2011 into the Year of Marathon Maniacs.

I used to think that people who even considered this were crazy. Then I read some of the “how do you know if you’re a Maniac” questions:

• Do your thoughts switch to the next scheduled race immediately after finishing a marathon?

• Are you signed up for more than one race right now?

• Do you know specifics about many of the marathons? Dates, courses, years run, etc.?

• Do you know the story of how the marathon got started? Also why the course is 26.2 miles?

• Are your closets and dressers filled with marathon t-shirts? (I’m working on it, Cla!)

Guilty as charged.

The highest level of Maniac (titanium) has the following requirements:

• 52 Marathons or more within 365 days. OR

• 30 Marathons in 30 US states, Countries, or Canadian Provinces (any combination) within 365 days. OR

• 20 Countries within 365 days.

We all know that’s just crazy, but take a look at the requirements for a bronze-level Maniac:

• 2 Marathons within a 16 day time frame.OR

• 3 Marathons within a 90 day time frame.

So MJ and I have signed up for the Chicago Marathon (October 9th), Marine Corps Marathon (October 30th), and just today the Philadelphia Marathon (November 20th). Count ‘em out – that’s 3 within 90 days.

I told another marathoner friend about this Maniac goal and he wrote me back saying, “I went to the web site for maniac marathoner or what ever it was called. 3 in 90 seems “reasonable” those upper levels seem beyond. What does the membership give you other than serious bragging rights? Just curious.“

It’s a good question. But really? It’s just the bragging rights. And a t-shirt.

But mostly the bragging rights.

Come July I’ll be starting my training for all three, and probably cursing myself and the DC heat. But I know that on November 20th, when I finish Philly and I have all three of those beautiful medals and know that I’ve pushed my body to the max, it will all be worth it.

And who knows, maybe I’ll even get a new PR in there somewhere. I now have three chances to break 4:56:29!

Advertisement