"What?! Oh, you are talking to me?! Sorry...I was sleeping with my eyes open there!"
"No problem sir, but could you please put your carry-on in the tray along with any loose change or anything else in your pockets?"
"Oh yeah, sure, no problem."
"Your jacket sir.."
"Oh yeah, oops sorry! Normally I am a much better traveler than this! I am wither tired or need some ridalin" I said apologetically to the baggage security lady and to the other 2 or 3 people waiting behind me.
"You look tired," she replied, "have you had a long day?"
"Yep," I replied with a little chuckle as my lips curled over wryly, "You could say that I have."
"Really? What were you up to?" she asked again in a manner that was slightly beyond the realm of pleasant exchanges, but one of genuine interest.
"It is a bit of a long story...one that I would only have the time to tell you if you decided to give me a cavity search." (And that my friends is either the quickest way to gaurantee that you will be searched, or that they will laugh and send you on your way. Thankfully I never did tell her the story, but it is one that I would like to capture without the awkardness of strangers and rubber gloves).
The story starts just 48 hours earlier on Friday night where my Eurostar train was leaving the bright lights of Paris en route to London. With my sister, Michelle, and brother-in-law, Jamie, living in London, and the fact that I always look forward to returinng to english speaking countries, I rarely need an excuse to take-off to London for the weekend. However, this was the same weekend that my sister-in-law, her husband, and my neice and nephew arrived in Paris to visit. So, a VERY good excuse was required indeed! My excuse, the Wolverhampton marathon (and lucky for me excuses centered around running and running events are as good as they get in this family!).
Since we were receiving company this weekend I was sad to be travelling alone, but happy that I would be meeting Michelle and Jamie in London and that they would be joining me to Wolverhampton for the marathon. This would be my second marathon in 2 weeks. Or, as Dr Jack Daniels has prescribed, this would my second longest, long run (to use Strider terminology) in my marathon training program. So, why run 2 marathons to train for 1 marathon? Hmmm...that is a great question!
The answer is quite simple. With my 30th birthday looming ever so closely I find that I do not have the typical fears of growing old, or of getting my first grey hair on my head, or having my hair migrate south for the winter onto my shoulders and back to never return for the following summer. Instead, I am faced with the reality that my days of getting age group medals are numbered. My experience and observations in Houston have made me realize that, generally, the 30-39 age group for men is by far the most competitive. So, I have begun to make the mental transistion from running the race for hardware to running the race for the finisher's medal! Marathons ALWAYS have finisher's medals, so why not fatten the trophy cabinet by running a few extra here and there?!!
Ok, I am out of time for now...I will update later with pics, splits, HR, etc...
Final Time: 3:08:09
