Day 40: The hour has been chosen...

Remember my Day 2 blog, where I gleefully declared the gauntlet had been thrown and I was going to do a half marathon this year?  Well, it's definitely for real.  My darling little trainer picked the battlefield and this is no typical battlefield.  This race is touted as "America's Highest Road Race".  It's called the Mt. Evans Ascent (http://www.racingunderground.com/mtevans/index.html).  It's a half marathon that STARTS at 10,000 ft elevation and finishes near the top of Mt. Evans summit, one of Colorado's 14ers.

It figures, I sign up for one of the toughest races as my come back race.  What the hell was I thinking?  Well, I'll tell you what I was thinking.  I'm a sucker for a pretty face.  Guess that's why I deny my wife and daughters nothing.  All my daughter, Sam, has to say is "Dad, pleeeeeeasee?" and I cave.  My wife says "Honeeeeeeeeey" and I've lost all resolve.  My trainer is not so endearing.  She uses a nice smile in combination with attacks on my male pride.  Damn you, Natalie! 

As for the picture above, this is the "before" picture.  Yeah, that's right, the "before" picture.  I suspect over the next few months those toes will be blistered and the nails will be black and blue, ready to fall off.  I'll decided later whether I post the "after" picture.  If I do I'll try to post a warning before hand. 

So, it's on.  Time to hunker down and get serious...

"May fortune favor the foolish"