Welcome.....I'm not crazy, a little neurotic, but not crazy

Last night I was sworn in as an official member of the Team In Training. Actually there was no oath, or ceremony, just a lot of overly excited people and just as many people petrified out of their mind. In a scary way, the vibe I was sensing in the room reminded me of the moments before taking the Michigan Bar Exam. Instead of preparing to take a test that determines the livelihood of an attorney, we were all preparing to take on something that each of us feared might just end our livelihood.

In a big conference hall, the staff of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Michigan chapter introduced us all to the organizers, mentors, coaches and honored heroes that will attempt to get me through this thing. While I admittingly should have been paying close attention to these introductions, I instead was practicing one of my favorite activities: people watching. I'm not proud of it, but I was sizing up the people in the room in an attempt to satisfy my own doubts about running a marathon. I would do the same thing at the start of each football game. It was always reassuring knowing that the opposing team's fullback looked like the lunch crowd at Lafayette Coney Island. (For those of you unfamiliar with this legendary Detroit eatery, think about those throwing back a hotdog smothered in chili, onions and mustard with an overflowing plate of chili cheese slathered french fries......utterly gluttonous, just as utterly wonderful) In conclusion, I saw people of all sizes, shapes, ages and apparent running abilities. While none of these people would be attempting to flatten me on a half back ISO, I felt moderately reassured nonetheless.

This introductory team session was primarily designed to motivate each team member. From my first days of T-ball as a nose-picking, dirt eating kid to my last days as a cocky, meat-headed college football player, I've had every possible category of motivating strategies thrown at me by athletic coaches. Off the top of my mind, there was the fiery locker room tirade, the "pay you no mind" indifference, the off-the-street motivational speaker sounding like a Sunday morning televangelist, and my favorite, the shock and awe verbal assault on one's manhood.........I've heard them all. Last night's motivational technique involved chanting. This is usually lead by an ear-piercing voice rallying the the team to "Go, Get 'Em," "Let's Go!" or as was the case last night "Go Team!" While this technique rarely works for me, it seemed to help many of my teamates and I could sense that many of the initial fears were put at ease. As I met my new running coaches, I couldn't help reminiscing about all my former coaches and the great memories that I have of organized sports. It's likely that many of these memories will spill out onto the pages of this log as I continue to train. It's been nearly six years since I last had a coach to teach me stuff. I plan on picking their minds for advice on how a has-been linebacker can finish 26.2 miles.

I learned there are three categories of events that the program offered. (1) running: marathon and half-marathon; (2) walking: marathon and half; and (3) triatholon: swim, bike, run. I decided to take a shot at my first marathon. I'll start out running, with the hope of staying in that category for the entirety.

Finally, all the runners got a chance to chat with the Team in Training coaches. Now these two dudes are runners. I've run a couple half-marathons and a handful of 10k races, but I'm in an entirely different league than these guys. Their bodies would burn the calories from a coney dog before the chili hit their bellies. They bombarded us with advice about running form, proper apparel and shoes. This rookie must keep his ears open.

Overall, I'm excited and ready to take this on. My fundraising site is up and running. http://www.active.com/donations/fundraise_public.cfm?key=tntmiPRorai1. You can also click on the link on the right side of the screen. I encourage all to visit and make a donation to help fight blood cancers. I will continue to post my ramblings about my training and my often neurotic thoughts. Hopefully you too will be motivated. I promise no screaming, chants, insults, or mind tricking tactics.