• You run or walk a full marathon: 26.2 miles
• You bike 112 miles
• You swim 2.4 miles

The thing about the Lazy Man that is different from the Iron Man is that you do it over a month.

This still isn’t easy. Definitely isn’t “lazy” – but I think it is a good goal for myself in 2010.

This works out to:

• 29 full laps in the pool at my gym (or 7.25 per week)
• Running/walking 1 mile per day with 4 days off
• Biking 4 miles with 6 days off

That totally sounds doable! I can do that, right? I think I can. Can you?

Who’s with me? Yep – I am talking to you.

Since we are 1/2 way through January, and February is a short month – I am going to first try it in March.

I am proud to report that I went anyway. At 6:08 am, I entered to the gym and walked/ran on the treadmill followed by weights.We won’t discuss what I ate yesterday… let’s just say that I shouldn’t have Oreos in the house when I am at the beginning of a new mantra. We can focus on the fact that I went to a weight class last night instead.

Focus on the positive!

I did discover some new things about my newfound hometown. I knew this was a “running community”. That wasn’t a secret. But it seems the runners are out and about even before the sun rises. Many of them. A couple small groups, several individuals, and one large group. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? It is time for bed. Didn’t they get the memo?

I got my early morning giggle from one of the “funny cabs” (cabs that are pretty standard, except they have amusing little statements on their bumpers). The one I saw this morning said: “A man who procrastinates is… ummm…”

I lived that moment.

Here’s how it happened… I am trying (again) to train to run. I am not looking to win a marathon or anything… just run like “other people”. My current goal is to run 1/2 mile. I ran 1/4 mile once… so figure I am on the way. One day at the gym, I got to thinking about how I could reach my latest goal. “If I could run a little faster, the goal would get here quicker and I could get off this flippin machine.” So I raised the speed. I was able to keep up with the previous speed pretty well, so didn’t think much of it. I was running and running (for what I SWORE was 6 miles, and I looked down to see it was .2 miles.) When I realized I hadn’t been as far as I thought, I decided to hop off and take a drink of water. All fine so far… when I got back on, my feet were not prepared to go as fast as my new “high” speed.

Off I go — flung off the back.

On the way down I started grasping for a grip. Unfortunately, I grabbed for the part that was flinging me back.

Battered,  bruised and scraped up, I got back on the machine as quickly as I possibly could – hoping no one saw that (LIKE THAT WAS POSSIBLE IN THE CROWDED GYM). I was so embarrassed! Many people around me asked if I was OK and tried to help. I told them I was embarrassed, but otherwise fine. While this was TECHNICALLY true, I was hurting. I could feel where there would be a scab on my knees, my arm hurt and I could feel a few bruises starting. But I was back on the treadmill. Going much slower for enough time to make me think others thought I was actually fine… and I left. I haven’t been back on the treadmill since then.

I am sure I will return… but I will remember the lesson about jumping back on at a slow speed.