Just A Runner

Hellooooooooooo! Anybody still reading?

(Let's just assume the answer to that question is yes.)

Tomorrow morning Mister P and I are running in the inaugural Rose Bowl Half Marathon. I'm doing something a little different this time. Let me explain.

I like to eat. I'd say that my main motivation for running is that burning calories allows me to have french fries with lunch and graze from the plentiful free candy available around the office and not really worry too much about it. In practical terms, this means that I haven't lost any weight since last year's marathon training got me down to around 205. I tend to hang around the 210 mark most of the time. Nobody believes me when I tell them my weight - height has it's advantages - but the fact is I haven't seen the sunny side of 200 in a long, long time.

I've always thought the Clydesdale class is a little silly. For those of you who don't know, some races have weight classes for well, "larger" athletes - for men it's "Clydesdale," the women's equivalent is generally called "Athena." (Aside - why do the women get a Greek goddess for their class name and the men get a draft animal?) For most races the Clydesdale class is open to men over 200 pounds, although there are different variants. Anyway, I can't really say why but it just seemed like a strange distinction to make.

However.

This year I turned 40. When I was signing up for this race I realized that I was now eligible to enter as a Masters Clydesdale. I started giggling. Masters. Clydesdale. Images of pulling a Budweiser wagon danced through my head.

I don't know why this is funny but it is. I'm entered as a Masters Clydesdale for tomorrow. Wish me luck out there with all the other middle-aged fatties!