Insidious Adaptation

It was the night after a long run, one where I went out too far, gone too long, didn't eat enough either. It was a time when I thought I could push it a little more, a little farther, and maybe I could finally obtain a coveted self-accomplishment to allow myself a little peace. "When I hit 15 miles, then I will buy those new shoes."  I will never buy the shoes, I just need something to look forward to, even if that, "thing" will never be allowed to happen.  It was at the end of one of those days, where the push of an accomplishment consumes any other idea that is life and the payment for such an accomplishment, isn't just the fatigue, for that is masterable, but it is the mental craving for something.  I have a theory based loosely in logic, one of chemicals and exercise; the longer the exercise, the more the chemicals used, so then the less brain chemicals there are later. Either way, I was burned, a longer, deeper burn that muscles provid...

A marathon started as a commemoration of the run made by  Pheidippides , a messenger from the  Battle of Marathon  to Athens, who reported the victory. It became an Olympic event in 1896 and now there are many races held across the world, yearly. The total marathon is 26.219 miles and for more people to experience the running atmosphere, there is also a version of half that. Here in Lincoln, Ne that version of the fabled run is highly adapted.  Why are we all running though? Why do we all gather, wait in line, pay $60, dedicate almost our entire weekend, to run 13.1 miles? The common sense here escapes a logical man. If someone wants to go run 13.1 miles, or 15 miles, or the whole 26.2, then they are free to do so whenever they want, without paying and everything. In fact, with social media and Bluetooth devices hooking us up more than a cardiac patient at a hospital, we can even display our achievements to thousands of people online. Again, all logic point...