Happy New Year!

In 2010, I got into pretty good shape, so this year’s resolutions don’t involve exercise or food really, other than keep on what I’m doing. What I really want to work on is attention and focus (so less internet time), and getting back into creating things.

That said, I need to mention something that has really inspired me. This fall I started taking a spin class with Ed at our gym, taught by Ben. Also known as “Psycho Ben”, or as “The Only Good Spin Instructor in America”. Seriously, while I find all spin classes beneficial, Ben is an actual cyclist, and his classes make you a better/faster cyclist. They’re all different, and never just an aerobics class on a bike. Also, he’s inspiring, and for the last month and a half, he’s been talking during the class about making 2011 a better year fitness-wise than 2010, and about how he has started training with a swim coach to do so himself. During Thursday’s class, he mentioned that he was doing a marathon on New Year’s Eve with two other people, leaving from Oak Cliff, going up to White Rock Lake and back, including Swiss Avenue on the run. I asked him when he was starting and what pace he was trying to make (his goal was to finish at midnight). Anybody else, I’d have thought he was making that up just to get people to pedal harder, but not Ben.

Last night Ed and I did some math to figure out when he would be running back on Swiss, at about 19/20 miles. We grabbed some cocktails, a bottle of water for Ben, and a cowbell and walked the dozen or so steps over to Swiss and waited. Sure enough, within about 10 minutes, a lone running figure arose out of the dark much like Snoopy in the pumpkin patch. It was Ben, all by himself (his friends had wimped out). He was doing okay, but so happy to see us. Hugs all around. Cowbell rung. Hopefully we got him through “the wall”, which was just ahead.

Anybody who has done distance running will understand how difficult it would be to do a marathon, alone, with no support, no water and food stops, and no cheering bystanders. Ben, I salute you.