Laissez les Bon Temps Roulez

Yep! You guessed it.

I took the plunge today...and paid my monies to the Rock and Roll gods...for my ticket to March 4th's big time 26 mile doin's in the Big Easy.

I must admit that, after two years of not giving much of a hoot about running in general, let alone doing it for 26.2 miles, I am stoked to have signed up to run New Orleans.

The deciding factors were as follows.

It's New Orleans. Hello!

It's my 60th birthday.

I couldn't fathom celebrating my only 60th birthday in Los Angeles.

Air fare to Little Rock is ridiculous.

I can't afford to take a month off to go to the UK for the Bath run or the End to End bike ride.

Barcelona? See note above on UK trip.

Sacramento? Too close to home. Need a bit of a kick!

Sleep deprivation, in anticipation of 3am works shifts next week.

Cheap red wine.

I know I said in the previous post that I would not reveal my destination til 12/7...but I surprised myself with the gumption for a 5am run in the dark yesterday morning...and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The "Good Morning's" one gets from fellow runners at that time of day are just a tad more delicious than the ones one gets later in the day (after the sun comes up) from non-runners. I missed that.

Now the work begins.

I am shooting for 4:50...which will be a 6 minute improvement over 2008's CIM PR. I am also hoping to have lost enough weight by the time I line up at the starting line to wear my really bitchin' Big G black running singlet. Hoping my Goon Squad Running Club has not given up on me.

Friday morning's 3 miler brought back memories of training for my first mary (Vancouver, 2003)...but also convinced me I am back at square one.

Let's do this, people. Legs, don't fail me now.

Gotta run! Really!