Marathon-update...

SORRY, BUT THIS POST HAS TO HAVE MORE THAN ITS SHARE OF BIG LETTERS..... ;-)

YES!! YOURS TRULY FINISHED HIS FIRST MARATHON AND HE IS DAMNED PROUD AND STILL HIGH!!!!

:-D

It really was a fabulous experience. The weather was perfect, the crowds were cheering us on and even though i was in pain for the latter stages, it was not as bad as last year when i only did half the distance. My Nikken Kenkotherm kneesupports did their job with my knees, my Polar A5 pulsegauge helped to make sure i didnt run too fast and the Powerade supplied by the organisers was very welcome.

I am adding a link to the best running resources i have found online after posting this, btw. Seeing as karate is not so super for aerobic workouts, you might wanna invest in some good shoes, a pulsegauge and then get out there a couple of times a week. Just as a healthy supplement, you know. If you keep your heartrate in the aerobic zone (for me 130 to 155 beats pr minute) then its not gonna be all that painful. (I used to hate running) Now that i dont run too fast anymore, i really love it. (Yes, i walked quite a bit in the marathon, but when i finished, that didnt matter at all)

In the last couple of kilometers, i tried to think back and compare this experience with other milestones in my life and could not come up with many that made me prouder. Shodan was a big thing for me cause i was mainly just a kid with only karate in my life at the time, but my other dangrades dont compare to the elation i felt when finishing my first, but definatly not last marathon.

Goal for next year: Laugarveginn (50km in very scenic nature, Reykjavik Marathon and a couple of halfmarathons in less than 2 hours. Eventually i will do a triathlon, but i have not set a date for that yet. Judging by how incredible i felt on saturday, its gonna rock even more than Pantera.

:-D