What the hell am I thinking?

So I've been battling with a stupid injury for the better part of a year and a half. I have had two months of muscle therapy, massage therapy*, two cortisone shots, two prolotherapy shots, a bone scan, X-ray and an MRI. The only thing missing is a full body cavity search.

Actual shot from my belly. You should see what they

found in my head

The injury manifests itself as a sharp, acute pain right under my rib cage on the right hand side of my body. It only bothers me when I am running - zero pain when I am riding, spinning, walking, sleeping, etc. And it comes and goes. I'll have runs with zero pain - and other runs where I feel as if I've been stabbed with an icepack by a crazed homeless person. Dont laugh- that kinda shit happens in Center City Philly.

So what's the best cure for an unexplained, incurable running injury? Run a marathon!! See, in my world, that makes sense, because I am mentally ill. And if you've never read one of my blogs in the past, it's best that you know that up front - that I am not normal. My wife and I - we're the "strange" parents at the kids' school. In some circles I guess we'd be the "cool" parents. 

And that's the other thing - this is (was) a long standing blog that I maintained for a very long time, until I got bored with it. The fact that I kept it going for years is a miracle in and of itself because I have the attention span of a gnat. The original intent of the blog was to chronicle my training when I was super into multisport racing, as well as my very own platform for social commentary. And I am gonna warn you - that blog used to get pretty hot and this one is probably go in the same direction - get me onto a topic and I get pretty fired up. So, if I offend you, I could really give a shit. No one is forcing you to read this. Don't say that I didnt warn you.

So now that we are done with the pleasantries, let's get to the nut-cut of this thing. I have decided to train for a marathon. I was sitting around the house one day and I asked myself - "if I could do another marathon, where would it be?" And the answer was obvious...

... Iowa

Yes, Iowa. The Quad Cities Marathon on 23 September. Iowa. Iowa. The place with all the corn and the ball field in the middle of god knows where. 

At least its flat....

* Massage Therapy not a "happy ending" (although a happy ending probably wouldnt hurt)