Your Eddie-tor goes insane

What do you get when you combine a comic-reading couch potato concerned about his weight and fitness and a town that turns a three minute horse race into an excuse to party for weeks?

Temporary insanity that's what.

Last week, I not only signed up for the Triple Crown of Racing (all three races), but I also put my name on the roster for the Derby Festival Mini-Marathon.

That's over thirty miles, all together!

And I paid to put myself through this!

Clearly, I have lost my mind.

Okay, I'll be walking rather than running. I don't have the knees for running. That's my one concession to reality.

Last year, I decided that my aerobics and walking routine needed a little kick. I felt like I was getting a little accustomed to my exercise routines, and way too lax in my diet, so I signed myself up for the Triple Crown.

My thinking was this: I walk between 3-5 miles a day, usually. (True it's in 2-3 segments, rather than all at once, but that's a technicality.) The first race is about 3 miles, and that's about what I do in a day, so it should be no problem. The second one is only twice that, so it should be doable. And the last race isn't even twice the second one, so it should be no problem.

Like I said, insane.

That's the same reason I'm applying this year, with one addition: I did ten miles last year, so three more ought to be a snap!

Once insane, always insane apparently.

Still, I made it through last year and I have the pics to prove it!

This is me at the start of the second race last year:



And at the finish. That grimace is my way of saying to the world, "I'm fucking nuts!"



And here I am at the start of the ten-miler:



And at the finish.* The body language is saying "I'm beyond fucking insane!"



Last year, some of my plans got screwed up as far as training and prep. I came down with a sinus infection that lasted the last half of February and realy messed me up. Regardless, I went ahead as planned, and somehow managed to survive. (And also helped a really worthy local charity in the process.)

This year, I'm moving ahead as planned. I've spent January getting my daily walking routine re-established after a holiday break. I plan to spend February slowly expanding that routine. The Triple Crown Races happen every other weekend in March. Then, I'll have another month to get ready for the Mini.

Pray for me, for clearly I have lost my mind.

*True story: One of the local stations was providing the music at the finish line for the Ten Miler. As soon as I started across the line, they started playing "Dancing Queen." I swear! I think it was the musical gods' way of saying, "You made it. Well done!"