Well, here goes nothing! Over the next 7 months, I will be preparing to do the craziest, scariest, most absurd thing I think I have ever done in my life. I'm 41 years old. I weigh 288 pounds. I haven't really been "in shape" of anynote since college. I can barely run 5 minutes without feeling like I'm gonna die. And with all of that, as of last night, I am officially registered for the 2013 Chicago Marathon! Yup-I'm nucking futs! It was all at the urging of my buddy from college, Thom Ingram (with a healthy dose of support from my wife Becky.) Thom started running several years ago after getting divorced. He has since remarried and has become an avid runner completing a few marathons. Thom pitched this to me last October. I was like "yeah, right. Sure. Whatever." And didn't really think about it seriously for months. Then he calls me on Sunday February 17th and tells me registration is opening on Tuesday the 19th and we need to decide if we're doing it because it'll fill up fast. So, after going back and forth, weighing pros and cons (pro-I'll get into the best shape I've been in in years, and do something life altering...con-my heart will explode and I'll die,) I decided, what the hell. Let's go for it! So, after a total registration system snafu I won the lottery to register. I never win anything! Not scratch offs, not poker, not slot machines, and certainly not the lottery. Except this time I did. Out of 32,000 entries, I was one of 15,000 selected to register for the race. Yay. I won. Finally. Great. Guess that's the "universe" or whatever, trying to tell me something.

Thom has run 3 or 4 marathons, I think. His brother who is joining us has also. This will be my first. No half marathon to lead up. No lesser known low-key marathon to test the waters. No small races with a couple thousand. Nope. I will be cutting my teeth with 45,000 other people in one of the top world-class elite races, in one of the greatest cities.

It's a homecoming of sorts. I lived there for almost a year when I attempted Acting grad school at Depaul University back in 1995-96. I hated the school but loved the city. Thom came out to visit once for a week. We always fancied ourselves as The Blues Brothers (I'm Jake, he's Elwood.) Although I thought the city was wonderful, I went through a tough time out there. School didn't work out. Acting didn't work out. I was alone and re-evaluating my life and the direction it was taking. So, how appropriate and full circle to be going back now to do this thing. This utterly ridiculous thing that I am not even sure I can do, but I am going to do it anyway. I'd say that overall I am happy with the direction my life has taken since my time in the Windy City. I have a wonderful wife, two beautiful, amazing kids. I live in a great town and have a good job. I even started a theatre company. Life is good. I'm happy with everything. Except...my health. Especially my weight, and everything that comes with that. Clothes suck. Physical activity sucks. Sleep sucks.

I've been sort of exercising and trying on and off to watch what I'm eating for a few weeks now with mixed results. So, how do I combat that and get serious and consistent? By entering a momentous running race with my dear friend and 45,000 other people.

Okay. So. First day, post registration. I've started a blog. Not sure what my purpose is with it just yet, except that I feel like I need to be open and public about this journey in order to be held accountable not only to myself, but to others. I know, I know. You do this sort of thing (running a marathon) for yourself. Yes. I get it. And no one is going to be harder on me than me. But, it doesn't hurt to know that you have people looking over your shoulder, asking you how it's going, giving you support and encouragement, as well as calling you out when you falter. I also hope that by sharing my experience, maybe others will be inspired to get up and do something they never thought they would ever do.

So, Day 1-heading out this evening to do 2 miles of a mixed walk-run. (Using the Cto5K app on my phone. It's a great app for getting started.)
Goal: to do the prescribed workout without having to stop.

First step is the hardest, right? Well, here we go. In the wise words of an 900 year-old little green Jedi master: "Do or do not. There is no try..."

All roads lead to Chicago!