26-11-2003, 06:08 PM
I try not to intrude here often, but I felt compelled to warn you of the psychosis running can cause. Like an alcoholic or drug addict I have truly sunken to the bottom to satisfy my running addiction. Even though I promised myself and others that Chicago would be my last marathon I've been lured and seduced into doing this http://www.dinoseries.com/run/schedule/2...rathon.htm . It's bad enough that this is a full marathon, but if you'll look at the elevation chart you'll see it has more squiggly lines than an EKG. It has a total ascent of 3500 feet and a total descent of 3800 feet with a few hills in the 200 feet ascent range. You'll notice the picture on the right has a young lady heading down a hill. To her right you can see that the trail doubles back on itself. They generally only have these "switch backs" because the hill is too steep to go straight down, so you have to slalom your way down. If the distance and the hills weren't bad enough, this race is on December 6th in Indiana. Weather on that day can range from a perfect day for a marathon to temperatures well below 0, winds in the 30-40 mph range and snow up to two feet deep. The sadest part...I can't wait and I hope it snows!! I'm so, so sick. Anyone care to make a trip to the states for a casual run through the woods? I'm already picking up two friends at the airport for this race and my vehicle has plenty of room for more.