You want some good news about your running? Well here you go!

I would call these the dark times. The crap times. The I'm-sending-all-Tom's-running-emails-into-my-spam-folder-from-now-on times. Three feet of snow. Nowhere to run if you even want to. Yet the clock ticks on and the calendar pages turn, and that finish line in France rapidly approaches. Some of us made great progress, then started to run in place. Or not run at all. Or just kind of disappear (JB? You out there?).

At the two month mark, it seems that most of the Paris Twelve (or shall I say, Ten? Eight?) are feeling squeezed--nay, crushed--by the pressure to train harder and longer, just at the time when running seems to have lost its very last charm (not that it had pocketfuls to begin with). Judging by a teammate's recent suggestion to re-title the project: "On your marks, get set, F@*& that!" I sense a certain frustration brewing. So I thought it might be useful to get a sense of where everyone is right now in terms of preparedness and running state of mind. How about a short quiz?

Out of the following ten statements, how many could you hear yourself saying?

1. I would rather lick the bottom of my sneakers than put them on again.

2. Running is for people who suck at golf/football/poker/darts/having a life.

3. I have considered running drunk in the hopes that it might be less excruciating.

4. Hey, running: You're a dork and nobody likes you.

5. I have contemplated punting a Canadian goose on Kelly Drive, just to make another animal feel my pain.

6. I have lied about a distance I ran.

7. I have lied that I ran at all.

8. I have purchased a package of running energy shots, then eaten them all while watching Kitchen Nightmares.

9. I would rather suffer from the runs than go on one.

10. I used to like myself. Then I started training for a marathon.


How many of the above apply to you? If you said ten out of ten, don't fear, you are not alone. And thanks to our good friends at Mizuno, the Paris Twelve are now not alone in the best kind of way. Mizuno Running has agreed to come on board this adventure as our equipment sponsor and outift us for our training and the Marathon de Paris. So when you are out there searching for the air for that last mile, or if you're in bed, looking for a reason to not just roll over, remember that the finest manufacturer of sporting goods in the world believes in you! You are part of a team! You, the newbie, the misfit, the tortoise--you are sponsored by Mizuno! (At least until they read this blog). I will be in touch as details come together, but I wanted to share the good news. We needed some.