Welcome to Forty Two Point Two!

This is a blog about running, written in a way that’s probably unlike any other running blog you’ve read. You see, I’m not really a runner. At least not yet, anyway.

Over the next seven months, I will be blogging about my experience training with the University of Calgary’s Marathon Training Program as I learn everything about running a marathon from start to finish. Even as I am writing this now, it seems pretty terrifying, especially since — embarrassingly — when I started training I had no idea how long a marathon was.

When I was approached by the Marathon Training Program co-ordinators and asked if I wanted to join the program and blog about my experience, my immediate reaction – as someone who is always up for a challenge – was to say yes. It was only later that the implications of that decision really started to sink in.

Regardless of any reservations I had, I decided to stick it out and quickly set to work creating this blog. First things first, I knew I needed a name. And after a nearly two-year-long search for the perfect name for my personal blog, I was fully aware of what an exhaustive process that could be. This time, I didn’t have two years, so after a few brainstorming sessions with friends, I decided that a great name for the blog would be the length of a marathon in kilometers.

After a shoddy Internet search on how long a marathon is, and an apparent complete misunderstanding of what I had read, I decided to name the blog, ‘Forty Point Two’. It had a great ring to it and, better yet, the domain name wasn’t even taken. It was a blogger’s dream.

Before running it by any of my marathon program counterparts, I invested the $9.99 and the domain was mine. Celebration ensued. However, it only lasted until the next time I saw one of the program co-ordinators and excitedly revealed to her my new website. Her response: “That’s great, but you do know a marathon is longer than 40 kilometers right?”

While my immediate reaction was to refuse to run the last two kilometers of the 42.2 km race, I knew that probably wouldn’t fly. So one more time, I prayed to the Internet Gods that my new domain (Forty Two Point Two) was free; it was.

Over the next few months I hope you all follow along for what is sure to be an eye-opening experience for me; and hopefully an entertaining read for you. If you are an experienced runner, I hope you are reminded of training for your first long race and are interested in passing on any advice you have (I’ll need it!).

If you are new to running, like me, or you’re also training for your first marathon, I would love to hear about your experience. And if you’ve always thought about running a race but are maybe a little afraid to start, I hope you do. After all, you already know one thing I didn’t know at the beginning of this journey — that the length of a marathon, in kilometers, is 42.2.

P.S. If anyone is interested in the domain fourtypointtwo.ca, it’s now up for sale! Oh ya, I also spelled “Forty” wrong in it, which as a writer is probably more embarrassing than not knowing how long a marathon was. Huge fail.

The lesson here: you should never rush into buying a domain name!