Countdown to the Gay Games - Running a Marathon

This is the first week of my 18 week training for the Gay Games marathon on July 22nd in Chicago. I hope to have similar posts every week to outline my progress and thoughts about gay issues as I go along. Feel free to follow along and offer your support.

WEEK 1

I ran a marathon a couple of years ago. It was the Chicago Marathon's 25th anniversary. I had never run a marathon before and was looking for a physical challenge. I learned alot about myself during those 18 weeks of training. I always ran alone and never listened to music so I was always alone with my thoughts. I was able to think about the things going on in my life and in my world. I've tried twice to run a marathon since the original and each time, I fell short. The training didn't stick, I wasn't that motivated to repeat the performance. So why now? Well, now it's a matter of Pride.

Coming out to myself, my friends, and ultimately my family was a powerful experience in my life. Discovering and being honest with who I really am allowed me to take my place in the larger family of the gay community and to develop lasting friendships and a long term relationship. And coming out to the world put another face to the gay community, another beacon by which others would follow.

There seems to be so much turmoil today surrounding people's feelings about everything from gay marriage to hate crimes, from gays in the military to gays in the church, from crystal meth use to AIDS and breast cancer, from teaching about homosexuality in schools to bipartisan politics. And it would seem that many people wish it would all go away - that we would just all go away. To be honest, it was difficult to choose this marathon given my own country's discriminatory policies against gay people and people with HIV. And so I am going to run a marathon - 26.2 miles, about 4 hours, along with other gay men and women in order to be counted. I run to show that we exist, that I exist in this world and in this country. One foot in front of the other.