X-treme dedication

Like a lot of people, I read about the Richmond guy who finished first in the XTERRA Urban Assault bike race on Saturday and then went directly to the church to get married.

And I’m sure a lot of folks, sipping their second cups of coffee at the breakfast table Sunday, said, “That guy’s nuts!” Especially when they came to the part where Jimmy McMillan cut back on drinking wine at the reception because he had two road races the next day. Yes, the day after the wedding. That’s one tolerant bride, we all thought.

Jimmy McMillan’s out of the ordinary, but I can understand where he’s coming from a little bit since I started seriously running back in December. A lot of folks work out when it’s convenient — when the weather is nice, when there aren’t too many errands or responsibilities, when they feel inspired (perhaps by the suddenly tight pants in the closet), and I’ve certainly fallen into that category before. Hey, at least we’re working out! But there’s something to be said for getting out there and being active even when you don’t feel like doing anything. I never thought I’d be running five or six days a week for hours at a time. And from the outside, that may sound absolutely cuckoo.

But the payoff is great when you set your heart on something. Interrupting your honeymoon for a bike race is taking it further than most people would go, but I admire McMillan’s extreme commitment to his goal and hope that I can emulate just a little bit of that nuttiness in my running career.