As I round the corner of the suddenly enormous queen-size bed, feeling every inch of the way the blister on my right big toe, the chafe-burns on both thighs and … sore triceps? “Why am I doing this?” It felt like it took several minutes to crawl into bed and get sufficiently reclined for sleep.

“You’re strong. You’re awesome…” comes from the other side of the bed. From a loving, supportive creature.

“Ok but this is just nuts.”

A few hours earlier I’d completed a 17-mile “LSD” (Long, Slow Distance AKA run as slow as you possibly can for a few hours to train your mind and body to handle a marathon) run, albeit on a beautiful, 50-something-degree day with a light, cool wind with good podcasts, music and scenery. And, I hadn’t needed to call him for a ride home, as I halfheartedly predicted when I headed out. “I’ll have my phone. I may call you. I’ll text you from out there, at any rate.”

That run came about 24 hours after an 8-mile “pace” run – 8 miles, attempting to hit and sustain the pace I want to run on June 20 at Grandma’s Marathon. The sensations that evening had me worried about my low back … some quality time with that foam roller didn’t even seem to help, though I felt better the next morning.

That workout came a few hours after a particularly intense upper-level YogaTed vinyasa yoga class in which we did approximately 36 side planks, in between a lot of good leg-muscle lengthening and gravity-relationship work.

I … selected (designed?) this weekend-warriorized marathon training plan. Because doing long runs on Sundays  allows me to get to that yoga class, and also allows me to be a functional participant in our household/relationship for more of the weekend. Why not be sore at work on Monday, rather than sore at home on Sunday?

Seriously. I am doing this … because I want to see if I can pace myself just a little bit more conservatively at the start, so that I may shave off a few minutes (10? more?) overall. Is that a good enough reason?

I’m not doing this for someone who is sick, or someone who is dead. I haven’t overcome any huge personal life challenge and so don’t really have a need to share celebrate a success story (oh wait, hold on there. I finally got a new job. That’s pretty huge but what the heck does it have to do with committing to marathon number two?).

In a text-message conversation I recently had with a friend who also enjoys long days outside while moving forward and perspiring, I was lovingly reminded that you don’t really have to have a reason other than “just because.” The weird, wild and lovely sounds -and hats- in the music video above seem to fit the feeling that inspires me to do such stuff.

I will add this: I haven’t been to the North Shore in several years. I’m overdue! What better reason? I’m taking back Interstate 35.