Athens 2...

To all my pre-marathon advice enthusiasts...

Nipple guards, crotch lube? For your lacking mentions, severe penalties are being paid. Thank you. Elaborate? Certainly. I lost half of each, magically frayed into the unknown.

Unofficially, I crossed tape - lost my 26.2 mile virginity in the 3:46 range. It's difficult to tell until they publish the results. People traffic didn't let me start for about 2 minutes. Though it didn't take long to realize winning was out of the question(Kenya), I did find solace...eventually, in the self developed claim that if runners were bracketed into weight classes, I would have definitely finished in the top 10 at 200 lbs. Sure as shit didn't see anyone else lugging two chariots like mine up and down the relentless fucking Greek hills.

There are endless things I could write. Endless. If you go to battle for 4 hours and come back without a tale, check pulse.

I could write about the moments I was struck...struck by the last two months of my life. They hit at kilos 8, 13, 26, 34...I recall exactly. You would, too. At 40, I pulled my I-pod, let it seep through a thick, thick skull that this first epiphanous leg of a whirlwind journey was about to find an epic form of closure.

How revolving it is, power in life that made these eyes shine. Over and over.

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Currently, Europe is finding its way to the left side of the stage. Tomorrow, after 622 hours of flight, South Africa's intro begins - an apartment on the water in Camps Bay in Cape Town. Headed to live, work, find out about a girl...

Though, order of importance, however speculative...yet to be determined.

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Oh, life.

Athens...

It's so cold I want to eat my face. Though, I wont.

They let Smith into the marathon. I took a 70 minute tram that stopped every block and a half, arrived at the Athens Fencing Complex - initially used to house competition for the staggeringly talented world swordsmen during the 2004 Olympics - wondering all along how someone could go through so much trouble and personal anguish to beg another someone to let them run 26.2 miles in the freezing cold.

But I did. And tomorrow, I will.

How does a climate drop 30 degrees the day I arrive and pick 30 back up the day I leave? Ladies and gents...I present to you the question of the afternoon.

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Sticking the playlist under the comments section...for any eyes eager.