I've been challenged to a race!

When I came home this summer after a 2 month vacation out West filled with long hikes and physical activity, I came home in a condition that I was quite proud of...in shape, well toned, and with much more physical endurance than I left Georgia with. I became re-acquainted with my friends and filled them in on my many tales.

My friend, Super Villain, is the only friend I have around here (until Best Friend moved back to town) that will go hiking with me. We have been on many fun and challenging hikes around here through a canyon, down in a gorge, along the Appalachian Trail, to the summit of a few mountains, and many, many hikes to waterfalls. Of all the hikes we have done, we both agree that the very short walk to the summit of Brasstown Bald from the parking lot is the most butt-kicking 1/2 mile on any trail in Georgia. This short, paved 1/2 mile trail would seem like a joke to most experienced hikers, but that little sucker hurts! The best I have ever done on this trail is making it to the top with only having to stop once.

So anyway, I was telling Super Villain of my strenous, long hikes of the summer when I made it back home. I was bragging, actually. I may have even mentioned being able to kick his ass on a trail or something to that effect. He informed me that he had been working out while I was gone and that we should have a sort of hike-off to settle this score. He mentioned Brasstown Bald. I laughed. Puh-lease! Brasstown Bald compared to what all I hiked this summer? I accepted his challenge quite happily. There was no way I could have lost this race! We talked smack like there was no tomorrow.

But it never happened. Four months later, I was thinking that it was forgotten. Four months later, I was hoping it was forgotten. For four months, I have only been hiking only a handful of times and I am so not in the shape I was in August. For four months, I have dined on burgers from the Vortex and anywhere else my heart/stomach desired. For four months, I have lived like a slug. Then out of the blue, Super Villain reminds me that we never had our race to Brasstown. Damn.

To my horror, I hear my own small voice saying, "I can still totally take you punk! Name the date! I'm there!"

Me and my big mouth. I cannot turn down a good challenge, though. And now that I've been trash talking him, it's definitely going to happen. Why oh why did I let August, my prime ass-kicking time, pass me by? Since, 'tis the season to be busy, we will most likely be racing to the top of Georgia's highest peak the first weekend in January when all the holiday fuss is over. I will announce the date when it is set.

Until then, I will be back to health food and exercising. Any training tips from any runners out there? HELP ME! As it stands today, I would totally get smoked. There would be no living with him if that should happen.