Raise your hand if you love PBS.
September 21, 2007
Me too!

I love PBS for three reasons:

1. It's one of the few channels we get with our rabbit ears that isn't Spanish or religious (not that there's anything wrong with that).
2. PBS can keep my child occupied and sitting in his teddybear chair for a stretch of 7-9 hours.
3. And PBS contacted me to ask if I could plug one of their new shows on my blog.

Number three made me feel very important. "Really?" I thought. "PBS wants me?! Finally, I've found some purpose in this relentless world."

Maybe every blogger on the planet received the very same email, I don't know. But if you're all reading this, laughing at me because PBS emailed you too, just play along. Let me believe I've had a life-changing moment. Allow me to feel like I've hit the big time. And please, don't squelch my fantasies of being the next special guest on Elmo's World. Seriously guys, I'm fragile.

I suspect that the email was a form letter. Mostly because it started with the phrase "Hello from NOVA, and thank you for the great service you provide to runners at The Lawsons Do Dallas."

I kind of giggled at that line. The great service that I provide to runners? Well, if PBS considers stories of my shorts falling down to expose a bare bum, peeing behind monumental statues, and returning phone calls during races a great service, then call me Mother Theresa.

Here's the deal:

This fall PBS will premiere a new series called "Marathon Challenge." The show will provide an inside peek at what it takes to run the world renowned Boston Marathon. So basically, the lazy couch sitters of America will tune in to NOVA, watch thirteen novices train for Boston, and snicker at how damn hard those runners are working as they lick the Doritos dust off their chubby fingers.

Sounds good to me!

The show, which will air on October 30th at 8pm, follows thirteen brand new runners from varying backgrounds, as they work toward their common goal--finishing Boston. Viewers will watch as the runners' physical health is monitored by doctors and nutritionists from Tufts University, and learn about the transformations that come as a result of marathoning.

Will their cholesterol drop by 92 points? Will their boobers grow to a happy size D? Will they actually get younger, hipper and have better taste in music? They'll be coached by the hard-as-nails three-time Boston champion Uta Pippig, so really, anything could happen.

I guess we'll have to watch and see. Just to review:

Marathon Challenge will premiere on most PBS stations on October 30th at 8pm. To familiarize yourself with the athletes and get more details, click here. To watch a preview on YouTube, click here. And it you'd like to see a tap dancing elephant, click here.

Seriously, the show looks great, so I hope everyone tunes in. Being a Boston hopeful myself, I know I will.* In addition to gleaning helpful training tips from Coach Pippig, I'm hoping to learn which shops in ChinaTown sell the imitation finisher's medals. You know, just in case I don't qualify.
*Most runner's have to qualify to run the Boston Marathon. The qualifying time for my age group is 3:40, or an 8:25 minute mile pace.

20 comments:

jahowie said...

This is very cool!! I can't wait to watch it. BTW....I'd tune in to watch the bare bum, don't know about the peeing behind a statue though. Not really into that. LOL

MillerFam said...

I just wanted to be the first one to respond today to tell you how great you are, how fabulous your blog is and how freaking awesome it is that it is Friday!!! Oh yeah, and I have a friend running the Boston Marathon, I had NO idea she ran that fast. (the whole 8:25 min. mile comment) I do plan on setting my Tivo for that show. Thanks for the heads up, Ms. PBS official spokeswoman . . . that is definitely something for the resume!

MillerFam said...

Did you see that?? I missed the first comment by 1 minute . . . . sniffle, sniffle.

Lori said...

You are getting darn near celeb status these days! Move over Brit :P That show sounds like a good one.

Marcy said...

The show looks interesting. I saw the quick blurb about it in the recent RW and then "Kate" reminded me about it again :P I will have to set the DVR. I love seeing people cry in pain LOL JK!

*krystyn* said...

Oh - I loved the preview on YouTube...I'm going to have to add that to my list of shows to watch. I would love to do a marathon someday -I'm still running the measly 5ks right now though (and slowly).

Anonymous said...

PBS rules! We get 3 of them: Maine, Mass and Rhode Island. Now that's the life.

Anyway, as a bit of inspiration you can have my Boston Marathon volunteer jacket. You know how everyone gets a sweet one and then wears it around forever? Well the year I help it happens to be orange with black stripes. Not to mention that they only had mongo sizes. So if you want the pumpkin jacket for visualizing or Halloween, let me know!

Ian said...

You so just stole my blog topic for today.

Anonymous said...

What's in it for you? Are they going to plug your blog on PBS?

Quid pro quo Clarice!


.

Anonymous said...

I didn't get an email. Now I don't feel special.

I love the preview for the show, I am definitely going to watch. A reality running show. Perfect!

Brooke said...

That sounds like an interesting show. And, no,they didn't contact me so you must be special.

Jess said...

Yeah, I heard about the series (sorry, it was on another blog), and it does sound interesting.

Patty said...

I guess I'll be the first to admit that, sadly enough, the thing that interested me most when I read your post was the link to the dancing elephant. Now THAT was pretty damn entertaining!!!

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go sit on the couch and munch on my doritos...

Grandma said...

just looking at that clip...those poor people...and Katy and I saw Uta at the Boston Marathon! she's no nonsense!and she was watching and not running that day. I vote for the dancing elephant to have a PBS show... the meerkats have theirs on Discovery!

J~Mom said...

That sounds awesome! I will definitely tune in!

Michelle Glauser said...

Nice elephant video! Is PBS paying you?

Anonymous said...

Cool! I felt the same way about PBS when I lived on my own last year and was too cheap to buy cable.

Mindy said...

Wow, you are so cool! I didn't get any invitation from PBS... ;)

Lauri said...

That is TOO COOL! And, no, PBS did not contact everyone...well, at least not me. Even though I did run at one time. Even did a triathlon...OK it was only Sprint Distance but, we don't have to tell everyone that, do we?

Anyway, I don't run anymore because as I was training for a marathon a few years ago, my knees would just quit working at the 7-mile mark. Which really was ok with me.

But this is so cool for you! Gonna put this on my calendar so I don't miss the show. You'll be great!

Anonymous said...

Gotta love PBS - always there through think and thin for as long as I can remember. Wow, great PBS plug, great honor girl!