And You Thought Cutting The Grass And Washing Your Car In The Same Day Was An Accomplishment

You know how some days you feel like you really accomplished something? Maybe you cleaned out your attic, and the refrigerator in the same afternoon. I know, such physical work could leave one disabled.

Well, what if you planned to run seven marathons, on seven different different continents, in seven weeks? You would probably call shenanigans, stating that not even the great Pheidippides himself could accomplish such a feat. But that's exactly what Dawn Hamlin is hoping to accomplish.

Dawn Hamlin figured she had reached her physical limits last year when she completed the Kilimanjaro Marathon and climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in the same week.

But if her latest adventure proves successful, that outrageous feat will seem like little more than a warm-up.

Hamlin, a 27-year-old Ormond Beach marketing professional, departed for Dubai on Monday to begin a challenge sure to make extreme sports enthusiasts salivate and sports medicine physicians cringe.

Her goal: To complete seven marathons. On seven continents. In a span of about seven weeks.

Wow, just attempting to run those races in that timespan is impressive. And it's not like she's running them in the easiest of climates either.

Her schedule starts Friday with the Dubai Marathon. It also includes 26.2-mile races in Morocco, Orlando, New Zealand, Spain, Trinidad & Tobago and Antarctica, an icy finale to her ambitious quest.

So, what does she get besides respect should she complete her quest? How about a world record?

And if you're wondering whether her feat would represent some sort of record, it would indeed. Though 175 people worldwide have run marathons on all seven continents, no woman has accomplished it in less than 100 days.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the shortest time span is 113 days, set by American Ginny Turner between Nov. 5, 2006, and Feb. 26, 2007.

Hamlin's journey kicks off this Friday, and I'm still trying to track down any type of website that will keep us updated on her progress. Hopefully she completes her journey, and inspires some of our lazy American brethern to get out and get active. Remember, twelve ounce curls and changing the channel aren't exactly tests of physical endurance.