Every great quest has a few large goals, and this marathon training program now has a new direction. It is now my unwavering mission to beat the New York City marathon time posted by Sean Combs, the artist known as Diddy, P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, Puffy and Sean John.

Just who is Diddy? For those of you who still listen to rock and classical music, Diddy is an award-winning rapper, actor and highly successful men’s fashion designer. Diddy won three Grammy awards for his singles “I’ll Be Missing You,” “No Way Out” and “Shake Ya Tailfeather” in 1998, 1999 and 2004, respectively. His performance opposite Halle Berry in “Monster’s Ball” was also quite good.

In addition to starting the highly successful Sean John clothing line in 1998, Diddy also completed the New York City marathon in 2003. His official time, 4:14.54, translates into a pace of roughly 9.45 minutes per mile. It was his first marathon, and he was 33 years old at the time. I turned 38 on Wednesday and quit smoking in January.

I believe Diddy’s record can be broken with proper discipline, training and support. Diddy may have had an entourage, dietician, personal chef, professional trainer and access to the best exercise equipment money can buy, but his time is still vulnerable. I have the full backing of Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training and your support. Also, never underestimate the determination of a reformed smoker. Take a moment and think about the strength it takes to walk away from a daily dose of 20 Class-A cigarettes that sometimes enhanced the sparkle of New York City’s skyline at night, or took the edge off a frustrating day. These are probably the same delicious cigarettes that Barack Obama occasionally sneaks off to enjoy in Dick Cheney’s underground bunker.

Why bother challenging Diddy’s time? Every good sporting event needs a little professional trash talking to generate enthusiasm. More people following this challenge means additional pledges for LLS. When Diddy goes down LLS wins. The race starts in less than four months. Stay tuned for regular updates.

 Check out some of Diddy’s music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvFMd9BQz_k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGZhuLVUkaQ

(The beat here sounds a little like “Fiddler on the Roof”)