Run, Ed Wade, Run: Astros GM will enter Houston Marathon

When all is said and done this offseason, Ed Wade's final list of accomplishments will include adding Bill Hall and Clint Barmes to the infield, sending Matt Lindstrom away in a trade and bringing in Ryan Rowland-Smith as a possible rotation reinforcement. 

And if you're not impressed with that hot stove tally from the Houston Astros GM this year?

Well, it might be because he's been too busy training for his final task of the winter: Running the Houston Marathon on Jan. 30.

Yes, Wade will be trucking all 26.2 miles in an attempt to complete his second marathon. His training is currently being spotlighted with both an article and video on MLB.com. 

Writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart:

Shortly after he was hired by the Astros more than three years ago, Wade finished the Marine Corps Marathon in 4:49.25 and hasn't been able to run another because of the demands of the job. The timing of the Houston Marathon is perfect, because Wade can do all of his training in the offseason, even if that means running in frigid temperatures at his south New Jersey home during the holidays.

"During the season, it gets a little bit challenging," Wade said. "It's usually easier to run when I'm on the road with the club. But it's sporadic, irregular when you're in the midst of a two-week homestand. It's hard to find the time to go out to discipline yourself to find the time to do that."

With his fascination for collecting castoffs from the Philadelphia Phillies en route to a poor track record in Houston, Wade always gets a lot of grief from the baseball public. A lot of it is even deserved, though many other GMs would struggle under Drayton McLane's ownership. 

Still, it's pretty darn impressive that he's going to run a marathon on the day before he turns 55 and is on track to finish with a respectable time. Even more impressive is that Wade got into marathon running as a way to honor Travis Manion, a friend who fell in the line of duty while serving for the Marines in Iraq. Very cool.

Anyway, best of luck to Wade. Here's hoping he loads up on those carbs, stays hydrated and follows the course signs instead of running off track toward Citizens Bank Park in Philly.

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