Ryan Reynolds Risks 'Bleeding Nipples' For a Good Cause

Ryan Reynolds, the actor best known for his role as Scarlett Johansson's new husband, is running the New York Marathon this year! In an entry on Huffington Post this morning, he begins by recalling his previous experience as a spectator of the 38-year-old race:

But that's not all! He adds, "But most importantly, people were experiencing a sublime rapture that I couldn't even hope to understand. They were touching something magical no stalk-still mortal simply watching the race could comprehend. These people had accomplished something real."

O.K., we're probably doomed to be "stalk-still mortals." As, apparently, Mr. Reynolds was doomed to remain, until he found he could run on behalf of Michael J. Fox's Fox Foundation. Mr. Reynolds' father has suffered from Parkinson's Disease for the last 15 years, he writes.

And, if this little essay is any indication, he's training very charmingly! He describes himself as "not a runner" but "a running joke." He wonders whether "giving birth to a professional basketball player through one of [his] tear ducts" could be more painful than his morning running sessions. He even name-checks the writer Haruki Murakami's recent What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.

So, you know, good luck, Ryan!