Day 78: Mother of 'em all (...not)

Hurricane Gustav, now approaching New Orleans, was called by that city's mayor "the mother of all storms." I remember Saddam Hussein developing, so it was rumored, "the mother of all bombs." (In that vein, "Hot Shots" was "the mother of all movies.")

Today wasn't the mother of all runs. Yesterday might have been, at least so far. Today was brisk and -- dare I tempt the fates? -- easy. Morning run on the trail, and today we'll round up to 3.2, to get that coveted integer figure in the total slot above. Knees and shins are, maybe surprisingly, OK -- I slept last night with knee and shin braces firmly in place on both legs, and I think they must have helped. Stomach, shall we say, feels much better. I even got more than a little bit of sleep. As all of Cambridge moves between apartments this Labor Day weekend, and the summer sun shines above, things seem good.

I am worried about Gustav, which looks to be even more powerful than Katrina (they say that Baton Rouge may experience hundred-mile-an-hour winds), as well as Hanna, still a tropical storm for now, which is threatening the Bahamas, where my brother and his fiance are examining wedding-venue options. Hopefully all the traveling will work out fine, and the entire family will be together in New York next weekend.

Bonus: can there be a funnier sight than a corpulent, clueless-looking man who must be in his 60s waddling along the Minuteman Bikeway, sporting a shirt that reads "GOT BEER PONG?"

Day 77: Sweet sixteen

Sixteen miles!

16.3, actually... I just couldn't help myself.

Excellent day on the trail: 70 degrees, overcast, a light breeze. Felt good, strong the whole way; my pace was the same as on the 15-miler two weeks ago -- actually a tiny, tiny bit faster (just a few seconds a mile). Saw hockey-mask-girl twice. No near-collisions with her or anyone else. Plenty of gels and Gatorade-like product from the fuel belt, so I wasn't hungry or thirsty. Of course, my knobby knees are sore now, and I think I may have a few toe-blisters.

Carbo-loaded on a box of macaroni and cheese yesterday evening, and devoured another box after today's run.

If you'll notice at the top of this page, it looks like I've run nearly as many miles as I've biked so far on the training plan -- I've only biked one more mile. Ridiculous!

And now, I'm going to use the rest of this Labor Day weekend to recover. Hopefully the weather will hold. A lot of people are out of town, so it should be a pretty quiet few days. In two weeks, when I'm in Phoenix (to see the Diamondbacks play at Chase Field, thus completing my tour of all major-league baseball stadia), I'll have EIGHTEEN miles to run. Oh boy!

Day 75: A few hours late and a few miles short

I'm entitled to one last bout of agita in the guts, right?

This has been a very busy week, with lots of work, little sleep, and much to do. I haven't missed a run, but today I realized I had to run not at 6:30 AM but in the early evening, and all the confusion was a little too much for my poor digestive system. I actually was really fast out of the gate, and through the first two miles, but then I suddenly realized it would be the better part of valor to cut things short. Carson once said that if I have a choice to do too much or not enough, do not enough, because rest counts, and Tom (of runnerslounge.com) also points out that running easy -- and recovery -- are probably the two most important parts of the training.

So I made use of my T pass, which I carry for emergencies, and let myself be whisked home the last mile and a half.

I have been feeling a lot better recently, and after a restful Labor Day weekend (which will still feature 20 miles of running and at least that much biking, if the weather and the physick cooperate), I hope to start resembling an East German gymnast. Mostly muscle, a little bone, no fat... and all attitude.

Day 74: Four more {years/months/miles}

Anyone watching that Democratic National Convention? I was in Denver in June, July, and this month, and somehow I missed it.

Anyway, my four, this morning, was miles, and I covered them quickly. Long sleeves for the second day in a row, since autumn is in the air. Reminds me of the wake-up announcements we used to get at summer camp; some time around mid-August, the morning dress code would change from "short and short" to "long and long." (I think we occasionally had "short and long," but I can't remember a "long and short.")

To the office!

Day 73: 145th time's the charm

This morning I completed my 145th run since I took this thing up last November. If I hadn't lost most of April and part of May to my bike-crash injuries... well. Mind-boggling in any case!

Headed out early this morning for a fast 3-miler so that I could be home by 8 to wait for the gas company to come and do its annual maintenance check on my boiler. I'm still waiting. They should be here by noon, or by the end of human civilization, whichever comes first, or second.

This was the first morning to have that late-summer chill in the air. It was sunny and calm, beautiful early hours, but I could feel the first taste of fall on its way. Although I haven't thought that I've been affected much by the weather, since I've now been running for nearly an entire year, this morning was a reminder that the coolness will bring some advantages, and I'm looking forward to that. I think autumn has always been my favorite season, not least because it features my birthday... but it should help the running a little bit. I was stronger on the 15-miler than on the 13-miler in part, probably, because there was less heat and humidity.

(Note: I actually ran 3.2 miles this morning, but I'll record it as 3.1, so that the total distance run since June 14 evens out to an integer. Yes, it's a little bit of a thing for me.)

Day 71: The trifecta

Another day of glorious summer weather here in Boston: perfect for running, biking, and playing tennis -- so I did all three.

Four early miles in a Charles River loop with Andy (who continued on for another eight; he's doing the Marine Corps Marathon in October), a quick stop at Stah Mahket for necessities, and then onto the bike towards Watertown, to meet up with Rachael for tennis. I eventually had to call it quits because after two days of tennis, my right arm and shoulder were tiring! Scarfed down some "food" at Panera, and then biked back to Cambridge, with a short detour to the bike trail to make sure I have my distances right (I do, apparently). Total on the bike: 12.6 miles.

Knees and shins are still a little bit sore, but nothing terrible, and I have been using the shin and knee braces on and off... I think they help. I am certainly feeling better than this past Tuesday, the day after I arrived in Idaho -- in the morning, I had a tough time heading down the flight of stairs for breakfast! Then again, I'd just run 15 miles, taken two flights (about seven hours on planes altogether), and driven three hours, so perhaps that's understandable.

Cleaned up some stuff at the house, spent some time on the phone, hit the shower... and now, except for a giant mountain of papers and to-do items, I'm all set to tackle a week in Cambridge. I fear that the giant mountain will take a VERY long time to level... the appropriately-named Labor Day will come in handy.

Day 70: 70 days

70 days (and a few hours) until the marathon. That means that since June 14, the first day of the blog (the day after the bike trip ended), half of my training time has gone by. Fortunately, I've already notched my distance up to 15 miles, so I'm more than halfway there, with half the time left. (Does it work that way?)

Today's long run was only (?) ten miles, as part of the up-and-down training plan. Katie ran with me and was kind enough to go slow enough for me to keep up. We ran down through Harvard Square and then along the Charles River, toward Boston on the Boston side, and then over the Harvard Bridge and back up to Cambridge on the Cambridge side. A truly glorious weather day made it that much better. Felt strong, and Katie tells me we were actually on the fast side. She promised to double-check on mapmyrun.com that the course really was ten miles!

I'm especially tired now (3:45 PM) because before the run, I played some tennis, for about an hour and a half, with JC, visiting from New York, where he is learning how to make lots of bucks. Props to JC for contributing to the marathon fundraising -- I'm almost 90% there! The "lumberjack" breakfast at Renee's, near Teele Square, helped to restore me. Fortunately, all of my travel yesterday, back from Idaho, worked out just fine.

And now, there's some Olympics, and some baseball, to watch, and some pretzels to eat, and then maybe a nap to take... before continuing on with the day's activities. Busybusy!

Day 69: Nice guys finish short

Was supposed to run 4 miles yesterday but the schedule didn't permit; needed sleep, had an early morning (would have had to run in the dark anyway), and completed a 3-hour drive back to Boise. Revisited a desolate but beautiful stretch of US-20 between Fairfield and Mountain Home... brought back memories of a simpler, more innocent time. That is, May, during the bike trip.

Anyway, figured I'd get in the 4 miles this morning at the Boise airport hotel prior to catching my flight back to Boston, and I started on the 'mill, but a guy showed up and it was obvious, although he was reluctantly tooling away on the elliptical machine, that he wanted the treadmill. So I figured I'd reconfigure my run for high speed/short distance, and started running faster. Sure enough, around mile 2, he left without a word, not to reappear. I was already going very fast and I decided it was best to end at 3 miles anyway, which I did. Now I've got to pack up, eat up, and drive up to the airport. Next stop: Bos... er, I mean, Denver. Last stop today: Logan International Airport. (The one in Boston, not Billings.)

Bonus (er, penalty)... now coming to you live from Gate B21 at the Boise airport, thanks to free wireless. The flight is delayed due to "crew issues." Sheer incompetence! Now I'll only have about 20 minutes to make my connection in Denver, if all goes well. Oy!

Day 68: Thin air

Just typed a whole post, and it vanished. Short version: 4 miles, in Ketchum, beautiful weather, all is well, typing as I ice my knees.

(Reminds me of the "short, short version" from "Spaceballs":

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Good. You're married. Kiss her!")

Day 67: Two legs good; two arms faster!

Here in Sun Valley, Idaho, there is a great hike/bike path; it actually extends for miles down to the town of Hailey. Today, as I motored along, I was passed by three people using only their arms to propel them... cross-country skiiers using wheeled skis, and poles to push themselves along. Always something new. (I caught up with them at a wooden-plank bridge, though, which confounded them. Ha!)

My knees were very sore yesterday and most of today, particularly the left knee. But something similar happened once in the past, and I figured that rather than actually being injured, I was just stiffening up, since I was cooped up in planes and cars all of yesterday (9 hours' worth of flying and driving). Sure enough, as I got out on the trail today, I loosened up as I went along, taking it very easy regardless. I even cut the run short from 4 miles to 3.2, just so I didn't push my knees, my stomach, or my lungs (hey, I'm at altitude!).

But I think the indicators are good. And with that, it's now time to seek some food here; a few of my colleagues and I are setting out in a few minutes. I hear the trout is a local specialty -- but I hope there are others, since I had trout last night. Yes... I'm spoiled.

Bonus: thanks to Rachael B. for putting me over the $2,500 fundraising mark, and also to my latest contributor, "BenKat" (who I can only assume is the duo of former "Law & Order" star Benjamin Bratt and figure skating legend Katarina Witt).

Day 66: Famous potatoes

Here I am in my hotel room in Sun Valley, Idaho, sprawled out on the bed with two big bags of ice on my knees. Although shelling out a couple of extra bucks for some more legroom on United ("Economy Plus" -- regular coach class is now just "Economy Minus") was worth it, the two flights and three-hour drive today really helped me to stiffen up good. I hope I can manage my four miles tomorrow. Some rest day this is!

Day 65: Sunny

Gorgeous summer weather here in Cambridge today, and even though the training plan called for zero running miles today (the only such Sunday), I took advantage anyway by going on a nice, easy 22-mile bike ride, to the end of the Minuteman Bikeway and back. I swear, so many of the people who use that path must have death wishes. There are the rollerbladers (including hockey-mask girl, who I saw again today -- twice!), who take up way too much path estate. There are the stroller-pushers, and bike-trailer-pushers, who don't seem to realize that they, too, are on the wide side. There are the small kids on bikes, who weave back and forth on the trail. There are the pet owners who let their dogs run free, or on such long leashes that you could easily clothesline yourself into oblivion. And everyone -- everyone! -- is inconsiderate, apparently not understanding that there are other people on the trail besides themselves. It's a miracle I didn't die about a hundred times.

Additional notes: knees still sore, but OK, and I bought new, neoprene knee braces, which hopefully won't chafe the backs of my legs like the old fabric ones did. Last night, I wore the old fabric ones to sleep -- compression therapy? -- along with the shin covers, and although it felt a little weird, and warm, it probably helped. Also, the problem that plagued me on the 13-miler -- upper-body stiffness -- was not a problem at all yesterday, perhaps because I remembered Carson's advice and kept swinging my arms and nodding my head back and forth to stay loose. I'm sure I looked like a freak, but it did the trick! Finally: off to Idaho tomorrow! It's a rest day, fortunately, and so is Friday, when I fly back, but I'm due to run Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Altitude training...!

Bonus note: I bought a cheap drying rack at the hardware store, so that when I get back from my runs and bike rides, I have somewhere to put my clothes so they can dry. I remember my friend Tony always having a pile of moist, festering hockey gear in his room, and I figured there had to be a better solution for me. (Hey, Tony!)

Day 64: Fifteen!

I ran fifteen miles today!

Not long ago, I would have laughed at the notion. Pooh-poohed the idea that I could cover fifteen miles on my own two feet -- and running, at that. But today I did it. I ran it all, without stopping -- even the lights at Arlington Center were in my favor. My knees are a bit sore, and there's a bit of chafing, and I wasn't all that fast -- but I nailed it today, and I finished with some left in the tank: I could have done even more. For some reason, I did a lot better today than I did on the 13-miler two weeks ago. (Perhaps because Carson wasn't with me, I wasn't embarrassed about going a little slower.)

Now I'm watching the women's marathon on TV, live from Beijing. I remember my visit there back in 2001, with my friend Mimi, who gladly translated everything I pointed out to her, although her thoughtful translations were always the same: "Eric sucks." Thanks, Mimi. Carson and Theresa are there now, probably on the street, watching the runners go by. It's a little mind-boggling to realize how fast the elite marathoners cover 26 miles, which is still 11 miles and about two and a half months in my future.

Mapmyrun.com calculated that today's run burned more than 1,800 calories; my cheap scale told me that I lost about five pounds during the fifteen miles. So I ate a gigantic chocolate muffin from Star Market. So there! During the run I had 32 ounces of sports drinks, four gels, and about 8 ounces of water. I wasn't hungry or thirsty during the run, but that was probably because I ate and drank before I became hungry or thirsty. Plus, another reason I did better today than two weeks ago is that it was much cooler... in the 70s. Still humid, but not forbiddingly.

The next Longest Run Ever, 16 miles, will be in two weeks. No problem. I could have done 16 today. But one thing -- and one mile -- at a time...

Day 62: Flakes & nuts

One of the advantages of being a frequent traveler is that I have achieved "gold" status at Marriott. This is mostly meaningless, but it does get me access to the concierge lounge that many hotels seem to keep squirrelled away from the sweaty masses (although many of the same sweaty masses seem to find their way there anyway). The lounge features free breakfast (this morning: corn flakes, banana-nut bread, and quasi-eggs), free snacks (veggie chips, fruit, pretzels, and mixed nuts -- more cashews this time than during recent visits), free hors d'whatevers in the evening (often "spring rolls"), free dessert at night (cookies, brownies, etc.), and all the complimentary beverages your bladder can negotiate. I usually stick with tea and, when the stomach cooperates (as it is now doing, thankfully), sparkling water.

Four miles on the treadmill this evening, as the weather was iffy. Again, I was formidable. At the conclusion of my run I noticed that the machine had become drenched in sweat, so I went to get a wipe to clean it off, but when I returned, a serious-looking man had already wiped it down and begun his run. They don't screw around, these no-nonsense executives.

Day 61: The insanity continues

Loyal readers may remark at the absence of posts the past several days. Never fear: I've continued running! But my grueling travel schedule has precluded posting until now. Here's the full update:

Sunday, I was supposed to have an easy flight from La Guardia to Norfolk, and then a two-hour drive to Chincoteague, Va. I figured I'd run 8 miles in the morning (the ol' switcheroo with Saturday), but I only managed three, due to what I think will be my last bout of stomach-upset. No problem -- I could make it up in Virginia. Except I didn't even make it to Virginia.

My flight was canceled and all other flights were canceled, so I took the train to Washington and rented a car for the three-hour drive. (My work travel agent couldn't get me a car in Wilmington, Delaware, for some reason... thanks!) On the way, I noticed a sign that said "Bay Bridge closed." That didn't sound good, so I called Eli, who told me of a horrible accident. Sure enough, traffic on US-50 ground to a halt in Annapolis, Maryland, so I stayed the night there... sleeping only a few hours, since I had to wake at 3:30 to have enough time to finish my drive to Chincoteague, where we had a Monday meeting at 7:30! I was a little sleepy, but I was on time... although I missed the chance to run Sunday afternoon.

I made up for it Monday afternoon; following our Chincoteague meeting, I drove to Ocean City, Maryland, and ran over the causeway toward the ocean boardwalk, which was as packed as Coney Island. Clocked a total of 4.1 miles in the sea breeze; parasailers glided overhead. Nearly got squashed by cyclists trying to navigate the ultra-narrow sidewalk on the causeway, but kept my head. Good soft-serve next to the Comfort Inn. Did I mention that I have a weakness for soft-serve?

I realized I had to start prioritizing sleep, which left me no time to run Tuesday morning before our meeting at Assateague Island National Seashore... ah well. Our afternoon propeller-powered flight from Ocean City/Salisbury airport to Philadelphia was late, so we missed our connection to Boston, but there was another flight an hour later. My colleague Lindsey and I were for some reason originally booked in first class going from Philly to Boston, but when we had to switch flights, only her first-class reservation survived! Meh!

On the cab ride home, I saw a giant raccoon on Cedar Street, around the corner from me.

This morning I woke up expecting to drive Carson and Theresa to the airport to begin their multi-nation mega-trip (China [for the Olympics], Tibet, Nepal, Oman), but I had a text message and an e-mail waiting for me... evidently Carson had checked on his flight last night, and realized that it had been moved two hours earlier, even though he had gotten absolutely no notification. By the time I woke up, they were already in motion, but Carson did see my text wishing them a great trip.

That left me enough time to run this morning: 4 miles on the trail, swiftlike. I was still a few miles behind, so I figured I could also run in DC this afternoon... and, after I got off the plane and checked into the hotel, I logged another 4 miles, along the Rock Creek Parkway. In Casper, Wyoming, in May, I drove to a good running spot, and today I took the Metro up to the Woodley Park station to begin my run: those are the only two times I ever went to a particular place to do a run. But I'm glad I did today, because that was the same place I always used to run when I lived in DC (at the corner of Calvert and 24th, right where I was today) between February and June of 2005. And, needless to say, this is the first time I've ever run twice in one day. Even the afternoon run was fast. I feel strong! Some ice on the knees here in the hotel, and I'm ready for more -- 4 more miles on tap for tomorrow, and then a rest day Friday, and then FIFTEEN miles planned for Saturday. I must be nuts!

Day 57: The ol' switcheroo

Supposed to do 8 miles today and 4 tomorrow... but I decided to switch them, since time was short today. I was swift through all four miles and felt great. Strong like bull!

Ended up not hitting the bike at all yesterday, due to various errors of time management, but maybe it was for the best. I've been trying hard to get enough sleep each night, on the theory that sleep is actually one of the most important parts of the training. It's tough with all the travel I've been doing (New York today, Virginia tomorrow, Maryland Monday, DC Wednesday, Idaho next Monday, etc., etc.), but it's up at the top of the to-do list.

(best Seinfeld voice) Didja see that Olympic opening ceremony last night? What's with those Canadian team uniforms? Did a tree fall in the woods... on the designer? [Note to Crystal: yes, I saw Djibouti on the floor last night. Hey, hey, hey.]

I close in true Olympic spirit: citius, altius, fortius!

Day 55: Short, not sweet

Quick note -- 4 miles with Katie after work. For what I certainly hope is the last time, I had to walk a bit. Katie, the triathloning stud (she did Portland a week or so ago and fought off ocean currents that flummoxed the race organizers), was kind enough to play along.

Tomorrow: the Olympics. For those who have asked, no, I am not competing this year.

Day 54: Hold it right there

Today was a bike/work/run/bike day. During the morning bike-commute, in the rain, I was stopped by a cop waving his hands like a wild man. Actually, there were two cops, both of whom had parked their own bikes off to the side of the road; they were upset that I had run a red light. Actually actually, the cops pulled over three cyclists, and I was the third. I saw the cops before I ran the light, but I knew there were two bikers ahead of me, and with only two cops, that meant no problem for me. Sure enough, the first two got written warnings, and I got a sheepish reprimand, with the cop in fact admitting that he couldn't write out two "papers" at once. Suckers! To tell the truth, though, I'm a little embarrassed about this. No, I shouldn't have been running a red light. But if the cops really care about bicycle safety, they might consider going after the drivers: I had a number of near-death experiences during my 3.4-mile morning ride. Surely that would be more rewarding than hassling bikers who, in a pouring rain, are just trying to take advantage of favorable pedestrian signals... even though, of course, they really shouldn't. OK, end of speech.

Alisa made the mistake of running with me (4 miles) after work. Another of my marathoning stud-friends (she ran Boston this year), Alisa was kept waiting while I hit the head, and I think she ended up missing half her Pilates class. Plus, I was much slower than she'd probably expected. Sorry, Alisa! I had fun, though... and I was only kidding about your fiance not passing the bar exam! If I promise not to make stupid jokes and to pick up the pace and to be on time, maybe you'll run with me again!

I then hit the bike again to swing by REI, in the Fenway, to pick up some stuff that had come in. Not on the way home, but no problem with the bike. Total miles: 10.3. Near-death experiences on the way home: numerous. Yes, biking is dangerous. I haven't had two crashes in the space of a week (like some ace-bandage-wearing people), but the pastime is certainly not for the faint of heart.

Note to ML: good call on the knee-braces. I've got LOTS of leftover Chamois Butt'r from the bike trip, and will try that.

And a shout-out to RR: 13 miles ain't easy. But the miracle-socks certainly help.

Day 53: One more (last?) case of the you-know-whats

It's interesting how the body can come up big when there's a big challenge. 13 miles on Saturday? No problem. But when the stakes are small, the little annoyances can pile up. 4 miles this afternoon? Slight problem with the ol' stomach-bone, which kept me to 2 -- TWO -- miles. But I think that, finally, should be the end of that. At least, I hope so.

I haven't been running with knee braces recently, because they had actually been tearing into the backs of my legs, breaking the skin! Sometimes, though, after icing, I put them on to wear around the house. I also have neoprene shin-covers, and I wore one on my left leg last night. Not a bad feeling; tonight, I may try that again. Maybe I can find knee braces made out of neoprene, instead of the cheapo skin-tearing material.

To reiterate: the plan is still to run tomorrow and Thursday. I may also bike to work tomorrow, so that I'm in position to make a quick run to REI in the Fenway... I ordered some closeout stuff that was shipped there. "It might rain tomorrow," someone told me, cautioning me against biking. My response: "So what?!"

Day 52: You call this rest?

No running today. I thought about biking, but then I thought about sleeping, and resting my IT bands, and decided that that was the superior plan. Besides, every week needs to have a rest day, and since this week is the first that will feature five days of running, I decided to make today the catch-my-breath day. I'll run tomorrow through Thursday (four miles each day), and then hopefully I'll get a bike ride in on Friday, and then there's a "short" long run on Saturday (a mere eight miles), followed by another four on Sunday. Whew.

Have I mentioned that I'm planning a little bit of travel? To wit: Aug. 9-10, New York; Aug. 10-11, Virginia; Aug. 11-12, Maryland; Aug. 13-15, DC; Aug. 18-22, Idaho (maybe with a side trip, Aug. 22-23, to Seattle); Sept. 12-15, Phoenix; Sept. 18-21, Maine (for the Bar Harbor half marathon). Not to mention the probability of more trips to New York and DC in there somewhere. And let's not even talk about October.

Put it this way: I have a ten-game Red Sox package. This year I might -- might! -- make three games at Fenway.

Ahh... "rest."

Day 51: Keeping IT cool

A little sore this morning, but, ever indefatigable, I got in 3.2 more miles of running, and even hit the bike for 9.1 miles, pedaling around town to run some errands and drop in unexpectedly on some people -- due to privacy concerns, I won't name them. (Is that OK, Crystal?)

The IT bands are my primary concern today -- after the near-half marathon yesterday, they are really the only parts of me that hurt. They got some good icing time this afternoon, and I think I'll be fine. I was a little stiff during the run today, but they seemed to warm up, or loosen up, as I went along, and I felt better. I was actually a little faster on this run than usual for my 3- and 4-milers, and that was satisfying. The trail was very crowded because I went running at about 11 this morning, but I was able to avoid running over toddlers.

And now, a quick word about the Wright Double-Layer Running Performance Super-Ultra-Mega Socks. I love them, and once they make it legal in Massachusetts, I might marry them.

Note: thanks again to my many contributors -- I'm 82% of the way to my goal of $3,000!

Day 50: Halfway there

Halfway there? Livin' on a prayer?

I have now run 13 miles. (Well, I had to walk a couple of stretches -- but the half-marathon distance has been conquered.)

I ran with Carson today; he was an excellent coach and I had a lot of fun, despite today's run probably being the hardest single physical challenge I have ever endured. My stomach was OK today, and I think I had enough water and gels, and I even think my cardio and legs were mostly fine, even though my knees started to throb. The limiting factor, strangely, seemed to be my upper body -- I felt as though I was stiffening up: the musculature, not the lungs. Carson said that my skeleton has got to get adjusted to the pounding it's taking, and that seemed like a really good way to put it. Like I said, I had to stop a couple of times to walk, but if I'm able to keep up today's pace for an entire marathon, I'd be delighted... even though I'll be doing that run without coaching (but with tens of thousands of my newest friends).

I also need to find a better headband. Sweat got into my eyes, and with contacts, that's a particular problem. Sweat even got into my ears, so I couldn't hear right. Both eyes and both ears were so annoying that they definitely affected my overall performance. I also forgot my wristband, so I couldn't wipe my forehead or my ears.

After the run I sought some comfort food, so I made and ate a box of macaroni and cheese, which I did weekly throughout my entire childhood. In college I even recall, on more than one occasion, eating two boxes at one sitting. That might have made a lot more sense today, especially considering that I lost nearly five pounds during the run. I haven't seen my post-run weight on a scale in 10 years (and during the summer of '98, I swam every day).

Two notes: first, I saw the elderly tai chi folks on the trail again this morning, and Carson expects to see thousands of such people in Beijing in just a few more days. Second, while on the Hertz rental-car bus at the Denver airport yesterday morning, I couldn't help but overhear an obnoxious businessman on his cellphone, chewing out one of his employees. "We have a five-year contract!" he screamed. "They don't care who we use to ship their stuff! We could use Satan, and they wouldn't care!"

Thanks again to Carson for being there today. And also, a shout-out to my grandma: I love you and I'll see you soon!

(Final note: three months to the race!)