I am 1624

I got my bib number in an e-mail today, 1624. Race day is coming so fast.
Could I have run more in February and March? I wonder if I stretched enough. I've had three pretty good nightmares about the marathon. Shelly had a dream that I was super tall and won the marathon. I like her dream.
Overall I think I trained as well as I could. I had some great runs, and some really bad runs. I even kept thinking the same pile of branches was a rabbit when I did 10 laps at the local college 2 mile track. I was "run drunk". Mostly, the wind was hard. It pushed me back. Every time it got really hard- I could talk to Ruth and remember why I'm doing this. The last windy day I ran, I had the wind at my back. It pushed so hard that I could imagine two tiny hands at the small of my back, pushing me along.
I'm afraid of failing because I'm not doing this for me. I don't want to fail her.
I have a little bracelet that will be with me when I run the marathon. I add a shell every time I run 100 miles since she was born. All the miles that she has run with me. It has an "R" for Ruth and a little silver shoe, she is my running partner- so she gets her shoe.

Her memory has kept me strong and focused when I feel weak and unsure. Thank you Ruth.

Talk Radio

I have discovered talk radio. I'm pretty sure I'm not the first one, but it's new to me.
NPR is full of amazing shows that entertain me while I run. I had tuned out the music that normally rocks me along. I needed something more distracting. Now, author interviews from "Fresh Air", silly news quizzes from "Wait, wait, don't tell me," and the crazy Boston guys from "Car Talk" get me through my runs.
Maybe I'll figure out how to mix my techno tunes with public radio. Anything to kill time and take my mind away from my legs.
It's April fools day. Four weeks, 3 days until the Eugene marathon. No joke. I don't know if I'll do it in a qualifying time. I have Newport a month later, just in case I don't. It sure would be nice if I could just get it over with in Eugene though.
So, if you see me out running around with my ipod plugged in, you know I'm not keeping pace with my amazing music playlist. Is this a sign of aging? Maturity? Ew, I hope not. All the vitamins, glucosamine and whole wheat stuff I eat are signs of that.
Next adventure? Books on my ipod!