I'm not quite sure which mile marker this photo was taken at, but it's quite clear from the look on my face that I was already in some amount of pain. The race photos are finally in, and since I couldn't decide on which one to purchase, I went ahead and bought the entire photo cd, so I could remember what the race looked like from each phase of discomfort. My favorite photo is this one...



It was taken within a minute of me finishing the race. About 30 seconds later I was hauled off to the medical tent to have salt poured down my throat and my legs lifted over my head. It's nice to know I can still eek out a smile when I'm that close to death.

But enough about the race. It's over! Surprisingly, I have not developed a horrible case of post marathon depression, so common after someone devotes a huge portion of their life to an event and it's suddenly over. In fact, I'm really happy. I haven't run in the last two weeks. Supposedly this should rejuvenate my running. We'll see about that. I hop back on the dreadmill for an easy three miles tomorrow.

Instead of pounding pavement I've found a few other ways to work up a sweat. I started lifting weights again, something I haven't done in the last year and still HATE. I've done the stair climber twice, after a six year layoff. I've done the bike twice. I did one pool run. I walked for an hour in Denver with my friend Joelle. And I did a fifty five minute power walk on the treadmill at a 15% incline. I was surprised at how hard this was. I was able to get my heart rate up into the high 150s and I was out of breath and struggling the entire time. I'll never knock walking again.

Right after the marathon I swore I would never do another one, but since then I've been on the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon website twice. I think I'm going to sign up to run next October. Don't worry I won't be asking anyone for money. I will, however, be asking if anyone would like to join me. We could split a hotel and trade training tips. Let me know if you're interested.

Unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to draw out my training enough to write about it in every posting over the next year. Instead, I've decided to broaden the focus of my blog. From now on I will not only talk about running and exercising, but also about tv, movies, writing, raising kids, pop culture, and whatever else I can come up with. I'll also be taking requests. So let me know if there's any subject you'd like me to cover. Until I think of something else to write about, remember, it's less than 11 months until the 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon!


Here's a few more phases of pain, and a shot of me crossing the finish line!

Here is a picture of me with nine time NY Marathon champ, Grete Waitz. I met her at the Expo on Friday afternoon before the race. Would Grete's greatness rub off? You'll have to read on to find out.

Olga and I made it to Staten Island a little before six a.m. on race day. We arrived at the Team for Kids tent to find it full of people who were not TFK. Security finally kicked the party crashers out, but by that time they had eaten all of our bagels and consumed all of our Gatorade. There was no food or drink, but we did have access to ten private toilets, which turned out to be a huge perk. It was also about ten degrees warmer inside the tent, another benefit, considering it was around 40 degrees at that point.

We waited around for nearly three hours before it was time to start lining up in our corrals. I had met up with a another TFK'r, Diane, who was also trying to maintain an 8:30 pace. We were both attempting to qualify for Boston. Diane and I both had F bib numbers, which meant we were able to line up at the front of the orange start with the fastest 9,000 women. It was really cool, and we made it to the Verrazano bridge very close to the actual start line.

It was very crowded, but everyone was in great spirits. Diane and I were able to do a final pee (using our trash bags for coverage) right on the Verrazano Bridge (don't worry we weren't the only ones doing it). You have to start the race on empty.

The gun went off, and Diane and I crossed the start line within 30 seconds (amazing considering it took me more than four minutes to cross the start line the first time I ran the race). There was an incredible energy in the air, and Diane and I were convinced that we could make our goal.

Diane provided the high tech tool, a speed distance monitor that would allow us to check our pace at any moment along the course. I provided the low tech tool, a straw. Days before at the expo, a sub-elite runner from Canada told me that he always carried a straw so that he could drink more easily from a cup while running. I had never run with a straw before, but I have a really hard time drinking on the go. I wore my Fuel Belt, but that only provided an extra 40 ounces of water. I would still need to take in both water and Gatorade along the course, and I usually end up spilling more than I consume.

The first mile on the bridge is all uphill. We hit the one mile mark in 9:25, pretty good considering the wall to wall runners and the uphill. We did the second mile (all downhill on the bridge) in 8:11. We were feeling great. We headed into the third mile on Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn and hit our first water stop. I grabbed a cup to try out the straw. It was a huge success. For the first time ever while running, I consumed an entire cup of water without spilling. It was amazing. Diane and I agreed that the straw was going to save our day.

As we ran along Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn the crowds were spectacular. I put my name on the front of my shirt and I could hear people scream "Go Kim Go" every few steps. The first time I ran the NY marathon I made eye contact with the crowd and soaked in every single cheer. This time around I was very focused on pace, and didn't enjoy the crowds as much as I could have. Every few minutes I asked Diane for a pace check. For the first ten miles we stayed relatively close to the 8:30 pace.

At mile 11, the course entered an uphill, and our race started to go a bit downhill. We averaged 8:45 that mile, which isn't too bad, but my heart rate was spiking. Here's the deal. In a marathon, you will ideally run relatively close to your lactate threshold pace, without going over. Your LT threshold is the pace you can run at before lactate starts building up in your muscles. You can run for approximately an hour above your LT pace, and then your legs turn to lead. My LT pace is based on my heart rate, and is basically any pace I can run with a heart rate just below 168 bpm. I kept below this for the first ten miles, but in mile 11, my average HR was 170. I might have survived this, but miles 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 were also run slightly above my LT threshold. I lost Diane somewhere around mile 14. Around mile 18 I knew I was in trouble. My legs were really hurting. My left calf felt like someone had taken a hammer to it, and my quads were pounding. I'm sure it didn't help that I never run on concrete. Most of my training runs were done on the treadmill, or dirt trails, both much softer surfaces.

My pace slowly started to fade. I ran miles 18 and 19 at a 9:00 minute pace. At this point, I knew my Boston dream was over. I thought I would be devastated, but I told myself "it is what it is." I wasn't really enjoying the race. At mile 19 I made up my mind to have fun and soak up the experience. Boston was over.

Miles 19 and 20 were a blast. I remembered hating this section of the course the first time I ran the race. The crowds are a little thinner in the Bronx and by mile 20 you really want the darn race to be over. But, since I didn't really enjoy the first 20 miles of the course, I was ready to start having fun. I smiled at the crowd, pumped my arms when people cheered my name, and even got a high five from a lady in her 80s. It was an amazing experience, and even though my pace had slowed to 9:45, I was finally having fun.

At mile 22, the race stopped being fun. My legs had finally turned to lead. Every step was torture. My quads and calves ached. My pace slowed to ten minute miles. To keep my legs moving I started counting every foot strike to 100 over and over. It kept my mind off of the pain. I was hurting too much to enjoy anything. Running through Central Park can be an uplifiting experience because the crowds are incredible, but when you feel like you're about to die, it's not so fun.

My worst mile was 24, which I ran at a 10:54 pace. I moved on to my second goal, which was to finish the race in under four hours (still be a PR by 20 minutes). I started to do the math, which was pretty tough considering how much pain I was in. I was trying to figure out how slowly I could run and still make my goal. I think I figured out that as long as I ran below 11 minute miles I would make it.

At mile 25 I got a slight boost, and picked up the pace just a tad. At mile 26 I was able to speed up to a 9:48 pace, more than a minute faster than I had done mile 24. The last four miles of the course felt like an eternity. While the early miles breezed by, these felt like they would never end, and minutes felt like hours. When I saw the sign for mile 26 I was elated. Only .2 to go. I finished the last .2 in two minutes. In my mind I was sprinting, but I'm sure I looked like I was moving in slow motion. I crossed the finish line in 3:58:51. I had done the marathon in under four hours, but I was 13 minutes away from qualifying for Boston. It was hard to be disappointed. I gave it my all. I left everything I had on that course.

As soon as I crossed the finish line and got my medal I made my way over to the photo area. I was feeling OK. I stopped to have my picture taken and even managed a smile. They say you're supposed to keep walking for the first 30 minutes after finishing a marathon so that the blood doesn't pool in your legs. I was walking really slowly, and I started to get nauseated and dizzy. The volunteers were leading me to the Team for Kids VIP area. I politely asked if I could see a medic first. They were incredibly helpful. The volunteer EMT gave me a salt packet to eat (yuck!). They then had me lie down and put my legs up on a chair. Within five minutes I was feeling better.

I got up and went to the TFK area and immediately ran into Olga. She could tell I was hurting. I could barely walk. She looked as fresh as a t-shirt just washed in Downey. She was ecstatic. Her time 4:04, absolutely amazing for a first timer. She finished only five minutes after me, but looked about four hours better. She wasn't even walking funny. What a stud!

I told Olga that I was done. I never wanted to do another marathon. I was so glad it was over.

Two days later I've changed my mind. The memory of the race is much better than the actual experience. As I went back over my splits I realized my biggest mistake. If I had gone by my heart rate instead of my watch, I would have finished the race several minutes faster and I probably would have felt a whole lot better. But I still would not have qualified for Boston. I don't know why my heart rate went so high. I really felt that I was fit enough to do it. The cold I got the week before may have hurt me more than I'll ever know. The few runs that I missed due to my stress fracture fear may have also done some damage. And, it's also possible that I don't have the genetic potential to run a marathon in 3:45. I'll never know exactly what went wrong. Will I do another marathon? Maybe. Will I go for a specific pace goal? No. The next time I run I am going to stick strictly to my heart rate. I will never go above my LT pace (or at least not until the last few miles of the course).

I would just like to thank everyone who supported me both emotionally and financially throughout this endeavour. Because of you, I made it through and raised over $2500 for Team for Kids. Thank you all so much. I am so glad I have been able to share this journey with everyone. If you're ever interested in running a marathon please let me know. I'd love to give you the same support that you all have given me. I've had so much fun with my blog that I think I'm going to keep it up. I may stop running marathons, but I'll never stop writing. Thanks again.

Here's a picture of Olga and I with our medals. It was taken a few hours after the race. What a difference a showere makes.

OK...I know this is a really cruddy picture of me (Olga looks great) but I'm going to post it anyway because it was taken at yesterday's NY Marathon Expo.

I'm finally here in NY. I didn't think I would have time to post anything else before the marathon but since I'm staying off my feet, my hotel has free wifi, and there's absolutely nothing on TV, I guess I'll write.

Olga and I got in yesterday about 1:00 pm. We checked in and went straight to the Expo. It was so exciting! I even got to meet Grete Waitz, a nine time NY marathon champion. I picked up my bib. I'm number F4617. The "F" stands for fast, or at least that's what I'm telling myself. I'm sure I'll come up with a number of other words (or maybe just one) that the "F" stands for around mile 20 of the race.

Last night Olga and I went to my Team for Kids dinner at the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. The TFK coaches walked us through a huge map of the marathon course, which instead of getting me excited, really just freaked me out. I've done this race before. I should know what to expect. But when they started to talk about the bridges and the hills, I almost had a carbo purge.

Our hotel is...well...interesting. The location is great...just a block from Times Square. The people on our floor are very quiet, which is unfortunately negated by the fact that the heating and cooling unit for the entire city of Manhattan is right outside our window. It turns on every two to three minutes, and sounds much like the space shuttle, if you were strapped to it during flight. Last night I shoved ear plugs into my ears and cradled a pillow around my head and I still think I might have permanent hearing loss.

Today, I am trying my hardest to do nothing, which actually isn't that hard, and is even somewhat enjoyable. I love Manhattan, and while exploring this city would be high on my list of fun things to do, forced bed rest is amazingly almost as exciting. I don't think I've stayed off my feet this long since my kids were born. I'm only getting up to use the bathroom, which is quite often considering the fact that I am also attempting to hydro-load. I'm not sure if this is possible, but I'm giving it a shot.

I have enough nervous energy to write for hours, but in the best interest of my bored readers, I will retire this keyboard until after the marathon. This IS my last posting before I run tomorrow. I think.

This photo has both nothing to do with the marathon, and everything to do with the marathon. These are the three boys I will be thinking about on marathon day! They are also the boys I will MISS so much when I leave tomorrow. I have never left for four days all by myself since Mac and Rush were born. I know the kids will be fine with dad, but I don't want them to think that mommy abandoned them. I love you boys!

OK...now that the mushy stuff is over...let's move on to the other thing that's on my mind...a 26.2 mile race this Sunday. When I started this blog a few months ago the race seemed so far away. If you read back through all of my posts I've been through a lot since I first started training. I've had blisters, black toenails, bruises, bee stings, foot pain, and of course a very bad cold (that I still have by the way). Maybe getting the cold was a good thing. It forced me to take it easy for the past week. Because I have taken it easy, all of my other physical ailments seem to be completely gone, and the cold in finally starting to get a little better. I'm at 50%. Tomorrow I hope to be at 75%. And Saturday I hope to be at 100%. That's the plan anyway.

The cold zapped a little bit of my excitement about the race. But I'm done whining about it! Now that my trip is a day away...I am psyched. I am mentally very prepared for this race. I am as physically prepared as I can be (considering my cold) and I'm ready to give qualifying for Boston a shot. I may not make it, but I'm at least I'm going to try. The only thing I'm slightly worried about is the fact that I've lost three pounds during the last week. This is normally something that would cause me to jump for joy, but most people put on about three pounds during their taper, due to the extra carbs and fluid they carry into race day. I hope this doesn't mean I won't have the energy stores. I am eating and drinking as much as I possibly can right now. There's still time to put on three pounds...right???

The other thing that I'm really excited about...meeting my Team For Kids teammates. There are 1,100 of us. We each raised a minimum of $2,500 for the New York Road Runner's Foundation, which will use the money to fund running programs for underprivileged kids. I couldn't have done this without the help of all of my friends and family members who donated. Thank you so much for your generosity. The kids thank you too!

The weather looks like it will be perfect on marathon day, 55 degrees and sunny. I'm all packed and I'm ready to fly tomorrow morning at 7:24 am. The next time I post it will all be over. I can't wait to find out what happens.

My foot is completely better. My nose, however, is snot. OK. Bad pun. If it's not one thing...

Just when I get over the stress fracture that was apparently just a figment of my imagination, I get a nasty cold, which is unfortunately, completely real. I've got the yellow and green mucous, the cough, the minor aches. I am SO upset!!! I've spent five months training for this darn marathon. It's five days away and now I get a COLD that could potentially jeopardize the whole thing. ARGGGG.

I'm trying to think positive. Maybe I can get better before Sunday. Don't think I'm trying to come up with an excuse for backing out of this thing. I'm going to run even if I have to crawl the entire way, but I'd like to feel halfway decent while doing it, and I don't want to give up my hopes for qualifying for Boston over a stupid cold.

They say you should stay away from sick people during your taper. That's a little hard when they're your kids. Both Mac and Rush were sick while we were in Aspen. Mac was up two nights coughing, while Rush was up two nights with a high fever and coughing. Rob and I were up because of all of the coughing. And now I'm up again because of all of my coughing. This is the week I'm supposed to be getting the most rest I possibly can, but I can't sleep.

On Sunday I stopped in at GNC. I was totally desperate. I'm very skeptical and I don't usually believe in "alternative" medicine, but I was desperate. The guy sold me this stuff called "Cold MD" that is supposed to shorten the duration of a cold by 94 percent. I've been taking it for three days and I'm still no better. Yesterday I went on an antibiotic to combat the yellow and green muck in my nose, and hopefully that will do me some good in a few days.

My excitement for the race is dwindling. Last week I couldn't wait until marathon day. This week, I wish it was another two or three weeks away so I'd have more time to recover from my cold. I've skipped a few runs, and shortened some others, hoping this will give my body a chance to do it's thing and fight this bug. Hopefully this won't hurt me. They say that the only error you can make in your taper is to do too much, not too little, so if that's true I'll probably be OK.

I don't know if I'll have time for another post before the marathon. I'm going to try to rest as much as possible. This may be it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Please send some positive vibes my way!

It’s been a week and a half since I’ve written a real post (other than last week’s poem). I haven’t been out of town. And because I’m in the middle of my taper, I haven’t been too busy either. The truth… I was too petrified to write.

OK…here’s the story. A little less than two weeks ago (the Tuesday before my 22-miler to be exact) I went swimming. While I was walking around barefoot at the pool I noticed a very slight pain on the top of my left foot. I didn’t think much of it. When I pushed on it, I felt like I was pushing on a bruise. I tried to think back. Did someone step on me? Did I drop something on my foot? Did I kick a wall? It didn’t really even enter my mind that it could be running related. I was slightly worried about the 22-miler coming up in two days, but not too much.

I did the run on Thursday, October 12th. About 11 miles in my foot started to hurt a tad, but again, it sort of just felt like a bruise. Other than that the 22-miler went pretty well. I ran 9:20s most of the way. I finished in 3:28. Mentally it was a bit tough running 22 miles all by myself. I got a little bored (even though I had my I-pod). Afterwards I was pretty tired, and my foot was moderately sore.

The next day my foot felt thoroughly bruised, so much so that I decided to wear an open topped Mary Jane shoe that wouldn’t push on the sore spot. Again, it wasn’t too bad, just a little banged up. That night I mentioned it to Rob (who’s a doc so I listen to him) and he said it could be a stress fracture. WHAT??? A STRESS FRACTURE??? I didn’t respond well (had a bad case of blame the messenger I guess).

That night I was so worried that I couldn’t sleep. I got on-line and read everything I could about stress fractures of the foot. Oh my God…could this be true? Did I really have a stress fracture? I seemed to have every symptom. I was completely devastated. How could this be.? Three months of training down the drain!!!

I told myself I would not run until the marathon. I would spend the next three weeks of my taper in the pool letting things heal. I told Rob to not even let me try to bring my running shoes to Aspen on our vacation. That way I couldn’t cheat and go out for a run out of pure stupidity.

I took that Saturday completely off. I did a pool run on Sunday. I took some ibuprofen over the weekend. I did an hour on the bike on Monday. I iced a few times a day. By Monday night, I felt completely better. If I pushed on my left foot REALLY hard it hurt. This concerned me, until I realized that when I pushed on my right foot REALLY hard it also hurt. In fact, I discovered that if you push hard enough, you can pretty much make anything hurt.

I decided to take my poor foot out for a test run on Tuesday. I was really scared. What if I injured it more? What if I couldn’t run the marathon? But my fear of losing running fitness over the next three weeks was even stronger. I went for the test run. I started slowly. After a mile of warm-up I sped up to my marathon pace for four miles and then cooled down with an easy mile. No pain. I couldn’t believe it. I took off my shoe and pushed really hard on my foot. It hurt. Then I remembered what I had learned the day before. Could it be true? Maybe I didn’t have a stress fracture. Maybe I was actually going to be ok.

On Wednesday I did another hour on the bike (just to be sure). On Thursday I did an easy five-miler. While I was running I felt an excruciating pain in my left toe. Oh no! I did have a stress fracture. I stopped running, pulled my shoe and sock off, and noticed that I had a sharp toenail digging into the adjacent toe. I clipped it, and started the run again. No pain! Yes!

The next morning I had another panic attack. While we were packing for our Aspen trip I felt a strange pain in my left foot, kind of like a cramping. I pushed really hard on my foot. It hurt. How could this be? I do have a stress fracture. I immediately made the phone call I had been putting off all week. I called the orthopedist and made an appointment for the day we would be getting back from Aspen, more than a week away.

All day Friday I was in a really crabby mood. All I could think about was my foot. It seemed to hurt the entire way to Aspen. I took my shoe off while I was driving and pushed on it really hard. It hurt. Rob had to tell me to stop it. He said I was probably causing the pain by pushing on it really hard. Hmmm. Doctors!

I made up my mind to stop thinking about it. By Friday night it felt completely better. I decided to cut my 15-mile run scheduled for the next day down to 12. I went to the Aspen recreation center to do it. I told myself that if it hurt at all I would get off the treadmill and do a two-hour pool run.

I started to run. No pain. I kept running. No pain. I finished. No pain. I went back to the condo. No pain. I walked around town all day. No pain. I woke up this morning. No pain. I walked around town all day. No pain. Could it be?? Maybe I don’t have a stress fracture after all. I can’t imagine being able to run 12 miles on a broken foot without any pain.

So, for the first time in a week and two days, I’m no longer worried about my foot. For the first time in a week and two days I got a really good night’s sleep. And, for the first time in a week and two days, I avoided pushing on my foot REALLY hard. Guess what? No pain.

The last nine days were really rough, but in a way it was good for me. I think it made me appreciate the effort I’ve put in over the last few months even more. I think it made me even more excited for the race on November 5th (and I was already pretty darn excited).

So that’s the story (I know…the long and drawn out one). Hopefully, I’ll be fine until marathon day. A lot of marathoners talk about the phantom pains that often develop during the taper. Now I’m a true believer. I’ll hopefully be feeling good enough to write another few posts before the marathon, but for now I’ve gotta go push on my foot REALLY hard. Ouch.

The Taper Time Tantrums
(by Kim Bogin. Inspired by Shel Silverstein’s Sick)

I cannot run today again
Said little Kimberly Bogin

My quads are cramped
My nerves are shot
I think I might have purple snot

My arch is pulled
My glutes are sore
My back it doesn’t bend no more

My feet they have this awful smell
I have another black toenail

My elbow aches each time I pee
And what’s that grinding in my knee?

I have a stress fracture in my skull
My friends all say I’m full of bull

I think I may have pulled a lung
11-miles ain’t a REAL long run!

My legs they are no longer speedy
My husband thinks I’m really needy

If I run more will I get faster?
Or will tiny micro tears cause disaster?

I think that I should carbo-load.
Uh oh…I say. Where’s the camode?

My glycogen’s already spent
I know my shin it needs a splint

My singlet’s growing something funky
And don’t you think my butt looks chunky?

My IT band no longer bends
When will this taper ever end?

My hamstrings hurt and…What?
What’s that you say?
You say today is marathon day?
Goodbye.
I’m going out to run.

I'm running out of cute pictures of myself to post on my blog so I'm resorting to marathon advertising instead.

Speaking of cute pictures (NOT!) I recently saw my photos from the 1/2 marathon I did a few weeks ago. Oh my! I know this isn't exactly PC, but can you say "special Olympian?" If I had known that I looked that goofy while running I would have given up the sport. My hair is sticking up, my face in completely contorted, and my tights are falling down just enough to give me that ever so lovely "dumpy butt" look. FUGLY!
OK...I'll post it...but you have to PROMISE not to laugh (in front of me).

OK...so that was humiliating.

It's less than one month until the marathon. My friend Olga who is running with me keeps saying "I just wish it was here already because I'm sick of thinking about it." I feel exactly the same way, and exactly the opposite. I'm ready to run, but at the same time, I don't want it to end. What am I going to do with my life when this whole thing is over? How will I humiliate myself? Who will look at my UGLY photos?

Tomorrow is my last long run. 22 MILES. That sounds like a lot. I've never done a 22 mile training run before. When I trained for my past two marathons, 20 was the furthest I ran. I don't know why I'm doing 22 other than the fact that a couple of websites recommend doing a run of longer than 20 to better prepare yourself for the dreaded "wall." I hit the "wall" at mile 16 of my first marathon so I technically know what it feels like, and I certainly don't want it to happen again. I'm kind of looking forward to tomorrow. It's supposed to be a sunny but cool day, my ideal running conditions.

I'm also looking forward to my taper. I do one last speed session on Sunday and then it's all downhill until the marathon. I will spend the next three weeks doing shorter and less intense runs, although a few of my miles will be at marathon pace. It's going to be interesting to see how I mentally deal with the taper. It really messes with your head to go from running a lot to running very little in the final weeks before the marathon. You start to think "oh my god I'm losing fitness. I should be running more." In reality it's just the opposite, but sometimes it's hard to convince yourself that that's actually the case. I know from experience that the taper works. You show up at the race rested and ready to go. Practicing it will be difficult.

It helps that I'll be spending the last week before the marathon in Aspen. Maybe I can get Rob to snap another picture of me running in "not so" tights looking like a complete spaz. Now that's something to look forward to!

YES! I DID IT! I'M THERE! Over the weekend I reached my $2,500 fundraising goal for Team for Kids. Thank you so much to all of my friends and family members who donated. You will all be receiving thank you notes and keychains after the marathon. For those of you who donated $52.40, I'm just about ready to have my special race t-shirt printed with all of your names on the back. I can't wait to sweat you up!

It has been a good week. On Saturday I did my 20-miler with Olga. I wasn't recovered enough from the 1/2 marathon to do it on Thursday, so I took an extra couple of days off and it made all the difference. I felt strong during the run.

Two weeks ago after my 20-miler I was ready to give in. I took a beating. I couldn't believe I was going to have to feel that way three more times. It took me days to recuperate both physically and mentally. This time, however, I felt fine both during and after the run. It's nice to know that the recovery is getting faster. I was starting to worry that I was getting a little too old for this marathon stuff.

It's hard to believe it is only one month until the marathon. Rob asked me what I'm going to do when it's all over. I said, "clean house." My house is a pit. I don't have the energy to clean when I'm not training. It could really use a good scrub down. I start my taper in another week and a half. I won't know what to do with myself (but I have to rest so NO CLEANING!).

The last few months has gone surprisingly quickly. I spent the first two months obsessing over the fundraising. I was losing sleep at night because I was so worried about meeting my goal. I spent a good month fretting over whether I would qualify for Boston or not. I lost a few nights over that too. Now, I'm just trying to chill out. I'm done fundraising, although if you haven't donated and would still like to do so - the kids will REALLY appreciate it. (OK...I guess the obsessive behavior never ends). As for Boston, we'll see what happens. I think I'm ready, but I won't make any decisions until I get the final race day weather report. More later.

I am obsessive. It is one of my positive qualities, although for some strange and somewhat unexplainable reason my friends and family often find it a negative. I use my blog to obsess about running. But not today! This morning I put my OCD to better use.

Last night I got it in my head that it would be fun to find the people from my past who had made an impact on my life. After hours of Google time, I found Sheryl Fulton. Back in the late 80s in high school I was the co-editor of the yearbook, and Mrs. Fulton was the advisor. She is one of the people who made me who I am today (in a good way...not the OCD stuff). So if you're reading this Mrs. Fulton...THANK YOU! I'm so happy to have you in my life again.

I also sent emails to some of my friends from college, who I haven't spoken with since graduation. I haven't heard back from them yet, but I'm hoping they'll write me so I can get reacquainted with them as well.

It is so exciting to talk (or in this case email) someone who you haven't seen in so many years. I guess there are things out there that are as satisfying as running. And, as long as I'm on the subject (of running that is), I tried to run today. I did three miles, and every step hurt. I guess the 1/2 marathon last weekend really did beat me up. Now I know why you're not supposed to run a race before a marathon. My left quad is killing me. My calves still ache. I don't know if I'm going to be able to do my 20-miler on Thursday. I may have to put it off until Saturday, and have Rob watch the kids. I'll see how it goes.

Of course if I can't run on Thursday, I'll have to find something else to obsess about. I wonder if I can find my pre-school friends? You gotta love the Internet!

Today I ran the 2006 Boulder Backroads 1/2 Marathon. But before I tell you how I did, let me start from the beginning. When I decided to run the NY Marathon sometime last year, I had what I considered to be a big goal. I wanted to finish in under four hours, knocking about 19 minutes off my marathon PR back in 2000. I knew it would be tough, but I was up for the challenge.

I started training in July. About a week later, I hired a trainer to give me some pointers. She told me to aim a little higher. She said that I should have a secondary goal of qualifying for Boston. This would mean a 3:45 marathon (an 8:30 pace). This seemed totally unachievable to me. I thought the nine minute pace was going to be a stretch.

I started training like I had never trained before: with a purpose. I was running mile repeats (a lot of them) at a 7:30 pace. I was doing long tempo runs at a 7:45 pace, both things I could never imagine doing just a few weeks before.

I scheduled the Boulder Backroads 1/2 marathon into my training plan. I thought it would be a decent indicator of whether I could actually achieve the 3:45 time goal. I had been training well.

Last week I did a 20 mile run at a 9:30 pace. The first 15 miles went well, but I felt terrible the last five. I started to think, "how could I ever achieve this goal, if I feel this bad after a 20 miler at a 9:30 pace?" I was starting to get really concerned about the 1/2 marathon which was only a week and three days away at that point.

I ran 10 1/2 mile hill repeats last Sunday. They went well and I felt pretty good. I spent the rest of the week tapering. I ran an easy five on Tuesday, and ran in the pool hard for about an hour on Thursday. I took Friday and Saturday completely off.

The weekend of the race I was more nervous than I have ever been before an event. I realized that I had made a critical mistake. I had done plenty of running at a fast pace, and plenty of running at a slow pace, but NO runs at race pace. Plus, I didn't even know what my 1/2 marathon pace should be. Until Friday before the 1/2 I was planning on attempting 8:30s. I had no idea what an 8:30 pace felt like, not to mention the fact that I had no idea whether I could hold that pace over 13 miles.

Saturday before the race (yesterday) I started looking at pace calculators on line. Most of them say that to get an accurate marathon time, you can multiply your 1/2 mary time by two and add ten minutes. This would mean I'd have to run between an 8:00 and 8:10 pace during the 1/2. Was this even possible?

My nerves were caused by a lack of preparation. Sure I had trained a lot, but I didn't know what race pace would feel like. People kept telling me to follow my plan. What plan?

I decided to set three goals so I wouldn't be disappointed. My first was to finish in under two hours, pretty doable. My second was to finish in 1:51, an 8:30 pace. My third was to finish around 1:46, about an 8:05 pace. I knew this one was a stretch, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

Race morning was great. At the 8:00 a.m. start it was probably around 40 degrees, and sunny. The race guy yelled "go" and I was off. The race wasn't chipped timed, so I started near the front. It took me 13 seconds to cross the start line. I was caught up in the crowd, so I couldn't take off like a rocket (a good thing). I did my first mile in 8:28. I was feeling pretty good. I did the next few miles at right around 8:00. I couldn't believe it. I was feeling great. I even did one mile at 7:38, which is blazing for me. The whole time I was running I kept thinking to myself, "I can't believe it. The training actually worked. All of the tempo runs and repeats have made me fit enough to do this." I felt great the entire 13.1 miles. I finished in 1:45:49, an 8:05 pace. I came in 28th in my age group out of 273, and 272nd overall out of 2024 finishers.

I am psyched! Maybe this whole 3:45 marathon is achievable afterall. By the formula (double my 1/2 time and add ten minutes) I will finish in 3:42. That gives me three minutes pad to qualify for Boston. Will I qualify? Who knows. A lot depends on the weather that day, and of course the rest of my training. I could get injured between now and then. But will I try to qualify? Definitely.

There's a danger with having a time goal that is potentially out of reach. If you run too hard in a marathon, you can fizzle out at mile 20 and be stuck running the last 6.2 miles at a 16 minute pace, which obviously kills your time. This is my biggest worry. If I bite off more than I can chew, I could end up without a Boston qualifying time, and without a four hour marathon. This would be pretty depressing. But, if I don't try, I'll never know.

When I had that really bad 20 miler last week, I thought to myself, "I don't even want to qualify for Boston because that means I have to run another marathon." A week and three days later I'm over it. I'm going to go for it. I might not make it, but at least I can say I tried!

One bad thing happened during the race. I wore my Fuel Belt hydration pack thinking it would help me stay hydrated, and I earned this nasty bruise. I don't even want to think what my hips are going to look like after 26.2, but I really need the water, so I'm going to wear it anyway. We'll see how I feel after Thursdays 20 miler. OUCH!

Wednesday, September 13th is my birthday (if you're wondering what to get me - please make a donation to Team for Kids in my name - just click on the link to the right).

My husband, Rob, always lets me pick out my own gift. Last month I decided I wanted a new heart rate monitor. If you read my blog about six weeks ago you know that I fried my old heart rate monitor while pool running. I spent the last month researching the different choices. I finally decided on the Polar F11. When I read about it I was dazzled by all of the cool tricks it could perform, and I LOVED that I could get the watch in red.

The F11 arrived the Friday before my birthday. Rob was kind enough to let me open it early. It was just as beautiful as it looked in the picture. The fabric Wearlink chest strap was more comfortable than any monitor I had ever worn. I was in heart rate heaven. I started to read the manual. Yep...it had all of the cool doodads that I was expecting. It even had a fit test, a function that could potentially confirm the fact that I was indeed the fittest woman in all the world (hey, we can all dream can't we?).

It wasn't until I was about half way through the manual that I realized that my dream monitor did not have a stopwatch. WHAT? No stopwatch? What kind of runner buys a monitor without a stopwatch? It had something called an exercise timer instead, which meant that you could start it and stop it, but that was it. No lap timer, no interval timer, nothing. This is fine if you're just using it for the stair climber or the elliptical trainer, but it's horrible if you're using it to get mile splits or do an interval workout. I immediately ran to the computer and looked it up. I had bought a fitness hr monitor, not a running one. I was so blinded by its beauty and it's gadgets that I didn't make sure it had the most important function, a stopwatch. Rob saw me checking out other monitors on the computer, and immediately realized something had gone horribly wrong. I finally told him the story. But instead of getting mad, he told me not to worry about it. He said to get online and pick out a new one, and told me we'd sell the F11 on EBay (which is where it sits now...waiting for a a bidder...in case you're interested).

Here's the picture of my new NEW heart rate monitor, the Polar S210. I know...it's not as cute as the F11, and it isn't red, but it has a stopwatch and that's the most important part.

Yesterday I did my hardest workout to date. It consisted of eight one mile repeats at a 7:40 pace, pretty fast for me. I'm getting geared up for the Boulder Backroads 1/2 marathon on Sunday, September 24th. I watched "Without Limits," the biography of runner Steve Prefontaine during my workout. That made the pain much easier to take.

It's interesting how both my mind and body respond to interval workouts. While I'm doing the one mile repeats, my mind is telling me to quit. Then it says "there is no way I can do six more of these." But when I finish the repeat, and start the three minute recovery jog, both my mind and body get a new attitude. Two minutes into the recovery and my mind starts saying "oh I can do more, I can finish this, it's not a problem," and my body starts to say "ok, whatever you say." I know this is how the whole thing is supposed to work, but I'm always amazed each time it actually does.

I know I'm getting a little bit faster and a little bit stronger with each interval workout that I do. The goal is to make it so that my 8:30 marathon pace feels comfortable during the race. The funny thing is that I don't actually know what an 8:30 pace feels like. All of my runs are either much faster or much slower. I know exactly what a 7:30 pace feels like, and exactly what a 10:00 pace feels like. I guess I'll find out exactly what an 8:30 feels like in two weeks at the 1/2 marathon.

Just a quick update on Rush and his broken leg...
He's doing much better. He actually started to walk in the cast, just like the doctor said he would. We call him Peggy because he walks like he has a peg leg. It's kind of cute. Only 10 more days and the cast comes off. I can't wait...and I'm sure Rush can't wait either. More later.

Is it starting to seem like all I do is complain in this blog? Well...this week I have an excuse. My sweet little 15-month-old, Rush, broke his leg. Doesn't he look sad? He was trying to climb up on Mac's loft bed when he fell off the ladder. I was there when it happened. I have to admit it didn't look like much, but when he wouldn't stop crying and refused to put any weight on it, I had a bad feeling it was broken (Mac broke his arm last year and he wouldn't stop crying either). I took him to the hospital, and sure enough, SNAP. They called it a tib/fib, meaning both the tibia and fibula were fractured. It sounds awful, but the doc said it should heal fine. The good news is that he only needs to be in a cast for three weeks. It's going to be three weeks of hell. When your 15-months-old, your entire life revolves around the fact that you can now get around on your own. When this is suddenly taken away from you, you're pretty peeved. Runners know how frustrating it is when they get an injury and can't run. Imagine explaining to a 15-month-old why he can no longer walk. He spent the first two days throwing himself down on the ground and crying.

But enough about Rush. Now let's talk about how this whole thing effected me. Rush was supposed to start his one day of daycare this Thursday so I could do my long run. Because he broke his leg on Tuesday he couldn't go, which meant I couldn't run. My husband Rob took the morning off on Friday so I could get my 18-miler in. To save a couple of hours, I decided to do the run in Evergreen instead of going down the hill to do it on a flat and easy course in Denver. My 15-miler at Elk Meadow went well two weeks ago, so I figured adding on an extra three miles wouldn't be that difficult. WRONGO! Two weeks ago it was only 50 degrees. Today it was in the 70s, but it felt much hotter in the blazing sun. I did four laps -- a 4.5 mile loop with a 600 foot elevation gain each time around. The toughest lap was the second, because all I could think about was the fact that I had to do the whole thing two more times. I felt ok for the third lap, knowing I just had one more to go after that. The final lap was killer. My legs were shot. The whole run took me 26 minutes longer than I had planned, and by the time I was done every part of my body ached. It is probably the worst I've ever felt after a training run. The good news is that I'm positive this run was harder than the marathon will be in November.

Speaking of the marathon, I only need a few more donations to reach my fundraising committment to Team for Kids. If you haven't donated yet, just click on the link on the right side of this page.


While most of the week S--KED, one really good thing happened. Mac turned four on August 31, and he started school. He's such a big boy now and I'm so proud of him!

Now if I can just keep my family safe and free of all broken bones over the next few months I'll be happy. Please help me out Mac and Rush, and put all climbing on hiatus until after November 5th!

I had this really gnarly picture of my red swollen foot and toe to post (including a lovely black toenail) but then I decided that I like myself too much to leave that image in the minds of the three people who actually read my blog. So instead, I decided to post a picture of the little bast**d who caused it all.

It's a long story, but about a month ago I got stung by a wasp on the toe. No big deal. It hurt immensely for about a minute, and then I was fine. Well, last Wednesday I was enjoying the weather out on my deck when I felt excruciating pain in my toe. I looked down, and there was a wasp caught in my sandal. It hurt like heck for about a minute, but unlike the sting two weeks before, it didn't stop hurting. It continued to throb at a level eight on the pain scale for the next 24 hours. It hurt so much, I had to take two days off from running. Can you believe it? Of all of the places that little bee-stard could have stung me it had to be on the toe. After the pain stopped, it started itching so much that I was positive I would either kill someone or have to be committed.

That's the bad news. The good news is, the two days of rest gave a real boost to my running. I did the Elk Meadow run last Friday, two days after the sting. My foot was still swollen, and I had to loosen my shoelaces to get it to fit inside my running shoe. I was kind of dreading the run because the week before I had done two loops and it nearly killed me. This time around I was going to be doing three loops. The extra rest must have helped, because I felt awesome. It was a chilly day for August (around 60 degrees) and I felt like I could do another loop by the time I finished. The only negative is that my hydration pack (a Camelbak Flashflo) started leaking and I was drenched for almost the entire run. It felt like I was running with ice packs on my butt (hmm...maybe I should try this). Unfortunately, it took a very painful wasp sting to once again teach me the importance of rest.

I wish I could say today's 12-miler went as well. I really underestimated the effect the heat would have on me. I had to do my long run in Denver because I needed my mother-in-law to watch my kids. It was 95 degrees down there. I haven't run in that kind of heat in six years. I felt great for the first six miles, but when I turned around to head back, I felt like I did during my marathon death march in the 2000 Rock n' Roll Marathon in San Diego. I know my electrolytes must have been really messed up because I had chills, even though it was 95 degrees outside. I started out at about a 9 minute pace and finished the last two miles at around a 12 minute pace. I used my new hydration belt (the Fuel Belt Endurance - which I love by the way - and it doesn't leak). It holds 40 ounces and I refilled it once. I went through nearly 80 ounces of water. I felt so cruddy. When I stopped to walk for my cool down, my heart rate remained in the 140s for more than ten minutes. I feel normal now, just a bit sore from running on the concrete. It's funny how I can set off on a run feeling like Super Woman and return home feeling more like Droopy the Dog. Thank god I didn't head out for an 18-miler (that's next week). If it's 95 degrees on the day of my next long run, I think I'll stay inside and do it on the dreadmill.

Just in case you were wondering, Rush is almost weaned. He's still doing the first thing in the morning feeding, but that's it. I think I'll let him keep this one for the next couple of weeks. Then I'm a free woman. More later.

Here's a picture of me crossing the finish line at the August 6, 2006 Iron Girl. Check out those legs. I guess SPF 50 really does work.

It's been an interesting week. First off, in the donation department, I only have $135 left to raise for guaranteed entry into the NYC Marathon! Thanks for helping me raise nearly $2,500 for Team For Kids! And if you haven't contributed yet and want to say you were the one who pushed me over the mark, click on the link to the right.

Last Thursday I did an 11.2 mile run on the Elk Meadow trail in Evergreen. It's a beautiful run; a 5.6 mile loop with an impressive uphill climb. It starts at around 7,400 feet and goes up to nearly 8,000 (a 600 ft. gain over the course of the run).

I learned a few things on my run. First of all, never eat Weight Watcher's Chicken Enchiladas Monterey as a pre-run meal, unless for some reason you like the taste so much that you're willing to repeat the experience for the next two hours. Yuck!

I also learned why I love the long run. Like most of my runs, the first three miles (which were slightly downhill) SUCKED. I was talking to my friend Olga about this (who by the way is also training to run NYC with me - you go girl!). Olga and I agreed that the first three to four miles of a long run always suck. Then we get into a groove and almost feel like we could run forever. This is why I enjoy the long run so much. You spend a lot more time in that effortless zone. Maybe this is why people who only run three to four miles at a time can't imagine doing a marathon. They never do runs long enough to get in that effortless zone. They imagine feeling the way most people do during a 5k for 26.2 miles. If I felt the way I do during a 5k in a marathon, I would never finish. I'll write more about this in upcoming posts, because not only do I want to raise money for Team For Kids, but I also want to convince everyone I know to do a marathon at least once.

During the last two miles of the run, I started to get pretty tired. I fought the hills and the hills won. I remember thinking I could never do another loop. My legs ached for two days afterwards. Then I realized that I had to do more runs at Elk Meadow. It made me stronger. I did a 7-mile tempo run the Saturday after and I swear I felt faster than I've ever been before. I'm learning so much during my training this time around. First, I'm learning that I have to train HARD to get better. But I've also learned that it's even more important to train easy. It's so difficult to take time off to let your body recover (especially when you start to see gains and you think - if I could just run more I could get even faster). But by training really hard three days a week, and REALLY easy three days a week, I have made more improvements than ever before. Hopefully, the improvements will continue.

So today I'm getting ready to do another run at Elk Meadow. This time I'm going to do 15 miles (three loops) something I couldn't imagine doing just a week ago. Oh how quickly we forget. I'll post how it goes in my next entry. And don't worry...no more Chicken Enchiladas Monterey.

I wish I could say that Rush looks this unhappy because I'm weaning him. The truth is, I cut out three feedings today and he could care less. I guess it's mom who needs to be weaned more than baby. Anyway, at this rate I have one (maybe two) more weeks of breastfeeding left. I should have posted a picture of me crying.

But, on a much happier note, I'm almost done fund raising. Only $339 left to go (a special thank you to everyone who read my blog and donated last week). So, if you haven't donated yet, just know that you could be the one who pushes me over the $2,500 mark. Just click on the link to the right.

Last Thursday I did my longest run in the last six years, a 13-miler. I'm definitely feeling older than I did back in 2000. My hips and knees started aching about five miles into the run. Cardio-wise I felt like I could go forever, but my body has a hard time with the pounding now. I'm sure it doesn't help that I do most of my runs on the treadmill, and this one was on pavement. Hopefully, the runs will get easier as I do more outside running.

But the biggest news is that I set a personal record at a race yesterday. It was called the RYKA Iron Girl 5 miler. I did it because I wanted a t-shirt that said "Iron Girl" (secretly hoping people might mistake it for Iron Man - who doesn't want people to think they've done an Iron Man?). Anyway, I ran it in 38:28 (a 7:41 pace). I ended up placing fourth in my age group. That's by far the fastest I've ever run. I felt like I was going to die during the race and when I finished I was so dizzy and nauseated I thought I'd never eat again. Thankfully, the feeling passed. I won't mention how many calories I've packed in since.

I felt good about my time, but it was kind of depressing to watch women blaze by me, running the entire race at a pace that's faster than I can sprint for 40 yards. Those women are amazing. I know because one of them started screaming at me when I took a wrong turn. I almost missed an entire half-mile section of the course, and this woman was quick to point out my mistake, not in a friendly kind of way, but in a "if you don't turn around right now I'm going to beat your ass" kind of way. Wow...competitive athletes are...um...competitive. I apologized profusely as I turned around to get back on course, but she was already gone, her pink hot pant shorts leaving a trail of smoke. I may never win a race, but I'll also never wear pink hot pant shorts. Which is sadder? You be the judge.

No, I don't usually look this happy when I'm running on the dreadmill. I must have been watching a particularly good episode of Project Runway.

I have two little guys at home, so I have to do most of my runs on the treadmill. The only thing that makes it survivable is TIVO. This is why I've compiled my top ten Tivo shows for treadmill running. Most of them are silly and mindless, and there's a few I'm even embarrassed to admit I watch, but they've all gotten me through many miles.

10. Fear Factor - I could never sit down on the couch and watch this show, but there's nothing like a good eyeball eating contest to get me through the pain of an interval workout.
9. Survivor - this show is starting to get old, but watching people lose 30 percent of their body mass over 40 days is always inspiring.
8. The Real Orange County Housewives - a Bravo reality show about rich housewives in the OC. Ohhhhh...the drama.
7. Laguna Beach the Real OC - an MTV reality show about rich teens in the OC. OK so this one is embarrassing - but I like it anyway.
6. Workout - a new Bravo reality show about a chick who runs a gym for rich LA hotties. Who wouldn't want to watch attractive people sweat while sweating?
5. So You Think You Can Dance - an American Idol type show where callers help pick the next dance sensation (if there is such a thing. I don't think I can name a single dance sensation from the past decade) The dancing is usually entertaining and it requires absolutely no brainpower.
4. Rock Star Supernova - a reality show on CBS that has Tommy Lee and some rockers from Guns N'Roses and Metallica picking a new lead singer for their hybrid group Supernova. It's mostly music, but there's some decent drama when the rockers fight over song selection.
3. Entourage - an HBO comedy about a young movie star and his entourage. It's the only non-reality show on my list. I love the jerky agent character played by Jeremy Piven. The only drawback to watching this show while running is the possibility of missing a particularly good line of dialogue due to heavy breathing.
2. American Idol - I'm sorry...I love this show. Go Taylor!
1. Project Runway - a Bravo reality tv show that pits up and coming fashion designers against each other. I actually look forward to the run I get to do during this show. Anyone who has seen my idea of a cute outfit knows I'm totally clueless when it comes to fashion. This makes the show much more dramatic because I can never guess who is going to get the boot each week.

Thank god for Tivo, Bravo, and reality TV. I'd never make it through my runs without their support.

Last week I met with a personal trainer to get some tips on how to improve my running performance. I learned that while my abs are incredibly weak, I have the added bonus of a back that is even weaker. She taught me all of these exercises to improve my core strength (abs and back) with one of those big exercise balls. It was amazing. My abs still hurt. Today I joined the ranks of every housewife in America and bought one of those big balls for myself. Because of my lack of coordination, I probably look like a total goob rolling around on that thing, but if it makes me stronger, I'll do it. (NO, I won't be posting pictures).

Speaking of looking like a total goob, I also did some running in the swimming pool today. It's all the craze with the over 80 set. I wrapped one of those foam belts around my waist and flailed my arms and legs for an hour with my friend Joelle (who for some reason looked much cuter than I did during the flail). Little kids were pointing, staring, and laughing. Did I mention I also broke my heart rate monitor in the process? I thought it was supposed to be water resistant to 10 meters. Did they mean 10 millimeters? The instant I hit the water the thing started speaking Russian. Then it died. Does this mean I get to go shopping? Hmmm...potential blessing in disguise.

I also hit the $1,000 dollar mark in my fund raising today. I only need to raise $1,500 more to guarantee my marathon entry. I'm feeling really good about all of the support I'm getting.

But the biggest thing I did today involved Rush (my 14-month-old) I started the weaning process. I cut out one of his five daily feedings. He's taking it pretty well so far. To be honest, I don't think he noticed. But next week when I start cutting the pre nap feedings he's going to be pretty peeved. (Wait...is this too much information? Maybe I shouldn't be admitting I'm still breast feeding a 14-month-old. Too late now) I have until I leave for the marathon to get him off the mom and on the cow or it's going to be a very long weekend. I don't know if this whole marathon thing is going to be tougher for me or Rush. Maybe he'll talk about it in his blog. I'll post the link as soon as he learns to write.

It's been more than a month since I started this site and I haven't made a second entry yet. That's pretty sad. Can I use the lame excuse that I've been busy training and fund raising? I finally got all of my fund raising letters mailed out for Team For Kids. I sent out a total of 125. Now I just have to sit back and wait for the money to pour in. Gosh...I hope it's that easy. I'm already having a heart attack. What if no one donates? What if I don't actually have any friends who think TFK is a worthy cause. It is...I assure you. Last year they provided running programs for 15,000 kids across the country. These are at-risk kids who don't even have a once a week gym class at school. (What...no dodge ball? Ok maybe that's a good thing). But think about it, if kids never workout, not even for a half an hour once a week at school, we're going to have some pretty unhealthy kids who may possibly never learn that getting fit can actually be fun and rewarding. So...if you're reading this...and haven't donated yet...please go to www.teamforkids.org. Click on "Contribute," enter my marathon entry number "10299," and my last name "Bogin," and consider making a donation of $1, $2, $5, or $10 per mile (a marathon being 26.2 miles). Remember...I can't run unless I raise my allotted amount. And for those of you who have already donated...thank you thank you thank you thank you. OK...that's it for my plug.

My training is going well. I started the first week in July. I'm up to about 30 miles a week. So far my longest run has been 10 miles. Over the course of the next three months I'll build up to around 45 miles a week, and I'll complete three 20 mile runs (assuming I don't get injured). My goal is to finish the marathon in just under 4 hours. How fast is that? Well...the winners will finish between 2:10 and 2:20 depending on the race day conditions (if that puts it all into perspective) so I'm pretty slow (but not the slowest). I think they give people 12 hours to finish. Most reasonably fit people could walk it in about six hours. Supposedly Oprah did a marathon in just under 4 hours (although this is sometimes disputed - some say her time was closer to 4:20 - a ten minute per mile pace). I like thinking she did it under 4...then I can tell myself "If Oprah did it I can do it too." That's probably how the rumor got started. Anyway...it's a great motivator. GO OPRAH!

In November of 2000, I ran the NYC Marathon for the first time. Behind my wedding and the births of my two children, it was the most memorable experience of my life. I couldn't wait to do it again. And I told myself that once I was done having babies, I would. Well...that time has come.

The ING NYC Marathon 2006 will be my third marathon. My first was the Suzuki Rock N' Roll Marathon in San Diego in June of 2000. It was a horrible experience. I think I trained well, but the day of the race was extraordinarily hot for San Diego, and like a complete idiot, I decided not to wear sunscreen. Who wants sweaty sunscreen to burn their eyes with the white hot intensity of 1,000 burning suns for four and a half hours? Well, needless to say, I got a horrible sunburn. Then I think I had some sort of electrolyte imbalance because by mile 16 I could barely move. It wasn't a marathon, it was a death march. Forget any goals I had set for pace. My new goal was survival. It's funny, because I remember passing groups of people running for various charities, and they were all smiling and cheering on everyone around them. I was so jealous (pissed is probably a better word) that I was in misery and they were having so much fun.When I finally did finish in 4:52:17, I was pretty beat up, both physically and mentally. I knew I was going to start training for NY in one month, and I didn't want to make the same mistakes in that marathon. No...I wasn't worried about the heat in NY in November, I just wanted to make sure that this time I had fun. Well...I did. In fact, I don't think I stopped smiling for 26.2 miles. Heck, I don’t think I stopped smiling for 26.2 days.

Now it's time for marathon number three, and I'm doing it for charity. It's called Team for Kids, and I’m going to help raise money to fund running based physical fitness programs for 15,000 kids who have no other access to phys ed. I wish I had started running when I was a kid. Then maybe I’d be halfway decent at the sport. I think Team for Kids is a fantastic organization, and in the age of X-box and Nintendo, I consider anything that inspires kids to get off the couch to be a very worthy cause.

Running is definitely an individual sport, and if you’re married and have two kids, running a marathon is one of the most selfish things you can do. Actually, I think running is a fantastic activity that not only helps you get fit, but improves your overall self esteem. However, my very supportive family will have to sacrifice a lot of mom time so that I can train for the race. And the time that they are around me, I’ll probably be a little sore and crabby. So, running this race for TFK is my way of giving something back. And, hopefully in the process, I will inspire my own kids to start running once they’re old enough.