Independence Day

I'm almost done with my 2nd week of official training.  As of tomorrow, the marathon is 14 weeks away.  I've been feeling great so far, although my really long runs are still in front of me, several weeks away.  Tomorrow I'm scheduled to run 6 miles... longer than I've ever run at one time before.  However, I've found that if I take this training one day at a time, it is totally do-able.  I can't be doing a 6-mile run while at the same time worrying about the 10- and 14- and 18- and 26-mile runs that are ahead of me.  Those don't matter today.  They will matter on the days that I run them, and that is the only way I can approach this training.

My "bible" right now is "The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer", by Whitsett, Dolgener and Kole (no, they are not a law firm).  It's a terrific resource, and if you're not a runner (as I was not prior to this undertaking), and you've ever thought about doing something like this... you should check out this book.

More important than the book, though, is the support I'm getting from friends and family.  Sure, a lot of folks initially thought I was crazy for doing this (and some probably still do), but they are still supporting my craziness nonetheless.  Then there are the folks who are already marathoners, and when I tell them what I'm doing, I get the most positive responses imaginable:  "Awesome! I'm so excited for you!", "Anytime you want a running partner, call me!", "It doesn't matter if you weren't a runner before... I know you can do this!".  I can even hear Scott with his ever-popular, "Right On!".  This support is what helps keep me going, and I thank each and every one of you!

Happy Independence Day.  :)