I did it! I am a marathoner.

26.2 miles are mine.

Photos to come!! I am told by my support group that many were taken. I have yet to see them but I am excited to see them!!


Before the marathon with my mom.


During the marathon. This is at mile 23. Look at those legs.


After the marathon with my mom. See that sweet looking silver blanket? Sweet, isn't it? Yes, I felt really damn amazing.


I know that I could not have made it without their support at 4 different locations throughout the marathon! And they had fig newtons!!! Yummy!


I couldn't ask for better parents. They rock. My dad thought mid-race to rent bikes and ride along with me from mile 23-26.2. Needless to say that really helped.

Do a marathon, it will change your life.

Current book I'm reading: The one I'm writing.

carboload - carboload - carboload

Only six days left until the big day, the ATT Austin Marathon. The day that has been stuck in my head for 25 weeks, February 18, 2007. This is a day that I will probably always remember. My first marathon. My first marathon experience.

On Thursday, August 17, 2006, shortly after I began working at the Statesman, I read an article in the paper about how the previous Freescale marathon was changing sponsors. ATT was going to take over the main sponsorship, and the race course might change. I was excited about the 10,000 entrants, which made this marathon the 15th most popoular in the nation. A website for the marathon was tacked on to the end of the short, seemingly inconsequential article. It was certainly the tiny push that I needed to check out the lore around marathon training and running. I began my search that day for a marathon training group. I had decided by the end of that day, August 17, 2006, that I would be training for 25 weeks with AustinFit marathon training group for the marathon that is coming up, now only 6 days away.

That decisive, self-assured move that I made that day, to sign up to run, to join AustinFit, has since changed my life in a huge way. Running long distances like I had never ran before has changed my perspective on my body. I realize now that the human body is capable of so much more than we know. I realize now that the human spirit and mind, specifically my human spirit and mind, is stronger than I ever realized. This realization, which I came upon after a recovering from injury mid-season and after a 22 mile training run just two weeks ago will culminate and consume my mind and body at the end of the race on February 18, 2007. This weekend.

Someone close to me said to me the other day that he "hadn't even seen how strong I was yet" within the duration of our relationship. He then added that on race day, when I complete my 26.2 miles, he was sure that he would see how strong I was. I never thought of it that way, though. I never thought of completing the marathon to show other people how strong I was. I always framed it in terms of proving my strength to myself. And that I will.


See those legs? They will carry me.

Current book I'm reading: The one I'm writing about my life as a runner.
Current song stuck in my head: Peter Gabriel's "Games without Frontiers"

"The long run is what puts the tiger in the cat" ~Bill Squires

Looming above almost all of my thoughts these days is the pending...

26.2 miles. The 42K. The big one. The long, long run.

The goal of marathon completion that I've had since I realized I was a runner back in 7th grade, age 12. Now I'm 23, and I'm going for that goal! I'm so happy. Please support me in this goal and check out this marathon countdown below:

Countdown to February 18, 2007!

Do the countdown with me to the marathon! Encourage me daily, please!


And, now, for this silly little quiz result. Janet did it, so I had to. Mostly because it was the silliest quiz I've ever seen her do. Sillies of the world, unite! I have the tiger in me, and the kitty cat in me, apparently, so that means I can run 26! Right?

What Kind of Cute Are You?
Kitten Cute You are KITTEN CUTE! You are as cute as it gets. You are adorable, snuggly, playful and small. Everyone loves you, and if they don't they're probably mean.
Take The Quiz Now!	Quizzes by myYearbook.com

Current book I'm reading: Allan Ginsberg's The Book of Martyrdom and Artifice The Book of Martyrdom and Artificehttp://www.perseusbooksgroup.com/dacapo/book_detail.jsp?isbn=0306814625