Park to Park 5 Miler Race Report

I seriously contemplated DNSing this race. It really shows the extreme lack of motivation I've suffered from since the marathon. Preston couldn't go (had to work), it was semi-chilly and I was worried that I'd have clothing/temperature issues without P there to give me a coat at the end, I was going to have to drive myself, find parking, pick-up my packet, run, ride the Metrorail back, and drive home... it just started sounding like too much.

But I did it. Thank goodness that I am such a tightwad that I can't stand to waste money, and thank goodness I almost always pre-register!

I left the house around 5:30, hoping to hit downtown around 6. I am still a little grumpy with the race director on this one - participants could park free in the Toyota Center garage, but they didn't put that on the website, so if you picked up your packet the morning of, chances were that you had already paid $10 to park in a surface lot (as I had). Annnyways...

Discovery Green park is actually pretty nice. I've been hearing about it for awhile since my place of work has a facility there, but I've never been there.

Got my packet. *Thrilled* to notice that there was a bag check. No freezing for me at the finish line!!! (Another thing that would have been well-advertised on the website.) Went back to my car, stowed my stuff, then waited around until about 20 minutes before start before checking my jacket and lining up.

The start was a little different from last year, when we were coming from Minute Maid. I was using this race as a test of my fast fitness after the marathon. I knew that I'd be slower than last year, when I ran a 44:14 for 8:50 miles, but I harbored a vague hope that I wasn't terribly slower, despite my lack of training since the marathon, so I decided to go out for anything sub 9's, and see how long I could hold it.

The first two miles came rather easily. At 3 I was starting to struggle to hold my pace just a bit, and I remember thinking that if I was in a 5K I'd be done already! I also remember glancing down at the Garmin and knowing that I'd have been pleased with my 5K time (27ish minutes) if I was done. This gives me strong hopes for some of the 5Ks I'm going to be running for the rest of the spring season.

I slowed down a bit in the 4th mile, but still kept it under 9. Then we made that big right hand turn that I remembered from last year, the one that basically means 1 mile to go. I kept trying to tell myself to push it because I was almost done, and it worked until I hit the gravel in Herman Park, but then I just didn't have anything else left to give. That was combined with the extra caution that the surface change caused in me - I'm not sure why, but the gravel felt really slick to me, and I was vaguely afraid of falling.

Finished in 45:03 for 9:00 miles. 51 seconds slower than last year. 15th of 39 in my age group.

Looked at last year's splits, and I basically started slow and sped up through the race (despite a vague memory of slowing on the gravel). This year I did just the opposite: started fast, and slowed down. I'm sure that I ran a better race last year, but ultimately I think I could run a faster race if I could just find my pace and peg it like I did at the Trolley Run last year. That is what I was trying to do this time around, but I just didn't quite have it in the legs to pull off.

Over all, I'm really quite pleased with this result 5 weeks off the marathon. More importantly, I feel like I've got a little of my mojo back. I don't think that I can break my 5K PR or anything on March 7th (my next race), but I don't feel like I'm going to run a 30+ minute 5K either. And after I run that 5K, I'll have 4 weeks to the Bellaire Trolley Run to train for speed so I can really bring it to that race.

Chevron Houston Marathon Race Report

The Blow-By-Blow

I had set the alarm for 3:30 so that we could leave the house for the convention center around 4. Drank my coffee to get things moving, got all ready (everything was laid out the night before), loaded Mom and P-stone into the car and went.

I love how the Houston Marathon gets the use of the Convention Center the morning of the race. Had Preston drop me off near the entrance and just walked right in around 5am. I wandered around for just a bit looking for anyone I knew and getting my bearings, but then went in search of a restroom, which I found on the second floor. I decided to hang out in that general vicinity (there are these really cool windows where I could watch what was going on in the main holding area below). It was really quite interesting because it was near the elite athlete area, so I got to watch the elites run up and down the hall warming up. Very cool.

Used the restroom probably 800 times... oh, this was interesting (in a human study kind of way). There were two women's restrooms within about 20 feet of each other (both very clearly marked). There was a line out the door and halfway into the hallway on the one closer to the stairs. I just walked right into the second one and was completely alone. Humans are funny
sheep.

Anyways, I finally decided to head down to the start around 6:15. It wasn't as cold as I had hoped (high 50's, maybe even low 60's), so I just wore one long-sleeved tech T that I got on sale at Target so I'd be warm at the start. My plan was to discard it as soon as I was warm.
I placed myself with the 4:30 pace group. My plan was to go out, try to stick with them, but if I needed to let them go, not to sweat it. Before long, I saw a few Yellows from Woodlands Fit. (Apparently 4:30 is the pace group of choice for Yellows.) They told me I looked nervous. I was!!

I ran with them for the first 3 miles, discarding my shirt on the Elysian viaduct only about a mile in. I knew then that we were in for a hot day. I left my friends around mile 3 to go high-five my Mom, Preston, and Billy who were screaming like crazy! I'm not sure what happened, but I just never saw the WFitters again.

I kept running along, walking the water stops, almost in a sort of daze. I had one problem at the 4.5(ish) water stop - there was only one table for Gatorade!! My nutrition/hydration plan was as follows: the water stops were 1.5 miles apart. Every 3rd water stop, I'd take a Honey Stinger and water. All other water stops I'd do Gatorade and an Endurolyte pill. My much more experienced friend from WFit warned me not to veer from my plan, and not to miss any water stops, due to the heat. So, I ran past the Gatorade table thinking there'd be another (the first few tables are always super crowded, but then usually there is a table fully loaded down the line... again, humans are funny sheep), but in this case there wasn't another Gatorade table, so I actually had to turn around, reapproach the stop, wait for the ONE volunteer there to pour the Gatorade, etc. I probably actually lost a few minutes in that mess. That grumpified me, but I reminded myself that I'd lose a lot more minutes if I didn't hydrate, and also that this is my first marathon - I shouldn't be worried about time anyways!!

I also got a rock in my shoe somewhere in the Woodland Heights (maybe 5 miles in?). I wanted to take it out the entire race, but never did.

Shortly after that, I looked down at my Garmin to see how it was going, and noticed salt crusting around it. Already.

Then the strangest thing happened: I stopped thinking. I am almost always thinking when I'm running. Worrying about stuff in my life, working out problems, fighting the urge to stop, etc. But suddenly I looked down and I was 10 miles into the thing, and I thought, "Where did the time and miles go?" Very surreal.

Then I started fighting, though. I got blessed by the sweet smelling holy water near Rice. I saw Robert from work around there too. But I was already starting to hurt, and it was too early to be hurting. I kept telling myself to just get to Rosa from work, who was supposed to be at about 15.5, and then I could sit down and get the rock out of my shoe. I did get to her, but I didn't get the rock out. After I passed her, though, is when I really started tanking. Somewhere in that
area, too, I stopped sweating. By mile 18 (Around 3:30), I was in so much pain that it hurt just as much to walk as to run. I would run half a mile, walk 'til I felt a little better, then go again. I called Preston, who was supposed to be with my mom at 22, and asked if he could walk towards me. Then I just kept telling myself to get to Preston. He found me around mile 20. I was running so slow that he could walk beside me. We talked a little, but mostly he just stayed with me.

Somehow this was very comforting. I had psyched myself out about the not-sweating, and I knew I was very dehydrated despite all the gatorade I was drinking, and I was starting to panic and think I should go to a medical tent. I knew, though, that if I did that I would sit down, and I knew that if I sat my run was over - I wouldn't be getting up any time soon. With Preston with me, I stopped worring about all the medical stuff, because I knew if something bad happened, he'd get me help. It really eased my mind (which clearly wasn't all there, at that point). We saw Laney from work at 22 working the water stop, and then my mom, and then shortly after that Preston left me. He said, "Amber, walk, but don't quit." I picked that up as a mantra and sang/hummed it to myself for the next several miles: walk, don't quit.

When I got to the Shepherd crossover, I saw my boss and gimped to a run to high-five her. That was a nice pick-up, mentally. Then on Allen Parkway my strategy was to run the downhills and flats, and walk the uphills. That was just brainless enough for me to accomplish. Then I ran to
the library. Then I walked Louisiana (big wind tunnel), then I ran/walked every other stoplight until about 3 blocks from the finish, where I decided to run it in. I saw a lady from work around 25.5, unexpectedly, very cool (and I was running!). Then my mom and Preston had made it to about 26, so I saw them one more time. And then I was across the line.

I had no emotional outpouring at the finish (5:22:49), surprisingly. I got my medal, then walked up to a volunteer, and stupidly said, "What do I do now?" I know it may seem strange, but I had been focusing on moving forward for so long, I didn't even know what to do. She was *wonderful*. She squeezed me to her side and explained what to do next. I went into
the GRB and got weighed (2.5 pounds down from my fully-clothed pre-race weigh-in two days before. On my home scale I was down 5 pounds from that morning after 2 pounds of water went in!). Then I got my finisher's shirt (no more smalls, boooo!) and mug, and called Mom and P to come get me. I had to walk almost 5 blocks to the car, and it hurt!! I was still humming
as I walked to distract myself.

When we finally got to the car, I climbed into the back seat, and let me tell you, it was the BEST sitting I've ever felt in my life!!!

I perked up in the car as the pain subsided, and by the time we got home, I was ready for food and a shower. I sent P to get Crispy Honey Shrimp from PF Chang's (One of my favorites that I don't allow myself because it is like 1300 calories!) while I showered and it was THE BEST FOOD EVAR!!

The Aftermath

I took some time off running, and all residual soreness was gone by Thursday morning. I went for a little 2 miler on Friday morning.

It was fun for everyone to ask/care how it went.

Lessons Learned

I was on track for a sub-5 finish until just after 18 miles when I slowed to a 15 min/mile pace and struggled through to the end. The problem wasn't that I couldn't run fast enough, rather that my body gave out too soon. With that in mind, I think that next time I need to do a few more looooong runs (Ideally, 2 30Ks, and at least one 20+ miler, maybe 2). I also did my
last long run 4 weeks out, and I think 3 (meaning only 2 weekends of taper and then the weekend of the big day) weeks out would be much better. Also, if the temps are slated to go over 60, I need to wear my hydration belt, despite the fact that it adds about 5 pounds.

This marathon was the single most painful thing that I've ever done on purpose. The only thing that hurt like this that I ever had the option to quit and powered through. I am proud of myself for finishing. But it only proved to me that I can do more, better. I will do more, better.

2009: The Plan

My final 2008 tally looked like this:
Swim: 125,000 yards (71 miles)
Bike: 725 miles
Run: 730 miles
Weight: up 1 pound

So, what's on tap for 2009? What are my resolutions? My goals?

I resolve to try to do what it takes to be happy, whether that be swim, bike, run, rest, work hard, or have fun.

My mileage goals are as follows:
Swim: 141,000 yards (80 miles)
Bike: 1000 miles
Run: 1000 miles
Lift: 50 times
Core: 50 times

My weight goal? Get back below 130 (damnit), and then maintain 125-130lbs.

And now for the plan. The goals have actually been really difficult for me, what with the marathon coming up in 12 days... but the planning, well, my mind needed to move past the marathon about a month ago, so here it is. Right after the marathon, I want to do a swim focus. As in: swim 4 days per week for the month of February. As soon as I can walk/run again, I'd also like to start working on my short-distance speed. I'm running after some PRs and maybe some age-group placings this spring. I intend on racing the Mardi Gras 10K, Park to Park 5 miler, Mutt Strutt 5K, Bayou City Classic 10K, Law Week 8K, and Bellaire Trolley Run 5K.

At some point in the spring, probably April, I need a hardcore bike focus.

Then in May, I'll do the CB&I sprint tri to open up the tri season. I've got this crazy little notion of one tri per month from May-November, but we'll see if it really pans out. I also want to try a longer tri, an oly for sure, and possibly (if that and training go well) a half-iron. Oh, and I want the longer ones to not suck. I think I learned what I needed to from last year to train smarter this year.

I've got 3 potential end-of-the-year plans: either a half-iron in November, in which case I'll take an easy off-season in December; a series of one Texas half marathon per month from November-March (Houston, Dallas, Austin, Ft. Worth, etc.); or train for the Houston Marathon again. A lot of this decision rides on how I feel after January 18th, naturally.

And, even though this post is supposed to be about this whole year, the marathon is heavy on my mind right now, so I'd like to say a bit about it. I'm not feeling that confident. I am actually confident that I can finish it within the time limit. I mean, if I can run 18.6 miles in 3.5 hours (as I did in 70 degree weather a few weeks ago), then I'd have 2.5 hours to walk 7.6 miles at a pace of just under 20 minutes per mile. I can do that, and that is a worst case scenario, because I could have kept running at the 30K. It would have sucked, but I could have done it. So, I believe I will finish. Beyond that, though, I have zero expectations. None. I just want to finish. I just want to finish. I just want to finish. Uninjured would be nice. Smiling would be super nice. Less than 5:59:59 would be sweet. No expectations. This is my first one of these, my first time going the distance. This is just to see what I can do, to create a baseline for me to beat next time.

With all of that said, I'm excited for 2009!

2008 in Review

Sometimes I look back at a year and I wonder how I should quantify it. A year ago I was pleased and proud of myself... this year, right now, I'm more negative, though I truly have just as much to be pleased/proud of/grateful for.

So I think I'll start off by assessing how I did on my goals... For 2008, my goals, as stated in this blog, and my performances were:

Firsts
1. Complete my first 10K race. Check - did 2.
2. Complete my first Half Marathon. Check - did 2.
3. Complete my first Sprint Triathlon. Check - did 2.

Numbers
1. Lose those last 5 pounds. (But only healthily - if my body wishes to keep those 5 pounds, then the resolution becomes maintaining my weight.) Check - maintained. On January 2, 2008, I weighed 131.0. This morning I weighed 131.4. For much of the year I was 128ish - holidays are hard on me - but maintain I did, and I'm counting it as a goal accomplished.
2. Run at least 520 miles. Check - we're at 725.75 with one run to go.
3. Bike at least 520 miles. Check - 717.
4. 52 swimming miles this year. Check - 71 miles (125,000 yards).

Athletically, I accomplished my goals, really beyond my wildest dreams.

Humanly, I've had a harder time. I got back on The Pill, which was a huge mistake. I realized that, and got back off it, but it has really caused some depression issues for me (again). Note to self: It will NEVER be *different* this time. Run away screaming.

Career-wise, I got a promotion to a more high-profile, high-responsibility position. I love and hate my new job, and while I am certain I made the right decision, I did not achieve the sense of satisfaction that I had hoped for. I've been wrestling with the knowledge that several higher positions that I am interested in are open or opening, and which one(s) should I apply for? Many days I think that I'd like the lower profile position (that also pays less than at least one other option) because I don't like being stressed about work. And I'm stressed a lot. This has been a very difficult conclusion to draw, though, because I've always been ambitious, and I'm pretty much choosing to glass ceiling myself for awhile. I do think that ultimately it is a better decision for my mental health, but it isn't without its drawbacks, the primary one being the people I'd be working with... (I'm going to go off this tangent now, because I could go on forever.)

I am grateful for my husband, my kitties, my family, my friends, my job (isn't so terrible to stress about which path upwards you want to take when many people are being laid off!), my home, and my runner-self. I am grateful for this year. I am grateful for the willpower and the desire to get out of bed each morning, stumble into the cold, and to continue to improve me. I did improve in 2008. I will improve more in 2009.

Lakes of Williams Ranch 30K Race Report

I'll jump right in here: The first couple miles were fine. I was actually pretty proud of myself - I didn't want to run any sub-10 minute miles for this race. My goal was to go slow at the beginning and not feel like crap at the end. (I achieved exactly half of this goal - the slow part!!)
I made the turn and started the first loop and caught my first glimpse of Preston! My heart
rate strap had never synched with my Garmin (and yes, I turned it on when I was far away
from people, so it is just on the fritz), so I took it off and handed it to him - no reason
to chafe if I can't even get data out of it!

After that, it was basically just 3 hellish loops. As I was coming in on the first loop I
yelled to Preston that I couldn't believe I still had 2 to go - that's how crappy I felt.
One good thing did come out of the race, though. The aid stations were set up every 2nd
mile, which corresponded to a loop turn-around. The first and second aid stations I took
Gatorade. The 3rd, 5th, and 7th I took a Honey Stinger gel with water, and the 4th, 6th,
and 8th I took an Endurolyte pill with Gatorade. The end result was zero leg cramps at the
end, and no GI distress. So, I think I may have finally found my magic marathon nutrition
combination!

Back to the race: I stayed sub-11 miles until I was through 13, walking only the aid
stations. At 13 I was struggling, so I started walking once per mile, and my miles started
getting slower and slower. I'd be all proud of myself, that I was still running, and I'd
look down at my pace and see 12:30 when my body really felt like it was doing 10:30! It was
mentally a very tough last 5 miles. Very tough. At 16 I was really hurting. Physically
hurting. I made a new deal with myself that I could walk every half a mile. I wasn't
comforted that everyone left out there with me looked to be struggling as mightily as I was.
And it was HOT by then. When I got into my car, which had been parked in the shade in a
garage after the race, it read 76 degrees. UGH! Preston said a lot of people were
complaining. I passed a guy within a few 100 yards of the finish line who said something
about the pain almost being over. This is the first race I've run where I really actually
was in pain. Wow - I don't have any words for that.

I couldn't see the finish line until the very very end, so it felt like it would never come.
I just kept shuffling along in some kind of loop-continuum. But it did finally come, my
Gramin reading 18.78 miles. I got my medal and my (lame) cotton T-shirt, but couldn't find
the water. I do hope the race director rethinks the set-up of the finish line amenities,
which were nice, but confusing! (And it isn't like most of us have just tons of brainpower
when we've been running for 3.5 hours!!)

I'm not sure I'll do the warm-up series again... I mean, I would, if I were training on my
own for sure - supported long runs and all of that. But for training with a
group, the schedules didn't always mesh well, and the first two were on the terrible hills
(though I will do the Houston Half again - medal and really nice tech singlet), and the last
two shorted finishers either a medal (25K) or a tech T (30K), both of which I'm coming to
expect for my money and for races that long... to be fair, I won't be doing San Antonio
again either, til they cough up a tech T.

This turned out to be my last long run before the marathon. I'll elaborate in a later post
on that...

So, 18.6 miles in 3:29:03. I'm sorry this post feels so fragmented. My feelings about the whole race are rather fragmented. I ran it, it was long, I struggled, I finished, and that's pretty much all I've got, other than the nutrition goodness that came out of it.

Super-Late Turkey Trot Race Report

The Dallas Turkey Trot is an 8 mile race (the distance around White Rock Lake, where it was originally held) that takes place on Thanksgiving morning in downtown Dallas.

We stayed at the Fairmont downtown (less than $100 per night - great runner's rate - and a nice hotel), and walked the mile or so to the start. It was a blustery morning, but nice.

What was not nice was the lack of organization between the 3 mile run/walkers and the 8 milers. The 8 mile race was supposed to start 15 minutes before the 3 mile fun thing, but when the gun went off, some 3 milers started, a lot stood in the middle of the start corral blocking the way, and a large portion slowly started wandering off on their 3 mile stroll. Now, please don't misinterpret: I am ALL FOR going on a healthy 3 mile walk with your entire family and dog and stroller on Thanksgiving morning. I am ALL FOR that 3 mile walk being an official Turkey Trot. But please, please listen to directions!!! If they tell you to talk to the side so faster people can go around, please do that!! If they tell you not to start, don't start, GAH!!!

Here is a good one. At the turn for the 3 milers, there was a sign, 3 MILE TURN LEFT HERE, with a giant arrow in the MIDDLE of the road. About 100 yards farther on, there was another GIANT sign saying, If you are a 3 miler, turn around, you have missed the turn. I actually heard a 3 mile lady say to her friend, "Do you think they mean it?" And then they kept going!!! GAH!!!

Anyways, other than all that, it was a nice little race. I like these sub-10 mile distances right now!! I wanted to go it at a sub-10 pace, too, but I didn't want to burn out for the 18 miler I had coming up that Saturday. But for the hilly viaduct, I would have had my time.

On the viaduct, that was actually pretty cool. My dad told me ahead of time that my Granny Alice had been stuck on the Houston viaduct during the tornado of 1957(?). My imagination took me away and I thought of my family as I ran along.

It was Viaduct Mountain on the way back in that wasn't much my friend, so I tried to tell myself that I was on Allen Parkway in the last 10k of the marathon in January, and just power myself up that bitch. It worked.

On the downside of the mountain I saw a runner down. He already had about 30 people around him, so I didn't stop, but I heard the most wonderful thing as I ran by, one of his people yelled for a medic. Then I heard behind me, in stages, going farther and farther back, the cry of "Medic". There is something both inspiring and comforting in that.

And thus I finished, 24 seconds slower than I'd have liked, and 800 calories in debt on a big-eating day (which I more than made up with 3, count them 3!!, slices of mom's most excellent chocolate cake).

I'll do the Turkey Trot in Dallas again, probably in 2010, but I'll seed myself muuuuuch farther forward than the signage suggests. Happy late Thanksgiving!!

Lots, Just Lots

I've got a lot to cover!

Turkey Trot Race Report is forthcoming, but here is a quick recap: I left on Sunday for my parents' house. I ran a 4 miler on hills on Monday, legs still feeling a little dead. Decided to cut the planned 4 miler on Tuesday because I realized I was scheduled to run 8 in the Turkey Trot, then 18 on Saturday. Figured 30 was enough for the week!! Tooled around with my rents, saw some friends, had Thanksgiving with family, saw some of Tut's stuff, then headed home on Friday.

Ok, so, about that 18 miler - I finished it! Woodlands Fit runs this one with Kingwood Fit. I had never been to Kingwood before, but it is quite a nice place. The first 9 weren't too exciting - through standard neighborhoods. I did hook up with a WFitter that I had never met before at about 5, and we would run the rest of the way together. I was glad, because despite the lovely nature trails and lakes of the second half, I was hurting after 15 pretty strongly, and any distraction was welcome. Anyways, 18.28 miles in 3:26. Not too bad for a training run! One of my coaches even emailed me to tell me I didn't look like I was struggling at the end - I may not have looked it, but I felt it! I told her, though, that for the first time I felt like maybe I could actually do this marathon thing. She said, "If you can do 18, then you can do 21, and if you can do 21, you can finish the marathon." Wow.

Beyond that, Preston started C25K on Monday!! I'm really excited. I think that he would really enjoy competing in the 5Ks in the Spring, and I'll really enjoy having him running instead of feeling guilty about dragging him around to all of these races.

I gained a few pounds in the past 2 weeks. I'm back up over 130, so I need to start dieting again, but it is the strangest thing - things just keep happening that seem to get in my way. I'm about ready to drop the hammer once and for all and get in 2 good weeks of healthy eating before x-mas, though... I feel rather like my body is craving a nice long hibernation. I'm storing fat, and each morning when I wake up it is everything I can do to drag myself out of bed, and sometimes I'm not even making it to my workouts. I suspect that this is why people program off-seasons into their plans. I haven't really taken any time off since I started almost 2 years ago, but it is difficult to justify and stomach time off when you use exercise as a method of weight control, mood control, etc. I've been trying to do less time each week in a sort of controlled off-season way instead. Focusing only on running and letting everything else slip so I'm putting in fewer hours. It may be working, but my head is so fuzzy from it that I can't really tell!! I'm sure that this, too, shall pass. I am really looking forward to some short stuff in the Spring, though!

I have just one more thing to really talk about. My work hired my replacement (finally - took them 10 months!). I was really ambivalent about the whole thing... but I really like her. She friended me on Facebook, and as a result I took a look at her blog. Now, here's the thing... I discovered from reading her blog that she is even cooler than I expected, which is great. But, I almost feel like I'm peeping through the window to her private thoughts. I shouldn't, I mean, she linked to her blog, so she must expect that people will follow the link and read it, and she must be intelligent enough to not friend people that she doesn't want reading it, but still, there is something almost wrong about it all. I started thinking about how very few people who know me know about my blog, and about how I like it that way. I never write these entries for anyone else, though I don't mind people reading (obviously). I never wanted to censor myself here, and I never have, with the exception of work stuff. Would I be weirded out if someone from work found my blog and then commented on it (without me telling them about it) - yes, indeed I would. I work with Librarians, y'all, and if they can do their jobs, I think they could find me... Just a lot of thoughts running around in my head regarding blogging and personal privacy and public access and the nature of knowing someone. Somehow a person's blog seems such an intimate thing (or at least, it can). It may only seem that way because of the way I think of my blog, but there it is. If you are reading an uncensored person, then you are really seeing into a part of their personality that they may keep hidden in the world of real life. And if that is the case, could it be true that one who reads your blog knows you better than the people you interact with on a daily basis?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRESTON!!

C25K Redux

I've recently had the opportunity to recommend Couch to 5K, (and an associated podcast that makes it super easy to follow) to a few friends and acquaintances. I try not to prosthelesize unless asked for advice, but once I'm asked, I can go on for hours because I feel so strongly about the program and its potential for positive impact in ANY non-runner's life.

So an old friend has started the program (he's on Week 2 now!), but is experiencing shin splints, so we talked for almost an hour last night (the short answer - I'm sending him to Luke's for new shoes).

Near the end of the conversation he said something better than I think I ever could. He said:

You know, it just seems like when you do something positive for yourself in one area of your life, you begin to want to do more positive things in the rest of your life.

Amen, Tyler!!