I'm hooked

I am so excited to run the SunTrust Richmond Marathon in less than two weeks! I started running almost a year ago with Megan and got hooked. I love watching myself progress and get stronger. And I love the clarity of mind that comes with running. It's very therapeutic. I also love talking about running. Most of my friends do the smile and nod thing when the subject comes up (I appreciate that). But, I have found a few who could spend all day talking about it with me. Maybe it's because it's still kind of new to me and I'm experiencing a lot of firsts, but I just can't stop thinking about it or talking about it. It's very exciting to me.

One of my favorite parts of running is Saturdays. Saturdays are long run days. But, that's not the best part. Pretty much every Saturday I call my dad (or he calls me) to report on my long run. Fortunately, most of the reports have been good. But, there is the occasional "Dad, I don't think I can ever run again" report. And he always knows exactly the right thing to say. He tells me, "You'll have your bad days here and there. All the greats do. You're exactly where you need to be. Keep running..." So, I keep running.


As a side note, I ran 12 miles yesterday at Clemson University. My last long run before the marathon. Other than the ridiculously cold temperature (and only a t-shirt), the run was great. I ran a 5k down there earlier in the year, so it was good to be back. The hills were still there. But, I wasn't dry-heaving at the end this time.