Two things...

First of all, I ran seven miles yesterday and, much to my surprise, it was great! I mean, really nice. (Okay, some slight stiffness, but it seemed to recede quickly I'm in Minnesota and genuinely enjoying a rainy, but classic, fall weekend. Yesterday morning, I ran my seven miles under gray skies on one of the many fantastic trails near my sister's house. I even got to run over the Coon Rapids Dam (across the Mississippi), and around a lake and prairie restoration project. For something that was freaking me out as much as it did, things turned out really well and I felt sort of pleasantly buzzed for the rest of the day, sort of exalting in my personal best. I've been on such a high this weekend that I went out and ran 2 miles this morning, just for the heck of it!

Second, on a more sentimental note, and sort of getting at what I was thinking about (but didn't say) the other day, if you have never done anything like this before, I really recommend it. I mean, there is something so special about doing something like this, something bigger than oneself. I know that I probably never would have run a whole marathon, or seriously trained for it, if I wasn't motivated by all of you out there supporting me. It's a collaborative effort and I am delighted to talk with you about it and have you comment on/inquire about my progress. I'm discovering readers I didn't know that I had and such a wonderful generosity from some genuinely unexpected places. Hopefully, you are keeping an eye on my fundraising progress, 'cause it all goes together. But we've all come too far to turn back now, so I'll keep logging those miles.

Next post: a total mileage report.
Next weekend: 8 miles (in hot, humid Tyler! )