First Marathon

My first marathon? Thank you for that question. (Well known stalling technique while thinking of answer.)

My first, and only, marathon was the 2004 Marine Corps. The course is beautiful, really, except for one section. I have a map of the course framed on my wall, and sometimes I look at it in amazement that I ran the whole way. Separate sections of the course I remember, in a dream-like way, without remembering the pain or effort.

Another thing I learned from running my first marathon (if this counts, since I learned it when I started training, really) is that I must have a compatible running companion. When I ran my first marathon, my friend, Ying, ran with me the whole way. I could not have finished if he had run off ahead of me.

Last night my friend, Buzz, told me she'd use her Marine Corps entry this year to walk the last five miles with me this October 30. That is a great motivator to continue my training, since I have to be worthy of her sacrifice. So to be worthy, I will continue to take my chondroitin and glucosamine (hey, can't hurt, right?) and ice my knees, and do my maintenance runs, and get up early to go do the Saturday long runs.