I couldn't sleep. I tried. I was actually tired too, but I kept staring at the ceiling. After a wonderful Team-in-Training dinner my mind was filled with thoughts of the race. Even after I finally fell asleep I kept waking up. I think in total, I probably got around 3 hours of sleep before the race. That's why I always take a vacation day before the race; to rest as I know I won't get any the night before!

My alarm was set for 5:30 am but I got up at 5:00 am; since I was awake, why not? I met the rest of our team in the hotel lobby at 6:00 am. Some were nervous, fidgeting with their gear. Some were stretching. We were all anxious. Our TNT director took team photos, our Coach gave us some last minute words of encouragement. We walked out to the start line together. Over 13,000 runners registered this year, 3,000 for the marathon and 10,000 for either the half-marathon or 5k. The street was a moving sea of people trying to find their pace groups.

My 3rd marathon and yet I was still nervous as I stood there in the 39 degrree temp, checking my Garmin, adjusting my MP3 player, replaying in my mind my race strategy. 39 degrees didn't feel too bad in the middle of 13,000 people. The half and full marathoners started together and the 5k runners started 15 min later. It took almost 10 min for my pace area to cross the start line once the gun went off. I keyed my Garmin as I crossed the start and thought to myself, "Here we go!"

I ran right behind the 4:45 pace group. I had debated about starting with the 4:45 group or 5:50 group, but decided to give myself plenty of space. In other words, if at any time during the race the 5:00 pace group catches me, I'm in trouble. On the other hand, I didn't want to go out too fast and then die for the last part of the race. So, I stuck with the 4:45 pace group as long as it felt comfortable, which meant 13 miles, much to my surprise. Everything was going well, fueling strategy was on track, I felt good.

I settled into my planned 'second third' pace for the next several miles. The 5:50 pace group caught me at mile 18. Well, I shouldn't say "group." Although at the race start there was about 10-15 folks running with them, when they caught up to me they had managed to lose everyone in their group but one guy! It was a comical sight to see two pacers with flags and one guy in their group. I ran behind them until mile 20, when things started to "go south" as the saying goes.

Throughout the marathon there is a battle that ensues between your body and your mind. Sometimes, your mind is telling your body to shut up. When my left knee started to hurt at the 6 mile mark, my mind immediately put my knee in check. At mile 17, when both IT bands started to radiate pain up my legs, once again my mind had to take control. At mile 20, this battle raged in earnest. From mile 20 to 23, my legs went dead. I felt fine otherwise, no signs of exhaustion or nauseau, no cramps, no dizziness. My legs howeveer, suddenly felt like cement and it was becoming very hard to move them. I knew I was slowing down too much and my Garmin confirmed it. At mile 22 I realized that the great race I had so far completed was about to be lost, goal wise. At that aid station I took on additional gel and drank more protein/Heed fluids. These are the moments when I promise myself that I will NEVER run another marathon.

I knew that the TNT group sponsored the aid station at mile 23. It was also symbolic because after mile 23 there are no more hills, until the finish line. Leaving the mile 22 aid station I told myself, "Only 4 more miles." My legs were still dead and my body didn't want to run anymore. I thought of my daughter, Morguen. She's an athlete and I always tell her, "do your best to be the best," and "never quit," and "believe in yourself." I wanted to be able to look her in the eye and tell her that I had given the race my best shot. My mind took over where my body rebelled. I ran. A few blocks later was a group of spectators holding a large sign that said "Runners remember: you can do all lthings through Christ who strengthens you." I needed that! Only half a mile to the TNT aid station at mile 23 and I was feeling better.

There is a hill just before mile 23. As you crest the hill you turn left and the aid station is about 1/10 of a mile away. The TNT color is purple so they look for runners wearing the purple team jersey. A huge fire engine ladder truck was at the stop with the ladder and bucket extended over the road. A firefighter and one of our TNT directors was in the bucket. I could hear them cheering for me as I approached the station; for a few minutes I forgot about the pain.

I hustled through the station, drank some water and the rest of my protein/Heed fluids, took one last sip from my gel flask and took off again. Three point two miles to go! My legs no longer felt dead. They had moved on from dead to just generating pain. That was actually better because I could ignore the pain!

As I ran down the road I looked at my Garmin thinking that I had already blown my goal of breaking five hours and that maybe I could still salvage beating my 5:05:24 time from last year. I was shocked to discover that I actually could still make my goal IF I really pushed it. I told myself, "Leaders lead and never quit; suck it up and lead by example!" I ran.....hard. I kept running and got angry. Five freakin' months of hard training --- I didn't go through that for nothing! I kept running. I chugged a cup of water at mile 24 and took off again, checking my Garmin --- I can still make it!

My lungs started to burn a bit and my mind entertained me by thoughts of me bursting into flames. It would be on the FOX4 News, "KC Marathoner, first to spontaneously combust during race, details at 10!" I turned a corner and could barely make out the next aid station, which is actually about 2/10 of a mile past the mile 25 marker. Spectators were shouting, "you can do it!" I love that people cheer all of the runners, not just the ones they know. It helps so much! My body wanted to stop again; I guess the next phase after pain is numb because I couldn't really feel my legs and it was an odd sensation with each foot strike. "No stopping and no walking," my mind commanded. Once again, my body obeyed.

There were a bunch of kids at the mile 25 aid station. I once again chugged the water and they gave me high fives as I continued to run. I checked my Garmin, exactly ONE mile to go! And....I would make it. If I pushed hard, I would make it....I would break 5 hours. I ran as fast as I could force my body to go. I'm sure my face showed how much I was hurting because the spectators were ALL saying encouraging things to me, in urgent voices.

You know how in sports sometimes the players will say that they can't hear the crowd? Or that during a critical play, things seem to go in slow motion? That's what that last mile was like to me. I could hear random things, like someone turning the volume of a radio up and down. And everything seemed to be going in slow motion; it was weird. Half a mile to go....I could hear the clanging of cow bells.

I turned the corner onto Grand blvd and could barely make out the finish line, but I could see the stancions marking the chute a few blocks away. Oh yes, the finish line! Oh crap, it's uphill!!! Where the heck are Hubby and Morguen???? At that moment, Morguen swooped in on my right side, "Looking good Mom, you're almost there!" She ran with me to the finish, cheering me on. As I approached the stancioned area she ran through the crowd, I could still hear her voice "Go Mom!! Finish Strong!" Then I heard my Hubby's voice, "Dig deep Di-DI, dig deep!"

I ran and mustered strength from somewhere to pick up my pace. Some people were standing in the middle of the road slapping the hands of runners as they passed, urging us to keep going. Everything was a blur and in slow motion. That dang 2/10 of a mile seems to take forever! I focused on the race clock, it read 5:09 something. I was too tired to think stratight and do the simple math, but I kept running as fast as I could; I thought I would make my goal. Finally, I crossed the finish! I keyed my Garmin as I stepped across the finish and felt the familiar mix of happiness and exhaustion.

The first area past the finish line are people waiting to cut the chip timer off your shoe. I find this to be the hardest thing to do because here I've been running for hours, I'm exhausted, and I'm supposed to stand stil for a few minutes while a volunteer cuts the chip timer off my shoe. Standing still made the pain in my legs much worse. Just after the chip station are more volunteers, they all greeted me with smiles handing me water and offering a space blanket. Ironically, all I wanted at that moment was my freakin' medal!! Nope, not water or warmth....give me that dang medal!! The volunteer placed the rather large medal around my neck and that, for me, signified the end of the race. I had survived another marathon! Hubby and Morguen found me and we had a wonderful family hug before heading over to the TNT tent to check in.

After receiving my finisher pin at the TNT tent, we (slowly) made our way up to the hotel to gather our things and head home. As we walked toward the hotel, another runner walked near us. As we got closer to the hotel entrance he glanced over and then pointed at me saying, "You ran a tough race!" I was surprised by his comment but thanked him. I thought he was just being polite, encouraging a fellow marathoner. He then shook his head, looked at my Hubby and said to him, "I tried to catch her, but I couldn't do it!" Then he looked back at me and said, "great job!" I again thanked him, Morguen later told me I had a funny, confused look on my face.

Well yes, of course I did. That was the coolest thing anyone had ever said to me about my running. I am not a fast runner, I don't win my age group or races but I generally place respectably overall. to have another runner tell me that they had tried to catch me during a race? And couldn't? That was just fantastic!

My #1 goal was to finish the race. Did that. My #2 goal was to improve my time from last year. Did that. My stretch goal was to break five hours. DID THAT!! Yep, I came in at 4:56:51!! I managed to shave 9 minutes off my time from last year, despite my three mile "run of death" portion of the race. Life is good!

The last piece of great news is that this race culiminates three years of running for TNT and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In that span, my "career" fund raising total is now $10, 275. Thank you for your support and generosity!

And now for the race photos! Never Quit -- Finish Strong!

Five months of training is about to converge on one single event, this Saturday, Oct 19th! I only have two short runs in my Taper schedule this week. The focus for these last few days before the race include:

+ Get lots of sleep

+ Eat healthfully

+ Avoid crowds (stay away from sick people)

+ Get my gear ready

+ Visualize the race

Last week I was bouncing back and forth between being antsy to run and being nervous about my training. Did I train enough? Did I have the right mix in my training plan? Did I run enough tune up races? Should I have lost more weight?

This week I've moved into a better mental state. This week I am focused and excited. I am feeling confident that my training was solid and that I'm ready. I logged 47 more miles this training period than last year and ran four more half-marathons as part of my speed work. For the calendar year, I've logged about 150 more miles than last year at this time. So, I've strengthened my base miles and added a few challenges to my training plan. All of this adds up toward increasing my confidence level and banishing the nerves/fears from last week. I am now eager to get to the start line and eager to implement my race strategy.

I take nothing for granted. Anything can happen over 26.2 miles. I respect the marathon for the beast that it is. My number one goal is to finish. My number two goal is to break five hours. Lastly, I want to enjoy the race as much as possible while I'm checking splits, monitoring my fueling and pushing for goals #1 and #2! I love the spectators along the route and look forward to their creative signs and encouraging comments. I also love and am very thankful to the hundreds of volunteers that make the race possible. Last year, I remember making eye contact with one volunteer a few blocks past the 25 mile marker. I was excited to be near the finish but was also exhausted and my legs felt like lead weights. This race volunteer yelled at me, almost in a command voice, "C'mon girl, finish strong!" clapping his hands as if willing me to keep running. It worked. I couldn't help but smile and dig deeper for that last mile.

I also look forward to the TNT pasta dinner on Friday night. The KC and Nebraska teams gather at the Westin hotel for dinner and to recognize the Honor Patients from each team. It is always inspirational as we come face to face with our Honor Patients and ground ourselves to the reason we are running the KC Marathon -- to support them and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). To do our part to cure blood cancers!

As a runner, it's easy to get caught up in race goals and worry about times, age group rankings, etc. However, the real blessing is twofold: being able to run, at any pace, is awesome and not to be taken lightly; and being able to leverage running to support those who need help is without words. I am honored to do both.

Thank you for your support, words of encouragement and donations over these past five months of training! It has been very much a team effort having you on this journey with me.

My next update will be the Race Report! Never Quit -- Finish Strong!

So, I am now in the Taper portion of my marathon training program. The purpose of the Taper is do reduce mileage leading up to the race to allow your muscels time to heal from the rigors of training and the last long run of 22 miles. It's also a time for the runner to rest up and get mentally prepared for the upcoming marathon. The Taper is always a tough time for me. On the one hand, it's a relief to be past the worst of the training. On the other hand, it is a time that I start to get a little paranoid about every ache/pain or sniffle. My Taper plan is three weeks with two 10-mile long runs each Saturday before the race. After last week's soggy 22 miles, a 10 mile run is a relief!

This weekend I had the opportunity to put a fun twist into my planned 10 mile run. One of our TNT alumni is also the Race Director for a 5k walk/run that benefits both LLS and the Breast Cancer Foundation. His son lost his battle with Leukemia when he was 11 years old and tragically, his wife lost her battle with breast cancer two years later. He started the Jared Coons Memorial Pumpkin Run to honor both his son and wife while raising funds for both charities. The race was nearby to our team run for the weekend, so our coach gave us the choice. We could run the 10 mile training route or we could incorporate the 5k into our run. I had always wanted to incorporate a race into a training run so this was the perfect opportunity! Plus, I had not run a 5k race in years, so it would be fun.

The storm front had come through Friday night bringing in wonderfully cool temperatures; perfect for running! Our run started at 6:30 am at Mid-America Nazarene Unitversity in 50 degree weather with a 5-10 mph breeze. I elected to wear my singlet with arm sleeves rather than a long sleeve tech shirt. The general rule of thumb is to dress as if it were 20 degrees warmer than it is, since your core will heat up once you start running. It was a little chilly at first but it only takes a mile to warm up.

We set off in the dark, no hint of sunrise due to the overcast skies. I peered carefully down the trail, looking out for anything that would be a trip hazard. It felt great to run in the cool, crisp air! The Taper run is supposed to be a slow, easy pace since the goal of the Taper period is to heal, so I ran the pace that I hope to run for the first third of my marathon. At the turnaround point our coach was there to give me directions to the 5k race, which was only a mile further.

As I ran into the race start area, I was surprised to see so many people! The race was a lot bigger than I thought. I arrived about 15 minutes before the start so I hung out in the gym to avoid getting a chill as the wind had picked up quite a bit. I went out to the start line and squeezed into the throng of people about five minutes before the start. The emcee, a local news anchor, welcomed the 4,000 runners and walkers to the 15th annual race. Wow, 4000! After the National Anthem, they released balloons and then the wave start began; runners first then three minutes later, the walkers.

I had planned to run an easy pace but then I got to thinking. Well, I already ran 5.3 miles at first third pace for the marathon, so maybe now would be a good time to see if I can run last third pace. Then, I thought about the last time I had run a 5k race, about six years ago and I really wanted to beat that time. So, at the half mile mark as the crowd started to spread out enough to pass people, I took off. I never looked at my Garmin except for the splits. I just ran as fast as I could sustain. At the one mile split I was on track to my goal pace AND beating my previous 5k time. I kept picking people to pass, which made the race fun and made the time go by quickly. Before I knew it, I was running by the 2 mile marker; still on pace! I kept running my pace although it was getting harder; "less than a mile left," I told myself. As I turned the corner for the last 3/10 of a mile to the finish, people were actually stopping to walk. I sprinted past a ton of people heading to the finish, keeping my eye on the clock, realizing that I was about to beat my prior 5k time!

The 5k race is really not my normal race because it's basically a sprint. But it was really cool incorporating it into my ten mile training run. I crossed the line with a new PR of 29:54!! I beat my previous 5k time by over four minutes and I had the satisfaction of doing that after running 5.3 miles. I was so stoked about my time that I ended up running the 1.5 mile direct route back to my car rather than waiting to take the shuttle bus. Between the training run, race, and run back to my car, I hit my total 10 miles per my training plan. Yay! And, I have the extra mojo from my race results to carry me through the rest of my Taper. 15th/82 runners in my Age Group (top 20%); 205th/1,687 female runners total (top 15%); and 583rd/2,995 total runners in the race (top 19%). Not too shabby! A great new twist to my Taper plan that I just may repeat next year.

Only 13 days until my 3rd marathon for LLS and I feel ready! I just need to stick to my Taper plan, eat healthfully, stay healthy and close in on the fund raising target. We are 74% to goal with roughly $800 yet to raise. We can do it! Never Quit -- Finish Strong!

I woke up 10 minutes before my alarm would go off, at 4:00 am. I had been waking up several times during the night, anxious for my last long training run of 22 miles. I cautiously plodded through the darkness of my bedroom to the bahroom and silenced the alarm on my iPhone before it went off. No sense lying in bed waiting for it to tell me to get up! As soon as my eyes adjusted to the bathroom light I checked the weather forecast. There was a storm front coming in from the southwest. It was not a question of if I'd get wet during the run, it was a question of when.

My bigger concern was the type of storm coming in. If it stayed relatively calm with no lightening, we'd be fine. If it turned into one of those mid-west angry storms with wind and lightening, the run would be cancelled. At 4:00 am, the prediction was heavy rain that would hit the area by around 10:00 am. Our team would gather in Overland Park, KS, to begin the run at 6:30 am. I checked the team FB page and no cancellation. Yay!

I completed my normal prep-to-run routine, packed my water for the trip home, and made a mental note to grab a towel from the garage on the way out. The sky still looked calm as I headed out at 5:00 am.

I arrived at the training site in Quivira Park at 5:55 am. Plenty of time for another bathroom break and equipment prep check for the run. By 6:15 am, the parking lot began to fill with runners and I noticed that the wind was starting to pick up too. As I completed my final gear prep I noticed that I had forgotten to grab that towel....dang. Due to the incoming weather, our coach let us know that she was 'officially' cancelling the run. However, for those of us who desired to make a go of it, the team support crew agreed to set up the aid stations, 'unofficially.' I was surprised by how many people decided not to run. It is really hard to run 22 miles on your own. It's one of the reasons I like running with TNT for the longer training runs; I can augment what I carry with water at their aid stations. About 25 people gathered initially with 50% sticking around for the run.

There are a couple teams training so one group was running 8 miles, one group 18 miles and the KC/Nike teams running 22 miles. It was generally and out and back course except a 4 mile extra loop for the 22 milers. This was a new route and I was nervous about getting lost once the rain hit and directional chalk marks erased from the route. It was a muggy 72 degrees, 82% humidity when we set off.

As my last opportunity to practice for the race, I tried to hold back on my pace. My strategy is to divide the marathon into thirds, easy first third, race pace second third, and then as fast as I can maintain for the last third. The muggy, heavy air made holding back easy. As we ran along I tried to pick out land marks at the various turns so that I wouldn't get lost on the way back.

The rain hit at mile 6. A light, rather refreshing rain at first. By mile 7 it had turned into a hard, steady rain. I could hear thunder rumbling in the distance and faint lightening glowing across the dark clouds. I kept running. I was glad that I no longer use gel packets and carry a flask instead. It was easy to use my flask compared to those fumbling with tearing open gel packets with wet hands. I was also glad that I always wear a visor. It doubles as a sweatband and protection from the sun, or on a day like this -- keeping the rain from pelting me in my face.

By the 9 mile turn around point, the torrential downpour had begun. It was raining so hard that it was actually pooling on the trail and dripping from my visor. My feet were soggy and I could feel the water squishing between my toes with each step. One positive from the downpour is that it brought in cooler temps which made running faster a bit easier. I have to say, big kudos to the aid station volunteers. We had three aid stations and those folks were soaking wet but stayed until every runner on our team passed through.

One aid station was manned by the parents of one of the girls on our team, the Dad being a Leukemia survivor. The trail literally passed their backyard. They had set up a small tent and the 22 milers would pass through three times, thanks to the extra 4 mile loop. Our Coach was at this aid station and reminded us of the loop, should we still want to do the full 22 miles. "No shame in cutting to 18 with this weather," she said. I shook my head no. "I came this far, I'm doing the full 22," I replied inbetween gulps of water. She gave me directions so I wouldn't get lost.

Truth be told, I had already gotten lost twice. Luckily, I have a decent sense of direction and a Garmin to tell me mileage so I was able to recover back to the route. However, by this time I was very tired and concerned about getting lost and running MORE than the desired 22 miles. The daughter I mentioned earlier was already at the aid station with her friend when I arrived; they usually finish several minutes ahead of me. She was wearing a very bright pink singlet and I thought if I could run fast enough to keep her in my sight, I wouldn't get lost. They took off and I set off right behind them. I knew I couldn't run with them; I just needed to keep that pink singlet in sight!

Two miles of the four mile loop ran adjacent to a large street. To keep my mind off the fact that I was pushing myself to run faster than planned I watched the cars pass by and noted the looks on the faces of the passengers. Some of them gave me a thumbs up and some gave me a "are you nuts?!" sort of look. It was good humor as I pushed to keep that darn pink singlet in view. At the 1.5 mile point in the loop I knew the turn off to get back into the park was coming up and I strained to watch for the turn, focused on the pink singlet, barely visibile through the pouring rain. The duo was 2/10 of a mile ahead of me but it felt like a lot further. I saw her cut to the right and disappear so the park trail was close. I was relieved to see the trail entrance and even happier to see a slight downhill slope. My elation lasted about two minutes. As the trail looped in to the main trail that I had run previously, I realized that I would run the hill set again! Three times total; out, back and now again with the loop. Not fun, but good for me as the KC Marathon route has many, many hills with the last one at the 23 mile mark.

I was really happy to see the aid station, arriving for the third time. The two gals were there as I arrived (again). This time, I didn't worry about chasing after them as I knew the route back to the start. In the last 3 miles I passed a couple members of our team, both were walking. Both had elected to run just the 18, I later learned. It was a tough day to run any distance.

Normally, I spend a good 15 minutes stretching after such a long run, especially since I have a long drive home. On this day it was more like a five minute stretch as the wind was still blowing and I started to get cold once I stopped running. We use the term "soaked to the bone" but I don't think I've experienced it since leaving active duty with the US Army....until now. Every inch of clothing was wet, my body was soaked, my fingers were shriveled like I had stayed in the bath too long. And my legs hurt, a lot. I said my good-byes to the coaches waiting for the rest of the team to finish and I started the long drive home.

I mixed my Recoverite and wished I had not forgotten that darn towel. I cranked up the heat and kept stretching my legs as best I could. When I got home I slogged my way straight to a hot, long shower!

Later I reviewed my splits and average pace. I was 17 seconds slower than my goal pace but I'm happy with it, given the conditions. I needed that rough 22 miles, both physically and mentally. I needed the confidence that comes with conquering obstacles. Who knows what the weather will be like on Oct 19th? I can now say I've run in 19 degrees in the snow, in 100+ degree heat with humidity, and in torrential rain!

The below is a great visual of how I see myself as a runner. Never quit - finish strong!

I have been in great health all year so when I woke up last Thursday feeling horrible and realizing that I somehow got the Head Cold bug, I couldn't really complain. The bright side was that my Saturday long run was only 10 miles and my last long training run of 22 miles was over a week away. Plenty of time to get healthy.

I wasn't sick enough to miss work but sick enough to feel miserable and exhausted. I took lots of homeopathic remedies and drank lots of water, more than usual. I skipped my run after work and went to bed. My low grade temp broke by Friday and I felt a little better. My head was still congested but I was definitely on the upward mend. I no longer felt like a human "bobble head doll!"

Hubby asked if I still planned on doing my long run with our TNT team on Sat. I gave him the blank stare with one raised eyebrow that all husbands know is the universal wife sympbol for "I can't believe you just asked me that!" He shook his head and laughed in response, mumbling something about me being stubborn. Personally, I like to think of myself as "determined." Besides, Sat was Garry Gribbles Running Day which meant our team sponsor would be giving us 20% off all running gear on that day. And it was time to purchase my race shoes, so how could I miss that? And....it was only 10 miles....

Saturday morning was a nice cool 52 degrees with a clear sky and finally, the hint of crisp Autumn air. I didn't feel 100% healthy but I'd say that 70% is good enough and the cold had not gotten worse or spread to my lungs, so good-to-go for running. I also anticipated a fairly flat route since the area near the store was relatively flat. That would help!

We started and ended at the store and met up with another running group, the Northland Track Club. They were sending off one of their members on a charity run across the state of Kansas to benefit the Brain Injury Foundation. He will run 45-50 miles/day! It was cool to see a trauma survivior taking on such a big challenge. Our TNT group then set out on the 10 mile route, an easy out and back course. I ran a very slow pace to ensure that I'd make it, uncertain if my 70% health would hold up or not. I was surprised to discover that the residential area west of the store is actually hilly, though the hills were long and moderate rather than steep and short. The first 3 miles were downhill with the next 2 miles flat in a wooded park, which meant the last 3 miles would be uphill -- stupendous.

I felt good running and settled into a solid pace. It was fun running in an unfamiliar area and the time went by quickly. The park was a nice, quiet change with huge, beautiful oak trees and thick woods that seemed to swallow up the trail. A very majestic looking buck slowly stepped out of the woodline and stood there watching me as I approached. I have never seen a deer do that. I have seen them run across the trail but I've never seen one step out and just stand there. He had a huge rack but I was so preoccupied with deciding what to do that I didn't count the points. I slowed a bit and decided to keep going. When I passed him he was less than six feet away; I could see his breath in the morning air and I was in awe of how he stood there, looking rather regal. He watched me pass by and then casually walked across the trail behind me.

The run back passed just as quickly and I felt good. I got a good chuckle during the 3 mile uphill stretch from another runner on our team. She is in her ealry twenties and we usually finish around the same time; sometimes she's ahead and sometimes I'm ahead. On that long uphill she started having calf cramp issues so she stopped frequently to stretch. Despite my slow pace, I caught up to her and pased her. The race was on! The rest of the run was a combo of her trying to gut through her calf cramps to pass me and me trying to run faster to stay ahead. She did end up catching me in the last half mile but it made for a great run.

I started the 10 mile run feeling about 70% healthy and when I finished I actually felt better! By the time I had cooled down and purchased my race shoes, I felt almost normal. Who knew that running could cure a head cold? Now you know the secret so the next time you feel a head cold/sinus thing coming on, lace up and go for a run!

Hard to believe there's less than four weeks until race day! I still have a lot of fund raising to do to hit my $3,000 goal so please feel free to share this blog with your friends and spread the word.

Never Quit -- Finish Strong!