Race Inspiration

This is me after the half-marathon in September 2006, with Roy and his daughter Cristina who came to cheer near the finish line. It was almost 70 degrees... very hot for racing!

This is the bathroom door in the Wissahickon, our pre-run ritual for all of our long runs!

These are the shirts Joy desgined with her future business logo on them.

This guy symbolizes all the 80+ year old runners who have been marathoning for years. If they can do it and shuffle along, so can we!

This is a photo-shopped photo of our muddies after our last training run in the rain. We'll be running in the newer version of these shoes on Sunday.

My Running Inspiration

Joy. Roy. Kristin Armstrong's article about running through her divorce to discover her inner athlete. I started running to overcome emotional pain, and still cry every time I read this and hear her friends say, "You can do it, Kik. You can do anything." Jennifer, who reminds me to take it all in and enjoy it, just when I need it. Yoga, which taught me how much your mind factors in whether you succeed and enjoy life or not. Brian from my building who cannot run, but carries boundless love of God. Kellie, whose positive thinking has always resonated with me. It is not hard to believe in yourself and trust whatever she tells you. My sister Cynthia, whose love of running inspired me to think that I might love it, too. Janine, for showing me how the world became crystal clear one day when running together around the Valley Forge track; and then my first 10-mile run in California which revealed crystal clear that she was just plain wrong about me. The Wissahickon. All the faces of my co-workers. Everyone I know who has ever run a marathon. Learning that pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. Remembering that even bad races come to an end. Mother Nature and trees letting go of their leaves. Runners World. My nephew, Chase, who isn't even born yet, but whose baby shower I missed to run the marathon. Memories of love evoked by the song, "Southern Cross" by Crosby Stills & Nash. Beauty. Music. The divine.