My daughter is planning on running her first marathon...NYC 2008... The plan is for me to run it with her......she has been slow getting prepared and I have been trying to get her moving..... When we ran our first 5K together this last Thanksgiving she was wearing her IPOD....I quickly informed her that there will be NO IPOD while we run NYC together... Here is her latest concern....(I guess she though that I was recommending her not to ever wear an IPOD...which is not the case). "But, what I am really worried about is my mental state. What is my brain going to do for 26.2 miles. I have been running without an ipod and it is torture. What do you do? Make up stories, focus on breathing, watch the scenery??? Please, because I tried to do 4.5 without music and almost lost my mind." Here was my response: "Running with music is great.......in fact I have a link that provides free music designed for running...to help with pace... But....there is a time and place for everything.....don't miss out on the opportunity to connect with your surroundings..... I concentrate on form, breathing, stride (180 steps per minute)...but after a while this will become more natural...... The rest of the time....I might think about absolutely nothing..or everything....who knows you might solve all the worlds problems..or just your own... Sometimes you practice the race in your head...imagine running smooth, effortless and running through the wall as if it never existed..... Think about arriving early in the morning a couple of hours before the gun goes off watching all the people with nervous energy all with one goal to make it all the way to Central Park pain free imagine everyone united at that one moment in time everyone there has prepared for months and months and their time has come.....when nothing else is more important see the pre race ceremonies envision all the people lining the streets they saw the leaders go by....but they are still there...to see you ...for one fleeting moment in that one moment in time you become part of something bigger than life..... Practice the race everyday.....that is a lot to think about....." What do you think about?

In that my long run hovers around 5 miles these days, I don't have a whole lot to add. But after reading YOUR inspirational words, Tim, you can bet I'll be thinking about your beautiful thoughts on nearly all of my runs for quite some time. Wow, what poetry! Brought tears to my eyes, truly. I'm gonna need even more tissues than last year as I read all of the Boston Boomer race reports. Thanks for the inspiration. Eliz

I love being outdoors, so I focus on the scenery. There's lots of it in Maine! Since I'm mathematically inclined, I'm also continually figuring out how far along in the run I am, percentage-wise. Keeps my mind occupied. I visualize my run as a hill, with the halfway point being at the crest. I've tried running with music, but I prefer the quiet. That may be because I have three kids, two of them teenaged boys! The noise level in my house can be pretty high.

I think about everything, but then again I think about nothing!

Actually that does seem a lot like inside my head, evryday.

Ok, I'm all about this one, as you all somewhat humiliated, er pursuaded me into NOT wearing my beloved ipod in my 1/2 last weekend. Here's what I thought about: Miles 1-3 - This isn't so bad. It's pouring and my ipod might have got ruined had I worn it. Miles 4-6 - People are really nice! Everyone seems to want to talk. Miles 7-9 - How come I'm meeting all these people and then they seem to disappear far, far ahead.... Miles 10-12 - Is there anyone behind me? Mile 13 - "Feeling strong now, gonna fly now!" I DID IT AND WITHOUT MY IPOD!! WOOHOO! I completely understand your daughter's concerns but it can be done. And making up names for all the over achievers who pass you is amusing.

in that one moment in time you become part of something bigger than life.....

there's the beauty.... right there Tim.

In a race, mostly what passes through my mind is: breathe, slow down, form, ohhh, look at that! I don't think a whole lot of full thoughts during a race. In a long run, some things that have pondered during the last few LRs: I wonder how far I could run until I fall over. I wonder if I kept running, could I really run away? I really hope the coffee is being brewed at home. And why is that so important to me right now? If heaven is where everyone is perfected, does everyone run there? In my regular everyday runs, I use the time to plan my days and the conversations I need to have with the important folks in my life: my husband, my builder, my kids...