What a great post Vista. The Boston Maratho marathon is to be cherished. What an experience. Enjoy. No running today as I have no run until my half marathon on Sunday and the 14K cooldown afterwards. Enjoy the day Tall

Great post Vista and my adrenaline is starting to build. Thank you for the luck and the sprirt we'll carry on race day. I do believe Maraposai (and divechief, arf and tet too!)i is running a marathon this weekend, yes? We'll be with you on that journey too and remember....let the race come to you, run in your own bubble and in your pace groove. You'll surely soar to the finish. My adrenaline is high because of Monday and also last evening. I flew into Boston yesterday evening after a day in Atlanta with some clients. I routed my travel that way because I was invited to join Kathrine Switzer and her husband Roger Robinson for dinner after the viewing of Spirit of the Marathon at the Fenway Regal 13 theater (yes, right across from Aamos's fave--Emack & Bolios). This came about through a client connection and a thoughtful friend who asked if I wanted to join them. There were just five of us last evening and I sat across from Kathrine and next to Roger. I heard the back story behind the Sprit of the Marathon movie (almost didn't make it to the screen) and so many more details about Kathrine's historic and iconic Boston marathon run all those years ago. We share Syracuse and the same roads and hills -----although I was trodding in her footsteps some years later. I even got a good luck hug at the end of the evening and that's all I need! Two plus hours in the company of one of my heroes---priceless! I could have listened to them all evening....amazing and very kind and compassionate people---both of them. Kathrine's fight to get the women's marathon into the Olympics is a story that needs to be told over and over. It was just 1984 after all. Good running and working out to all....Boston or not, last night's experience was reaffirming for me in that the running community is a caring and wonderfully friendly one and includes all levels of runners. I'll be going back in this afternoon to volunteer (and meet btb!--and -maybe others of you picking up your stuff today) Enjoy the day, Karin MTA :Hi Holly-----it can be cold waiting in the Athletes Village and the lows may still be 40 on Monday---wear the coat or use it as bedding! Remember you will be waiting for a few hours. It was chilly in Boston last night. Hello Tall.

Great start this morning Vista! Holly - think we need pictures!! You are going to have such a wonderful time - enjoy the time away!! Rest day for me today - thank goodness! I have not been sleeping well this week and last night was the worst. The brighter sky with the full moon coming gives Brinkley a better view of the woods. Nothing like a dogs low growl to annoy the heck out of you in the early morning hours. TGIF! ~Mary

What a great day for a nice easy gneral aerobic 5 mile run with some strides - 50 degrees and sunny too! 5.02 Miles w/6 x 100 meter strides - 9:08 - 8:51 - 8:40 - 8:40 - 7:35 - :09 - (8:35) - Avg HR -131 I can feel the excitement in the air, everything is pointing to a very nice partly cloudy day with highs in the upper 50's with only a threat of a few showers...if this holds true it will be awesome!

NO time to post.. goals 2-4 of Holly's + maybe PR 5 Magical healing Miles with Tory (his last til Thursday). All silky smooth. My friends at teh dog park say they will surround me tonight to prevent a dog from running into me... ain't that sweet Leave tomorrow... good omen.. Told some dog park friends that my bib was 14360 they said "our house number is 1436"... woooo Enjoy the day! Steve

Vista, that was a moving post...I was all teary eyes as I read it. You are one great writer my friend. tall, good luck in your HM this weekend and the 14k cooldown afterwards. You Boston runner please know that you may be alone running the race course on Monday, but spiritually you have a myriad of running friends who is mentally running with you every step of the way just as we were there for you every step of the way during your training. Speaking of training schedules for a marathon, I was thinking of the monumental task we all have in training for a marathon. Let us face it, we are all busy people, and yet we commit to the task of training 500-1000 miles or more to be ready for the event. I know we all have to overcome obstacles to fit in the miles. We had endured soreness, pains, crankiness, injuries, etc, but yet...we kept on plodding along until we get to the starting line to run 26.2 miles. Yes indeed we are warriors and conquerors and we must be proud of it. Absolute rest today and tomorrow since my 26.2 miles of victory lap day is on Sunday (in the snow and rain I am being told)

cny - thanks for Wenatchee. Divechief and I have handed in our excuse slips to ilene so it will be a goddess special. We hope to make up for it with a special birthday lunch on Boston Monday. 3J - if the Promised Land 50K is the same “not-your-average-50K-race/toughest-50K-you’ll-ever-love” one with the 8,000 feet in elevation that it takes us 50 miles to get out here in the PNW and with a 10 hour time limit instead of the usual seven, I think you’re already a maniac. ps - doesn’t even sound like you need the protection of the 5-fingers anymore. lynden/mariposai - super thnax; I'll try to get two hugs for you from each of goddesses too, . . . maybe a hug for everyone who's running Boston too, . . humm, . . . all the boomers who have ever run a marathon, . . . all the marathoners in the world, all the boomers who have ever been boomers -.......but when is your next real marathon hug gunna be?