Wellesley 18 miler: Today was a difficult long run in Wellesley. I have to say that things were feeling very emotional for me, which is really a pretty new experience! The last time I can remember getting upset was getting towards the finish of the Bay State Marathon about 7 years ago. A good friend of mine who had always been on my cheering team had passed away, and I became emotional thinking that she would be proud of me for finishing the race!

At any rate, after a brief cry this morning, I realized that as all runs, the only way to attack them is with a positive attitude and a mile at a time. Luckily, in training with TNT, water stops are set up so regularly that all you have to do is think of getting from one until the next!

My positive attitude held up to 13 miles or so, where I had another brief cry (!) and then continued on to finish up. In retrospect, it was a tough workout physically, but we managed to finish within our time goals, regardless of my little meltdown. I realized that getting upset during the run is pretty counterproductive, as it sets off the asthma, so I will do some real work on getting my mental edge under control. Today I worked at touching my thumb to my pinky and thinking 'wow, that pinky is not one bit tired!' as a way to distract myself. :)

I think the fact that I am actually running for a cause and a friend and with the support of so many people around me makes this a pretty intense experience. In a GOOD way, though!

As a last comment- The fundraiser was a big success, thanks to the support of so many of our friends! The artists that contributed and the friends who helped with prizes really made for an event that got us to and ABOVE our goals. One of the biggest surprises was my girlfriend from D.C. flying in for my event. How lucky am I? -M