December training: Here it is- December and ready for a winter full of running! We had a great training session in Wellesley this past Saturday. The miles are still light and 26.2 miles feels a long way off. We are working on little things like proper running form, conserving energy and motion, core body strength, and it is nice to have the refresher.

My mileage is a little higher than our training schedule. I've been working in longish weekly runs of 10-13 miles with the shorter ones, but spoke to our coach and will drop it back to one long run every couple of weeks. Yes, it's time to join a gym for cross training! We will be doing 9+ mile weekly runs starting January, so why not drop back a bit?

It is great to be back with the Boston team. I remember a year ago going to the first training sessions and feeling really shy. There just seemed to be so many runners, and ones that had already done Boston, not once, but some people more than 10 times! How would I ever train with this group? But, like anything else, you get your behind out the door, and it's your own trip, and one that your whole team supports, whether running in front, beside or behind you. Your job is to figure out your own goals and potential and to train sensibly within them. And it doesn't hurt to give some encouragement while you go along! I am happy to see familiar faces and to talk with people who took up this challenge.

Of course, I am making it seem like a cake walk, but there are always the nagging choruses of injury fears, self doubt, self-criticism, etc. I am not listing them here or elaborating. Why? I think that challenging goals are often achieved in accompaniment with a back-up chorus of doubt, but if taking a listen to them makes you assess them as minor, why detail their voicing? In that sense, marathon training is kind of like mountain climbing- you are looking up that steep trail thinking- "what made me think this was fun???", but if you can manage your negativity and realize that one step at a time gets you closer to the peak, you will share the amazement of all those who have gotten up to the top and found the memory of those difficult steps have changed to a positive recollection of your hiking experience. Soooo- no whining .......for now.

Reports: Thanks to family and some key supporters, I have reached the first thousand of my 3,000 minimum, which must be met by the end of January. Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far!