Introduction and Welcome

My 2012 racing season has gotten off to a rip-roaring start.  I’ve run four races and set three pr’s.  It started with the New York City Half Marathon, where I finished in 1:34:49, breaking the pr I set last November in Philly by almost 6 minutes.  Two weeks ago I set a pr at the 10 mile distance by running the Broad Street Run in 1:10:28.  And just last Friday, on a lark while on a business trip to Charlotte, I decided to run the Twilight 5K (registered 45 minutes prior to the start) and finished in 21:36, beating the pr I set last October by 2 seconds. 

It was only five years ago that I was saddled with a bum right ankle and not quite sure whether I would ever run again.  The very idea of setting pr’s and maxing out seemed beyond my grasp; I couldn’t walk, let alone run, and after the surgery, followed by a very tough recovery, the thought of running sub-7:00 minute miles at any distance was a pipedream.  But over the past 18 months, something has happened --- my legs feel fresh, my ankles and knees are sturdy, and I’m more motivated than ever to qualify for Boston.  All of the physical therapy and rehab of my right ankle, combined with smart training and better eating, is paying off with the best stretch of running I’ve enjoyed in quite a while, perhaps ever. 

This fall I’m going to run the Chicago Marathon, ten years after the very first time I ran that race, my first 26.2 ever.  I’ve had a lot of ups and downs during that time – great new job, the purchase of my first home, the passing of my grandparents and my dear friend Kate, minor and major injuries, but through it all, running has played an important part of my life.  And so, I’ve started this blog to share my thoughts about the sport that is so important to me as well as the trials and tribulations of training for Chicago and trying to hit that holy grail of running – a Boston qualifying time.  Thanks for joining me in this journey, and happy running!