Thank you

I'm still sore and doing a little walk I call the Burnside Shuffle, but I am absolutely overjoyed at the accomplishment of everyone here who made this inaugural Run Around for Write Around fundraiser such a success. We have raised $2,345 so far, with more trickling in, nearly enough to sponsor an entire workshop! Furthermore, that was just a small handful of us who started our silly quest mid-summer. Think of what we can do next year?

Overall, I had an incredible experience on the course yesterday. The weather was perfect, a far cry from the drizzle and downpours of 2008. I hit a great runner's high at the peak of the St. John's Bridge and powered through quite well for the first 20 miles. The last six were miserable beasts, but that is to be expected, feared, even honored. That mantra -- smile, trust, be -- that got me through a few of those tough spots, as did my co-worker Matt who was with me all the way. Well, almost all the way. After we crossed the Broadway Bridge and looped back toward Naito, we were slightly separated and Matt had the advantage. He got in front of a train about to take off and I got stuck in front of a motorcycle cop telling me with his not so subtle way to stop. This was at Mile 24.5 and that two-minute stop not only meant I would never catch up to Matt, but the lactic acid started building up and I was messed up mentally for the rest of the run. My body got the signal that I was finishing and it took everything in me to run the rest, half of which I walked (although my memory's a little hazy). My official finish time was 4:03:33. Take away the train and I finished about the same time as I did last year, 4:01:18, but take away that train and I would have been with Matt and we would have powered through together. He finished in 3:58. Alas, I may just be stupid enough to try one of these again.