i'm behind on miles this week. i got called on to take a last-minute trip to boston on monday. i couldn't fit any running in on monday or tuesday. good thing this is a cut-back week. on the other hand, i don't want to cut back too much more than planned, because then the following week will be that much more of a step-up. not exactly sure how the rest of this week will go. i may try to sneak in a few extra miles here and there to hit my 37 mile goal. will most likely fall short by 5?

my busy season is coming again, in a couple weeks. it'll be very difficult to fit all of the scheduled runs in. i'm a little disappointed already. i will just have to take it a day at a time, not much else i can do when i work those 15 hour days. my brain can't quite grasp how i will fit in 10 and 11 mile runs mid-week.

over the weekend i kept getting asked why in the heck i would want to run 17 miles. why? why? why? the general tone was not one of admiration or amazement, it was pure confusion. the question was coming from very fit and healthy peeps (just to give you perspective; it wasn't coming from a non-exerciser).

sometimes i can't come up with great reasons. usually i fall back on, "the challenge" and "the marathon gives my training focus" blah blah blah. i actually don't think those are the real answers for me.

yesterday i was at the boston airport at 3pm. my flight was scheduled to depart at 6pm, however it departed after 7pm. then the <3 hour flight, plus i had to check my bag because there was no more room in the overhead, etc. bleah! at least i had a window seat. needless to say i had some time on my hands to think about stuff.

for me, the real answer lies in the personal growth that comes from completing this event (and improving y/y). the growth stems from the ability to apply weeks and months of training to one single day, and the ability to tackle that incoherent numbness that begins at mile 18. how will you handle that? what will drive you to finish? what will you be thinking about when your feet hurt? you will learn an awful lot about yourself during those last 8 miles. each person will learn something different and unique, and this enlightenment will be applicable to other areas of your life post-race. the beauty of it is that each marathon will result in additional growth. the 17-miler was just one piece of the big b.hopkins '08 marathon puzzle; the last piece will be placed as i cross the finish-line in october.