A new beginning

The last two days have been pretty rough. Although I had a promising pain-free run on Sunday, my muscles were still tense at the end of the six miles as they worked beyond their design to compensate for the weakness in my knee. Since then, my knee has started stiffening up again. Although it is much better and more mobile than it was just a week ago, the aggressive schedule that I placed on myself – including a quick ramp-up with 6-, 10- and 15-mile runs – demanded that everything be perfect all the way up to race day.

I realize over the past week that I've been caught up in "finisher fever" – watching my friends complete the Portland, Silicon Valley and New York Marathons – and that I was letting this enthusiasm overpower my basic need to truly listen to my body. Now that I've had a couple of days to reflect on my condition, I've decided that it will be best for me not to run the full CIM next month. I still plan to run as part of a relay team to culminate my fundraising drive. I will maintain this blog at least until race day. Next year, I will start a new blog that will hopefully end at 26.2 miles!

Thanks for the all support you've given me this season. Your well-wishes have willed me through this amazing, life-changing endeavor. I look forward to coming back next year a stronger, wiser and more experienced runner. Always remember:

"Defeat doesn't finish a man – quit does." -Richard Nixon