Introduction

Here we go! I started this blog for a couple of reasons. First, I do a lot of thinking when I run. It seems my thoughts flow with the most clarity during these runs. Why not have a space to write them down? Think of this as my personal (albeit public) diary. Knowing this, you may exit this site right now... or, if you wish, proceed with caution! :) Secondly, I hope this blog spot will be able to serve a greater cause. Sadly, on December 23, 2007, my high school Cross Country and Track coach, Rob Luecke, lost his life at the young age of 47. He gave me a reason to run, and without him, I would be such a different person. My goal is to set up a pledge site to support a scholarship in his name. More on that later.

As you will see, all of my runs are done with my furry four-legged companion, Scout. We adopted Scout last year, and she has been the best running partner a girl could ask for! A 30 lb. Border Collie mix, she is well suited to running. And unlike human running partners, she doesn't talk during our runs, which clears the air for those "deep thoughts" I mentioned earlier.

My training goal this year is to qualify for the 2009 Boston Marathon. To do this, I must run a time of 3hr. 45 min in a certified "Boston Qualifier" marathon. Throughout my training, I will post my run stats (distance, pace, heart rate, route maps). In addition to these quantifiable units of measure, I will also post the thoughts, insights, and feelings I had during that run. Most of this will be quite mundane, I'm sure. However, writing in this blog may give me a chance to organize my thoughts into something cohesive.

Now you know the reasons why I started this blog. Thank you for joining me.