Fame fades. Glory diminishes. It probably wasn’t more than 20 minutes after I finished running Boston before I was asked the inevitable question, “What’s next?”
[Amusing side note: Runner friends ask, “What’s your next race?” Everyone else asks, “So are you finally going to take a break?”]
What’s next for me is the biggest challenge I have faced to date. Over Memorial Weekend I will attempt to—literally—run across Georgia
As a runner and 2010 Boston Marathon participant, I’m devastated over the recent tragedy in Boston. I’ve sat with it for a few days, trying to piece together my thoughts, my emotions, and what it all means. And then I saw a photo on Facebook that summed up everything I was thinking and feeling.
Love and prayers to all affected by the Boston tragedy.
Dena
Yesterday I received an e-mail from my sister. "You have a package arriving today from UPS." I'm glad she gave me the heads up. When the doorbell rang I was sweaty and smelly from exercise and may not have answered, but the thought of "surprise gift!" lured me in.
I signed for the long narrow box and took it back to the kitchen where I ripped clawed chewed carefully opened it. The box had "fragile" marked all over it and as I slid the contents of the box out I could tell it was a wine bottle, even through the layers of bubble wrap. Wine? Why was my sister sending me wine? I like wine, but I'm hardly a connoisseur. I can't tell the difference between a $3 bottle and a $300 bottle. Maybe they visited a vineyard (in Chicago?) and wanted to share the experience. I hoped they hadn't spent too much.
Then I rolled the bottle over to read the label. Oh my God. 
New contender for BEST. GIFT. EVER. It's a wine bottle with a customized label celebrating my run in Boston. "Beantown 26.2 Winery." How fun is that? I'm going to find a special place of honor in the exercise room for the bottle. Wine and a treadmill all in one room - that's how you can tell I'm a serious runner.
Thanks Nicole and Grant! I love the gift!!!
Ran 20 miles this morning. By myself. Turned into the lunatic who talks to themselves around mile 18, muttering, "Two more miles. I can do two more miles. C'mon, hang in there. One mile and 8/10's left. Don't quit." People gave me a wide berth.
Driving home, Blair asked why I hadn't written anything for publication on my running. "You went from being a non-runner to qualifying for Boston in three and a half years," he said. "That would be inspirational to someone."
"Oh, sweetie," I said, love pouring out from my heart.
"Plus, it seems like you should be able to make some money on that," he finished.
Aaaaaand, the moment is over.
Anyway, we came up with a few potential book titles for my as yet unwritten memoir on running:
Blair also suggested something like, "A Woman's Journey" which I vetoed for sounding too much like a tampon commercial.
I'm now on the couch, feet up, and slightly bummed because all the books I'm reading right now are non-fiction and I'm really in the mood to curl up with a good story. I'll search the house but I'm pretty sure I've read everything here with the exception of some Agatha Christie novels and I'm just not that desperate.
Let me know which title you think I should go with, or feel free to suggest one of your own. If I select your title, I'll mention you in my interviews on Oprah and The Today Show, if there's time before the commercial break.
Author. Humorist. Fitness fanatic. Control freak (working on it). Mentor. Klutz. All-around decent human being.
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