Alpine - That is totally surreal. I think I would've gone home wondering if I was in severe glycogen deficit and hallucinating. Man, what a beautiful place.

Ruth - I'll be right over. Not to bust you loose though, to handcuff you to DH so you can't do anything you shouldn't today. It's called tough love.

Emily - I was once a "OMG I could never run around the block" kinda girl. My older brother (that I worshipped) got on this kick about hard bodied women. So I thought I should be a hard body because that was attractive. I was about 18 at the time. I started to run and do weights, alternating days. Eventually I worked up to 3 miles and said that was it, I'm not running any further, this is painful. Then I met DH and life was irrevocably changed. I think he regrets the part he had in turning me into an adreneline junky. Now he's an Ironwidower. It takes little steps and we all have to start someplace. Just remember, you're out there doing more than 90% of the population. Good for you!!

A little picker upper for those of you who stuggle with running:

One of most tought provoking things I have ever heard come out of an athlete's mouth was something I overheard at Ironman Canada, at the finish line, sometime around hour 16. A pro athlete was discussing the race with a friend and the friend wanted to go back to the hotel. The pro said she wanted to stay and watch the last athlete come in. The friend asked why. She said that the last ones coming in are the real athletes. As hard as she had to work, they had to work way harder to finish and they had to do it for 8 hours longer than she did.

It's true. It's not important how fast or how far. It's about effort and my hat goes off to anyone who's out there making an effort. We're all athletes.