Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start

Training officially started today. I was up at 5:00 & ready to go. The pouring rain told me to head back to bed though. An auspicious start to my training to say the least.

Luckily, the rain lifted by mid-morning & I was able to get in my three miles at lunch. I’m sure the running will become tedious over the next 18 weeks, but right now I’m fired up to be starting.

I’m looking forward to hitting the road tomorrow morning. Will I be able to complete the training over the next 123 days & finish the Philadelphia Marathon? I’m not sure, but I’ll give it my all, plus:
I have confidence in sunshine

I have confidence in rain

I have confidence that spring will come again

Besides which you see I have confidence in me!

Red

The 18 week plan I’m following for the Philadelphia Marathon starts on Tuesday. I think Red summed up my current feelings:

"I find I am so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it is the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain..."

Summer Reading

I was asked to put together a list of some of my favorite books for my niece & sometime running partner Marie.
I can’t remember the last time I read fiction, but if you like non-fiction & biographies, I feel very strongly in recommending the following for your summer reading:

Left To Tell, Immaculee Ilibagiza – Incredible story of a women surviving the Rwandan genocide in 1994. If you read one book off this list, make it this one.

Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah – Amazing story of a boy being forced to fight & flee the Sierra Leone civil war.

An Ordinary Man, Paul Rusesabagina – An autobiography of the man portrayed in the movie Hotel Rwanda.

The Game of My Life, Jason McElwain – The story of an autistic high school basketball manager who gets his chance to play in a game, and makes the most of it.

Outcasts United, Warren St. John – A Jordanian woman struggles to keep a youth soccer program in South Carolina comprised solely of refugees.

Led By Faith, Immaculee Ilibagiza – Immaculee’s continuing story after surviving the Rwandan genocide.

A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson – Humorous tale of a two buddies trying to walk the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.

The Secret Man, Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein – The story of Mark Felt, Watergates Deep Throat.

Boots on the Ground Before Dusk, Mary Tillman – Mary Tillman’s story & tribute to her son, former Arizona Cardinal Pat Tillman after he was killed in action in Afghanistan.

28 Stories of Aids in Africa, Stephanie Nolen – 28 different stories of how AIDS effects people in Africa.

Lastly, as this is supposed to be a blog about runing, I'd recommend Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall.

Thanks for reading,
Pat