So it's crunch time! Not really, crunch time was actually several weeks ago when I successfully finished the team's longest pre-marathon run. Running from the Marina Green in San Francisco through the Presidio, up the STAIRS FROM HELL, across the Golden Gate Bridge which is (lets say it together) ALL UP HILL. Continuing through the Coast Guard installation, up the Never Ending Hill and down into Sausalito, where we waved as we passed the Ferry Building that they let us stop at last time.

We continued out of Sausalito and ran FOREVER. OK it wasn't forever but it was really far. At about the 10.5 mile mark they handed us some Advil and said "Go forth and conquer, ye masochists!" Actually they just said go right, but I'm sure that's what they were thinking. So I headed right into beautiful Tiburon. Running through residential districts, and on trails along the water, then up into and through Strawberry Canyon (big houses, bigger hills) and down into the flat lands leading into downtown Tiburon.

That would be California flat - which is as flat as it gets here, which would be hilly to anyone living where the word flat actually means...flat - here flat is a relative term, as in hey, where I am now is, like, totally flat - that's what I say every time I get home from Tahoe.

I ended the run at the Tiburon Ferry some 18.6 miles and four hours and ten minutes after I started. After the run our coaches decided to start tapering early for most of the runners. On the 21st I ran 11 miles, last weekend was 6.4 miles, and over the next two weeks I will taper down to 20 minute jogs in order to store up the strength needed to endure 26.2 miles.

So, the marathon starts at 5am Hawaiian time on Sunday the 13th (8am Pacific, 9am Mountain, 10am Central, 11 am Eastern). Send me your good vibes and I'll run for us all. To find out more info about Keukemia Society events in your area, call 1-800-482-TEAM, and wish me luck as I pay homage to the Goddess Asphalta!

p.s.
I pretend I'm Wonder Woman when I have to run up hills.