RUNNING BUDDIES

I'm a runner. There I admitted it. My mom would have taken a million dollar bet when I was a kid that I would NEVER like running. Among all the other mind-blowing changes that occured when I attended college in a tiny town in Georgia, was my interest in running.

After my 1st Marathon Finish in Austin, 2/2003

Having a few marathons under my belt, I can safely say I'm going to be sticking with it for a while. I try to run a few times a week and there are a few things that I won't run without. My first jogging buddy is my step-mom Brenda. After my first marathon, I tricked her into training for a half marathon through the USA Fit program. She was quickly seduced into the insanity and did her first full marathon in 2004 in Houston. Since then, she's completed marathons in Austin, Chicago and San Diego. She's currently training for the Marine Corp Marathon in DC in October.

With my step-mom after my 2nd Marathon Finish in Houston, 1/2004

My other running buddy is Zoe! During the week, when we're just doing around 3 in the neighborhood, she tags along. She *knows* when my jog bra, running shorts and shoes all go on. Most mornings, about 40 minutes after I get out of bed, she strolls into the office to see if I'm ready to go. She's pretty well trained to run along the sidewalks and wait for me to tell her to cross the streets, until we get to the park. Once on the jogging trail, she runs around like a lunatic chasing rabbits and ducks.

Finally, the other thing I won't run without is my Garmin Forerunner 301 GPS watch. I've had this little gizmo a few years now and REFUSE to run without it. It's kinda big and bulky when you first get it, but you get used to it very quickly. In additional to being a timer, it tells your your instant and average pace. Your total distance, your heart rate, calories burned, time of day, your horoscope. (just kidding on that last one!) I've already rambled at length about it here.

Of course my feet don't move without my beloved Saucony shoes. I've tried many a brand, but I've been loyal to these for many years and hundreds of miles.

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: It's not fun to run alone, and buddies make it all better.