Seven miles this morning! It was raining, and not quite fifty degrees. I still took my jacket off at about mile four. Joining our crew this morning were the AIDS marathoners who are doing the Marine Corps Marathon here in DC at the end of the month. They did their 26-mile training run last weekend, and this morning they were doing an eight-mile recovery run. Coach Fred said, "There will come a time in your life in the very near future when you will use "only" and "ten miles" in the same sentence." I said, "yeah, as in, 'if only I get get through this ten-mile run without puking.'" It is funny though. In two weeks ten miles will be the farthest I've ever run, but in a few months it will seem like nothing. Well, not nothing, maybe.

We diverted from our ordinary route because of events on the mall, and instead ran out to Hains Point. Coach Fred gave a funny speech about this as well. Hains Point is miles 17-20 of the Marine Corps Marathon. He said, "If you have run the Marine Corps, you know that Hains Point is the most desolate, loneliest place on earth." Boy, is it ever. It is pretty desolate and lonely at miles 2-5. I can't imagine what it's like when you have already run 16 miles going in and still have 6 to go when you get out. It is just absolutely endless. If you're not running, Hains Point is pretty fun. It's right across the river from National Airport, so you can watch the planes, which is cool, and there's that crazy sculpture, The Awakening , which I still don't really understand. I guess there is no understanding to be done. It is eerie, that's all.

So, the running is going well! I am starting to actually believe I can do this!