Yesterday I drove to Birmingham to pick up my orthotics. Here’s a pic: They feel and look better than I expected. I can’t run with them for at least a week. My feet have to grow accustomed to being supported in their normal state. So, I’ve worn them in my work shoes and will do…

Did my last LSD (long slow distance) run today: 8 miles. Now all I have left are two easy runs on Monday and wednesday. We drive down to WDW on Wednesday afternoon, enjoy the parks on Thursday thru Saturday and then I run the marathon on Sunday. Thursday at noon, I’ll leave my family and…

Sunday’s 20 went fabulous. This was my last really long run before the marathon on Jan. 11. I now enter the taper, which cannot come a moment too soon. I treated this as a complete dress rehearsal for the marathon, except for getting up at 2:30 AM and wearing my Camelbak. I wore the socks,…

My last long run before the taper will take place this coming Sunday (Dec 21). I plan to use this run as a full dress rehearsal: from clothes to gels to shoes, from timing to wake-up time to start-time, etc. Weather permitting, I will wear what I plan to wear at Disney (if it is…

I am one week away from my taper. I run 20 on this coming Sunday (12/21) and then start the process of resting and recuperating for the race in January. I have these intermittent fits of panic and calm. one day I feel ready, the next I feel panicky. Is it possible for one to…

I still cry when I see this. 2006 Disney trip.

I haven’t run since Tuesday. Holiday travels and rain have killed any plans I had to sneak in a run. I had even packed a bag with all sorts of my running gear for all climates, but no go. I am taking this as an opportunity to heal up little nicks and bumps and such…

Ran a horrible 6 miles this morning, two days after running 20. I was still stiff and sore and felt horrible. Blech. I won’t run again until Friday because of holiday stuff, so I’ll surely hope to be in a better mood by then. Yuck. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everybody. I am thankful for you…

19 Miles on Sunday. 19. I still can’t believe that I did it. Running 10 seems like so far away as a milestone. But here we are at 19. In two weeks. I’ll do 20. I just might pull this marathon thing off. Like I said. Remember, I am a pre-middle aged, bald, chubby, slow…

Apparently, under some degree of pressure from sane, logical people, Nike has reconsidered and declared o’Connell “a” winner—but not “the” winner of the San Francisco Nike Women’s Marathon. Way to straddle the fence, Nike. I wonder how many of the elite runners who “won” were sponsored by Nike? Hmmmm.Update:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/22/BACI13MAIT.DTL&nopu=1 Bottom line: She ran fastest. She…

Ran a GREAT 8 miles on Saturday morning before we headed off to my Alma Mater (Auburn) to watch a football game. I started off slow and easy for the first three miles. Ran around 12:30 to 13:00 min. miles. After the first three and a Clif shot, I picked up that pace to 12:10…