Beautiful piece, made me happy for you and the possibilities of life.

I did a good amount of running and swimming this summer but since school started, it’s only been biking. Six miles each way, each day, and up a big, big hill to get there, but it’s absolutely no replacement for running. I feel soft. Running makes you better at everything else but nothing makes you better at running, except running. That’s probably not true but it feels like it.

I also enjoyed your encounter with the streak runner. I had read about him a couple times before. Amazing.

Kristin gets in a fair number of twelve-milers, half of that on the beach. I go eight, max.

Some running memories are flooding in — Chicago, 2am, three layers and balaclava for three miles on the snow and ice on the beach, frozen beard. Big buck doesn’t yield along Mississippi. Broken on the floor after first ever longish run with the girl. Hopping frozen streams in Maine backwoods. Beach race in San Diego — false start, interference, inconclusive, I demand a rematch.

Recent Onion headline made me chuckle – “New York Marathon Winner Tests Positive For Performance-Enhancing Horse”

However, this is probably not a distinct advantage for an elite runner in a marathon:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_versus_Horse_Marathon#Winners_of_the_race

Love this photo and can totally relate to how you feel about running. For me, running has almost become like a drug. I crave it. On days when I can’t run, I miss it.