AUTHOR: linda TITLE: SFMarathon Training: Week 12 DATE: 9:36:00 AM ----- BODY:

Another beautiful morning at Marina Green. Cold, windy, a few early risers jogging, riding, setting up for a soccer game. Today is 9-miles, which I planned to achieve starting from the Green, through the Standard Bridge Approach, then across the bridge, and back along Bay Trail. I remembered our SBA runs being 5 miles, and I know the bridge to be 4 round trip, so should be about right for today. And if I'm on target remembering my pace to be about 10 minute-miles, then it should be 7:45 am at the turnaround point in Marin, and 8:30 am when I get back to my car at the Green.

I'm on track for Week 12, even skipping a long run last weekend. I could even skip every other weekend if I want to and be fine for 15 miles-- but I like the thrill of these mornings too much. I thought about this as I straightened against the wind, blowing hard and long from the Northwest. This'd be the worst of the wind since it's Mile 1, along this stretch of flat Marina Blvd., before it eases up into Mile 2 Southwest and up Lyon and into the Presidio. A shorts-and long-sleeve combo works best for the cold, sunny morning.

After the wind at the Marina, the next challenge is the long uphill of the parade grounds around Mile 3. I only look up to see if any obstacle is in my path ahead, and then tune out to concentrate on one foot at a time. I asked myself why I'm training for this... to celebrate a new decade, celebrate adulthood! To see if I can still do it. To challenge myself; to achieve body tell; to sweat. And if it so happens that my journey's interesting enough for just one person to do something similar, than that's what I want to achieve-- something beyond just me.

I see it on the faces of people passing me the opposite way-- truly blissed out smiles! It makes me laugh out loud when I see those goody looks, of happy people doing something good for themselves. And probably noticing beautiful things around them that they wouldn't otherwise see, from a car or their living room: ships knocking against one another tied up to the bayfront; an incredible string of red steel against the horizon; and other blissed out people passing by on the asphalt, under a blazing summer sun.

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