So I began my training January 1, 2009. This time, I was smarter. I wasn’t faster (okay, some days, I was faster), but I was definitely smarter. I knew how to run through the shin splints. Hopefully, the ITB tendinitis wouldn’t flare up. I was optimistic. And I had a full-time training partner. My girlfriend Caitie decided after a ski trip out west that she’d join me on some runs to see how it went. It shook out that she ended up liking training, and actually got a number running for Cystic Fibrosis. We ran a 12:00:00 (12 minute) mile pace throughout training, like clockwork (she’s some kind of machine). On April 4th, my 23rd birthday, we ran 22 miles in about 5:10:00. Our projected time for the whole marathon was going to be 5:14:40, but that was just a slow day. April 20th, 2009, we crossed the stripe at 5:00:27, having cut our mile time to about 11:27:00 for the duration of the course.  We crossed the stripe hand in hand. It was amazing. One of the best days of my life.


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