Book Worm

I just finished reading my book by Hal Higdon (see previous post) and I am already looking for a new read. The last chapter of the book offered some advice and words of inspiration from runners. Here are a few of my favorites:

- On Inner Strength: "Even when you have gone as far as you can, and everything hurts and you are staring at the specter of self-doubt, you can find a bit more strength deep inside you, if you look closely enough." -Thomas Davis, Baltimore

- On Power: "Finishing a marathon was much more emotionally powerful than anything I could have expected. It was an exquisite combination of pain, relief, and pride. It was all I could do to keep from crying." - Pete Jones, Denver

- On Waste: "I realized how much time I wasted doing nothing. An hour spent watching TV became a 7-mile run. Time wasted daydreaming became time spent in the morning sun. It's about setting priorities." - Bob Winter, Illinois

- On Advertising: "Putting my name on my shirt was one of the smartest things I did. Everybody cheered me by name." - Mary Beth Winklejohn, Illinois


I could go on and on with other pieces of advice offered up in the book. Reading all 358 pages, cover-to-cover, has gotten me in the marathon mindset. I feel like I am actually prepared to take on 18 weeks of training. I've been using Twitter to connect with other runners who plan on running the 2010 Chicago Marathon. Recently, I asked Fleet Feet Chicago (via Twitter), how many miles a pair of running shoes is good for. The response was shocking. I quote: "Oh, you are due for a new pair of kicks! General rule of thumb is every 300-400 miles."

Hmm. Let's evaluate my current running shoes. I bought my Nikes back in May 2009 just before I started training for my first half-marathon. Since then, I've probably put on nearly double the recommended maxed out mileage of 300-400. I guess it's time for some new kicks. I'm going to head on over to Fleet Feet Chicago after my birthday (in 10 short days) to get some new kicks. I'm hoping the new shoes will put a little extra bounce into my run. But wait, there's more! The professionals at Fleet Feet and my running friends all told me that I'll have to buy yet ANOTHER pair of shoes just over halfway through marathon training. Oh. My. Goodness. Forget the budget I blogged about last week. That's been thrown out the window at this point. Shoes are $100 a pair. If I'm really going to run this marathon, I'm going all in.

The next book I'm going to take on is Marathon Woman. It's a recommendation from my friend Sue, who ran the 2008 Chicago Marathon. She said it's an inspirational book and to be honest, I need another book to read on the bus and train. My morning commute is just plain sad if I'm not reading a book.

Random side story: I was finishing up my Marathon Training book on the bus tonight and an older woman sitting across from me started giving me other book recommendations. Through our conversation, I found out she has raced in 8 marathons--all in NYC. I'm slowing earning membership in the runner's club and it's a good feeling. = )