Deadline met

What a relief. I just finished the mockups I have to present at work tomorrow. This was cutting it entirely too close, but I suspect this whole process is going to be a bunch of "hurry up & waits". I unfortunately caffeine-loaded this afternoon to ward off my post-race nap (well, okay, there was a post-race nap) drowsiness, and now, of course, I'm wide awake.

I can't believe the marathon is in two weeks. I can't believe it!

Yesterday, we had our second-to-last PFit session. We walked 7 miles, which was just so thoroughly pleasant. It's funny to realize that six months ago, 7 miles was a long way and it would be a big deal to walk it. Hell, just a couple years ago, I did the 5K walk at Race for the Cure with my sweetie, and we bagged it at the two-thirds point because we were tired and hungry.

There is this ease I'm particularly aware of after the PFit walk/runs where I just feel like I can chat with anyone there. I'm not terrifically outgoing, so this is kinda a big deal. There has been this bonding -- the group keeps getting smaller and smaller -- and it's obvious who is there every week. Perhaps part of this is because the marathon is looming large for so many of us -- and while we can talk to our friends and loved ones about it, they just don't know and can't know what this means. Why is this so important? I don't need to explain it to my PFit acquaintances.

As M. and I inhaled our post-walk breakfast this morning (nothing like a little race to make you hungry like a bear), we chatted about what races we walked to do this fall and winter. I'm already thinking about destination marathons, and I tried to pique her interest. She was a little more guarded -- "would you let me run my first marathon, please, before we start talking about the next one?" It's true -- maybe I'll hate that distance. It could happen.