North Maple Rag

I think I must have been flying high from this weekend's beautiful, crisp, fall weather; I agreed to run approximately 18 miles of a 200 mile relay next summer. It's not really the 18 miles that scares me, it's the fact that the other runners are far more . . . runnerly than me. Hans Brix, who convinced me to join her team has been very encouraging (imagine her saying "You'll be fine." over and over again).

The good news is that the race should be fun. We'll be journeying from the top of Mount Hood to the Oregon Coast (hence the race's name, Hood to the Coast). Also, I've been needed some extra motivation to get to the gym more frequently and this should do the trick. Nothing motivates me better than my fear of humiliation. Those of you who talk to me frequently should prepare yourselves for some hearty whining while I try to get back into running more than three miles at a time.

Anyway, like I said, this past weekend was gorgeous. Autumn's always been my favorite season and days like yesterday make me want to rake something. I'm hopeful that the weather will stay like this for a good long while -- the leaves have just started to change here in NYC, so that's a good sign.