West Coast Road Runners is a group of dedicated runners and walkers who train together, specifically for half and full marathons, although some members also participate in other events such as triathlons, trail races, and ultra marathons. I was fortunate enough to run with this group for a full season, beginning in July of 2007, and ending in February of 2008. My initial goal when I joined the group was to train for a half marathon only, but when I fulfilled that goal in November 2007 by completing the Silver Strand Half Marathon, I was determined to finish out the season by running a full marathon. The half marathon by the way, was an incredible experience for me and one I will probably store away in my mind as “special.” Just a few months prior I couldn’t fathom running anything more than 6 miles, let alone a staggering 13.1 miles! But once again I proved that I was not only capable of running the 13.1 miles, I also managed to gain myself a fairly decent PR (personal record). With a finish time of 1:46:30, I placed 17th in my age division (out of 150), and came in as the 298th runner out of a total of 1728. I was stoked! I also remembered what my coach had said to me when I first started training; she told me that by the end of the season I would be itching to run a full marathon. I had scoffed at the idea! Me? A full marathon? No one in their right mind would contemplate running 26.2 miles just for the sake of it. I understand why someone who is running for charity might willingly submit their bodies to what I can only describe as an intensely bitter-sweet pain (much like having a baby in the sense that the end result makes it all worth the while), but without an incentive, why would anyone run a full marathon? There I was however, having just finished my first half marathon and feeling on top of the world, and suddenly my brain switched over to what I like to call my “Nike - Just Do It” zone. It really isn’t good when I enter this zone, because the few trace elements of logic that are left in my brain seem to just disappear during these moments. It was all good though; I was in the capable hands of two excellent coaches who both believed in me. So with just two months left of training, I knuckled down and focused on the goal ahead of me…………