With one week before the marathon, I am ready. I have run 477 miles during my training, including three 20+ mile runs and one half marathon with Paul Fields -- congratulations Paul on a great race!

I am injury free. I am mentally ready. Now I just need the weather to cooperate :)

Yesterday I completed my first 20 mile training run since the Nashville Marathon in April. I forgot what it takes to complete 20 miles. It didn't help that it was during a thunderstorm -- of course it stopped raining just after I finished my 3 hour training run :)

Looking back at last year, I see that it took me 3:22 to do my first 20 miles. Yesterday, even with the rain, I completed it in 3:05. In two weeks I will run 22 miles -- hopefully I will have better weather and better performance.

When I started training for my first marathon in April 2004, I knew little about what I was getting myself into. My motivation was to continue what my brother, Craig, had started as a fund-raising event for the American Brain Tumor Association in memory of my mom. What started as an 18 week commitment has turned into a passion to see how far I can push myself physically and mentally.

My goal for this year's "Marathon for Marsha" will be to break the 4 hour barrier. I know with dedication and training I can achieve this new milestone and I am asking for your support. What started as "Marathon for Marsha" has grown into "Runners Sharing Hope" and last year had 58 runners and raised almost $50,000. This year we already have over 100 runners and our goal is to raise $100,000 for brain tumor research.

Since my last official "Marathon for Marsha", I have continued my training and completed three more marathons: Las Vegas, St. Louis and Nashville. I set a new personal best in Nasville of 4:01:59 -- just shy of my 4 hour goal.

My goal for this year's "Marathon for Marsha" is not just to break 4 hours, but to do so decidedly with a 3:45. Improving a marathon finish time by 17 minutes may not seem like a large goal to some people, but for me it will be a huge accomplishment.

I am now at the mid-point in my training (9 of 18 weeks) and am beginning my 20+ mile training runs. These runs will prepare me physically for the challenge, but it is the memory of my mom and her spirit and determination that will see me through mentally.

Although it has been two months since the Chicago Marathon, it seems like yesterday. I want to share some pictures of the event with you and thank you for helping to make our 2005 Marathon for Marsha a huge success.

Expanding our effort as Team ABTA "Runners Sharing Hope" drew an incredible 58 runners for the 2005 Chicago Marathon. Together we raised over $48,000 for the American Brain Tumor Association.

With 7 weeks left before the Chicago Marathon, training is going very well. After struggling with some minor injuries recently, I am happy to report that I am now injury free. My first 20 mile run since April went well last weekend. Taking 3 hours and 22 minutes to complete, I was tired and had muscle fatigue, but no pain!

I am now looking towards my warm-up marathon on September 18. I will be running the Lewis & Clark Marathon in St. Charles, MO again this year. I will be running this marathon at a slower pace than my goal pace for Chicago.

Marathon for Marsha
26.2 Miles in the Race for Brain Tumor Research

My Mom, Marsha, never ran a marathon during her life, but her biggest challenge far outweighed the difficulty that 26.2 miles can present. She fought a year-long battle against a brain tumor that claimed her life in August 2000.

My mom’s fight was more difficult than any one of us could have ever imagined, and she faced it with courage and determination despite the outcome. Hopefully, finishing this race can demonstrate that her strength and her spirit are alive and well in those who love her so dearly. She instilled in us that we could always do more than we think ourselves capable, that God never allows us a cross we couldn't bear, and we can achieve whatever we set in our hearts and minds.

In 2003, my brother announced he was going to run the Chicago Marathon to raise money for ABTA. Dubbing the event “Marathon for Marsha”, he recruited three other runners. Last year, my daughter and I ran with a few friends in the second “Marathon for Marsha”. Following on the success of these two years, ABTA has now become an official charity of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon for 2005.

We have 43 runners participating in the growing “Runners Sharing Hope” campaign for the American Brain Tumor Association.

Please visit our sister site: http://www.RunnersSharingHope.org

Here are some pictures from our run a few weeks ago. This was the end of our training and we are now tapering to be ready for the big day.

Halfway to the finish line...	In the home stretch...
Crossing the finish line!