Yesterday I ran the Portland Marathon

10/8/07 -- Yesterday I ran the Portland Marathon. As I suspected, my jet lag and chest cold took their toll. Although on my goal pace for the first 17 miles, it all caught up with me as I crossed the St. John's bridge. If it hadn't been for family support -- I had a cheering squad waiting for me at mile 20 -- I probably wouldn't have made it across the finish line at mile 26.2. But I did, and below is the medal photo to prove it!

You might be thinking: "Fine, Tom, but what does this have to do with writing?" Well, nothing directly. I was running, not typing. But to me there is an analogy. Running the marathon took training, commitment, and perseverance. Writing takes the same: Training in the craft of making a story coming alive on the page. Commitment to improving your writing over the long haul. And the perseverance to stick with it, even when you can think of a thousand -- no, make that ten thousand reasons to quit.

Write on, friends!