T is for Talus, Part II

Anatomy A quick google search and I learned this was not a typical stress fracture. The talus highly specialized under-appreciated part of our anatomy. It’s like one of those things we don’t know about until something happens to it and then we can’t imagine ourselves without it. Deeply embedded in the structure of the ankle […]

T is for Talus, Part I

Denial It was a crisp, chilly, and crystal clear morning in Mill Valley. The sound of the creek and the aroma of the damp redwood forest floor across the street greeted me as I laced up my shoes and skipped down the steps to Miller Avenue. It was high October. I was meeting some friends […]

As with the Marathon

A retrospective In life, dark times are a given. The marathon is no different. We plan, we prepare, we pray, however, it’s not so much a question of if but when the hard times hit and for how long they last. Part of the training is learning how to accept this in advance, so when […]

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

When I was young and it was time for bed, I used to leap from one corner of my room to my bed. Flip switch, room dark, one bound and there I was: in bed. Safe. As far as I knew, my parents and brother didn’t know about my compulsion. Even in my childish imagination, […]

Reaffirming Value

Boston 2017 Setbacks are humbling reminders that the achievement of finishing a marathon is inseparable from the achievement of making it to the starting line. No runner, however studious, is impervious to the likelihood of an unwanted disruption to “the plan”.  My first setback in the lead-up to Boston threatened to strike about 14 weeks before it began. I […]