Credits

Stephanie Burlet Page (3:28:11) - my perpetual coach; leader of Saturday long runs; coordinator of out-of-town events; savior at Mile 22!

Laurie Aaron - example of "crazy" training; calming seatmate for bus ride to start; presenter of my finisher's medal and recipient of my only post-run hug!

Josh Rayner (3:18:51) - true grit and determination; great training partner

Randy Posejpal (3:29:48) - a metronome; master of sarcastic wit that can fuel an entire long run conversation

Stacey Almond (3:19:34) - always "up" for one more hill or a pickup at the finish of a long run; knows more about shoes than any person should

Jonathan Bennett - occasional training partner; dedicated student of all aspects of running - if he doesn't know the answer, he'll find it.

Bob Bond - occasional training partner; proof that you can get faster over time; great storyteller who makes miles melt away

Dr. John Cianca - diagnosed and prescribed treatment for my post-Ogden marathon knee problems; shared great wisdom about focusing my training objectives; let me know that I have "talent"

Dani Nguyen - expert physical therapist who didn't accept my BS; pushed me hard and got results; she very literally got me back on the road again

Amalia Bilek - best massage therapist; I still don't know how a woman that small can make me hurt in places I didn't know I had! ... hurt so good that is ....

fastrunningblog.com - inspiring information, stories, and opinions of average Joe's to Olympic Trials marathoners; the cumulative knowledge there is unbelievable and the environment is very nurturing for someone finding their way in running.

therunzone.com - a solid site with expert training techniques

Tom "Tinman" Schwartz - Tinman identified the huge discrepancy between my speed and endurance. On June 4, he calculated my marathon pace at 7:55/mile. Using his training techniques perfectly prepared me to do just that in St. George.

Scott Zimmerman - for his custom St. George pace chart. I've used it twice now and it's like magic. His formulas account for the varied terrain perfectly. Deserves a Nobel prize for his work!

TodayIRun Blog readers and Commenters - Thank you for the encouragement! It helps to know you're out there. I feel more accountable for my training and really appreciate the "shout outs".

My Family - Thanks for "letting" me train. Everyone knows the real work of a marathon is done long before the gun at the starting line. Thank you for the support.