Frankly, my dear?

It is marathon time around the country. I admit that I am far from an authority on the sport of running. However, this will be a shameless plug for a friend running her first race.

Scarlett is a wonderful young lady who is a fan of the site. I got wind of her running a marathon in the "Capital of the Confederacy". That would be Richmond Va. for those of you in "Beantown".
Boston, New York, and Chicago all have their marathons on television, and I hear it's a great spectator sport. I'd be sitting at the corner watering hole knocking back chilly pops at 8 a.m. just to be able to say I was there. This coming weekend, Scarlett will be running in the Organ Donation Marathon. A great cause...and do some one a favor - donate to your local charities.

As for myself, I would just like to offer a little piece of pep talk to Miss Scarlett:

1. Download the Batman Soundtrack into your iPod. Great score, starts slow, finishes strong.
2. Crowds are over-hyped. It's just you and the road.
3. Make sure you have good tread on your feet...you would hate to have flat tire (unless you have plenty of spares stored up).
4. Have a wonderful time.
   

And last but not least, an Irish prayer.

May the sun shine on your shoulders. May the ground rise to meet your feet. And may you be in Heaven, 30 minutes before the devil knows your dead.

Meanwhile I'll lift a glass of single malt in the morning and watch from the corner bar. Working on my spare tire!