A marathon is, well, a marathon..

4 fairly dedicated months of training.

Many a time I wasn't feeling super keen to get up early and run in the rain, yet my trusted running partner (Tula) was ALWAYS keen..

In training it involves starting with shorter distances, then incorporating a progressively longer run on Sunday, with speedwork, and middle distances throughout the week.

In general we were running 5 times/week over a 4 month period..

A few injuries.. Achilles Tendon :-(

It was HOT this summer...Smoke from fires..

Most people were sleeping in... but NOT I ( and the poodle)

Tula trained with me consistently running as far as 23 miles.. and at the end she was still ahead of me chasing squirrels

She was my bear warning, although when I did see bears, she was still far more interested in the squirrels.. I not convinced she was much help with protection..

I was a little unsure of running her all that distance, but training for the long distances is quite slow, and she was always ahead of me..

After 4 months of training I was feeling finally ready to race, (no dogs allowed), but Tula was at the finish line to cheer me on, and of course family: my wife, daughter and nephew!

I was extremely happy with my result (3:28), finishing 3rd in my age group and qualifying for the Boston Marathon :-)

But it's the lessons that you learn along the way that I'll remember the most

• Life is a marathon..not a sprint.. learn to pace yourself

• It's SO much better and motivating to have a friend/training partner (especially a DOG!!)

• Because it's raining/hot/smoky doesn't mean you DON'T go outside and run... in fact it's usually better outside

• Set Goals... you might not get there, but trying is SO much better than not

• Remember to Live in the moment (of which my dog Tula is an expert at).. you might never catch the squirrel, but it sure is fun to try