This is not a joke.

I got two MySpace messages yesterday that reminded me how much of a stretch this whole marathon thing is.

One, from a friend who I've known for about 10 years said something like, "Wow, a marathon ... that's ambitious." It had that certain tinge of "Yeah, whatever, Paul. Good luck with that."

The second message was one of outright disbelief. This friend, who I worked with in college, asked if the blog was a joke, but then followed it up with some advice since she's run a marathon before. If this were a joke, I would have shown *incredible* dedication to my comedic craft by now.

I took no offense to either of the messages. However, I was quickly reminded about how difficult the training actually is, and how difficult it's *perceived* to be.

Today: outdoor walk (!)
Tomorrow: 14-mile run