Well, it is done. And what a day it was.

Weather was hot! Great for spectating; tough for the runners.

Beautiful course, tremendous support almost the entire way around, especially on the tough hill at 15 miles, and a great atmoshere at the finish with free ice cream and pizza. Worth the price of admission right there!

I ran the best I could: very solid 8:45 pace through 16 mies and then, with leg cramps unabating, just hung on for the challenge of 17-22, the infamous "Wall". After that it was a slow dig deep for the strength to crawl over the finish line.

Today I can barely walk, but my heart is full of pride and I can't wait for next year.

To top it off, the donations have continued to roll in. So a huge THANK YOU to all of you who have supported me with messages of inspiration and the Steps to Wellness charity with contributions to their wonderful program. Hats off to you; you are the heoroes of this story.

Donating through this website is still open and is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support the amazing fundraising efforts of everyone who has contributed already.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!

Keep on truckng, Dudes!