Next Stop..Burlington, Vermont

Last night I decided to sign up for the Keybank Vermont Marathon in May, my third Vermont Marathon. Since I began running in 2006, this will be my sixth overall marathon.

Why Vermont? It really is a beautiful course with great crowd support and awesome logistics.

It was my first marathon in 2007. I still remember crossing the line. Exhausted, happy, emotional.

The race itself finishes right on the shores of Lake Champlain and the final mile is lined with cheering people in the park as you curve around to the finish line.

It's a relatively flat course with one hill of note at the 15 mile mark. A fairly good incline that's about half a mile long, it too is lined with cheering spectators and you're helped along by the rhythmic percussion of Taiko drummers. It's pretty darn cool.

The weather is a crapshoot. I think the first time I did it, it rained. The last time I ran it in 2008, it got warm about 2 hours in-about 60-65 degrees, and I melted after hours of winter training-not used to the warm temps.

We'll give it a go again this year. The registration is set. I need to request off work and get the hotel room.

My team point two advisor John Ellis and I exchanged emails about what I need to do moving forward. My base training is what I need to work on most. Long, slow, consistent miles beginning in February. That's the ticket. I'll miss John's advice and guidance. I'm grateful to him and my teammates for their support in my training. I enjoyed following their journeys too. They're good peeps. Out.