This past weekend was a pretty good one all around. There was running, there was drinking, there was dancing, there was karaoke and there was relaxing… That kinda thing probably won’t happen again for a while (sigh).

But the best part of the weekend wasn’t even something I did. It was the call that I got on Saturday morning, whilst enjoying some waffles with peanut butter and preserves. It was the little broha, Dan, and he was calling to tell me that he had just finished a 19-mile training run (he’s in preparation for the Chicago Marathon in October). Clearly, I was pretty stoked to get this news from him, especially knowing that he had recently been struggling to complete his longer runs. (I was a little less stoked when Melissa informed me after the call that she knew about this feat before I did thanks to Facebook).

As thrilled as I’ve been about getting my own running back on track over the last few weeks, this was even more thrilling. To train for a marathon while in college just seems beyond me. Even though I played football and baseball, I feel like that was an easier task because I had set times when I had to be at practice every day and there were a lot of people holding me accountable. But marathon training is something that most people undertake on their own, and to be able to do the requisite work to complete a marathon while juggling classes and… er… the rest what college entails is super impressive to me.

I know he gets down about the struggles he’s had with longer runs and about missing a run or cutting it short a few miles, but I just hope that his effort Saturday is enough to really get him over that hump… ‘cuz it sure as hell should be.

Dan’s own run got me in the mood for a nice run of my own later on Saturday afternoon, as I used those waffles as fuel for what is now my longest run of the year to date: an hour and 40 minutes. Though initially less than joyous about the outing and about the fact that it was my longest of the year, I was soon able to step back, take in the picture that has been my year, and feel pretty good about it. Hell, a month ago I was hardly able to get 30 minutes in per day with any confidence that my foot/ankle was going to feel okay. Now, I’m back up to about 40+ minutes a day with some hour-or-so runs on the weekends. A month has made a huge difference.

I can’t wait to hear from Dan after he attempts his final long run, a 20-miler, next weekend and then begins his taper before the marathon. I know he’ll make it through just fine as long as he goes into them - the final long run and the marathon itself - with confidence. He’s come a long way in just the last few months, and he really does owe it to himself to have that confidence.

Good luck, bro!