Thanks, and news from 8/5

Thanks also to Jake, for generously matching the total amount I had pledged for myself--much more than I ever expected from anyone.
Also, I thought I should give you a run down of this past week's training: I nearly got lost in the wilderness of Rock Creek Park on a ten mile run (half of which, I swear, was uphill!), but at the end of my run met a man who was pushing three small children in a stroller the width of the sidewalk. We exchanged pleasantries and as I ran ahead, one of the kids caught my attention and waved goodbye. They all looked like they were having such a good time, it just made my day. Despite what people might think, running is really not a lonely sport. When I got home, I found that I had developed a blister "the size of a marble" (according to my friend Megan) on my foot, but that's ok.