It's been five days since I ran the 2011 ING New York City Marathon.

My legs finally feel back to normal (no more walking backwards down the stairs). I'm lacing up my sneakers for my first post-marathon run as I write. And I'm signing up for the

3 days until the New York City Marathon.

When elite runner Josh Cox, ran his first marathon -- the 1999 San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon (with a time of 2:19 to qualify for the Olympic trials) -- he admits he was very nervous.

"Racing 26.2 miles...

10 days until the New York City Marathon.

With less than two weeks to go before the 2011 ING New York City Marathon (holy freakout mode), it's time to taper. Before I decided to run the marathon earlier this year, I had no idea what tapering even meant...

18 days until the New York City Marathon.

Remember a few weeks back, when I said there was more to that Bart Yasso story?

Well, as promised, here it is:

Last Wednesday night, the AOL Marathon Team and other running enthusiasts got...

25 days until the New York City Marathon.

Just to clarify, that is less than one month until the New York City Marathon! Am I freaking out about running my first marathon? Yes. Am I excited to kick some major tail on Sunday, November 6? Oh, hell yes.

38 days until the New York City Marathon.

A few Sundays ago, I sat on my couch after a good, long cry.

I was awake surprisingly early that morning, still recovering from a 14-mile training run the day before (and a late night filled with...

45 days until the New York City Marathon.

And it's official. I've become one of those people.

A "real runner."

I wake up at the crack of dawn to lace up my sneakers. I love discovering new running routes. I am obsessed with logging my miles. I feel...

54 days until the New York City Marathon.

Everything hurts.

It's Saturday morning at 6:15 am. My alarm is piercing my ears. But I can't seem to move. Every single part of my body hurts. And Friday was an off day from all this running.

I've been training...

72 days until the New York City Marathon.

With two months of training for the New York City Marathon down, there's really nothing I enjoy talking about more than my new running lifestyle. And when someone inevitably tells me how nuts the idea of running a marathon is,...

Last week, I learned there is no such thing as a vacation from training for the New York City Marathon. Even though I left New York for a week-long family trip down to Long Beach Island,...

I've been thinking a lot about the "c-word" recently. The thing that took the life of a good family friend just last week. The disease that kills an average of 1,500 Americans every day. And the...

103 days until the New York City Marathon.

Looking back on this hazy, hot and humid week of training for the New York City Marathon, it's pretty easy to pick the highlight. The Tuesday morning intervals along the Hoboken waterfront, where I sweat more than I...

110 days until the New York City Marathon.

I've reached the point in my training for the 2011 ING New York City Marathon where every "long run" of the week now becomes "the longest run I've ever done." Last weekend was seven miles and this weekend will be...

120 days.

120 days until I (fingers crossed) complete the 2011 ING New York City Marathon. I'm already a few weeks into training, taking those initial steps in the journey of my first-ever marathon -- steps that fill me with equal parts excitement and fear. Apparently there's a...