The signs are good. There is a bit of congestion, but just a bit. I want to go outside. I suddenly care what my hair looks like (dreadful). My head no longer weighs 50 lbs. My day planner beckons rather than frightens. And.... I want to run! Mr. Sno wisely advises me to get one more day of rest. Ok. But I can dream... Would you kind folks take a look at this elevation profile for me? I have the worst track record when it comes to judging courses by their elevation profiles. The Portland Marathon (the other fall marathon I'm considering) is offering a discount for early registration (code=ff20), but the cutoff is April 30, coming right up. I know I can run well at Portland (my PR was there), but not sure I want to run it for a 4th time. There are pros & cons. Anyway, what I need help with is determining whether Winthrop is a net downhill the way that, say, Western States 100 is a net downhill? ie Yikes. Or is it more like the way CIM is a net downhill (my second fastest marathon and my best in terms of smart running)? "250 feet of elevation gain" doesn't seem like much, but like I said I am so bad at judging. And will all that downhill murder my quads? What's the fun-o-meter on this course? I think I've posted this before, but here is my recipe for fighting off colds. It really only works if done within about 12 hours of the first signs of illness (that back-of-throat feeling): rest (obviously), extra vit D3, glass of water every half-hour, echinacea every 60-120 minutes*, & no sugar or starches! That includes orange juice. Eat red bell peppers instead if you want dietary vitamin C. *I am aware that the studies on echinacea have yielded mixed results. I just want to say that I have never found it helpful when used as directed, and I have always found it helpful when taken throughout the day, as suggested to me long ago by a friend. If it's a placebo, it's an awfully consistent one. | 
