Yesterday I turned 39 years old, and today I took on a challenge and ran the Paris Marathon in 3 hours and 16 minutes. It was the hardest marathon I have ever run, but the feeling afterwards is something I cannot really describe. On this day all the work comes together. All the rainy, dark, cold, slippery training sessions in the snow or in the sunshine. Those moments alone. But now I feel the accomplishment. The feeling that if I put the work into something, it pays off. I really worked hard for this and wanted to improve my time after Sydney, and I did it. And yes, I got older, but my goal for Chicago also got higher. There is no real finish line in this business. After a marathon comes the next one. I am going to spend two weeks in Spain, a well deserved vacation, but after that I will go back to work. I am already looking forward to the summer training.