This week I have experienced the power of touch.  On Sunday, a full-time massage therapist that Sara and I have hired for the ten weeks leading up to the ING NYC marathon arrived in town.  I was really excited to have her join us in Mammoth because she had been a big help in working on me a lot leading up to the 2008 London Marathon where I set my personal best of 2:06:17.  I remember in the build-up, how amazed I was after hammering a 23 mile long run and walk out of the massage feeling like I could go run some more.  The next day I would be surprised by the lightness in my legs.

Leah, our massage therapist, joined us and started working right away.  The first couple of days I could tell that my legs were starting to feel better.  Then last night before the tempo run today I was walking around thinking to myself that I don’t think my legs have ever felt this good.  But I wasn’t sure if it would pan out into a good workout the next day.  As it turned out I had one of the best tempo runs I have ever had in Mammoth.  It was amazing.

Leah’s work has made me believe all the more that there is power in physical touch.  I believe our bodies were made to respond to it.  I am really excited to have Leah’s healing hands with me on my journey to the finish in Central Park.  I know that I still have to put in a lot of hard work on my end but I am growing in my assurance that if I am going to win in New York it is not just going to be as result of my hard work and my sacrifice, it is going to be the result of people like my family that helped us move in to our new place last week, and my wife who decided to stay home and not go to Europe this summer to support me, and my teammates and friends support and encouragement along the way.  If I win, it will be because I am a part of a great team of people that are sacrificing and working hard towards one goal, some with their heads, some with their hearts, and some with their hands.