This has been a period of strength training in lots of ways.

It's been a challenging couple of weeks on a number of fronts. When life is like this, I force myself out for a run and it makes the issues seem smaller. But I even had one day where I just could not get myself out on the pavement. I had too many fires to put out and I was overwhelmed.

I did, though, have an interesting moment during one of my runs on the hilly Central Park loop. New Yorkers know that the park can sometimes seem like a roller coaster with all its ups and downs. I was making my way up Harlem Hill, the longest, steepest hill in the park. A woman and two men were running together nearby. We all were breathing hard and fighting our way up when the woman said to the men, "It's always steepest right before you get to the top."

I thought about how true that is in life too, how going up and over the crest usually takes the most effort. I also thought about how running has really made me tough in a lot of ways, and reinforced for me how you can conquer by just continuing to put one foot in front of the other. I really appreciate what running has done for me. I wonder if that woman realized how profound she was in that simple statement.

With new running friend Diana at first training run for  ING NYC Marathon with New York Road Runners' Team for Kids, in Central Park. 

I had to dig even more into that strength earlier today when I had my first training run for the ING NYC Marathon with Team for Kids, a charity that benefits children and is affiliated with New York Road Runners. The ING NYC Marathon will be the second of three marathons that I'll attempt to run in six weeks this fall. I didn't necessarily set out to fulfill a challenge. It just kind of evolved. I'd always wanted to do the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, N.Y., and I finally was able to get in before it filled up. The Anthem Richmond Marathon will be a meetup of the National Black Marathoners Association and Black Girls RUN! and I'll get to catch up with friends I normally see only on Facebook. And New York is New York, and I've been wanting to run more races for good causes.

During today's training, coaches divided us up into experienced, intermediate and beginning runners. On paper, I belonged with the experienced runners because I've completed 9 marathons. But in reality, I took one look at those whisper thin men and women and they reeked of 7-to-8-minute miles. I run between 11 and 12 minute miles and I'm hoping to complete my fall races in 10:30-minute miles. I was disappointed because Coach Glen Wiener has run the NYCM and the Wineglass Marathon, and I was hoping to get some tips from him on completing both of those races within a short time frame. But I could tell I would not be able to keep up.

I moved on to the intermediate group and within a minute, started feeling winded. That is the worst feeling for a slower runner to have -- experiencing that at the very start of a run and knowing you will not be able to keep up. It's disheartening. Ahead, I saw a woman on the side of the road breathing hard. She too was having a hard time keeping up. We both have breathing issues too. We fell in step with each other at a pace that was comfortable for us. Before I new it, the beginner group caught up with us.

I'm slow and I try to encourage other slow runners or people starting out. But I have to confess, all that business I tell others about not worrying about their performance and "it's all in the bank" went right out the window. I was bummed. Here I was, after years of working hard and really stepping things up lately still in the beginners' group.

New York Road Runners' Team for Kids Coach Asteria Howard, leading runners through stretches after first training run for the ING NYC Marathon. 

The woman leading this group was Coach Asteria. She had an easy, straightforward way about her and an accent from her native Bolivia that was very soothing and made you want to listen to her talk. I connected with her right away. Thank goodness for that because I was not happy with what she had to say.

She asked me if I realized I was running with a slight limp. I hadn't realized. She told me I needed to pull back on running and heal whatever was going on. No way, I thought. I finally had built up to 30 miles a week and was started to have some really good runs. She promised me that if I kept running without figuring out what was wrong I would get injured. She reassured me I wouldn't lose conditioning if I reverted to walking for a bit. Walking?!? I told her about my plan to run the three marathons. "Nice knowing you," she said. Oh, she had jokes.

We ran together and talked for awhile, and later, I realized how much of an amazing thing this is because I usually can't do that well. I actually forgot I was running when I was with her because I was so into this conversation.

She told me that you should really do no more than one marathon every six months, and that you want to slowly progress in a healthy way so that with each marathon, you cut your time. I explained to her that Wineglass and Richmond are flat and I plan to take it easy with those.

I don't think she was thrilled with this, but she said she would show me some exercises to fix what was causing the limp. I told her I would start doing my physical therapy exercises from when I injured my hip during a long run years ago.

So, I'm putting on my big girl pants and I've already started doing Coach Asteria's exercises. She watched me do one of them, which involves walking and then running but with an exaggerated follow through from heel to midfoot to toe. "Good, much better," she said.

So, I'm a little disappointed. I'm not going to say, "What else could happen?" because I know things always can be worse - a lot worse.

Back to the bridle path for training I return. I do like the bridle path, I have to admit. And it's not as crowded with tourists. Time to suck it up (although I may run a little bit, but very easily and lightly -- don't tell Coach Asteria). Onward and upward! :-)

It's all starting to feel real, now.

Today, Team for Kids, a charity affiliated with New York Road Runners, held an open house for runners who are considering running the ING New York City Marathon with them. You agree to raise money for TFK and you receive a guaranteed entry into the race. You also receive a few perks, like coaching. TFK had lots of smiles, pamphlets and TFK lip balm at the open house. Gotta have lip balm.

Team for Kids/New York Road Runner offices in midtown Manhattan.

The ING NYCM is the second of three marathons I'll be running in six weeks this fall. I didn't set out to tackle such a challenge, it's just that I really wanted to do all three races -- for very different reasons -- and rather than wait until next year to do one or two of them (nothing is guaranteed in life), I thought I should just go for it. Everyone I know has been extremely supportive.

With Ryan Lee, assistant manager and coach at Team for Kids, NYRR affiliate charity that creates programs in NYC, other cities and Africa to get kids moving and running.

What was cool was that I got to meet Ryan Lee, assistant manager and coach at Team for Kids, an organization that provides programs in New York, other cities and in Africa to get children running. I ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon last month for TFK and Ryan was nothing but calm and kind when I talked to him over the telephone about a misunderstanding I'd had over registration. When I actually did run the race, I met him without knowing it (didn't put the voice with the face), but I remember seeing him out on the course on a bike, cheering on TFK runners, and talked to him afterward about my performance. It was great to "meet" for real this time.

I also met Glen Wiener, another coach. One cool thing is that Glen ran the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, N.Y., last year. That's the first of the three marathons I'll be running, on Sunday, Oct. 6th. In fact, Glen said he placed third in his age group. I got some great advice from Glen. There are no pasta places in Corning, he said, so I'll have to figure out my carbo load the night before. If I stay in a place where I have access to a kitchen, I'll just make my own pasta dinner. But I digress ...

Here's the funny thing -- Glen told me that because Wineglass is mostly a steady but gentle downhill course, I would need to find some gently downward sloping hills where I could train. All this suffering on Cat Hill and Harlem Hill and those ridiculous, almost vertical hills in Syracuse that I've faced, and now, a coach is recommending that I practice downhill? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA, I thought to myself. I know it will be hard, but I will dig deep and make sure I get in some downhill running this summer. LOL.

I also realized that I am going to enjoy being coached this summer. For the most part, I'm self-trained with advice from other runners and research on my own. But I've rarely had the luxury of getting advice tailored to my conditioning or body type.

I had this point driven home for me toward the end of the Brooklyn Half. I felt good the first half, but tanked in the last half. It could have been anything -- the humidity, the hill -- THAT hill -- in Prospect Park, my need to hydrate better. But at mile 12, I thought I was moving along slowly but OK when one of the TFK coaches stopped and asked, "All right, what's going on?" I asked him what he meant. "Is something wrong with your hip?" I hadn't realized I was favoring one of my legs and that pain from an old injury was resurfacing. I need to stretch more, I thought. Then, he looked at my face. "You're all salted out," he said. I told him that was normal. He told me it wasn't and suggested I take salt pills and hydrate better. All that from one quick meeting. I was impressed. I never got to train with TFK for the Brooklyn Half -- I had races on the days they scheduled their long runs -- and I was impressed than in such a short time, I was able to get some important advice.

Fast forward to today. In about three minutes of chatting, Glen gave me great advice about stride and hills. He and Ryan both said they were glad that they knew about this three-marathon quest, because they could tailor my training to make sure that I don't hurt myself.

I'm really excited to be doing this. The ING NYCM has always had a special place in my heart. Before I could run it, I would watch the race on TV until the halfway point, then leave home and rush to the finish line to cheer on the elites and everyone else. Then, I ran it twice. I was compromised both times and it took a long time, but still had unforgettable experiences. Then, Superstorm Sandy hit last year. I'm a reporter and I met people who'd lost everything in Staten Island. It made me feel that instead of focusing on the marathon and its cancellation, I should try to give more as a runner. I felt the same after the bombing at the Boston Marathon, which I also wound up covering for my news organization.

That's how I found Team for Kids. They seem like a great group of people and I like what they are doing. I'm hoping I get to meet some of the children as training progresses.

And now, armed with my TFK lip balm, I'm ready to get this party started!

If it takes a village to raise a child, as the African proverb goes. I'm using my running village to tailor my training plan for three marathons this fall: the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, N.Y., on Oct. 6, the ING NYC Marathon on Nov. 3 (with Team for Kids) and the Anthem Richmond Marathon on Nov. 16.

One thing I've come to see is that the running community is a supportive one. Sure, those of us in the back of the pack might be scrabbling to make sure we're not dead last in a race (everyone's biggest fear  -- though it shouldn't be that way). But we also keep each other going during the hard miles, sharing hard candy or saying things like, "You've got this."

I've also found that the elite runners, the coaches, the superstars, the race directors, the pace leaders, those fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon and others are always willing to offer advice or a kind word. I've heard Meb Keflezighi has been known to stand on the sidelines of local races to high five runners as they whip by. Bart Yasso, chief running officer of Runner's World, once tweeted back to me, "Keep that running mojo going." Sheila Sutton, co-director of the Wineglass Marathon, virtually held my hand while I prayed the 2013 race would not fill up before I had the funds to enter. She even held back from advertising on the race Facebook page that only a few slots were available, and also went out of her way for another runner whose funds were compromised by his wife's battle with cancer (he's in the race too, by the way, thanks to Sheila, and his wife is cancer-free).

The running community can be amazing.

I saw this again as I put together my plan. I've never followed any plan to the T (and maybe that's why I still struggle through 11- and 12-minute miles -- lol), but usually a Hal Higdon Marathon Training Plan is my base, and I might add on a few things that friends say they are doing. In general, I'll have shorter, faster runs during the week, with one longish run on Wednesday and some version of speedwork one day. I don't worry so much about a formal hill day because I run most days in Central Park, which already has killer hills. I usually have a recovery run the day after my long run, and over the last few months, I've noticed I feel good after a long run and I take the "recovery run" up to a few miles.

Since I have a specific goal -- three marathons close together and a desire to get faster and continue to get stronger -- I thought I'd start asking more accomplished runners for advice. I saw the Wineglass Marathon was using Marathon Pacing out of Pennsylvania. I'd researched pacers for the Philadelphia Marathon and saw all are people with extensive marathon experience who know how to get someone to meet a time goal. I emailed Marathon Pacing with my specifics, and owner Jim Crist responded right away. In a few sentences, he crafted a complete plan for me.

He advised me to read a few pieces on tempo runs and add these to my plan. I'd been seeing much faster friends post on social media about completing tempo runs, but had not researched them. They are runs that include sustained stretches at a "comfortably hard" pace and research shows this is a key ingredient to speed, which is what I want and need. I've tried it once and it really knocked me out, which means it's working. He also suggested I take my long run mileage up to 23, which was a recommendation I liked. I know in the past, I always seemed to do better when I went way beyond the recommended 20-mile mark in training.

He was encouraging too. "You have plenty of time to get in shape," he wrote.

Sheila Sutton of the Wineglass Marathon wrote that she's following the Hanson running plan, which has gotten high marks from runners seeking to PR and improve their times and ascribes to the notion that running a long run on tired legs will make you strong for the last miles of a marathon, when most people begin to whither and struggle. I've been hearing more and more about the Hanson plan and I'm thinking about at least adding a step or two from that plan to mine too.

And finally, I learned from myself. We recently had a heatwave in New York and even though I like to think I'm not afraid of weather, the heat did me in. I did not run for three days. I can't remember the last time I went that long without running. When I did finally get out there, one Sunday night when it rained and cooled off a little, I thought about a phrase that I see a lot of my runner friends post from time to time. "No excuses." If I'm going to do this in the fall, I can't let small things interrupt me. And I won't.

Happy running!

(Photos: Top, start line of the Mountain Goat Run in Syracuse, N.Y., May 2013; middle, start line of the Brooklyn Half Marathon, May 2013.)

Hey. My name is Melanie and I love to run. It makes me feel strong and free. I first ran in high school in a jogging class. We ran around the reservoir in Central Park in New York and I remember I was so happy when I first was able to run the whole way around (1.57 miles) without stopping to walk.

I'd always dabbled with running, on treadmills, in the wrong shoes, but after a health scare in the late '90s that turned out OK, I promised myself I'd run a 5K to celebrate. After that, I was hooked. I graduated to marathons and completed six in three years. I was never fast, but with each marathon, I got faster and stronger.

Then, work and life took some unexpected turns, and although I still ran now and then, I put on a ton of weight and exercised less. In 2011, I got into the ING NYC Marathon and felt I had to do it -- it was the NYC Marathon after all. I'd done it years before and had a blast and I didn't want to defer. I haven't realized until recently how much heavier I was then. I want to cry sometimes when I look at pictures. I remember going to the expo for the marathon to pick up my bib and shirt and hearing another much smaller and obviously much faster runner say to a companion, "You can tell who the real runners are." I'd trained as hard as I could (I even remember one long run in Central Park in a driving rain that got into my eyes and mouth) but the race was still a disaster. Spectators lined the course and I remember lots of good things from that day, but I also remember one spectator telling me my T-shirt was not hiding my size. Over all the high fives and shouts of "You go girl" along the course, that's the comment that sticks with me. Around mile 25 or so, I was in Central Park and workers were clearing out the Port-a-Potties - that's how late it was. There was a slippery mess on the ground and some of it splashed onto my calf. It took me 7.5 hours to finish. I crossed the finish line at nighttime and felt like hell. I wheezed after I crossed. Yes, I earned this medal. This is a picture of what raw tired looks like.

I did two more marathons after that -- Philadelphia and Dallas -- and my performance was not quite as bad as NY, but it was not great. My times were still embarrassingly slow.

So I have been buckling down. At my age (I won't tell you what it is, but it's up there), I am determined to beat my times from my previous marathons. My goal is to complete three marathons this fall within six weeks. All are very different races and for each, I have very different plans.

The Wineglass Marathon in Corning, N.Y., takes place Oct. 6. It is pleasant, flat and fast. I hope to finish in 4:40 or less. That translates into 10:40-minute miles the whole way and it will be a PR - personal record - for me. I'm trying to push my body so that a 10-minute mile (or faster) becomes my "feels like nothing" pace. I was there once and I can get there again.

The ING NYC Marathon is, well, like no other in the world. Every time I think of it I get wistful. I'll be running it for a charity, Team for Kids, that is affiliated with New York Road Runners. After Hurricane Sandy took lives and forced the cancellation of last year's ING NYC Marathon, and after the bombing of the Boston Marathon (I'm a journalist and I'd covered both disasters), I began feeling selfish as a runner and decided I wanted to run for more of a reason than just my own benefit. Team for Kids is a good fit for me. I love children and this group provides programs for kids in the inner city in NY, other places and even in Africa. I raised money for them for the Brooklyn Half Marathon and like what they are about. That's me to the right of the guy in the white T-shirt. NYC is a rough race. It goes through all the boroughs and every bridge you cross is a windy hill. My goal is to finish in under 5 hours without injury.

Finally, I'll be running the Anthem Richmond Marathon on Nov. 16, four days after my birthday. This is a meetup for the National Black Marathoners Association and Black Girls RUN!, two organizations that are important to me. Thankfully, this race is flat and fast - just what I will need after NYC.

It's funny, I ramped up my running a year and a half ago when the stresses in my life escalated. It has helped me handle things and even though I am a back of the pack runner, I began posting my accomplishments on Facebook and Twitter just because. But this seems to have unexpectedly inspired some others, and I know I've been inspired by other runners and athletes, so I thought I would create this blog, a Facebook page and a Twitter account to provide a space for people to share about their runs and their accomplishments. It helps when people support each other.

This is me ...

....and even though right now I live in Maryland and New York (that's another blog in itself), this is where I run most days, Central Park. This is my "Cheers," where everybody might not know my name, but a lot of the regulars -- the long-legged speedwalker from Harlem, the woman who used to always be with her two dogs, now just one :-(   -- know my face.

Looking forward to taking this trip along the pavement with you.