How Does She Do It?

How Does She: Own and Operate a Restaurant in These Economic Times While Raising a Son and Supporting Community Organizations?

Donna Moodie laughs as she tells me how her friend compares their two lives.

 

“It’s like we’re both at an all-you-can-eat buffet and I’m stuffing myself while she would be happy just having an entrée.”

 

A fitting metaphor for this restaurant owner, though if she’s stuffing herself on life, she’s also giving out equally ample helpings – of hospitality, friendship, service and love.

 

Donna’s already full life is hitting the accelerator right now.  About a year and a half ago she lost the lease on her wonderful Belltown Restaurant, Marjorie’s.  “That was traumatic but I look at it as done, something I can’t change.  It marked a point for pivoting forward.  I can either sit there and mire in the past or say I’m here so how am I going to do this.”

 

‘Here” is preparing for opening the new Marjorie’s, this time on the edge of Seattle’s Central District rather than the edge of downtown.  (For those unfamiliar with Seattle the Central District is the city’s historic African American residential and commercial neighborhood).

 

 

Donna Moodie

 

It was sad seeing the old Marjorie’s go.

 

I don’t get out much, but Marjorie’s was a place I chose for a long talk with a girlfriend or decompression time with my husband.  Stepping into the restaurant from the loud and often wet streets was like walking into grandma’s warm embrace, coming to greet you from the kitchen while wiping floured hands on her apron.  Donna was there to welcome you with a warm but not cloying smile as if to say, we’re here to give you what you want but not to mess in your stuff.  It was the kind of place where I never felt the need to order but just to wave a hand at the wait staff and say, I don’t know, you pick, knowing whatever came would be wonderful.

 

So, for the community of diners Donna established during her time in that cozy Belltown corner, rejoice.  Marjorie’s rises again.

 

Much of the old will travel to the new space.  “We’ll still have the same level of service – that’s our brand.  Personalized, like walking into someone’s home.  Clearly, a restaurant involves a business transaction, but it doesn’t have to be uncaring.”  Donna sets the service expectations for her staff and acknowledges, “fortunately, in this economy we have the ability to find staff who are better informed and committed to our vision.  But if I make a mistake and hire someone who’s not, I don’t hesitate to let them go.”

 

Also coming to the new restaurant is a similar menu, “eclectic, with quality ingredients, mostly organic.  We’ll have a good, modern rendition of things like black eyed peas and pork chop or ham hock and grits; Steak Frites; an Italian pasta dish; or a Moroccan cous-cous.”

 

Donna holding fresh, organic produce for her restaurant

 

And finally, making the trek across town will be the name, Marjorie’s.

 

The restaurants are named for Donna’s mother, who was a very good but “very informally trained cook and gracious hostess.  She was a great mentor growing up.” 

 

Donna and her family moved to the south side of Chicago from Jamaica when Donna was five.  Uprooted from an island nation whose population was almost entirely black, to the front line of urban segregation.  “Just a few blocks from where we lived in the African American part of the south side was the dividing line.  Whites lived on the other side.”  And neither white nor black crossed that line.

 

Into this came Marjorie with her penchant for entertaining, and “she would naively invite people to our house from both sides” of the racial Maginot line.  And they would come.  “Nobody had dinner parties then, but my mother did.  I remember looking at this beautiful mix of people.  Sometimes there were so many we would be sitting on the floor.”

 

It’s clear that these images shaped Donna’s development of Marjorie’s, “my first time being out on my own.”  Her previous restaurants, Marco’s Supper Club and Lush Life were cooperative endeavors with her ex-husband.  The two worked together well but his issues with alcohol began to take over their personal relationship.  With the eventual divorce, she took over the Lush Life space, and made changes she had always felt were due.  “Marjorie’s defined me as a solo businessperson.”

 

In addition to her new business identity, Donna had taken on a new personal role as well – that of mother.  During a period of separation from her ex-husband, Donna had a relationship with the man who is her son’s father.  “Max (her son) helped me open my own eyes.”  After he was born Donna squarely faced the reality of her husband’s addiction to alcohol.  “For some reason I could compromise my own safety but I couldn’t compromise Max’s.”

 

“Part of the reason Max and I have such a close relationship is because we went through this hard thing together.   Max is great.  He’s very intuitive, very observant, perceptive and pretty smart – he’s just a sensitive kid.  He loves food; loves eating in restaurants.  He’s always suggesting we go here or there.  He’ll say, ‘we haven’t been there for a while, haven’t seen our friends.’  He really appreciates the whole experience.”

 
Donna’s son Max

Donna’s ex-husband is not involved in the parenting equation but his dad is.  They’ve got a regular schedule that allows Donna to be in the restaurant during peak hours.  “He has Max on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and I have him Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday nights.”

 

As the top dog at the restaurant, Donna works hard doing a good helping of whatever needs to be done, “except cooking in the kitchen (although I will sometimes bring in something I made at home, or share recipes).  I find it really helpful to let people who have worked hard to become chefs feel some sense of authority.  I make lots of commentary, but I respect the need to be creative, and feel some freedom -- that isn't to say the next chef doesn't have to make plantains.”  There are some bottom lines.

 

The other thing that came with being on her own was Donna’s reflection on community.  “I started looking into different community activities I could get involved in.  Part of it was setting a good example for Max.  Helping him understand that it’s a responsibility to being part of a community.”

 

She pushed to get appointed to the Mayor’s Century 21 Committee, working to create the new long-term Master Plan for Seattle Center.  “I’m just intrigued with peoples’ relationship to space; in architecture, design and urban planning.  I would love to pursue that once Max goes to college – even if it’s just taking one course at a time.” 

 

And through one of her patrons she learned of the Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas (www.cdforum.org).   She offered to host a fundraising party for them “which still to this day is one of the most remarkable parties I’ve ever attended or hosted in Seattle – it was definitely the most diverse group of people I’ve ever had in my dining room.”

 

Mama Marjorie, who passed away before seeing the restaurants named for her, would be smiling.

 

Today, Donna serves on the Board of the Forum and is a huge booster of their work to present and produce Black cultural programs that encourage thought and debate for the greater Seattle area.  It stands to reason that her new restaurant would bring her physically closer to the neighborhood where the group is based.

 

And her interest in people’s relation to space affects the sensitivity she brings to the design of her new restaurant.  “It will be warm like the old space – I can’t do cold.  But it’s smaller.  We have our eye on every inch to make sure it works well.” 

 

Living small is something Donna has become adept at.  “Mid-way through Marjorie’s I sold my house.  Max and I have been living in really small environments for the last two and a half years.  I’m intrigued by American’s desire for such large amounts of space, which then seems to drive this need to fill it.”  Instead, Donna prefers the idea “that small can be creative.  It makes you look at what you have and ask yourself, do I really need this?  I’m always thinking about things like that.”

 

Living small physically, but living large in every other way.  Loading her plate at the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet of life.

Look for the opening of the new Marjorie’s at 14^th and Union sometime this spring.  Stop by for a meal and let her know you read about her at “How Does She Do It?”  And check out the upcoming “Food as Art” – a fundraiser for the Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas April 10, 2010 at the Bell Harbor International Promenade.  Information at www.cdforum.org

Donna’s (not so) secrets for how she does it:

 

• Donna works hard all week, “but I take breaks for yoga, lunch, time with Max, etc.  I try to have one complete day off each week, and start each day with a moment just for me.  I love the idea of working hard to play hard (great vacations, great dinners, supporting the arts, when something strikes my fancy).  And I am completely committed to exposing Max to as much of art and life that I am able to.”

• Donna has a group of African American women friends with whom she enjoys an indulgent dinner once a month.  Their fellowship supports and adds richness to her life.

 

What books has Donna read recently?

 

• Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton
• The Mysterious Benedict Society Series (aloud with son Max) by Trenton Lee Stewart
• Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler

 

Whom does Donna want me to interview next?

• Stephanie Ellis Smith, the Founder of the Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas "for being the inspiration to me for finding a way to balance community service into my schedule."

 

How Does She: Come Out, Fall in Love, and Have a Child With Her Life Partner?

Ten years ago, Julie Baker’s father asked her one of those impossible parental questions.  She had just finished high school, which included reigns as Queen of both Homecoming and Prom.  When just a freshman, her boyfriend was the captain of the football team.  Julie was the All-American daughter.

 

So when her dad asked, “where do you want to be in ten years?”, she could never have known that the answer was “here” – where she is today.

 

Julie didn’t know that his question was provoked in part by something he had seen.  Despite her effort to keep it secret, her father caught her kissing -- a girlfriend.  Julie didn’t know what that kiss meant then – wouldn’t, in fact for a while.  But her father had his ideas.

 

She stumbled through a response that included getting married and having a family.  When he asked “to a man?” she had no idea how to answer.  That’s when he told her what he had seen, “and it was more than just a kiss you give to a friend.”

 

“I was embarrassed.  I was so insecure with my identity   It’s hard enough at that age to be comfortable with yourself but then adding your sexual identity while talking to your father made it even harder.”

 

Coming to embrace her sexuality was a journey, with a major step happening that day.  It would be four more years before she came out to her mother.  First, she needed to come out to herself.

 

“My father is the kindest, most non-judgmental and forgiving – all the good things you could say – man.”  And still, getting to the point of accepting Julie for who she was challenged both parents.  Strong Christians, her mom and dad told Julie, “we love you, we’ll always love you but morally we think your choice is wrong.”

 

“That hurt.  All I could hear at that moment was ‘you’re wrong’.”

 

With time, however, Julie has gained perspective on her parents’ initial reaction, and they in turn have come to fully accept Julie’s Lesbianism.  “They see how much I love and am loved.  And fundamentally, that’s what any parent wants for their child.”

 

Steph is the love of Julie’s life.  When she mentions her at one point during our interview, Julie’s eyes take on the red ring of overwhelming emotion.  I know that ring – I get it unexpectedly sometimes when someone asks me about my kids.  When Julie got it, she shook her head slightly and said of Steph “she’s really beautiful.” 

 

Julie (left), Steph and their son Jake

 

 

They met playing flag football.  Both incredible athletes, sports was the first glue that bound them together.  Not long into their relationship they realized they shared something much bigger– a strong desire to have a family.

 

“We were both very passionate about wanting kids.  That’s a pretty big goal.  Once you find someone else who shares that with you – that’s an important item to check off.”

 

Easy to fall in love.  Easy to share a dream of raising a family.  Much less easy to have one.

 

They started trying when their relationship was just one year old, turning to California Cryobank (www.cryobank.com) to find the best donor. Steph covered their home office in spreadsheets rating attributes of different possible ‘fathers’.  There’s a long list of extras one can purchase from the Cryobank, including donor baby photo and handwriting analysis.  Julie and Steph spent the money for an audio interview to listen to the prospective father and combed the tape for nuance -- how he answered the questions, how his mind worked, and whether he sounded like someone with whom they could be friends.  After much consideration they chose him – Jake’s father.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

 

Julie and Steph each took turns getting an IUI.  That’s intrauterine insemination, performed by threading a very thin flexible catheter through the cervix and injecting the donor’s sperm directly into the uterus, according to http://fertilityplus.org  The web site also makes clear that the odds of success for this procedure are between 6 – 26%.

 

“It was very stressful.  We were living our lives two weeks at a time,” one then the other stopping by the doctor’s office when she hit the optimal moment in her cycle.

 

But before I continue with the story of conception, this might be a good time to interject what Julie does for a living.  She’s a Deputy with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.  “I’m the one who comes when you call 911.  Burglaries, thefts, domestic disputes – I respond.” 

 

 

Julie on patrol

 

Some days she came to the doctor’s office for the IUI therapy during her lunch break, in full sheriff regalia, gun and all.  Then back on the job, “checking out a burglary or something like that,” giggled Julie at the irony.

 

After 12 several unsuccessful IUI treatments, at about $1,000 per pop, Julie and Steph were ready to pull out the stops and try IVF – in vitro fertilization, where an egg is harvested, matched with sperm, and sent to the uterus to do its thing.  They had waited before taking this step because it required the big bucks – about 13,000 of them.

 

As for insurance to help cover these costs?  That’s for heterosexual couples having difficulty conceiving.  Julie and Steph had to foot the bill for their medical efforts on their own.   “We’re still paying for it.”  Even Julie’s Public Employee insurance program didn’t offer partner benefits during the time they were trying to get pregnant.

 

(In 2009, however, Washington Senate Bill 5688 granted state registered domestic partners in Washington all rights, responsibilities, and obligations granted by or imposed by state law on married couples.   The Washington Values Alliance led an unsuccessful effort to overturn the law later that year.  With a winning a margin of 53% to 47%, Referendum 71 marked the first time in the United States that voters had approved a state-wide ballot measure extending rights for Gays and Lesbians.  So when Julie and Steph go for number two in another year or so, they will get some financial relief).

 

With IVF they had two decisions to make – whose uterus, and whose egg? 

 

Steph was more eager for the experience of carrying a child, so they decided to use Julie’s egg.  That way, the child could be a product of both of them.

 

With some of the remaining sperm from their donor, they underwent the procedure.  And waited.  Two years of trying and one more – anxiety-producing wait.

 

On that day, they agreed Julie would call the doctor and immediately phone Steph with the results.  After getting the unbelievable news, “I wrote a limerick and called Steph.  I sang it to her and bawled the whole way through.  And then I had to go take a theft report, because I was at work again.”

 

“The day Jake was born was absolutely the best day of my life – ever!  From being awakened by Steph telling me her water had broken to driving to the hospital.  After all we had done, we were so excited to finally see what our baby looked like.”

 

And here he is, crawling over my legs and trying to steal the tape recorder during our interview.  A beautiful, curious, rambunctious one year-old, filling Julie and Steph’s lives with joy and new meaning.  “We have so much fun raising him, talking about what new thing he did today, what new things he discovered.  How much he knows!”

 

Now that Jake is a part of their lives, they juggle their work schedules to provide him full-time care.  Steph works from home some days, going to the office when Julie is home; Julie pulls four, 10-hour Deputy shifts and pulls the Mom shift on the other days. 

 

“I love my job.  But I never would have believed this is what I would do.”  After earning her BA at the University of Washington, Julie went on to get her Masters in Teaching, figuring that would be her life’s work.  “But then a friend invited me on a ride along, and I just loved it.  Everyday is something different.  You never know what to expect. I can be an adrenaline junkie – I used to climb radio towers.  I get a real rush driving fast to a call.  I’ve always been the protector, even back in elementary school.

 

“As soon as I put on the uniform, I’m on the job.”  Julie drives the patrol car home so she can respond to an emergency even in the middle of the night.  “But I’m never the Deputy with Steph.  That doesn’t interest me.  Some people have a hard time leaving the job behind, but I can make the transition.  I take off the uniform and I’m off the job.”

 

Julie is out to her colleagues at work, and to everyone else for that matter.  “I’ve never been shy about that, once I came to terms with it myself.  In college I was very closeted.  It was just a nightmare having to hide it.”

. 

And Julie’s parents, who once expressed concern about her life choice, are involved in their grandson’s life.  “My parents really love Steph.  My mom said to me recently, ‘you got yourself a good one’.”

 

- Janet Pelz

 

The family at a Seattle Storm game

 

Julie’s (not so) secrets for how she does it:

 

• Having the support of parents is HUGE!  “We’ve also got great neighbors – they’ve been lifesavers.”
• Julie and Steph have been seeing a counselor to help work through the issues that come with adding a child to any relationship.  “It has helped me so much; helped me to grow, to be more present and more aware.”

 

What book has Julie read recently?

 

• Art of Happiness by HH Dalai Lama

 

Whom does Julie want me to interview next?

 

• Melissa Erickson, a former UW basketball player who is living with ALS “and is so open and so positive”
• Sue Rahr, though probably too high profile for the stories of this blog, Julie is interested in knowing what it’s like to be the Sherriff of Washington’s largest county.

WBAV62X8M2E8
 

 

 

Happy Martin Luther King Day

 

WBAV62X8M2E8

I don’t know about you, but I’m always disappointed that it doesn’t seem as if we have figured out the appropriate way to honor the legacy and lessons of this American hero. 

As a mom, I look for a way every year that will help my kids understand who this man was, and just as importantly, what we all have to learn from the movement he led.  I’m never satisfied with the march that becomes a pot-pouri of every cause du jour; nor by the programs that want us to honor his life by committing ourselves to Jesus.  This year I may take the kids to a high school basketball tournament named for the Dr.  Martin Luther King.  Seems to fall rather short of the honor this day deserves.

When I was in high school, I watched a documentary of the civil rights movement on PBS.  Even as a teenager I was moved by images of the marches, the hoses, the children burned inside a church.  I remember thinking then, that just was we were reminded every year of the Christmas story, it would do us well as a nation to watch that documentary every year.  I have never seen it since.

This week’s upcoming interview touches on a current front of our nation’s battle for civil rights, featuring a lesbian couple and their family.  Not a couple that shares my rights as a married mom, but who have a family every bit as loving and important as the one I have.  Funny, I’m not in the least bit threatened by them.  Rather, the love these two women share for each other and for their son is adds weight to the commitment I’ve made to my husband and kids.  Much more than the overwhelming number of dysfunctional opposite sex families that leave too many children as casualties.

I would love to hear of any MLK traditions or celebrations any of you have.  Please share them by clicking the comment link below.  And look for the article about Julie Baker coming up Wednesday.

- Janet Pelz 

WBAV62X8M2E8

So, it’s a New Year – new decade in fact.

I always feel refreshed at the beginning of the year.  Partly it’s due to a major exhale coming off of the holiday season where every day had a deadline, event, or errand to attend to.  But the larger part is looking at that date filled in on my checks.  2010 – brand spanking new.  It’s like the crayons we horded when we were young.  So full of possibility, so many avenues for creativity packed up in a pointed cylinder of colored wax.  Well, I guess a new year is a bit more substantial than that, but you get the idea.

 

The daphne is beginning to perfume the front door, even though the buds are still hiding and the mornings are black as a grand piano when I take my daughter to the morning bus.  Still there is the hope and anticipation of longer days and the blossoming of spring.

 

I’ve always been a fan of making New Year’s resolutions, which to me are like ‘life goals lite’.  The year I vowed to learn to drive a stick shift was a satisfying one.  The ones – before I met my husband Bob – of finding a life partner were more elusive. 

 

When I make a resolution, it’s pretty much a deal I make with myself.  Some years I write them down, figuring that ups the ante on their completion.  But mostly these are attainments I murmur to myself, feeling good when I accomplish them and feeling like next year might be better when I don’t.

 

In the last three articles, I wrote about women who have set clear goals for themselves and have gone on record with them.  Najah has staked a lot on completing her B.A.; Karin raced in one Ironman and trains for the time when she can do another; Tara set goals to earn a CPA by age 40 and to run her first marathon last year.  I admire each of these women for committing to their accomplishments.  I’m not always that brave.

 

I wonder what you think of setting personal goals – do they focus you and motivate you or do they frighten and intimidate you? 

 

While we can still claim to be in the New Year, I’d welcome any ideas of women to interview who set out to make other life changes, e.g. mastering a craft or overcoming an addiction.

 

The goal I’ve set for myself in this past year is to become a writer.  It’s different than training for a race – there isn’t a finish line to cross that tells me I’ve succeeded.  It’s more like a state of being that gets advanced in baby steps.  I think of each of the stories I write about (extra)ordinary women as one of those steps.

 

I’ve hit the pause button on those stories this week as I tussle through schedules of women I want to interview who are, not surprisingly, difficult to get in touch with, which is often the reason I want to talk with them in the first place.  Look for another next week.

 

Mark this one as a resolution – I’ll continue to sort through the technology side of the web site, to make it easier for people to access and less work for me to distribute.  If any of you is yourself or knows someone competent in blogosphere and speaks Olde English (e.g. – ‘push a button’ instead of ‘enable a hyperlink’) I’d love any assistance. Meanwhile, keep sharing with me your experience trying to link to the site – it helps me figure out what to focus on.

 

I hope many of you resolve to read these women’s stories – thanks to those of you who do – and to share your thoughts through the blog.  I’m sure the women I write about would love to hear from you, as I most certainly do.

 

Happy New Year.

 

Janet

 

 

Golden Gate Park on a February morning

 

What am I reading these days?

 

Listening is an Act of Love, A Celebration of American Life from the Storycorps Project, edited by Dave Isay

“That if we take the time to listen, we’ll find wisdom wonder and poetry in the lives and stories of the people all around us.  That we want to know our lives have mattered and we won’t ever be forgotten.  That listening is an act of love.”

 

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How Does She: Set and achieve a goal to run her first marathon?

The starter shoots the gun, and she’s off.

 

Precious seconds are ticking off the clock; she’s got to move as fast as she can.

 

This isn’t the marathon Tara Simpson ran – that was back in October, 2009.  I met her for the first time in the gym a couple weeks later, her enthusiasm from finishing barely containable. 

 

No, this race is the sixty minute countdown of childcare for her two girls, ages 3 and 4.  She has to fit in this interview and grocery shopping before the clock runs out.

 

I remember those days.  Each one had a list too long for the time available.  The precious minutes to run the errands and try to squeeze in just a little time for oneself before the bell rings (the baby wakes up, the sitter needs to leave, the preschool day is over).  You live your life by the second hands on your watch.

 

 

 
Tara with her two daughters after our interview

On a typical day, Tara will fit in her part-time bookkeeping job, the house chores, and a trip to the gym during one of these breaks, making sure to be home when her twin boys finish their day at school.  Yes, count them up – two twelve year-old boys (by a prior marriage), two young girls, her own business, and oh yes, training to run a marathon.

 

This clock metaphor works well for all of Tara’s life.  For four years before the twins were born and for four years after, the 3:45 a.m. alarm issued a stirring reminder that her work day at KING 5 would soon begin.  When they were babies, the morning including breastfeeding for two and a dash out the door to be at work by 4:10.  Television production was what she had studied at San Diego State after all, but by the time the twins were 4, she needed a job situation that was more family friendly.  So she took a part-time job keeping the books for a friend's business and a new door opened to a very different career path, but one that fit her skills, temperament, and life situation perfectly -- accounting.

 

Tara likes to set goals and achieve them.

 

Her new job spurred the goal to get her CPA, with its demanding accounting classes and flights of exams, by age 40.  On her way there, she added a daughter with her second husband to go along with the twins and her job.  It was a hard go, but now she's a CPA (and accepting clients -- if you're looking for help with taxes or books you can contact her through the comment link below).  Tara’s next career goal?  A Master's in Accounting.  Not because it's necessary for the work she does but because it's the next step, the next goal.

 

So, by now you’re probably picking up on this goal trend.  Not surprising, I supposed, that as someone who had run recreationally since a teenager, Tara would set for herself the ultimate running goal – 26.2 miles.  But certainly more spectacular than this endeavor, which many (who still have knees) take on is the fact that she set her sight to do it for the first time after passing the 40-year milestone, now with four children at home (two under the age of 4) and a business to sustain.

 

Tara and her husband set this goal together, so she started with a built-in support system.  Leaving the kids with a babysitter Sunday mornings, she and Brian enjoyed adult time together while putting in the miles.  Following a training schedule, the Sunday runs increased in length – 15, then 16, 18 and 20 miles.  The 16-miler proved to be the toughest, and without Brian’s pep talk afterwards (“no one ever said this was going to be easy. Just try it again next week and see how it goes.”), she might not have gone out the following week, much less on race day.  But next Sunday’s 18-miler felt great, as did the longer runs, giving her the confidence to take on the full distance.

 

During her training “I kept thinking, is this going to be harder than childbirth?  It wasn’t.”

 

“The marathon was just the best experience.  The main thing was that I proved to myself that I could train and my body would respond.  Once you figure out psychologically that you can do it, it just gives you so much confidence.”

 

Despite excruciating pain which came on at mile 15 (“I had never experienced it before in any of my training runs – I just ran through it”) she has no negative feelings about the marathon.  “I have no reason to think I wouldn’t try it again.”

 

I asked her which was more satisfying – getting her CPA or running a marathon.  “With both, there were several points throughout the process where I felt I wouldn’t be able to do it.”  But she stuck it out, and “it was nice to prove myself wrong.  With the CPA accomplishment – that was it.  But with marathons, I know I’m going to get that feeling again.  I can keep going, do more.”

 

The qualifying time for the Boston Marathon goes up to 4 hours at age 45.

 

Another goal?  Tara’s clock is ticking.

 

 

Tara crossing the finish line of her first marathon

 

Tara’s (not so) secrets for how she does it:

• Find a good training program.  She and Brian followed Hal Higdon (“it has an awesome training schedule”), which can be found on-line at http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Mar00index.htm
• Build a good foundation – start slowly and run regularly for 6 months to a year before you start training for a marathon
• Do some shorter runs during your training, 10K’s, half marathons, etc., to get race day experience
• What you need to run a marathon:

· A reliable babysitter if you have kids

· Some really good shoes.  Go to a good store like Road Runner or Super Jock ‘n Jill and have someone expertly fit you

· Join a running group for support; or do it with a partner or friend

· Don’t take it lightly.  You can’t go out tomorrow and run a marathon -- you have to really want to do it.  It’s too much of a commitment.

What books has Tara read recently?

• Teachings on Love by Thich Nhat Hanh
• Art of Happiness by HH Dalai Lama
• Run Less Run Faster by Bill Pierce, Scott Murr & Ray Moss
• Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

Whom does Tara want me to interview next?

• Her first thoughts were a woman she knew of who had survived cancer, and another Ironman triathlete.