Running then and now

As I continue my countdown to the marathon, I think of past races and epic runs.  My running started in high school.  I started running because I was too scared of the ball in baseball, and not coordinated enough to play any other team sport.  On the track and on the trails I could just go.  My coach, Mr. Taylor, shaped so much of my life both as a runner and as a human.  My junior year of high school Mr. Taylor took 8 runners on a trip through Europe called "Arete" - excellence in Greek.  We went to Egypt, Israel, France, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, and on boats and flights in between studying history, philosophy, religion, and of course running. 

The Olympic games were started in 776 BC, then hit a lull, then started up again under the IOC in 1896 in Athens, Greece.  Here's a pic of me running in the 1896 stadium:

I need to reign the fire I had then for my race now.