Anna Be.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife Earlier this year, I held a contest challenging students to read (and write about) books on the Modern Library 100 Best Novels list. The sad truth is I've only read about 10 of these books myself. Today I was inspired to change that. Does anyone else want to give it a try? I also want to read more from the nonfiction list . This is also a fantastic list . If anyone wants to informally read from these lists and talk about the books, I will create an online book club! But not where we pick one book and everyone has to read it. Totally informal, just reading what you feel like and talking about it.

Let me tell you about the last two 5ks I did before yesterday. They were in November 2008 and 2007, both at my husband's workplace, a gorgeous wooded compound not far from where we live. Both times I ached and hobbled all the way to the end with very little running. Both times I had frequent moments of cursing myself for thinking I could do anything so fit or active. And at the heart of it I felt ashamed for being so weak. The physical pain and emotional insecurity made them unenjoyable, made me unable to even feel proud when they were over. I just felt frustrated that I couldn't do better. I didn't know until yesterday's Race for the Cure was over how much better it would be. I wanted to run. And when it was over I wanted to run some more. (Not at that moment, but you know, in the future.) That desire to run in the future will be important for that little ol' half-marathon in November, see? Right now my desire is to run twice a week and weight train four ...