The conversation went something like this:

Steph (my fly wife):  Are you going to register to run a Marathon next year?

Me:  What?  No.  I said that I would run a full marathon when I turned 40.

Steph:  Um, this year you turned 39. 

Me:  [pause.  pause.  cold, empty realization that I am staring 40 in the face.]

40 is coming.  It will try to knock me down but I will not have it.  I will prove to it  that I am a driven and violent man.  A little bit of crazy.  A little bit of fun.  A whole lot of stubborn.  40 may be coming, but it will get the slap-down in my neighborhood.  I think I heard it shiver when I registered for the January 2009 Disney World Marathon.

Oh yes, I did.  And I’d like to tell you that I am excited.  The truth is that every time I think about running 26.2 miles, a little pee comes out.