We were in New York on September 11, 2001. Eight weeks later I watched my first New York City Marathon from half a block from our apartment. The pile was still burning and the air smelled of smoke melted computers. But, the sun was shining and the runners were running and the spectators were cheering and the flags were waving. It was the first big public event since 9/11 that wasn’t either cancelled or a memorial service. It was a day of optimism and one of the reasons I want to run the marathon.