It's in the air again. That smell. An ecology professor once described it as "dirty sweat socks," but the musk given off by ripe highbush cranberries is heavenly to me. Sweet and sour at the same time, conjuring images of Equinox marathons past, making my mouth water as it is now, just thinking about the tartness that explodes in your mouth, just before you grind the bitter seeds with your molars.

My friend Andy once credited the smell with inspiring him to run the Equinox. I feel the same way. It's a week from Saturday. I'll attempt it for my 14th time. This year I've trained less than any other. It'll be an interesting experiment.

Breathe deep. Yes.