When Courtney, Katie and I ran the Chicago marathon in 2007, it was unseasonably hot, inching above 90 degrees, with the race black flagged. One runner died, 30 were hospitalized, more than 400 sought medical attention, and Katie threw up.

Courtney and I both recently admitted we nearly stopped multiple times at the medic stations, terrified because we were no longer sweating, had goosebumps, and were pretty sure our hearts were about to fail. I'm fairly certain the only reason we didn't stop is because we have unrelenting wills that are made possible only because of two parents who think it's normal to do things like paint 100 Willow on their own in the middle of the summer. It's a wild combination. And kind of scary.

That being said, yesterday Duke, Courtney and Ryan did the Tough Mudder in Virginia and Court said it was almost as hard as the '07 thon. Describing it as both awful and awesome, they used those wills of steel (Duke's being stronger than ours. No offense Court. The kid didn't tell anyone he had mono.) to dominate the race.

Afterward they were talking casually about submerging in a steel pool of ice water and climbing through obstacles with electric shocks, and I felt incredibly proud of them and also a teensy tiny bit envious that my foot kept me sidelined.

Unless an intense case of rosy retrospection kicks in, it seems unlikely they'll do the race again. However, if they do, you better believe I'll be right there with them. Let's just hope I can keep up with these champs.