JENICE: I admire Marion Jones. For obvious reasons!

BARBARA: I most admire people - average everyday people - who overcome obstacles to reach their goals. Talent is given to you at birth. Guts is man or woman-made. I admire heart over talent. I'm inspired by the 250-pound woman who loses 100 pounds and runs her first three-mile race. I admire the man at the back of the pack of a marathon who runs in memory of his father, son, or wife. I admire the kid who plays any sport with heart. I have this quote on my fridge by running great Steve Prefontaine: "A lot of people run races to see who is the fastest; I run races to see who has the most guts."

THERESA: I especially admire two women I see running the same routes every morning when I drive to work, one near my home and one closer to work. Rain, shine, wind, cold, there they are, just about every single early morning. One's a young mom who for the last couple years always ran while pushing her child in a baby jogger. This fall I've noticed she's been doing her runs by herself. Baby's growing up, Mom's keeping up with her workouts, time passes, Mom's staying strong. That I admire!

JENICE: I admire Theresa Johnson for finishing her SECOND half marathon; Barbara Laker for completing I don't know how many marathons; Yvonne Weston for laughing in the face of aging and everyone else who pushes when they don't want to push and who do one more rep when their muscles are screaming.

THERESA: Thanks, Jenice! You made my day!

ELLEN: I have many heroes. Tops is Babe Zaharias, the legendary golfer who died of cancer after laying the groundwork for the LPGA to become the premier female sport. She was savvy and one of the best athletes of all time -- no matter what gender. She was able to launch women's sports as a legit spectator sport by concentrating on golf. Babe, I'm told, was rather sure of herself. And she got her share of attention. She cleverly helped others by helping herself. What a woman! I also am very proud of my new Girlfriends who have the chutzpah to share personal feelings and insights about our own athletic lives. This is a risk and in the spirit of Babe, we are helping other folks, not just women, by doing this work.