Our blogger gets a bronze -- with her fastest 1500 for 25 years!

It's midnight by the sea in Riccione, in Italy's Adriatic riviera, but guess who's too excited to sleep...

Patty Murray just got the bronze in the women's 40-44 age group world championship, running out of her socks at sub-5-minute mile pace -- the fastest she's run since high school, 25 years ago. What an inspiration!

"i am so excited right now -- it is midnight and I'm sure I won't sleep at all tonight", she says. "I ran 4:39! Sub 5 at last! I started out in 7th place the first lap and just kept moving up. With one lap to go I was in 5th and with 200 meters to go my eyes got big as the two ladies in front of me seemed to be fading. I sprinted as hard as i could and finished 3rd, just like the Pearl Street Mile last year, I had a lot left in the tank. I am on cloud nine right now!"

Congratulations Patty -- a few weeks ago she was still taking it easy with an injury and never did get to do the sharpening-up speed work that was on the schedule. She's coming home with a silver and a bronze. And what a race to do 4:39 at 40.