During Northern California 's Big Sur Marathon in April 2003, Larry Benz and his brother, Steve, encountered an unexpected moment of surreal delight. Winding their way to the top of a two-and-a-half-mile stretch on Highway 1, with the earth falling steeply into the Pacific Ocean and the mountains rounding against the sky, they spied a grand piano perched on the road. (continued >>)

Distance Running is Second Nature to This Mother of Five

At five in the morning, the sun is still an hour or so away from flooding the horizon and the Shelbyville, Kentucky road is quiet except for the steady sound of rubber soles grabbing and releasing the asphalt. Four mornings a week, 33-year-old Susan Maddox and a friend set out in the last of the moonlight, running five miles before lifting weights at the gym. (continued >>)

Options to erase the signs of aging to delay or avoid invasive surgery are becoming increasingly popular. According to statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, consumer demand jumped 41 percent in 2003 for minimally invasive plastic surgery, exceeding more than 6.9 million procedures. (continued >>)