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Push

Posted in boston marathon, motivation, tagged feel good, motivation, push, running on March 15, 2011| 11 Comments »

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The alarm goes off. I blink my eyes a couple of times.

4AM already?

I blindly reach in the dark for my phone to turn off the snoring sound (yes, my alarm is a snoring sound). I move my stiff legs and body off of the bed and to the bathroom where I find my shorts and socks waiting for me. I stare at them.

Do I really want to run this morning? 8 miles? Really?

I ignore my brain and change. I head downstairs for some oatmeal, a banana and some coffee – my legs are still sore and tight from Sunday’s hard, fast 18-miler.

This is gonna hurt.

I slowly down the pre-workout meal, delaying the inevitable. Part of me wants to go back to bed; part of me knows Boston is less than 5 weeks away. The schedule calls for 8 miles with 5 intervals of 600 meters at 5K race pace. I don’t have it in me to run outside this morning so I trudge down to the treadmill, trying to get my brain to convert the numbers into something I can use.

600 meters…400 meters is about a quarter mile…0.25…add half of that…0.375…how the hell am I supposed to use that?

I settle on running 0.40 mile intervals at the treadmill’s top speed (10mph) with a 0.20 mile recovery in between.

This is gonna hurt.

I pop the TV on and stretch a little, not really wanting to do this. At that moment, all I want to do is crawl back into bed and sleep for another 3 hours. I look at the clock – 4:35 – it’s time to go.

Pain. Not the sharp, oh crap I’ve injured myself kind of pain. Just pain.

Just under 57 minutes later I am done. Sweat is dripping off my body like I’m a hose with holes in it. I am spent.

But the endorphins kick in and I can’t remember that feeling I had before the run. I don’t remember NOT wanting to run.

All I know is DAMN! This feels good!!!

This definitely feels good.

Hope you got your feel good on today.

Why do you run?

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36K for Miracles Challenge

Posted in boston marathon, tagged 36K for Miracles Challenge, boston marathon, Children's Hospital, Really Not A Runner on March 14, 2011| 3 Comments »

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There are many of you out there that are running Boston this year. Some (including myself) are running as qualifiers. Others (like I was fortunate enough to last year) are running on an invitational entry. And yet others are doing double duty preparing for the marathon this year by running for charity. Say what you will about Boston Marathon charity runners, the one thing that cannot be disputed is the hard work these runners put in. Not only are they running the daily miles the rest of us are doing, they are also having to spend lots of time raising money for their chosen charity. What is often forgotten by others is that these runners are putting their own bank accounts at risk. Every charity that receives bibs for Boston requires each of their runners to raise a minimum amount of funds by a certain date. If the runner is unable to do so, guess where the balance comes from? That’s right – them. If the required number is $2600 but only $1300 is raised, the rest comes from the runner’s credit card.

So they must get creative.

My friend Doug, who still claims to be “Really Not A Runner”, has come up with a pretty creative way to do just that.

Next Sunday, on March 20th, in his effort to raise $10,000 for Children’s Hospital (as part of their Miles for Miracles Program), he will be hosting a fund raising virtual race, aptly named: 36K for Miracles. Doug is going to run a 5K, a 10K and a Half-Marathon, in order. YOU can race against him in any or all of these races from wherever you are in the world. There is an entry fee for each race, and prizes will be given to both the male and female winners in each race, in addition to the overall winners who run all 36K. Anybody who beats Doug will receive a winner’s certificate (Winning!), and all participants will receive a thank you note from him. Also, anyone who enters and either tweets something about it, posts it on Facebook or dailymile or their own blog, will be entered into the “door prize” raffle for prizes from Doug’s sponsors.

You can register —>HERE<— or go directly to his fund raising page —>HERE<—.

I’ve got a 20-miler that day, so I may break it down and run a 10K and then a Half-Mary, but who knows, maybe I’ll throw in the 5K just for good measure. I hope you will at least check out Doug’s blog and consider running part of the 36K for Miracles Challenge.

You were gonna run that day anyway, right? Might as well throw in the added bonus of doing it for a good cause!

Why do you run?

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Miserable

Posted in boston marathon, training, tagged miserable run, running, slush, snow, winter running on March 3, 2011| 14 Comments »

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I sat in my car, staring down the road in front of me. It was 6AM, the snow had been coming down for hours. The ground was covered in an inch or two of wet, wet snow.

Do I really want to do this?

I was staring down the starting end of a 20-mile run. 20 miles. 20 miles is a tough run under great conditions, much less snowy ones that were quickly turning worse.

Maybe the treadmill would have been a better idea.

The thing was, the treadmill wasn’t an option. I had made arrangements to meet my buddy Doug at mile 13 at 8AM. We were running a portion of the Boston Marathon course.

Why did I do that!?!?

My last 7 miles were going to be the first 7 miles of his own 16 mile run.

The minutes ticked by. 6:10 snuck up on me.

Sigh…

It was time to go. My plan was to run slowly. The weather and the road condition, snowy with the added bonus of slush, were not conducive for a quick paced trek. Traction was not high. I started in the high 8’s/low 9’s. At just about the mile marker, I stepped off a curb into about 3 or 4 inches of slush.

Great!!!

Water rushed into my shoe. I love my Kinvaras because they are so well ventilated. Great for hot, summer days; not so great for slushy conditions. I laughed. What else could I do? I trudged on, trying to keep my feet under me. As I hit my first hill, I could feel my feet slipping beneath me. Each stride was not only a battle of getting up the hill, but of making sure that I didn’t lose my feet and land on my face. Each step required renewed focus, moving from one foot to the other. I drew a deep sigh of relief as I crested the hill, only to realize that I would now be battling the slippage in a completely different way.

This is going to be miserable!!!

And so it went through this hilly section of the Boston Marathon course. Finally, I made the turn off of the hills and headed for the next town. As I tried to let my mind relax a little, a large truck drove by just a little too fast, a little too close for comfort. If that wasn’t scary enough, he went through a large puddle of slush just as he passed me. This sent sent a mini-tsunami of slush and ice splashing against my bare legs.

I’m awake!!! Holy Crap I’m AWAKE!!!

Holy cow that was cold! I gathered myself together. As I continued on through the growing layer of snow, I wondered why I had only worn little footie socks. Snow was beginning to accumulate on my bare ankles.

What the hell am I doing?

Just after entering the town of Wellesley, I was greeted by a hill that seemed to go on forever (though I think it only goes for about 2/3 of a mile). Ever-slickening conditions made the climb rather interesting. As I crested the hill I looked at my watch. I was now running low 8’s.

Too fast.

I tried to slow down, but the legs kept churning. Low 8’s turned into high 7’s. As I passed the 7 mile marker (where I was meeting Doug), I realized that I was about 5 minutes ahead of schedule. Despite telling myself that I needed to slow down, my legs were finally starting to feel strong. Passing Wellesley College, I was brought back to the Marathon last April and all of the screaming college girls offering kisses to the runners (no, I didn’t stop for any!). I checked my watch as I hit the next mile. 7:30!

7:30? Slow down, Dude!!!

No avail. Over the next five miles, as I made my way to Natick Centre and back, despite making a conscious effort to keep it under control, and being hyper-vigilant of both ice and traffic, I averaged just under 7:30/mile. I arrived at our meet up point 10 minutes ahead of schedule. 13 miles in 1:42. Not bad for such craptastic conditions!

Soon Doug arrived and we were on our merry way. Conditions were worsening, but it was great to have the company. As we made our way through Wellesley and back to the Newton Hills portion of the Boston Marathon Course, we chatted away. He reminded me about the heartbreaking story of why he ran Boston last year and why he is again running for the same charity. The story is —>HERE<—. We talked shoes, we talked running.

The falling snow was turning into sleet.

Lovely!

The intersections were ankle deep in slush now. Even if we were able to avoid the puddles (which I wasn’t), we were continually assaulted by the splashing of passing cars.

Finally on the Newton Hills, we were able avoid the flying slush, but of course, now we faced “the Newton Hills”. I was about 17 miles in at this point (which coincidentally is where they lie on the course), and the legs were heavy. We pushed our way through, yapping away the entire time.

Before I knew it, I saw my car in the distance. Arriving at mile 20, I gave Doug a quick hug and sent him on his way to finish his run.

Man! What a miserable frakkin’ day!

I hopped into my car and headed home, downing a couple of mix1’s to speed recovery.

I. Was. Exhausted.

When I got home, I trudged upstairs to kiss the wife and the kids. We chatted for a minute and then I went upstairs to shower. I was beat.

What a miserable, miserable outing.

Or was it?

A little later, I saw this on my wife’s Facebook page status:

my husband just ran 20 miles. in the snow. and is all sorts of cheerful. please tell me it’s ok to hate him. just a little.

The thing is, she was right. I was totally cheerful. I was beat. Yes. I was exhausted. Definitely. But I also felt great! Despite the conditions and the traffic (maybe because of the conditions and the traffic), I had a great time out there. Would I want to run that every week? Well, no. BUT, I gotta say, in retrospect, I had a great time.

Thanks Doug for keeping me company for the last 7 miles!

Why do you run?

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Challenge

Posted in boston marathon, tagged BAA, boston marathon, Boston Qualifier, qualifier, Qualifying times on February 16, 2011| 9 Comments »

Getting here just got a lot harder

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So, I guess in our heart of hearts we all knew this was coming. Today, February 16th, the BAA announced that it was revising the registration process for the 2012 Boston Marathon and lowering the qualifying times for the race in 2013.

I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about the BAA’s decision. I do think that there is something poetic about allowing the fastest runners a better shot at getting into the big race. I have a hard time arguing against that. By the same token, I feel for those that have worked for years and years, slowly chipping away at their marathon times to finally squeak in. Although I did not have to wait years and year, I did essentially get in by the skin of my teeth. Last October I qualified for Boston by a mere 1:40. If you go back to look at my race report, you can see the pure joy on my face; the feeling of accomplishment. I knew I was in. I knew where I was going to be when registration opened. That feeling didn’t go away for a very long time.

But what happens now to that runner who does what I did? Sure, he BQ’s, but what does that mean now, really? If he or she has just squeaked by the qualifying times, then in all likelihood, that person is NOT going to get to run Boston.

***A quick rundown of the new procedure from Boston.com***

2012 rolling registration dates

– Day 1 (Sept. 12) – Qualifiers who have met their age and gender qualifying standard (3 hours, 10 minutes for men aged 18-34 and 3 hours, 40 minutes for women 18-34) by a margin of 20 minutes or faster may apply for the marathon.

– Day 3 (Sept. 14) – Qualifiers who have met the standard set for their age/gender by a margin of 10 minutes or faster may apply.

– Day 5 (Sept. 16) – Qualifiers who have met their age/gender qualifying time by a margin of 5 minutes or faster may apply.

– Day 8 (Sept. 19) – Open to all qualifiers to register.

– Day 12 (Sept. 23) – Registration closes for qualified applicants. Registered qualifiers will be notified of their acceptance by Sept. 28.

For 2013, there are new qualifying times

Age Group	Men	Women
18-34	3:05:00	3:35:00
35-39	3:10:00	3:40:00
40-44	3:15:00	3:45:00
45-49	3:25:00	3:55:00
50-54	3:30:00	4:00:00
55-59	3:40:00	4:10:00
60-64	3:55:00	4:25:00
65-69	4:10:00	4:40:00
70-74	4:25:00	4:55:00
75-79	4:40:00	5:10:00
80+	4:55:00	5:25:00

The rolling registration also applies to 2013 and beyond.

Essentially, the BAA has lowered the qualifying times for 2012 by 10 – 20 minutes and 15 – 25 minutes for 2013 and beyond.

So what does that mean for me? It means that for the next 3 years, I have to run a 3:00 marathon before this September and a 2:55 marathon before September 2012 if I want to have any hope of registering on the first day. If I am going to be optimistic, it means a 3:10 this year and a 3:05 next year if I want to believe there will be space available on the 3rd day of registration. If I am lucky enough to take 5 minutes off of my PR and run what is essentially a 3:15 (3:10 for 2013 and beyond), I’ll have the privilege of being allowed to join the registration fun on the 5th day.

I wonder what is the likelihood of spots still being available on the 5th day.

Not.

Bloody.

Likely.

***

Now, I could sit here and bitch. I could sit here and moan. I could sit here and cry.

Instead, I am going to count my lucky stars and be thankful that I get to run this year, as a qualifier. I am half way through my training program. There are 60 days left between now and April 18th. I am going to stick my plan and shoot for a 3:15. 2012 looks unlikely for me at this point, as I am unlikely to run a 3:10 at Boston, and I don’t think I will be ready to run another marathon until after registration opens. Sure, I am BQ’d for 2012, but based on my time from this past October, I am in the last group that gets the opportunity to register, if there are any spots left. That’s a big “if” even if I do manage a 3:15 this coming April.

So 2012 is likely lost to me, but 2013 is not. Sometime between this coming September and the following one, I will run another marathon. I will have a new challenge. 3:15 may be what the qualifying times are for a man of my age, but because of the rolling registration, they have essentially lowered it to 3:05 starting in 2013.

Fine.

I am up for a challenge. BAA, you want to make me run a 3:05 so I can run your race? Fine. Bring it.

In the meantime, I am going to enjoy Boston 2011.

60 days ’til race day!

Why do you run?

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Competitive

Posted in boston marathon, log, motivation, training, tagged competitive, mainerunnah, running, training, una runner on February 8, 2011| 7 Comments »

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Last October I ran a marathon with my friend Brendan. We had the same goal, a BQ. We both felt good going into the race. In the end however, he fell off the pace a little bit and missed qualifying for Boston by a mere 33 seconds. A heart breaker. That’s enough to crush a guy, especially after putting in hours upon hours of sweat and pain.

In November, another friend of mine, Logan, ran a marathon in Georgia, hoping to make his way to Boston in his first marathon. Through 13 miles he was on pace to hit 3:12, a BQ with room to spare, but part way through the second half, the wheels came off the bus and he had to settle for a 3:54 marathon debut. Having had the exact same devastating experience, I could relate.

Over the past 3-4 months, I’ve watched both of these guys transform themselves. They are different, stronger, faster. I recognize their change because I went through it myself after what I perceived were failures as a runner. Sure, I may still have a BQ on both of them, but at this point, I think that they may both be better and faster runners than I am.

***

Running is not necessarily about competition. A lot of people do it simply for the health benefits, both mental and physical. But when you enter a race, or follow friends who are runners, there is always a part of you that is comparing what you are doing to what they are. In a race, the comparison is glaring (you are passing or getting passed, leading or following). On social networks like dailymile, it’s a little more subtle, but it’s still there.

As I’ve watched both Brendan and Logan evolve, I’ve felt the urge to tweak my training, go a little faster, train a little harder. They are in a different category than I am when it comes to mileage (I’ve been doing 40 – 55 miles per week, they are in the 50 – 70 range). The temptation to take it to their level is, well, tempting, BUT I know that although we compare ourselves to each other and each other’s accomplishments, ultimately, we are only racing against one person – ourselves.

Even if your name is Ryan Hall or Kara Goucher, you are still competing with the runner that you want to be.

***

And so, somewhat begrudgingly, I stick with my plan, following the program that is laid before me. I have a goal for Boston 2011, and that personal goal takes precedent over all other running goals. If I start chasing the likes of Brendan and Logan, I am likely to crash and burn.

***

The reason I write this post is for those just getting into this marathon thing. Don’t go comparing yourselves to others. You are racing against you and what you are capable of. Hopefully you have a few road races under your belt. If you do, I would suggest going —>>>HERE<<<— to find out what the numbers say. It is a pretty accurate measure of where you are and what you are capable of. From here, come up with a plan (I’m happy to help) and then stick with it.

***

I am looking forward to seeing how Brendan and Logan do in their Marathons this Spring. I have no doubt that they will not just BQ (like I did, by a mere 1:40), but will smash through to the other side. I’ll see you guys in Hopkington in 2012!

And at that point, it’s ON!!!

***UPDATE 02/19/11*** Today Logan smashed his previous marathon PR by 45 minutes, completing the Myrtle Beach Marathon in a scorching 3:09:19 (exactly 10 minutes faster than my BQ at Smuttynose). A well deserved BQ! I’ll see you in 2012! Congrats Logan! Brendan, you are on the clock!

***UPDATE 02/20/11***Today Brendan ran the Hampton Half-Marathon in a blazing 1:29:34, nearly 4 minutes faster than my fastest half-mary. Now true this does not automatically qualify him for Boston, but it does get him into a race that is even harder to qualify for – New York City, Brother! I also checked the McMillan’ Race Calculator – his half-marathon time puts him at a 3:08:54, 11+ ahead of a BQ. Way to rock it today Brendan!

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The Wave

Posted in boston marathon, motivation, training, tagged Heartbreak Hill, running, Wave on January 24, 2011| 6 Comments »

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A week ago Sunday I went for my scheduled long run. According to Mr. Pfitzinger, I was supposed to run 16 miles, 10 of which were supposed to be at marathon pace.

I know. So what, right?

It was cold and we had just come out the back side of a very large snow storm. The roads were (still are) treacherous, the sidewalks non-existent. I contemplated doing this run on the treadmill, but finally decided to drive to a part of the Boston Marathon course that I knew would be relatively clear. The problem with this stretch of course is that it is only about 6 miles long.

I powered through the first five miles, my mind more or less numbed by the cold. However, as I approached the end of the stretch, my legs tiring, I realized that I still had over 10 miles to run. My heart sank, my will ebbed. Very quickly my mind went from somewhat blank to a swirl of self-doubt. Suddenly the lack of sleep from the night before felt very real; my legs were tired, my lungs were tired, my brain was tired. As I rapidly approached the first of the Newton Hills section of the Boston Marathon course, I came very close to stopping.

This section happens to be at Mile 17 of the marathon. I remembered that just as I was about to drop my pace to a walk up the hill. I remembered watching dozens of runners slow to a walk last April right at this point and I thought to myself, “If I couldn’t do it after 6 or 7 miles, no matter how tired I am, how the Hell am I going to do it on race day after 17 miles?”

I growled and forced myself into a quicker pace.

The legs struggled.

The lungs burned.

I made it to the top of the hill and cracked a small smile. As I hit the next hill, my GPS chirped that I had run the last mile 12 seconds faster than the previous one.

I smiled.

Energy flowed back into my legs and lungs. As I crested Heartbreak Hill for the second of what would be three times that day, I realized that my second 6 miles had been faster than my first.

Running, and life for that matter, is full of waves. The key is to ride the crests as long as you can and power through the troughs to get to that next wave.

Physical pain is pretty easy to gauge. You know if something is physically wrong with your body and it’s time to quit. It’s the mental part of running that is hard. Judging what you have left in the tank, mentally, is never an easy task. But this I know: if you don’t push past what is comfortable, if you don’t embrace the pain, the burn, you won’t grow, you won’t find out whether you can or cannot.

And you won’t make it to the crest of that next wave.

Why do you run?

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Buoy

Posted in boston marathon, health, motivation, tagged running, what if on January 20, 2011| 6 Comments »

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I stare at the television, hardly paying attention to the cards in my hand. Are we playing Hold ‘Em? Guts? I’m not too sure. The TV is tuned to the Classic Rock Music channel. On the screen is a picture of David Gilmour from the band Pink Floyd. I listen to his music and think, “I could have been musician.”

But I’m not.

I started to think of all the things I wanted to be, but am not. Doctor. Actor. Master of the Universe. Trainer and gym owner. I am none of those things. When the roadblocks of life got in the way, I never pushed back hard enough to achieve those goals. I made the excuse that if I wasn’t pushing, I obviously didn’t want it. Now, at the age of 41, I wonder, “what if?”

I know that the “what if” game is a common one, especially for people my age and older, but it feels like mine goes a little deeper than that. I look back and realize that I let opportunity go by so many times – in college, after college. There were moments where I could have (should have?) zigged, but instead I zagged – more often than not because it was the path of least resistance. Life (my life) is full of opportunities lost, chances not taken, changes not made.

I hope I have been a good son, an adequate husband and a decent father, but I wonder if they could have had better.

I wonder if that is one of the reasons I run like I do.

In running I finally found something that when I got pushed (through injury or bonking), I found a way to push back. I was able to take adversity and knock it on its ass. Still, I can’t help but wonder if running has become a last-ditch effort to validate myself – to convince myself that the boy that I was would be okay with , if not proud of, the man I have become.

No, I will never be an elite runner, I will never qualify for the Olympic trials, I will never get financially rich off of running, but hard work and perseverance has made me a marathoner and a Boston Qualifier. The results have been tangible. In qualifying for Boston, I have, in the eyes of some, made it to the promised land.

As I try to figure out what it is that I will become when I grow up (yes, I know I’m 41), I will hold on to this buoy, training my eyes on the horizon. I hope that the next time opportunity sails close by, I have the wisdom to see it and the courage to hop on board.

Why do you run?

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Go!

Posted in boston marathon, training, tagged boston marathon, BQ, Newton Hills, Pfitz 18/55, running, training, training program on December 13, 2010| 9 Comments »

You’ve put in the work…now it’s time for your victory lap!

–My buddy Doug right before the Smuttynose Marathon

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18 weeks until the Boston Marathon. My training starts today! Well, kind of anyway. Day 1 of my 18 week training program starts with a Rest/Cross-training Day. So, technically training starts today, but my first run isn’t until tomorrow. I am excited to start. The 5 weeks since New York have consisted of free form training, and to a degree I’ve been feeling a bit at sea. It will be nice to be able to look at the schedule and know what to expect for the coming week.

I will be following the Pfitz 18/55 program (for 18 weeks/maxing out at 55 miles per week) from his book, Advanced Marathoning. I used his 12/55 program in my BQ at Smuttynose, and I think that the 18 week program can advance my marathoning even further. I highly recommend his book. You don’t need to be an advanced marathoner to use it. I used it to great success and by no means am I an advanced marathoner. It is chock full of useful advice and has programs ranging for those willing to run a max of 55 mile/week (starts with 33 miles/week) to those crazy enough to run over 105 miles/week. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around that one. 105 Frakking Miles? Along with advice on marathon training, Pfitz also outlines some core exercises, strength training and a good stretching regimen. I plan on using them all as I train for my assault on the Newton Hills (my downfall last year).

Anyway, so here I am – the first day of my Boston Marathon training and I don’t get to run. I guess it’s a perfect time to start the core and strength training, right?

For those of you running Boston this year, when do you start your training? Have you already started? What program are you going with? And for those running other Spring marathons, what programs do you use? Or are you like my hero, the British Bulldog, Steve Spiers (he recently defended his Cayman Islands Marathon Title…Rock Star!), who just kind of makes it up as he goes?

People…or at least I…want to know!

Why do you run?

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Bring It – Deception & Heartbreak

Posted in boston marathon, training, tagged boston marathon, Heartbreak Hill, Hill Training, running on November 19, 2010| 8 Comments »

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With New York in my rear view mirror, I can now firmly set my sights on Boston. The New York Marathon was a bonus. I hadn’t planned on running 2 marathon this Fall, but when the opportunity to run New York presented itself, who was I to say no? The thing is, I trained all summer for Smuttynose, not New York. It isn’t a bad thing. It paid off in spades. I was able to qualify for Boston at Smuttynose.

But New York taught me something. Well many things, really, but it taught me this one thing in particular – you must train for the terrain. I purposely spent the summer and early fall running on flat surfaces. Every recovery, tempo, interval, marathon-paced, and long distance run was done on ridiculously flat roads or trails, or on the treadmill. Training this way allowed me to cruise through Smuttynose with relative ease (I stress the relative of course because as my good friend Mike reminded me recently, a marathon isn’t supposed to be easy).

But when it came to New York, I suffered Yes, I had some nutritional and GI issues, but I think that, despite that, had New York been a flat marathon, I could have managed a significantly faster marathon. I may have even been able to come close to a PR.

Which brings me to this winter.

***

I look to Boston, with it’s early, deceptive downhill and it’s late, heart-breaking uphill. Training starts either in December or January, but either way, I know there is going to be one “must” in my training.

Hills.

I must train for the terrain. It will require doing runs of all kinds on the hills that are available around me. Fortunately, being from the Boston-area, I will be able to drive over to the Newton Hills and do hill repeats without too much juggling of my schedule. Heck, living in the Boston-area means that I can make sure my long runs make their way by those hills. It’s not going to be easy; it may not be fun, but that is what I am going to have to do if I want to take a shot at a 3:15 at Boston.

In Pfitzinger’s Advanced Marathoning he states several times that you must try to emulate the conditions you will face in your goal marathon. What better way to emulate the terrain of your goal marathon than actually run on the terrain of said goal marathon?

I’m curious to see how my body will adapt to this kind of training. Will it accept it as a necessity? Will it rebel after a summer of flat running? Will it adjust?

Train for the terrain.

That’s gonna be the mantra this winter.

Train for the terrain.

Why do you run?

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What now?

Posted in boston marathon, motivation, other, tagged boston marathon, BQ, Choices, What now? on October 21, 2010| 20 Comments »

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So it’s finally sinking in. I did it. Almost 2 years ago I started running. Shortly thereafter I had the audacity to think I could qualify for Boston. A little under a year ago, my first shot ended in a Frankenstein’s Monster walk (3:54). Next came the surprise of Boston 2010 as an invitational runner ending in heartbreak on Heartbreak Hill (3:32). That was followed 2 weeks later with the oppressive heat and humidity of Providence (3:30). Although I finished each of those marathons, they all ended in a failed attempt to qualify. I was inching closer, but a BQ still seemed like an impossibly difficult dream.

But two and a half weeks ago, I did it. 3:19:19. I qualified for Boston with a little room to spare. It has finally sunk in (I was one of the lucky one who signed up Monday morning at 9AM when registration opened). With New York less than 3 weeks away I have been wondering, “what now?” Whether I decide to gun for 3:15 in New York or not, the truth is, for the last 16 months I have been focusing on one thing – a BQ. As amazing as the feeling of finally accomplishing that goal was, the joy was in the journey. My three failed attempts fueled a fire and made the story that much more meaningful to me.

That journey is done, and despite my growing excitement for the New York Marathon and my anticipation of running Boston in both 2011 and 2012 (hopefully), I am now left with a feeling that something is missing. In my world of running, I have done it! I have achieved my goal. It is time for a new journey. So what’s next? What’s the next goal? I’m still not sure, but here are two things that I am considering.

First, the probably impossible dream of a sub-3:00 marathon. Despite taking nearly 35 minutes off of my marathon time in just over 11 months, the idea of taking off another 20 minutes sounds downright insane. Plus, at my age, I’ll be lucky if I don’t start slowing down significantly very soon. Still, it’s alluring. Much like being able to say I BQ’d, how cool would it be to be able to say I had a sub-3:00 marathon under my belt?

The other possibility that I am seriously thinking about (and yes, Doug, I do remember that I did promise I would do it if I qualified for Boston at Smuttynose) is running the Vermont 50 this coming September. I have never run an ultra, and 50 miles is about as far as I ever want to go. I am definitely intrigued by the idea. But this isn’t just 50 flat miles. No, this is 50 miles through the Vermont terrain. The elevation profile frightens me. Because Smuttynose was run late in the year, I actually not only qualified for Boston 2011, but also Boston 2012 as well, so there won’t be the urgency of running another marathon in the fall – that is if the BAA doesn’t change the requirements for qualifying in light of this years rapid close. If they do, that may be the tipping point for me.

So, what do you think? Do I go back to Hampton next October and shoot for a sub-3:00 marathon or do I head to the mountains of Vermont and run a 50 mile race?

Fortunately, I don’t have to decide just yet, so I’m going to concentrate on New York. 3:15 anyone?

Why do you run?