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1 Goal – Convergence (Boston Marathon 2012 – Part II)

Posted in boston marathon, tagged boston marathon, charity runner, dana-farber, marathon, pace, the closer on April 23, 2012| 5 Comments »

What follows is a convergence of both Lynda’s and my writing – mine will be in italics.

*** *** ***

I arrive at my designated spot early. I don’t want to be the guy who promised to run someone in over the last 10 miles and then NOT be there. I find a spot just after the runners pass Newton-Wellesley Hospital and watch the throng. It is bitter sweet to say the very least. I want to be out there with my people – with all of those runners.

All I could think of as I watched everyone go by was, "I wish I was out there!"

But the looks on their faces says it all. Today is not a race. Today is a battle for survival. Some are walking, some are trudging, some are just trying to put one leg in front of the other. No one is running fast.

And there is still 10 miles to go.

Just standing there watching them, I am already sweating. I can only imagine what the heat had been like in Framingham and Natick.

My phone buzzes. The athlete alert text tells me that Lynda has just passed the half-marathon mark. She iss moving more slowly than she had hoped – quite honestly, I am happy to see that. It means that she is running smart and bending to the heat instead of fighting it.

While waiting for Lynda I see several of my friends go by. Marathon Brian sneaks up on me and give me a big hug. He is looking strong in this heat. Moments later I see Ally Spiers, who this year took over for Really Not a Runner Doug Welch’s spot on the Children’s Hospital Team and Team Brenya. With her is 2-time Cayman Island Marathon winner (and her husband) Steve. He is keeping her company for the duration. We do a sweaty group hug before they move on. A few minutes later I see my friend Mike. He, like Brian, is running for the Liver Team. I am surprised to see Yoda (yes, Yoda) attached to his back – I can see him whispering in Mike’s ear throughout the race, “there is no try…there is only do or do not!”.

Mike and Yoda post-race. He carried Yoda the whole way.

I know I’ve got a little while before Lynda arrives, so I run about a quarter-mile with Mike to chat. He tells me how brutal the heat as been, but he is looking strong.

I make my way back to my spot and start looking for Lynda. I’ve been eyeing the Dana-Farber singlets the whole time. I see a pair approaching me. One of them is waving at me.

——————————————–

Our 2 roads are about to converge…

———————————————

Wellesley seems to stretch out for a loooong time. I’ve run this part of the course a few times, but the landmarks look different. My running partner Patty agrees.

There is an ambulance just before Newton-Wellesley Hospital. The back door is open and there is someone on a stretcher. I feel good but it seeing this makes me really nervous. This is my first marathon. I don’t know what to expect and it is crazy hot.

We are close to meeting Luau, so I scan the sidewalk. Just past the Woodland T stop is a bright orange shirt. Getting closer, I wave. It’s him!

I’m running pretty slow, almost half of his normal race pace, but he is cheerful and tells me about his last Boston, when I ask. I can’t imagine what it must be like to maintain a 3:15 (or thereabouts) pace for the duration. I would love to be faster but my goal today is just to finish.

***

Lynda has been running a slow and steady race. The heat is definitely been taking it’s toll, but she is smiling and happily waving at anyone who either shouts out her name of yells “Go Dana Farber” My goal at this point is to keep Lynda entertained and distracted from the growing fatigue of being on the course for this long.

It is charity runners like Lynda that I find are the most endearing and moving heroes of any marathon. Many of them are not typical runners in that they don’t go out there year round and run 30 – 40 miles per week. In fact some aren’t runners at all. These are people who, for whatever reason, found inspiration and decided that they could help make the world a better place by doing something that seems almost inconceivable to any non-runner.

Many of the charity runners like Lynda will run at a much slower pace that those of us so obsessed with qualifying for Boston. Despite having to spend sometimes twice the amount of time running their long runs, they do it – and they do it with a smile on their face because they do this not just for themselves, but for those that need their help.

In addition to the long training they must endure, they must also commit to raising a certain amount of funds. Should they not meet the minimum set by their charity, they are responsible for the balance. Some charities require as much as $5,000 to be raised. That’s not easy, especially when they must balance that with their training AND the every day demands of their lives.

Lynda was running last Monday, scratch that, Lynda has been running and raising over $6,000 for the last several months in honor of her mother, who passed away from cancer. In battling the Boston Course on this brutal day, she breathed life into her mother’s memory and deserves to be called a hero.

***

Luau is like the Mayor, saying hi to people he knows along the way, and even picks up a beer from the Race Menu “water” stop. We get to the top of the hill and he helps me figure out how to find my husband in the next few miles. It makes a funny photo – me holding his beer, Luau running and texting.

Nothing like a little Pabst Blue Ribbon at Mile 20.

Kind of erases any shred that I’m taking this marathon seriously, but hey, whatever works! I feel relieved to know where husband will be at mile 25.

*** *** ***

As we approach Heartbreak Hill, I am looking forward to yelling “On On” to the Hash House Harriers. They traditionally cheer from a spot about halfway up Heartbreak and hand out shots of beer to any takers. I plan on taking a whole beer. Unfortunately, on this hot day, it seems that all the runners before us have decided to partake and by the time Lynda and I arrive, they are out. I am disappointed to say the least. Fortunately, the RaceMenu team is at the top of Heartbreak giving cold sponge-baths to anyone who wants one. I see team member Brendan and relay my earlier disappointment. He smiles, and says they have beer, pours me a cold PBR and send me on my way. This would be the first of three beers along the way to getting Lynda to the finish line.

At mile 22, Lynda decided she needed to walk. A very large college student started yelling at her to keep running.

I looked at him and said, “if you’re going to yell at her and you want her to run…give me your beer!”

He was taken aback. “But, it’s a Whale’s Tail.”

“I don’t care, give me your beer!”

He hesitantly handed me the very full cup.

It is ice cold.

I smile.

I chug.

I hand him the empty cup.

I turn to look at Lynda who fortunately has started running. I turn back to the very large kid.

“Thanks, dude.” And I’m back at Lynda’s side.

As we make our way through the course, I make sure that Lynda’s water and Gatorade bottles remain full, zipping up ahead to fill them whenever they are close to empty.

*** *** ***

The last miles are a blur. There are now four of us running together, Luau, Patty, her husband, and me. I take a few walk-breaks during which Luau runs ahead, asking what I need. I gratefully take cups of water and dump them on my head. I try to drink more Gatorade and hold some ice cubes. It’s very slow progress, but Luau enthusiastically notices we are passing some walkers and Team Hoyt. He says, “Chomp, chomp, you’re eating them up! Only 2 more miles to go!”

*** *** ***

Lynda’s slow and steady pace is now paying dividends. She may be exhausted, she may be fatigued, but she is passing people left and right. Every medic tent we pass is full of people. I briefly wonder if I would have been one of those people has I got in this year.

Just after Mile 25, I see Jess’ hair stylist, Marisa of Stilisti (the awesome woman who donated turning my hair blue for New York last year!). We have found Lynda’s husband now and he is running with us so I feel like I can stop for a second and say hello. Marisa offers me a beer and I eagerly accept (my third of the day) chugging it down in 2 or 3 gulps. I give her a sweaty hug and I race back to Lynda. I’m gonna let Lynda finish this post – Boston 2012 was her race!

*** *** ***

In Kenmore Square we find my husband and Luau takes a bunch of photos and a video. He takes more photos throughout the last mile. In some, I barely look like I’m running, but I am **so happy**. I have a huge smile on my face. I don’t really remember the last mile, but these photos are the best. I cross the finish line with my teammate Patty.

Lynda and her training partner Patty getting ready to cross the finish line.

I did it! With a big assist from Luau, my family, and teammates, I just ran a marathon! My legs are so ready for a rest and I’m suddenly starving. There are quick hugs and Luau slips away to head home.

Almost a week later, I’m still wowed by the complete kindness of a stranger and the powerful common thread that all runners share. Running Boston was amazing. And… (don’t tell husband) I’m thinking about training for MCM next year!

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2 Roads…Boston Marathon 2012 (Part I)

Posted in boston marathon, tagged boston marathon, boston marathon 2012, race report, running on April 15, 2012| 2 Comments »

4:30AM – I imagine that many are already up, awake after a sleepless night. They are stumbling about their homes or hotel rooms, checking, double checking, triple checking their gear for the day. I am asleep.

5:30AM – Somewhat bleary-eyed, but full of excitement, thousands head for the buses at the Boston Commons. As sleepy as they may be, their bodies are buzzing. I am asleep.

6:00AM – The buses for the first wave are now leaving, with buses for the second and third wave leaving at 6:30 and 7:00. My alarm finally goes off, only because Jess still has to work today and I need to go down to the kitchen to pack her a breakfast and lunch.

6:00AM – 8:00AM – They will sit on the bus, some sleeping, some chatting a mile a minute, some silently staring off into space, contemplating what lies ahead. I will make myself a simple breakfast, have some tea and wait for my kids to wake up. No school for them on Patriot’s Day.

8:00AM – 10:00AM – They wait. This is one of my favorite parts of the Boston Marathon. They will nervously wait in the athlete’s village. If they are running with a charity, they will all sit together, otherwise, they will find friends who they only see once or twice a year – friends who they know through the blogosphere or Facebook or dailymile or Twitter. It will be comforting because these are people that, despite not knowing each other, they know each other. Some will be relaxed, others will be nervous, most will be a combination of both. Despite the comfort of the village, all will want to get this race started. I’ll shower and lay my running gear out…maybe I’ll double check it, maybe I won’t.

10:00AM – The first wave is off. I say a little prayer for all of the runners as the temperatures look to climb into the high 80’s. I am not so worried about the elite runners and those that will be near the front of the first wave. Though they will not necessarily have banner days, they will be finishing just as the temperatures get brutal. It is the later runners like my charge Lynda, who I will be pacing from mile 16 to the finish line, and my dear friends Mike and Judith and Brian who are experienced marathoners, but starting in the third wave, that I am concerned about. They are the heroes of Monday who will be subjecting their bodies the tough, hot, extreme elements. Meanwhile, I will drop one of my kids off for a play date and bring the other with me to run some errands.

10:40AM – The third wave will be under way. For those all the way in the back (as I was in 2010 – I was literally the last person to start in 2010) it may take as much as 20 minutes to cross the starting line. Brooke and I will finish up our errands and go home to play a little – maybe a little painting, maybe some reading.

11:30AM – The elites are probably somewhere near Wellesley College at this point – almost half way home. If they’re smart, they’ll stop for a kiss in the scream tunnel. Depending on how long it took to get to the start, my friends in wave three are somewhere between 4 and 5 miles in. Hopefully they are taking their time, soaking in the crowd and not worried about their pace. The babysitter arrives and I begin to check my phone for alerts on my charge Lynda. She is hoping to run at 11:00 to 12:00 pace. I check to make sure I have my Charlie Card so I can get back home via the T after I run her to the finish. I check the interwebs for the T-stop I need to drive to.

12:15PM – The alerts have been coming in, not just of my friends from wave three, but of my other friends as well. Maddy, Steve, and many more. At this point, Lynda is anywhere between 5 and 8 mile. She probably won’t be at mile 16 until 1:40ish, but I don’t want to take any chances. I hop in the car and head to the local T-stop, dressed to run, shuffle, walk – whatever it takes to get Lynda to the finish line.

1:00PM – Arriving at mile 16, I will make my way through the crowd and cheer on the runners, looking for friends, keeping track of Lynda.

Our 2 roads are about to converge…

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The Road to Boston…

Posted in boston marathon, tagged boston marathon, jealousy, running, Sugarloaf Marathon, training on April 11, 2012| 7 Comments »

…goes through Sugarloaf – at least for me.

5 days until one of the greatest annual road races takes place. After traveling from all over the world, thousands will take the slow, what feels like forever bus ride from the Boston Commons to the town of Hopkinton, where they will wait – wait for their turn to run one of the greatest marathons on the planet.

I must admit, I have been more than a bit jealous as I’ve watched people post their bib numbers and complain about their tapers on Facebook, Twitter, dailymile and other social media. There is a part of me that feels like I belong right there with them, but I know that I do not. Under the modified registration process, I missed getting in by 33 seconds and I chose not to run for a charity – somehow, that doesn’t make the pangs of jealously hurt any less; especially since the new standards mean I will have to PR by 4 minutes and 20 seconds to re-qualify for next year.

The deceptive early downhill, the women of Wellesley College, the brutal hills of Newton, the deafening crowds in Boston – these are but a few of the highlights Monday’s marathoners will experience. What will I miss the most about Boston this year? I think it might be the waiting in the Athlete’s Village – seeing my friends Mike and Brian, who are running for the Liver Foundation; hanging out with the amazing Suman, Maddie, Steve S., and Andy O.; finding dailymile and Twitter friends along the way.

I will definitely miss you guys on Monday.

Have fun. Run strong.

If everything goes the way I hope it does at Sugarloaf, I will see you next April in Hopkinton.

Hopefully on May 2oth, I ‘ll be making this face –

BQing at Smuttynose October 2010

as I hit a sub-3:15, so I can get back to this place

somewhere on the Newton Hills - Boston 2010.

and share the journey with you once again.

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Progress – the Quincy Half Marathon

Posted in boston marathon, race recap, racing, training, tagged boston marathon, BQ, cross training, first marathon training program, Furman FIRST, Half-Marathon, incremental improvement, marathon training, marathon training program, Pfitz, Quincy Half Marathon, race recap, race report, step in the right direction, Sugarloaf Marathon on March 30, 2012| 6 Comments »

I remember way back in high school when I would get up in the mornings before a big test – I’d be a little nervous, wondering if I had studied what I had needed to, wondering if I’d remember anything…

…that’s how I felt two Sundays ago when I woke up before the Quincy Half Marathon. Several weeks ago I made the transition from the Pfitz Marathon Training Program to the FIRST Marathon Training Program. I’ve been fairly determined to make sure that I followed the new program as closely as I could. The very concept of running less to run faster struck me as counter-intuitive, but I needed to do something to get me out of what had turned into an 8 month funk.

3 days a week – that is all I was allowed to run; complimented by 2 days of cross-training – it seemed insufficient, but I was determined to give the program a chance. Really, what choice did I have? What I had been doing before was no longer working.

On Super Bowl Sunday I ran the Super Sunday 5-Miler in Boston and finished with a 34:56. My goal had been to comfortably cruise to a sub-35 minute finish, but in fact, I struggled to make it, pretty much leaving everything I had on the course. That 34:56 translated into a 3:25:30 marathon according to McMillan’s Running Calculator. A couple of weeks later I started the FIRST program. Quincy was going to be my first real test of how much progress I was truly making.

***

Upon arriving, I looked for my buddy JB. You may recall JB as one of the foursome I ran with at Vermont or the buddy who ran the Super Sunday 5 with me. Our plan was to run about 7:15 miles throughout, with the hopes of scoring about a 1:35:00 for the race. It would be a 2 minute PR for him, and would be an incremental improvement on my cardio-health from Super Sunday. Although a 1:35 half-marathon only translates to a 3:20 marathon (5 minutes long of my goal), I figured that it would be a step in the right direction, especially for only 3 weeks on the program.

JB & I pre-race.

We made our way to the starting area and stood silently for the National Anthem – and then it was time to go, literally! Not more than a second after the anthem was done, the starting horn blared.

We were off.

Fortunately for JB and I, we hadn’t moved too far to the front. We were forced to start a little slowly. After a quarter mile of jockeying for position, we turned up the pace and hit the first mile marker right on target at 7:15.

Perfect!

Without really realizing it, we slowly began to pick up the pace. It was still a bit crowded, but the two of us maneuvered our way through. Mile 2 arrived in a quick 7:07…maybe I was a little too enthusiastic?

We slowed it down just a touch for the next three miles, averaging about a 7:10 pace. Somewhere around mile 5 we saw the leader coming the other way…he must have had a good 30 seconds on the guy behind him. At this point, JB and I hit our first hill. My philosophy on hills has been to attack them, lean into them and don’t let them slow you down too much. For this first hill, that plan worked perfectly. I leaned in, JB followed and we passed over a dozen runners before cresting and allowing gravity to feed our recovery.

Once we flattened out, we hit the 6-mile marker (7:06) and we were able to see the rest of the field heading for the hill. At this point, my legs started to feel a little heavy. JB asked me how I was doing. I feel like I’m fading, I said, but only 6 miles in, I knew that it had to be more mental than physical. We continued to press the pace a little. I knew we had some time in the bank to hit 1:35, but I also kept reminding myself that this race was a test of how I was progressing. If I let up too early or left too much out on the course, there would really be no way for me to know just where I was with respect to where I want to be for Sugarloaf. I needed to know if the FIRST program was increasing my cardio-fitness or if I was stagnating.

We covered the next three mile at 7:06 pace. With just over 4 miles left to go, I started doing math in my head. I realized that I could slow down significantly and still hit my goal – but what would that tell me? I knew I had to keep pressing.

Unfortunately, that pressing came just as we hit a final group of hills – despite continuing to pass runners on a regular basis, we slowed into the 7:20’s.

starting to fade a little at mile 11

With 2.1 miles to go, JB started to pull away. He looked back at me as if to say, come on dude! but the hills had taken their toll on me. I shouted at him to just go. He was well within range of not just beating his PR, but shattering it. I pressed as hard as I could – I was determined to come in under 1:35 no matter what. Mile 12 went by in a surprising 7:15.

1.1 miles to go. It was leave it all on the course time. I knew I was less than 7:30 away from the finish. I also knew that I could suffer for that long too. My legs felt heavy and my breathing was labored, but with each tick of the clock, I knew I was that much closer to being done.

As I made my way back into downtown Quincy, I could see JB in the distance. With about 800 meters to go, he was looking great and I had run out of real estate to catch him. I focused on finishing strong. Coming out of the final turn, I realized it was literally downhill to the finish and let it all hang out. Gravity pulled me along at a pace I hadn’t run all race.

With less than 100 yards to go, Racemenu Chief Alain stepped out of the crowd with words of encouragement and a high five. I could see JB waiting at the finish.

Sprinting to the finish

I barreled through the finish, and without slowing down grabbed a bottle water being held out…I couldn’t brake…staring at a table that was closing in fast, I panicked slightly. Fortunately a random runner stepped in to grab me and slow me down. It was enough for me to get my footing and stop.

I looked at the clock.

1:32:forty-something.

Huh?

I wasn’t convinced that I had run that fast. I hugged JB, asking him his time.

1:31:59 – a nearly 7 minute PR for him. When the official times went up, mine was a 1:32:31. I had missed a PR by a mere 8 seconds. In most situations, I would have been mildly disappointed in missing a PR, but considering that just 4 weeks beforehand I wouldn’t have even considered the possibility of PR-ing, and that I had come into the day with an expectation of finishing in the 1:35 range, I was thrilled.

The FIRST program was working. My legs and lungs were getting stronger.

The very next day, I officially signed up for Sugarloaf. To be honest, I had been putting off registering because I was full of doubt as to whether I could even potentially run a sub-3:15 in May. Quincy convinced me that I was on the right track. My 1:32:31 translates into a 3:15:07 marathon. Just a touch on the wrong side of the clock, but a vast improvement from where I was on SuperBowl Sunday.

This Sunday I will face my next test of fitness when I was a local 5K. The goal is to hit 19:54 – which translates into a 3:14 marathon. If I hit 20:00, that still translates into a 3:15.

***

I still may ultimately fail at Sugarloaf come May, but I finally truly believe that I have a 3:15 or better in these legs – and that is a wonderful feeling.

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Changing Horses

Posted in boston marathon, motivation, training, tagged Advanced, boston marathon, changing horses, dance with the one that brought you, Furman FIRST, midstream, Pfitz, running, stay the course, Sugarloaf, training on March 1, 2012| 5 Comments »

Stay the course…

Don’t change horses midstream…

Dance with the one that brought you…

***

On October 3rd, 2010, I ran the fastest 26.2 miles of my life. My 3:19:19 at the Smuttynose Marathon qualified me for Boston 2011 and at least got me in the registration door for Boston 2012 (though ultimately I fell 33 seconds short of having my application accepted). To get there I followed Pfitzingers 12/55 (12 weeks, peaking at 55 miles per week) plan out of his book, Advanced Marathoning. Every subsequent marathon that I have run I have tried to follow one of Pfitzinger’s plans, be it the 12/55, the 12/70 or, most recently, the 18/55. When people have asked for advice on how they can improve their marathon times, I’ve directed them to the book. It really works.

But something happened to me last summer – call it burn out or fatigue, my body needed a break. I just wasn’t listening. I kept thinking that if I just continued to push myself, I’d break out of my funk. Marathon after marathon, I set out to follow the Pfitz plan.

But I would miss a workout.

And then another.

And another.

My next three marathons came in at 3:26, 3:43 and my one and only DNF. By the time training for New York City ’11 rolled around, I decided I was just going to run for fun. I just couldn’t bring myself to hitting every run set out in the Pfitz plan. 5 to 6 days a week of running is not easy, especially when you’re in full burnout mode.

***

After New York, my running became even more haphazard. I convinced myself I wanted to get back to Boston, so I searched for a fast, Spring marathon. I set my eyes on Sugarloaf.

A little over 6 weeks ago, I began the Pfitz 18/55 plan. I had to drag myself through the workouts from the very start.

Not good.

By sage buddy Mike suggested that I spend 6 weeks rebuilding my base and then follow the 12/55 plan. As wise as his advice was, I was happier with the concept that I wouldn’t be required to run 4 – 5 times a week than the idea of pushing off the start of my training.

My wheels were spinning.

Then, about a week and a half ago, Mike inadvertently passed along another golden nugget my way. He suggested that I take a look at the Furman FIRST program – essentially it is a Run Less, Run Faster program. The key to the program is that there are only 3 runs per week – a speed workout, a tempo run and a long run. Running is not allowed on any other day. Cross-training on two other days is recommended. Every run is based on one’s 1oK race pace. I was particularly intrigued by the concept that long run needed to be run at 55 – 75 seconds slower than 10K pace – read that again – that’s a good 30 – 75 seconds faster than every other program I’ve followed.

***

Now, I know one is not supposed to change horses midstream and should dance with the one that brought ya, but I have also come to realize that the Pfitz program just wasn’t doing it for me anymore – I had just been unwilling to accept that. I still believe in the Pfitz program and I still would recommend it to anybody who has the commitment and drive to run 5 days a week. I’ve just come to a place where I realize that my body needs the cross-training but it can’t take the constant pounding 7 days a week.

The turning point for me was this last Saturday when I struggled through my run but felt a spark at the end. That’s when I decided that I still had the desire to re-qualify for Boston. At the end of the run I went back and read over the FIRST program again. The more I read, the more excited I got.

I know I am jumping in late on the program – it is a 16 week program and there are now less than 12 week until Sugarloaf, but for the first time in a long time, I believe!

I believe!!!

On Tuesday I had my first speed workout – 10 x 400 meter intervals at 10K pace minus 55-60 seconds. I hit every interval at under 6:00 pace, the last one at better than 5:45 pace. Yesterday I put in 1000 yards in the pool. This morning I have a 5-mile tempo run at 10K + 15-20 seconds pace. The first real test will come this weekend when I put in my first long run of the program – 14 miles at just under 8:00 pace.

We’ll see how I feel after that run, but for right now, at this moment, I believe again…

…I have my plan…

…and I’m glad to be changing horses.

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Freedom

Posted in boston marathon, tagged "33", boston marathon, BQ, Freedom on September 27, 2011| 16 Comments »

[tweetmeme source=”luau” only_single=false http://www.URL.com]

33.

No, not the mysterious number that appears on bottles of Rolling Rock beer; I’m talking seconds.

Yes, 33 seconds. Yesterday I was informed by the BAA that my BQ time of 3:19:19 was 33 seconds short (long?) of what became the actual Boston Marathon cut off. Maybe they should have changed 3:20:59 from BQ to BAQ (Boston Application Qualifier). It turned out that based on the body of runners who applied to get in, the cut off time for my age group was 3:18:46.

33 seconds. 1.26 seconds per mile. Three extra step per mile.

Bummer.

That’s life though, right? Sometimes you’re in, and sometimes you’re out. I am out…this time.

I could be bitter.

I could be upset.

And if I am going to be absolutely honest with myself, maybe I am a little bit of both – but just a little.

The truth is, after last year’s registration debacle, the BAA had to do something. I feel like the new system may be brutal, but it is probably the fairest way of doing things. It gives those who are most deserving a spot at the big dance. Those of us left off the roster are left to wonder: what could I have done? From now on, being a bubble qualifier will most likely not be good enough. One is going to have to train not to barely qualify, but rather to qualify “with authority”.

Sadly it gets more brutal next year when BQ times drop 5:59 across the board. No longer will people be granted the 59 second grace period. I will have to run a 3:15:00 marathon or better if I hope to qualify (BAQ?) for 2013.

***

So yeah, I’m a little bitter about it. But I am also choosing to see this as an opportunity. Not running Boston this Spring opens up the calendar to some new opportunities. There are two marathons in particular that I have had my eye on for the last couple of years, but have not been options, in part because I was training for or toward Boston.

I would love to run Hyannis in February. It was the race that got this whole running thing started for me. Unfortunately, I never did end up running it. It’s a long story…

The other, more intriguing race for me is the Sugarloaf Marathon in Maine. It is considered one of the fastest marathons in the country with the last 16 miles supposedly downhill. Now the thought of doing anything downhill makes my legs hurt right now (I promise I’m trying to put together my Vermont 50 recap), but taking a step back from this weekend, I have to say it is really appealing. In addition, I lived in the Sugarloaf area for a few years back in the mid-90’s – it would be fun to go back and see how and if things have changed. PLUS, maybe I could get my buddy Brendan (aka – @mainerunnah – my Smuttynose running partner) to come run it with me. I’m betting that together we could both hit 3:13 or better.

Thoughts…just thoughts as I react to getting shutout of Boston.

Strangely enough though, I feel unexpectedly free…

…and freedom, I think, is a good thing.

Why do you run?

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Wait and See

Posted in boston marathon, tagged Boston 2012, boston marathon, registration on September 19, 2011| 11 Comments »

[tweetmeme source=”luau” only_single=false http://www.URL.com]

This morning at 10AM I did what as many as 10,000 other marathoners did or will do this week. Along with all of the other Boston Qualifiers that qualified with less than a 5 minute cushion, I submitted my registration application to the B.A.A. for the 2012 Boston Marathon. With a cushion of a mere 1-minute 40-seconds, I don’t particularly like my chances. There is much speculation online as to how many spots the B.A.A. will hand out for the 2012 marathon. I’ve read numbers ranging from 18,000, to 21,000 (not counting those running for charity). As of Saturday night, approximately 15,000 spots had been assigned to runners who had run 5, 10, and 20 minutes faster than their required qualifying times. Even with the most generous of estimations, that leaves less than 6,000 spots left for 10,000 hopefuls. My best guess is that the cut off for getting into Boston is going to be a BQ-2…leaving me 20 seconds short.

And so I wait and see.

As my friend Doug said earlier this morning – hopefully the running gods will smile upon me. We shall see.

Why do you run?

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Last Chance

Posted in boston marathon, racing, tagged boston marathon, Boston Qualifier, Last chance for Boston, Last Qualifier for Boston 2012, marathon, running on August 18, 2011| 2 Comments »

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A few years ago I heard of a race called Last Chance for Boston. It takes place in Dublin, Ohio and used to be billed as a marathoner’s last chance to qualify for Boston. It seemed like a miserable endeavor to me – 26 laps around a 1 mile loop of an office park, just outside Columbus, Ohio, outside, in the dead of winter. Yikes.

As any marathoner knows, the landscape has changed. Registration closed in just hours last year. The B.A.A. made some adjustments for 2012 that should stretch the process out a week or two, but the likelihood is that registration will be closed within a week. If you are looking to run Boston 2012, you must have run a qualifying time by September 19th just to have a shot at registering.

If you are like me, barely qualifying by the skin of your teeth, you may be looking for a chance to improve upon your registration slot.

Whichever the case may be, there is a new marathon that is currently being put together that, pending approval, will give you one last shot at either qualifying or improving your registration position.

Details are still few and far between, but the current particulars are this:

Date: September 11th
Format: Time Trial – I’ve seen that in bike races, never at a marathon.
Size: The term “Exclusivity” is being used with the idea of a “very small field”
Towns Involved: Concord, Lincoln, Bedford and Lexington (MA)

Again, the race is still pending some approvals, but if that happens this marathon WILL be a certified Boston Qualifier.

So, who’s interested?

*I will update this post as more details come out, but in the meantime, ask around, see what you hear.

Why do you run?

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Discipline

Posted in boston marathon, training, tagged boston marathon, Discipline, running, training on May 5, 2011| 17 Comments »

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments

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As I continue to peel back the layers of what may have happened to me at Boston, something keeps nagging me. Looking back at my splits, I realize that early on I wasn’t on pace for a 3:15 marathon, or even a 3:10. Some of my splits, had I been able to maintain them would have brought me in between a 3:00 and 3:05 marathon.

That’s a problem.

I’m not a 3:00 marathoner. Not yet anyway.

***

In retrospect, there were signs of the coming power bonk* during my training.

Throughout the winter, I was disciplined about running on the days I was scheduled. During the week I would run exactly or very near to what was prescribed by the Pfitz 18/55 plan I was following. On Saturdays, I would also run at the distance and speed that I perceived to be required.

But then there were Sundays.

Ah, the Sunday long run. It is, without question, my favorite part of training for a marathon. Whether it happens on my treadmill in the basement in front of the TV or, preferably, outdoors where I can enjoy the scenery, it is a relaxing time. Yes, I push myself; yes, I finish tired; yes, it is not easy; but it is peaceful. I get my highest runners’ highs off of the long run.

But there was a problem. I could never just run at the pace dictated by my training schedule. I always pushed the pace to a speed that was out of the physiological training zone I was supposed to be working on. Long, SLOW runs have their purpose. They are important, and yet I always pushed the pace a little faster than prescribed, probably costing me some precious endurance.

That being said, I was still probably in good enough shape to achieve the 3:15 I had originally been after, but true to form, when it came to race day, I pushed the pace. In the closing days leading up to Boston, I let myself get sucked into the concept of running a 3:10. My discipline went out the window at mile marker 1 and, in the words of my friend MK, the 20 – 25 seconds per mile I gained probably caused a classic bonk – and when I say classic, I mean an All. Out. Bonk.

I have never bonked like that before (not even at Manchester – that was my quads). I never want to bonk like that again.

So this training cycle is going to be about discipline (how I go about it I will discuss in my next post). Don’t get me wrong, I will still run happy. I will still have fun while I’m running. BUT, on Sundays and on race day, I will also remember the classic line, “slow and steady wins the race”.

More importantly, I will remember on race day that I have a plan, that I have trained for the plan, that I need the plan. I will resist the urge to push the pace early, and hopefully keep enough in the tank so that instead of hanging on for the final 10K, I will actually be able to pick up speed and finish strong. This was the strategy at Smuttynose, and it worked until I hit a soft wall with a mile to go. At that point though I just needed to finish to get my BQ…and I did.

So if you see me out there on a Sunday running way faster than I should, feel free to yell at me to rein it in. I know there are going to be times over the next 12 weeks that I just let the horses fly (or the schedule calls for a marathon-paced run), but I’ve got to remember, if I want to be disciplined on race day, I’ve got to do it in practice as well.

*In endurance sports, particularly cycling and running, hitting the wall or the bonk describes a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which manifests itself by precipitous fatigue and loss of energy.

Why do you run?

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Disappointment

Posted in boston marathon, tagged boston marathon, disappointment on April 22, 2011| 12 Comments »

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So as I sit here struggling to write my race recap of this year’s Boston Marathon, there is one word that keeps popping into my head.

That word is disappointment.

Now, before any of you start to feel sorry for me, let me clarify one thing – Disappointment is NOT a dirty word. Disappointment does NOT need to be a word of sadness. Disappointment does NOT need to elicit comforting words.

No, in this case, disappointment can be a word of hope, a word of dedication, a word of renewed inspiration.

If I were not disappointed in my performance this past Monday, I would have to question every run, every drill, every drop of sweat spilled since the middle of last December. My disappointment legitimizes the hard work. My disappointment gives my 4AM runs meaning.

…and because of my disappointment, I will go back to the drawing board, come up with a plan, and run another 26.2 – once again with the goal of running faster than I’ve ever run over that fantastic distance we call a marathon.

“Use this experience to sharpen the steel for the next one.”
-my friend Brendan M.

Why do you run?