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Posts Tagged ‘boston marathon’

Working Title – At Least I Managed Goal E

Posted in boston marathon, race recap, tagged boston marathon, Picture Race Report on April 18, 2011| 27 Comments »

[tweetmeme source=”luau” only_single=false http://www.URL.com%5D So this one is going to take some processing time for me to fully wrap my brain around what happened to me. Suffice it to say, at 3:37, I did not achieve my ultimate goal of 3:10 or even beat my New York City Marathon time of 3:26. I thought I was ready. I thought I had at least 3:15 in the bag. But you know what? Shit happens. And sometimes you just have to roll downhill with it. There will be a much more detailed race report to follow at some point soon, but right now I’m not exactly sure what happened. What I can tell you is that by mile 20 I knew I was cooked at had no shot at 3:10 or 3:15 so I changed my goal altogether and decided to take some pictures with people I knew. What follows are a few pictures from before the race and then some from mile 20 on (when I ran into my friend Alett, her husband and the Hash House Harriers – after snapping that shot, I took up their offer for a shot of beer – as I said in this morning’s post, “you never know when your next shot could be your last” – I just didn’t realize at the time that I was talking about beer).

Also ran into another dailymile pal - Miss Maddy

Two dailymile all-stars: Mr. Cayman Islands Steve S & Andy O

Found my college buddy Mike, who I hope did not battle the Cat in the Hat again.

Think theyre cold maybe?

ran into Twitter pals @Speedysasquatch and @NYCe

Racemenu Chief thought he was crazy wearing the orange jumpsuit until we ran into this guy

At mile 20, with Alett, Hugh and someone remind me her name! My brain isnt working right now.

ran into my sponsor, Kathleen from mix1 near the top of Heartbreak Hill

Family friend Janice and her two girls Sidney and Jenny were there to pick me up at mile 24

Where I also ran into my good friend Bobbys daughter, Brit.

...and my friend Karen.

on the final stretch I ran into some of my favorite Twitterers and running bloggers

As I was heading for the finish line, my new blogger/twitter/dailymile friend Katie took this one! It may be my favorite!

through the shoot, I ran into Maddy again (she ran a 3:15 - rock star) and dailymile bud Blaise (who ran a 3:12 - A PR).

And that’s it. I’m cooked. I’m having a beer. When this all settles in my head, I’ll put together a real race report. Why do you run?

Another shot from the homestretch

My college friend Erica, who was there to lift me up as I came out from under Mass Ave.

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It’s Time

Posted in boston marathon, motivation, tagged boston marathon, Eminem, It's Time, Lose Yourself on April 18, 2011| 11 Comments »

Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted-One moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?

His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
There’s vomit on his sweater already, mom’s spaghetti
He’s nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready to drop bombs,
but he keeps on forgettin what he wrote down,
the whole crowd goes so loud

He opens his mouth, but the words won’t come out
He’s choking how, everybody’s joking now
The clock’s run out, time’s up over, bl-OW!
Snap back to reality, Oh there goes gravity
Oh, there goes Rabbit, he choked
He’s so mad, but he won’t give up that
Easy, no
He won’t have it , he knows his whole back’s to these ropes
It don’t matter, he’s dope
He knows that, but he’s broke
He’s so stagnant that he knows
When he goes back to his mobile home, that’s when it’s
Back to the lab again yo
This whole rhapsody
He better go capture this moment and hope it don’t pass him

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo!

-Eminem (Lose Yourself)

*** *** ***

You never know when your next shot will be your last.

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Why do you run?

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796.45 Miles

Posted in boston marathon, rest, training, tagged boston marathon, Miles, training on April 16, 2011| 15 Comments »

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So this is it. The training aspect of my 2011 Boston Marathon is done.

This morning I ran an easy 4-miler. All that is left is 48 hours of rest and the 26.2 miles on Marathon Monday.

What will happen?

How will I do?

I don’t know.

It’s weird to think that the nearly 800 miles I have put in since mid-December all come down to one little stretch of road, taking me from Hopkinton to downtown Boston.

If you are running on Monday, may you run the race that you want to run.

Whatever the result, I will see you on the other side.

Why do you run?

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Luau’s Beginner’s Guide to the Boston Marathon Weekend

Posted in boston marathon, tagged boston marathon, Marathon Weekend, Marathon Weekend Guide on April 15, 2011| 28 Comments »

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And when I say “Beginner” I also mean me! I’ve only been running for two and a half years and been doing this marathon thing for about a year and a half, so I’m right there with you!

Anyway, with Marathon Weekend here and thousands of runners descending on Boston this weekend, I thought I’d put together a short list that I wish someone had handed me the first time I did a big city marathon.

Go to the Expo – yes, everybody there is trying to sell you something, however, the expos are very often the place where you can see some of the cutting edge technology related to running before it’s available at your local running shop. If you don’t live in a runner-friendly town like Boston, this might be your only opportunity to put eyes on some really cool stuff and sample different kinds of nutrition. So don’t just pick up your number and get your schwag, do some exploring.
Tweet-Up – or rather meet-up with runners you have only met through the various running social networks. When I went to the dailymile meet-up last year before Boston, I was afraid it was going to be an awkward, uncomfortable meal, however, it turned out to be one of the highlights of my Marathon Weekend. These meet-ups are opportunities to meet the people you’ve been following online, and talk about running without the fear of the other person mentally checking out on you – runners will listen to your running stories with fascination, unlike our non-running spouses (who, granted, have had to hear the same stories over and over and over again).
Don’t Mess With Your Food – I made the mistake of changing my dinner and breakfast routine the day before and of New York. In addition, I changed my in-race nutrition as well. Big Mistake. BIG! Nausea hit at mile 6 followed by stomach cramps at mile 13, quad cramps at mile 20 and calf cramps at mile 23. It was a death march, due, I am convinced, to my altered food intake. Stick to what the body is used to.
Get the Jacket – one of the few things I regret about my Boston Marathon experience last year is that I chose not to buy the official Boston Marathon jacket. After you finish the race and hang the medal up on your wall, that jacket can be a constant reminder that you did something that less than 1% of the world’s population has done. Buy the jacket, wear it with pride!
Meet Bart Yasso – yeah, that’s right, meet Bart Yasso. The Chief Running Officer of Runner’s World magazine is almost always at the big city marathon expos. He is friendly, accessible and willing to take pictures. Take the time to go shake his hand and hope that some of his running acumen rubs off on you.
Cab it – if you’re gonna be a tourist (whether it’s here in Boston or any big city marathon), don’t do too much walking. It may feel like nothing at the time, but you’re legs will tell you different as you try to fight your way up Heartbreak Hill.
Enjoy the Crowd – the crowds at the Boston Marathon are like nothing you have ever seen. Before you even cross the starting mat, the people are lined up. Kids have their hands held high, waiting for a high-five from any passing marathoner. To many of these kids, YOU are just as impressive as Ryan Hall or Kara Goucher. YOU are a marathoner and the crowd at Boston appreciates and respects that. From Hopkinton to Boylston Street the streets are lined with spectators. If you were so inclined, you could run with one arm held high and high-five your way all the way to the finish.
Don’t Jack-Rabbit – it is really tempting to fly through the first 5 miles of the Boston Marathon – it’s almost all downhill. However, your quads will be taking a pounding that you’ll pay for 12 miles later on the Newton Hills. Running 10-20 seconds slower per mile on the descent will save you 20 – 40 seconds per mile on the climb. Take your time, enjoy yourself.
Let the Women of Wellesley Lift You – just before you reach the half-way point, you will run through the Wellesley Scream Tunnel. It’s not much of a tunnel anymore since they make the women stay on the right side of the road, but man are they loud (and offering kisses to anyone willing to stop). Obviously, if you are running for time, you don’t want to stop and kiss the girls, BUT I highly recommend running as close to them as possible to feed off of their incredible energy.
Don’t be afraid of Heartbreak Hill. If you’ve done your training, you’ll get by it. And don’t be afraid to walk part of the hill. JUST. DON’T. STOP! If you can’t run, jog. If you can’t jog, walk. If you can’t walk, shuffle. But no matter what you do, JUST. DON’T. STOP! Once you’re over the Hill, you’re less than a 10K away! You’ve got this! You’ve been training. You can do a 10K in your sleep!
When you make the final turn on to Boylston, feel the crowd! The crowd support is incredible throughout the entire marathon, but there is something about making that final turn on to Boylston that is almost overwhelming.
When you cross the finish line, look up at the cameras. Don’t make the mistake I made of looking down at the ground.
After you finish the marathon, choose where you sit down wisely. You may find that you are stuck there for a while.
Find the massage area. The massages are free and last year they served chicken broth to those waiting in line. It was the best chicken broth I have ever tasted!

I guess that’s it…feel free to add your own to the list in the comments below. I gotta go. I’m off to the Expo and then a meal with some fellow marathoners! Hope to see you out there!

Why do you run?

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Why I Wish I Were Spectating

Posted in boston marathon, tagged boston marathon, runner, spectator on April 14, 2011| 12 Comments »

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Who won?

That was my question to a number of people after I crossed the finish line last year at Boston. The responses ranged from blank stares to “I think the guy who’s won it a bunch of times!”.

None of the answers were correct, and I didn’t find out who really won until I got home that afternoon.

***

6 months later I watched the most exciting finish to a marathon I have every seen. Granted it was on the small screen on my computer, but Sammy Wanjiru’s finish at the Chicago Marathon last year was absolutely breathtaking!

I was exhausted by the end.

***

My father and I were chatting about marathons the other night. Like me, he can pop on marathon coverage on the TV and enjoy it from beginning to end. For a lot of people, this sounds like torture – you’re just sitting there watching people run! But if you have ever run a race (my pop actually held the county record in the 880 yard dash back in the day), whether in High School, College or as an adult, you get it. It doesn’t matter if you were competitive enough to win, as long as you were competitive enough to want to beat the guy who was running next to you.

There is a thrill to watching people compete in this second oldest of competitions – I imagine that the oldest competition is the fist fight. Whether it is watching Sammy Wanjiru turn it on after being broken three times or reading about my good friend Mike’s battle it out with the Cat in the Hat, competition is compelling. I get to experience the thrill without putting in the effort, and that can be appealing.

And so, with a competitive field toeing the line in Hopkinton this year, with Ryan Hall once again attempting to bring home a win by an American at Boston, there is part of me that wishes I could be a spectator again.

My barber, who ran a 2:28 Boston back in the day, said to me yesterday that he won’t even go to the marathon, preferring to watch it on TV so he can watch every moment.

So, do I really want to be a spectator instead of a participant in this year’s Boston Marathon? No. Frakkin’. Way.

Boston IS the goal.

Boston IS the race.

Boston IS Mecca.

There is a part of me that wants to see those moments, to watch the elites, to encourage each and every runner, but there is no place that I’d rather be on April 18th than sharing the road with my fellow 27,000 marathoners.

Now, to find out who really won last year, click —>HERE<—.

Why do you run?

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I Hope It Doesn’t Come Down To Goal E

Posted in boston marathon, motivation, tagged boston marathon, Goals, running goals on April 13, 2011| 16 Comments »

Inspired in part by my friend Claire W.

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Goals.

Ideally, you set them high, you work hard, you knock them down. As we entered the Taper Phase of Boston Marathon Training a couple weeks ago, a number of bloggers and dailymilers posted their goals for Monday’s race. The goals ranged from finishing in under 2:40:00 to just plain finishing. ALL good goals, and based on what I read, appropriate for the runners in question.

So what are my goals for the 2011 Boston Marathon? Like most marathoners, I have a tiered set of goals:

A+ – a 3:10. This would require perfect conditions, both in terms of the weather, how my body felt, how the pack moved. If everything falls into place, this is what I will shoot for. The likelihood of achieving this goal is probably less than 10%, largely because seldom do the stars align just perfectly.
A – a sub-3:15. I really do feel like this is within reach, based on how my training has gone and how I have felt during my long runs. If I can hit sub-3:15 I will be over the moon!
B – A PR – that would be anything better than the 3:19:19 I posted at Smuttynose. I feel like I’m in better shape than I was in October. Still, I have to keep in mind that Boston is a much harder course than Smutty.
C – Beat my New York Marathon Time – I should be able to beat the 3:26 I posted in New York, unless, like New York, I get nauseous and cramp up during the race.
D – Finish – ’nuff said.
E – I don’t crap my shorts – this may seem like a silly goal, but you just never know what the body will do to you over the course of 26.2 miles. Don’t believe it can happen? Google “runner craps his pants” and take a look at the first image that pops up. I am warning you in advance that the image is NOT for the faint at heart or those easily offended – you’ve been warned.

So, those are my goals. I have to admit, looking at this list, it is somewhat similar to my buddy Claire’s list (sorry Claire!).

What are your goals for your next race?

Why do you run?

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Different

Posted in boston marathon, motivation, tagged boston marathon, different, evolution, running, what a difference a year makes on April 12, 2011| 13 Comments »

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A year ago this week I wrote a series of blog posts leading up to the 2010 Boston Marathon. Those posts were about Doubt, Belief, Faith and Hope. Each one was written to keep me focused on the upcoming marathon with the effect hopefully being that I would BQ at Boston. Looking back, I realize that it is what I needed at the time to justify my presence.

To a degree, I had no business being there – my bib had practically fallen out of the heavens. I was neither a charity runner nor a qualifier. In retrospect, my training had been haphazard at best. I wanted to believe I was capable of running a 3:20 in that race, but I knew it was unlikely.

In the end, the last 10K of the marathon was able to hold me down long enough to dash my BQ hopes. I finished with a respectable 3:32 – a 22-minute PR. I was happy and disappointed.

***

This year is different.

I earned my spot through qualifying back in October. My training for this cycle has been disciplined. I have run more miles in the last 4 months than in any other 4 month stretch in my life. I have no doubt that given good conditions, I will re-qualify (3:20) with room to spare, and may vastly improve my position in the rolling registration process for next year by taking a shot at 3:10. I have a burning desire to finish strong and fast, but like I said, this year is different. I don’t have the doubt. I don’t have the worry. If the weather doesn’t cooperate and the temperatures shoot up to 80°, I am not going to run in despair. I will still run hard, but I will also know that I won’t run a 3:10 or a 3:15 or maybe even a 3:20. But that’s okay. I know what I am capable of if the conditions are right.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not resting on my laurels of qualifying. The truth is, if I don’t improve on my time from October, the likelihood is that I will be shut out of the marathon in 2012 because of the new registration process. My desire, my strong burning desire is to run Boston every year, but I know that if I don’t make it back in 2012, I will in 2013 or 2014 or 2015.

I don’t have to convince myself this year that I belong. I know I do.

What a difference a year makes.

***

No matter the conditions, I will run hard. No matter the time, I will take satisfaction in knowing I did so. In the end, isn’t that all we can ask of and expect of ourselves?

Did you run hard?

Did you leave it all on the course?

If I can answer yes to both of those questions, no matter what happens, I will be happy.

Best of luck to my fellow 2o11 Boston Marathoners.

May you run hard.

Why do you run?

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Community

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Bloggers, boston marathon, runners on April 8, 2011| 6 Comments »

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10 days until the Boston Marathon.

ONLY 10 DAYS!!!

I’m very excited.

I can’t WAIT to get off of the bus at Hopkinton and start running.

Yes, I am very excited.

But there is something else that I am excited about. Starting next Friday, I am going to get to see many of you – some for the very first time. Whether it’s the “running blog get together” or the “dailymile hootenanny” or simply finding each other at the expo during the day, Marathon Weekend means that instead of being flung all over this country, connected via Twitter, dailymile, Facebook and our respective blogs <—Click There<—, we will have a chance to break bread (gotta carbo-load), drink wine (in moderation) and talk about running (without having the other person’s eyes glaze over).

What a treat!

I look forward to welcoming you to my adopted city.

Why do you run?

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Scared

Posted in boston marathon, tagged boston marathon, Final Stetch, Home Stretch, Scared, taper on April 6, 2011| 28 Comments »

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So we’re in the final stretch.

I hate this part.

It’s not because of the taper. It’s not the anticipation. It’s not even the knowledge that at some point during the Boston Marathon I will doubt myself.

No.

The part I hate most about the home stretch to Hopkinton is that for the next week and a half, I am going to be walking around scared, frightened and jumpy.

Luau! You have nothing to be scared of! You’ve got 5 marathons (and 1 Boston) under your belt. You know what to expect! What’s there to be scared of?

It’s not the race that I’m scared of people. Marathons are hard; marathons hurt, but man do I love them.

It’s everything else…and I mean EVERYTHING!

Everywhere I look is a potential hazard.

A toy on the floor, picking up the kids, going to the bathroom in the middle of the night – each and every one of these things, along with everything else in the world, is an injury waiting to happen – a slip, a pull, a stub.

That coughing classmate of Katie’s, the sniffling parking attendant at Jess’ work, that feverish looking checkout clerk at the grocery store – they are all out to get me sick right before the start.

Even food, glorious food, is fraught with danger – does it smell a little funny? is it gonna give me an upset stomach? could there be e.coli in it?

I am a scared little boy right now.

Don’t ask me to get anything off the high shelf. Don’t ask me to pick up anything heavy. Don’t breath near me if you even have a hint of a sniffle (I don’t care if you say it’s allergies!). Don’t walk anywhere near my feet. If you need to talk to me, call me…no, better yet, don’t – I don’t want to stumble as I walk to get the phone.

I would say that I just want to curl up in bed and sleep until the 18th, but I’m afraid of sleeping funny and waking up with a crick in my neck!

Yes, I hate this part.

Be careful fellow Boston Marathoners, you never know where the next injury is coming from.

Excuse me while I go wrap myself in Charmin and bubble wrap.

Why do you run?

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Bounce

Posted in boston marathon, rest, training, tagged boston marathon, taper, training on March 31, 2011| 8 Comments »

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Do you feel that?

That almost rhythmic bounce? A rapid, nervous hammering?

Do you feel it?

Do you know what it is?

It baffles scientists every year around this time. It’s in the air, it’s in the ground, it’s in the pit of our stomachs.

I finally figured out what is causing it.

It’s the up-and-down movement of over 27,000 knees as runners preparing for the Boston Marathon enter their taper*.

***

Despite this being my 6th marathon in 18 months, I can already tell this taper is going to be the hardest yet. I’ve trained harder and run longer than any other training cycle – I just want Boston to get here.

What do you do to deal with the taper?

*For the uninitiated – the taper is the last 2 – 3 weeks of training for a marathon. During this time, runners reduce their weekly miles somewhat dramatically, leading to what many call Taper Madness – an overflow of nervous energy where runner don’t know what to do with themselves and often get a little grumpy.

Why do you run?