Boston: The Day Before

Energy and anticipation

Boston is buzzing.  I landed early Saturday morning and spent the first part of the day reacquainting myself with Boston, getting some breakfast, and getting my bib and assorted goodies at the marathon expo. The weather wasn't that great, and today isn't too much better - but who cares?  Tomorrow is supposed to be better - but it really doesn't matter (although reports of a potential 15 mph tail wind made me smile)

It is hard to believe I'm here.  When I was first wandering around, I was thinking about the history and prestige of this marathon and wondering if I really belong here.  A whole lot of people train and run marathons trying to qualify and never make it...I did it on my second try.  With all the changes the Boston Athletic Association is adopting to make it harder to get into the marathon starting next year, I am damn lucky to be here.  (I'll have more to say about that after I run)

I do belong here, regardless of how I did it.  I'm still not 100% comfortable with proclaiming that, but I know that it is true.  What I have gained in one short day, is a deeper respect for the event and the people in whose footsteps I will be running tomorrow.  There is an energy that is permeating this whole city, like the charge of a lightning bolt building and readying to flash.  I decided to go soak in more of it today and hopefully get to interact with some of the people that make this event happen.

Interestingly, I'm not nervous.  I'm ready to go, but not anxious at all.  I will have a low-key day today, get some items at the store for tomorrow morning, eat a good meal tonight and get to bed a bit early.  I am in the best shape of my life, dialed in to what I can do, know my plan of attack tomorrow, and (most importantly) ready to have a good time tomorrow doing it.  Come what may, I am craving that indescribable feeling of crossing the finish line - and to be able to do it at the Boston Marathon?  Wow...



It's go time.

See you Monday.

Boston: Week 16

One week...

Hopkinton is waiting for me.

There is no more training I can do that will change anything next Monday.  There are no more long runs.  No more hill repeats.  No more speedwork.

The only thing I can do now is screw something up. Try to make up miles - I won't.  Step in front of a bus - I hope I won't.  Catch a cold. Stub my toe. Whatever.  I'm sure I'll be fine.

I could obsess about the weather.  I won't...although I do check the forecast every now and then just to make sure I know what to pack.  Rain or shine, I'll be on that start line, and (hopefully) three hours and fifteen minutes later, I'll be in Boston.

If it weren't for the support I get at home, even if they think I am a little bit crazy, I would not have been able to do any of this.  My girls are the best.

I watched "Spirit of the Marathon" last week.  The individual stories within that movie are inspiring, and it is a good reminder that just being there is an achievement in itself.  However, there is a mystique to the marathon that is hard to describe - one that I wasn't looking for and didn't expect to see - and the movie captures that to some extent. Once I did one, I was hooked.

It reminded me of a thought that has occurred to me before.  I don't say it much out loud because I really don't want to sound like I am patting myself on the back.  That is hardly the case.  However, I realize how truly lucky I am to have been able to make the changes I did when I did in order to be able to even train for a 10k, let alone a half-marathon.  I am humbled and even more in awe of myself that I finished under 3:30 on my first try and qualified for Boston on my second try.  Who does that?

I've never regretted anything in my life.  It serves no purpose.  But I have to admit a twinge of regret at not realize that I could do this when I was 30.  What might I have been able to do?

Regardless, Monday, April 18 is all about what I still can do.  I can finish.  I can most likely finish under 3:30:00.  I can maybe set a PR and hit my goal of 3:15:00.  No matter what, I will be prepared and I will try my hardest...and I will not be disappointed with the result.

Boston Marathon Finish Line - Boylston Street

Boston: Week 14

The taper begins...

I know my body is not quite ready for April 18, but my mind is already there.  I know from past experience that as my body heals up from training and begins to store up energy, I will start to get anxious and maybe even a bit irritating to those around me.  I don't think I've ever developed "taper madness," like some people get, though.  For me, it is more like slowly stretching a rubber band.  The longer the stretch from the end of Week 13 to Marathon Day, the more tension that builds up.  I think I've handled it pretty well in the past, although this will the first time I've done it in the middle of the legislative session where - let's face it - many of us are on the precipice at any given point during the day as it is.

To keep my mind busy, I've started visualizing the race and plotting my race strategy.  I found an excellent guide on course strategy on the Runner's World website, although the first paragraph of the article promptly inserted a flock (?) of butterflies into my gut:

"'Boston is a course you need to do many times before you get the hang of it,' says Bill Rodgers. 'I know I did.' Coming from a four-time champion, that's saying something. Boston, the world's oldest marathon, isn't just tricky; it's diabolical."

Fantastic...  I'm not going to get to do it many times.  I may only get to do it once.  I certainly don't plan on doing it again, but those words of warning from a great champion serve as notice to be smart on Monday the 18th...and to be realistic. 

I am going for 3:15:00, which would be a PR by 2:51, and I know that is a long shot but an attainable goal.  I also know I may not finish, let alone achieve a PR, if I don't respect the course and run smart.  When I get to the Newton Hills after Mile 17, I hope my training pays off and I can attack take down the hills one at a time up to Heartbreak Hill before descending into Boston during the last 10 kilometers.  I trust my training, and I know it will get me to the finish.  I'll know by the time I crest Heartbreak Hill if it was enough to have a chance of getting across the line in 3:15:00 or less - a 7:26/mile pace.  Holy crap...

My pace in San Diego was 7:33, but the data from my Garmin from that day shows that without my pit stop during Mile 7, my 30-second walk at the Mile 20 water station, and having to stop for about a minute to regroup in Mile 23 I would have been dang close to 3:15:00.  I chose the same training program for Boston as I did for San Diego, except I got in all my speedwork, most of my tempo runs, and I was smarter about how I structured my long runs.

Trust the training.  I've been told that many times, and I do trust it.  Time will tell just how far the training will take me.

"One if by land..."
The Boston Marathon will be on Patriots Day - April 18 - commemorating the 236th anniversary of Paul Revere's ride.  No doubt that will add an extra special flavor to the whole day, but I am reminded that Paul Revere - that lucky SOB - had a horse!

See you in Beantown...

Boston: Week 13

A PR in Boston? I must be nuts...
But that is exactly what I am going to go for.  That's the goal three weeks from now.  3:15:00 or better.  There are a whole lot reasons that it might not happen, and I'll honestly be happy to finish.

After the first half of this week, I would have thought that the prospect of just finishing might be in doubt.  I took a couple of days off after last week's 18-miler because I was feeling run down.  Speedwork went fine on Wednesday, but I could never shake the run down feeling.  On Thursday, I went out for a 10-miler tempo run and crashed right out of the gate.  I cut it short after five miles, and skipped running Friday altogether.  Luckily, I felt better on Saturday and went out for an easy five...and by my last long run of 20 miles today, I felt great.

It was the perfect last long run on a perfect day.  I felt good the whole way on a route I picked to mimic Boston's elevation changes, and I challenged the uphill segments.  I finished strong - much stronger than I finished before New York and even San Diego.

And now the taper begins.  I still have 24 miles this coming week - with speedwork and a 10-mile tempo run - but the hardest part is done and it is time to heal.  My pal Erin has always told me to "trust the training," although I think she is reminding herself more than she is telling me!  I trust it, though.  I haven't missed any speedwork and only a couple of other runs along the way.  I think I am in better shape and more prepared than I was for San Diego last June, and I came within 2:51 of 3:15:00.  Boston will be harder, but I am ready.

I'm not nuts...I've just got a goal.
More to come later on what to expect on race day.  For now, I think I'll just enjoy today.

Boston: Week 12

One month to go...
43 miles this week.  Not too bad, considering the first half of the week also included walking all over hell and back in Washington, DC.  Speedwork on Tuesday had to be done inside on the treadmill at the hotel, but I still got a good workout.  Since I had to travel on Wednesday, that meant four days in a row with no break after I got back.  Even with that, I was able to do my first long training run ever at a sub-8:00 min./mile pace.

Sunday's long run - 18 miles total - was intended to mimic Boston.  It started out for 7 miles slightly downhill along the Big Dry Creek Trail. Miles 7-13 was a climb of about 300 feet, and then the last 5 miles were mostly downhill.  Had it not been for some lower back cramps, I would say it was a perfect run.




The next week is my last hard week of training that wraps up with a 20 mile run.  And then....let the taper madness begin!

Boston: Weeks 10 & 11

The home stretch
There are only two hard weeks of training left before I start my taper.  At this point, I feel as good as I have ever felt about where I am at in my training vs. how I expect to do.  The only catch is that before this, I never really had any expectation of how I would do!

I am using the same training plan, for the most part, that I did to get my Boston-qualifying time in San Diego - so that is my yardstick.  I exchanged one extra long run that I did in the San Diego training for a shorter run yesterday that turned out to be one of the coolest runs I have ever done.

Week 10
I wrapped up Week 10 with a long run that I had been looking forward to.  I have been trying to mix hills into as many of my long and tempo runs as I can to prepare me for Boston, and the 16-miler from last week is always a challenge.  The first seven miles are uphill - part of which is climbing up the Standley Lake Dam.  While the return trip is downhill, it seems insignificant as compared to the grunt getting to the west side of the lake.  The difference this time was trying to keep myself from going too fast and increasing the wear and tear on my body, and I have been largely successful.  It was also nice to be able to have decent weather, as I have had for almost all my long runs.



Week 11
A short cold snap meant speedwork in the cold and (some) snow, but that was actually a welcome change.  Everything else for this week was gearing up for a shorter long run than I would have normally done, but one that I was very much looking forward to.

A work trip has me in Washington, DC - where I have not been in about 10 years and have not spent any significant time in about 20 years. I know the town well, though, and planned a route for the day of my arrival that turned out to be one of the greatest runs I have ever had.

Starting out from the hotel near the National Zoo, I dropped down into DC via the Rock Creek Trail.  After going near the Watergate, I ran passed the Lincoln Monument and Vietnam War Memorials toward the Washington Monument.  Skirting near the monument I headed back up the north side of the National Mall up Constitution Avenue.  Passing in front of the United States Capitol, I stopped to have someone take my picture and then ran around the Capitol, passing the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court, as well as the House Office Buildings and my old haunt - the Senate Office Buildings.  After crossing back in front of the Capitol, I ran down the south side of the Mall back the way I came, passing the Washington Monument and seeing for the first time the relatively new World War II Memorial.  Rather than retracing my steps completely, I veered west into Georgetown.  I ran up the steps (sort of) made famous by "The Exorcist" and near the bar (The Tombs) made famous by "St. Elmo's Fire" and north back toward the hotel.  Unexpectedly, the last couple of miles ended up a trail run through a wooded area - a perfect end to a great run.

It was also not so shabby being at sea level with all this oxygen!  I will definitely always remember this one.

Boston: Week 9

Goal setting
The last week was a good one.  After speedwork on Tuesday, the rest of the work week forced me to cram an 8-mile tempo run, a 4-mile race, and a 14-mile regular long run (all with hills) into three consecutive days.  The tempo run was at 7:30/mile, the race at 6:51 - and even though I tried to slow myself down, the long run ended up being at 8:09.

I am way ahead of where I was at before New York City last fall, which is not surprising since I was not training as much for that one.  Looking at my training leading up to San Diego last June, I see a lot of comparisons to where I was at then to where I am at now.  This invites the inevitable thought...can I shoot for a PR in Boston, since I got one in San Diego???

Absurd.  Totally absurd....isn't it?  Maybe not.  Up until about Mile 17 in San Diego, I was running at a pace that would have had me finishing at 3:15:00 or better, but I slowed down when the sun came out to ensure I had enough for the last few miles (thank God).  San Diego didn't have a Heartbreak Hill, but it had Fiesta Island in Mission Bay - which I refer to as "desert of pain."  However, I also got a bit lucky in San Diego in that I ran the first half entirely too fast, and I was lucky that I had enough in the tank to finish the race and qualify for Boston.

Here is the reality.  This will probably be one of my only chances to ever run Boston, since the registration process and qualifying standards are changing starting this fall for next April's marathon.  Not that I think I will ever want to run Boston again, but the only way I can for the next 5 years is to run 3:15:00 or better.  My 3:17:51 in San Diego wouldn't have gotten me in...and that one nearly killed me!  However, it seems that perhaps the improbable ought to be the goal...

So now that I am in Week 10 - with just over three weeks left of hard training before I start to taper toward Boston - it is time to set my goals for April 18.

1. Finish in 3:15:00 or better
2. Finish under 3:30:00
3. Finish (this is always the main goal, no matter what!)

Sunday's Long Run

Boston: Weeks 6, 7 & 8

Running with heart
18 months ago, I started training for my first marathon.  I ran my first half marathon 4 months earlier and managed to lose about 10 pounds after that to get under 200 pounds for the first time since I was in college.  Having had a cholesterol/lipids test done in 2007 that was just okay, I thought I would have another one done to compare and was pretty surprised to see that my "bad cholesterol" was worse than 2007, which negated the improvement I had in "good cholesterol."  That was a bit of a wake-up call.

Three marathons later - and halfway through training for #4 - I had the test done again.  My good cholesterol is up 15% and my bad cholesterol is down 15%.  Even though the overall number is inexplicably still above that magic "200" number by a couple of points, it is all good news.  Between that and being at a healthy weight, it is nice to know that all the miles put in are paying off, regardless of what my time is in any of the marathons or other races.

I still want to kick a** in Boston, though...

Halfway there
As of last Sunday, I am halfway to Boston.  More than halfway, really, since the last three weeks are tapering weekly miles.  For the next five weeks, I start piling on the miles with long runs on Sundays going from 14 up to 20 (possibly 22).  Speedwork on Tuesdays will get speedier.  Thursday runs will be tempo runs at marathon pace or faster.  Every run other than speedwork will incorporate hills so that those in Boston seem like little bumps instead of potential heartbreak.

The last three weeks have been challenging, though.  The work schedule has been demanding, and the weather conditions for weeks 6 and 7 downright sucked.  I missed two long runs, although a 6-mile trudge through the snow with the dog might have equaled the 8-mile long run I was supposed to do a couple weeks ago.  I bit the bullet and went to the gym to run on the treadmill until the temps got above zero again and all the snow melted.

Last week, the weather was fantastic, though.  I had the best week of training I have ever had, which included an 8-mile tempo run just over a 7:00 min/mile pace and culminated in a 12-mile long run on Sunday - uphill and into a 20-30 mph wind for the first 6 miles.  It didn't even bother me that the gusts blew me to a stop twice climbing up Standley Lake Dam.  In just under 8 weeks, it is all going to be worth it.

Boston: Week 4 & Week 5

In the zone...

The last two weeks have been good, solid weeks of training.  Schedules and other things kept me from doing my Wednesday easy runs, but I'm not too concerned about those.  The Tuesday speedwork and Sunday long runs are the most important pieces to the Boston puzzle, as well as a good tempo run on Thursday.  Because I am actually doing speedwork this time (as opposed to none for NYC) and have started it on time (as opposed to 4 weeks in for San Diego) I can already feel the cardio/VO part of the equation coming into line.  My resting heart rate has dropped to just about 60 - sometimes lower - and my heart rate during easy pace runs is generally in the low to mid-140's.  Perfect.

Sunday the 23rd was my first double-digit long run of the grid, and then I followed it up this week with a "step-back" week.  Every thing gets dialed back twice during each grid - Weeks 5 and 11.  I plan on throwing in a 4-mile race at the end of February, and then doing one of my favorites - the Runnin' of the Green 7k - on Sunday, March 13.  That meant the grid got a slight adjustment from what you can see online.  There won't be a 22-mile run for Week 13.  Week 12 will be 18 miles and Week 13 will be my 20-miler.  One thing I did learn from San Diego was that having a race or two during the training was good for confidence and getting the race juices flowing.

Yesterday, I threw a 300-foot vertical climb over 2 miles into my long run.  Hills are going to be just as important and speedwork and tempo runs, and I'll keep incorporating hills into my long runs. 

I don't plan to survive Heartbreak Hill in Boston.  I want to have it for lunch...

Boston: Week 3

Life's a beach

A trip to California for Gabriella's mom's 70th birthday could not have come at a better time.  I certainly don't mind running in the cold and snow...but running on the beach cannot be beat!



After a slow start to the week in which I was only able to get speedwork in on Tuesday, thanks to the ridiculously low temps, I was in the "unenviable" position of having to make up my miles while in California.  The average temperature during the short weekend was about 77 degrees.





Belmont Shores, California



On Friday evening, I ran a six-mile lap around the California State University - Long Beach campus.  Saturday morning,  I got up and went through Naples to Belmont Shores for a great run.  2 miles of it was on sand - some of it along the pier in the picture.  It was a great Saturday, especially considering the week before I was running in 24 degrees and snow!

The weekend was about a short vacation and a 70th birthday celebration so there predictably was a lot of food.  I didn't exactly stick to an "athlete's diet," but I knew I would at least break even on my calories in versus calories out.

 

Bolsa Chica State Beach



Running at sea level might just give a false sense of confidence, if I wasn't aware of the fact that I had to come back to "Mile High reality" after a brief stint in oxygen-rich Long Beach.  So I determined that I needed to compensate for all the oxygen by running half of Sunday's 8-miler in the sand.

Now that I'm back home, I have 13 weeks in front of me - all of it in Colorado, no matter what the weather.

Chances are April in Boston is bound to be more like Colorado than California, anyway!