Not a bad year...but I'm not done yet

One more goal in 2011

Looking back at 2011, I think it is fair to say I had my best running year yet.  Actually, it is no competition...although everything through this point is interconnected.  It started in 2007, but what happened in 2011 is something I didn't even think was possible, and it just hit me not too long ago.

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Back in February - eight weeks before Boston - I ran a four mile trail race at a 6:50 pace.  I was pretty pleased with that because it was the first non-training run I had done since the NYC Marathon in November of 2010, and I felt fast.  To get ready for Boston, I was watching my diet and doing more speedwork than I had ever done. That run gave me confidence and started the year out right, and set the stage for three P.R.'s to get dismantled.

Boston Marathon
Less than two months later, I crossed the finish line in Boston...in Boston!...with a PR under my belt and probably the single most rewarding individual achievement in my entire life.  It didn't really dawn on me until later in the summer, and I still catch myself thinking back on it from time to time.  I put everything into it leading up to that day, and I may have run the fastest marathon I'll ever run.

Colfax Half Marathon
Yet, I signed up for the Colfax Half Marathon that was less than a month after Boston.  I really did nothing to train for it, but I figured I could ride the wave of my Boston training for 13.1 miles.  I was right.  After having to make an emergency stop of about 2 minutes at Mile 8, I burst from the confines of the port-a-pottie and burned up the rest of the course.  That ended up being a P.R. by about 24 seconds. Snow and freezing rain never felt so good.

BolderBoulder
Two weeks later, it was Memorial Day in Boulder, and my 10k P.R. came crashing down.  All of the speedwork paid off, as I crushed my previous P.R. by almost a minute and a half and finishing with a 6:43/mile pace.  As I do few marathons in the future and shift to shorter races, I may try to run a race...any race...this fast again, but that may not happen.

Through the summer, I found training to be difficult because of the heat, but mostly because I was tired and beat up.  I lacked the energy necessary to motivate myself past the "I don't feel like it" stage, and did far less speedwork and total mileage leading up to a half-marathon trail race and the Columbus Marathon in October. I am not at all unhappy or regretful because I truly had pushed myself to the limit, and my body was starting to push back.  I was pleased how I finished Columbus, actually.  I'm about in the same place I was a year ago, which leads me only to wonder what I can do in 2012 if I try.

One more goal
Before I get to 2012, though, there is just one final accomplishment I want to achieve.

In 2008, as I started running and getting in shape, I ran a total of 57 times for 262 miles.  With several short races and my first half-marathon and training for the January 2010 marathon, those numbers increased in 2009 to 108 runs for 718 miles.  Three marathons and all my training in 2010 jumped the totals to 127 runs for 957 miles.

After 130 runs in 2011, I have 64 miles to go before I break 1000 miles.  Nearly a month after Columbus and I have run a grand total of 5 miles (!), but I feel better and it will merely be an academic exercise to get in the last 64 miles before the end of the year.  I just don't want to be out trying to grind out the last ten on New Years Eve or anything!

2012 is a new year, and one in which I plan to make an assault on my marathon P.R. in Chicago, and see if I can't qualify for another trip back to Boston.  (That means a 3:15:00 or better...not an easy feat).  But for now, or ASAP anyway, I am just going to relish 2011 with three P.R.'s and 1000 miles plus.



115th Boston Marathon. April 18, 2011.



2011 Columbus Marathon

Goal accomplished

I'm over a week late posting this, but today is the first day I honestly feel somewhat normal again.  The 2011 Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon was a great event - well organized and routed through many of the idyllic neighborhoods of a great US city.  In fact, the organization of the event rivals some of the "big boys," and I suspect it will only get better.

For me, I was running my fifth marathon since January 2010, my seventeenth overall race in that time frame, and the marathon put me over 2600 total miles since January 2009.  There are a lot of runners that put in a lot more miles than that, but considering I really hadn't done jack-squat prior to 2007 (and had the stunning physique to show for it!), I am pretty happy with that. 

However, it has taken its toll.  I can't point to any specific injury or ailment, but as I was training for Columbus I found that I was feeling pretty run down.  It was hard to get excited about training for another marathon, and it started to feel more like a job.  That's why I'll take a break from the marathons for a year and let my body recover a bit. Instead, I'll spend my time doing other things and mixing in 5k, 10k, and maybe a half-marathon here and there.

That way, I'll be ready for the Chicago Marathon on October 7, 2012.  :)

Columbus
What's not to like about Columbus?  It is a great city and the size of the marathon (6000 registered) is perfect - even though you're mixed in with 11,000 half marathoners for the first 13 miles. The race starts by the state capitol and winds through some of the best neighborhoods in the US, as well as through the campus of The Ohio State University, before finishing in the Arena District next to Nationwide Arena.

It is also the only marathon I know that sends runners off with a barrage of fireworks from one of the nearby buildings, as well as the church bells tolling at the Episcopal church just past the start.  The start chute was a bit cramped and the streets crowded, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.  For me, it keeps me from racing off the start too fast.

Everything went off without a hitch.  They clothing drop off was orderly, and even though it was breezy and cool it was not unbearable.  After the race started and things spread out a little bit, I was able to settle into a good rhythm that I never really altered through the first half of the marathon.




Even though there were a lot of runners with both marathoners and half marathoners together, there were only a couple times that it felt crowded.  The temperature was perfect, the sun was still down, and it was overcast anyway.  The first 8 miles went by pretty quickly, and I had Mom waiting for me right at Mile 9. :)

After I stopped and smooched my mommy, I moved on into German Village and through some pretty enthusiastic crowds.  I made it through the neighborhood and made the turn onto High Street at Mile 11. I knew that 4 long miles going north on High Street with no turns was what was in front of me, but that I would also be able to say goodbye to all the half marathoners that were starting to die as they got close to the finish line.

The hardest part of the marathon may have been where the half marathoners turned left to finish and the rest of us continued on to do another 13.1 miles.  Although I could hear all the noise and excitement of the finish, I put my hand up like a blinder and didn't even turn my head to look at the finish...not yet.  I know it got to me, though.  While I had been running around 7:47 minute miles to this point, I ran the thirteenth mile in 7:30. Oh, it would have been nice to turn toward finish!

The second half
The next turn came at Mile 15 and by Mile 16 I was on the Ohio State campus.  It was about this point where I started to feel my legs...a little earlier than other marathons but not worrisome.  The sun was still behind an overcast sky and the wind was fairly calm so I knew I wouldn't lose any energy to the sun or wind.  Pushing into Upper Arlington and closer to Mile 20, I was beginning to approach the wall and just wanted to get past 20 before I started to have to fight it.  Throughout the first 18 miles - with the exception of Mile 13 - I had been running better that 7:50/mile. But Mile 19 was an 8:01, and when I saw that it ticked me off.  The people in the neighborhood here and on into Grandview Heights were actually pretty inspiring, but as I passed Mile 20 I was really starting to feel fatigued and knew I still had over 45 minutes left to go.

I pushed back under 7:50 per mile through Mile 23, but like each of the marathons before I made a deal with myself to walk for a bit to get my legs back and make a final push to the finish.  After I passed Mile 23, I took a minute to tighten my shoelaces and walk for about 30 seconds, and then I was off.

As soon as I passed Mile 24, I knew I was going to be able to push through to the finish. The right turn onto 5th revealed a wide street going downhill back toward downtown, lined with huge trees in full fall color.  There were a few folks out cheering, but at this point it was all about focusing on the finish.  My legs were screaming at me because while it is nice to have the assistance of gravity on downhill stretches, it is murder on the quads.  Everything leveled out as I passed Mile 25 and then made the final turns past Goodale Park and into downtown.

By this time, I could hear the crowds and the music of the finish, and when I saw the sign that said "1/2 Mile To Go," I was actually able to find a new gear.  Mile 24 had been just under 8 minutes, but Mile 25 lasted only 7:33.  As I cruised down Park Street toward the final turn, I noticed I was passing people left and right. (I found out later from the results page that from Mile 20 to the finish that while I was passed by 5 people, I actually passed 138.)

I covered the last stretch at a 6:37 pace with everything I had left in the tank and crossed the finish line in 3:26:12.  I was under my goal time of 3:30:00 and beat my November 2010 New York Marathon time by just over a minute.  However, the difference between this one and Boston, which was 8:33 faster on a harder course, showed me right away what the difference in training and conditioning can make.  It was a testament to what was done to get ready for Boston (and San Diego in June 2010), as much it was proof that I had not felt as good or put in as much work this time around.

And I am just fine with that. :)


2011 Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon Recap from dan farkas on Vimeo.

Columbus Marathon: Weeks 11-13

Finally! Time to taper
On Sunday, I finally got to my last long run of 20 miles, and now there are less than three weeks until marathon day.  And that last 20 miler was a grunt!!!  Work and other commitments forced me to miss a couple runs and cram a couple other together so I was already tired and sore before I started.  I didn't care how long it took.  I was just glad to finish.

I have had better trainings with more miles and faster paces.  I've done a lot more speed work in the other training plans, with the exception of New York.  However, I am happy with how things turned out this time around, and I can't make up for anything missed or lost in the last 13 weeks. Now, I will be dialing back the miles over next two weeks, and with any luck my legs will totally recover by race day.

Columbus will be marathon #5 in 20 months.  There are people that race more frequently than that, but I sure am not going to ever be one of them. I already decided that my next marathon will be Chicago in October of 2012, and I'll put everything I have into that to see if I can't make it back to Boston in April 2014.  For now, I'm beat.  I'm looking forward to recovering enough over the next three weeks to be respectable in Columbus, but I am running it for fun and not a PR.

All that said, I didn't feel a tug when registration for the 2012 Boston Marathon opened a couple weeks ago.  My 3:17:29 qualified me for 2012 had I chosen to register.  However, with the new registration process, I don't know yet if my BQ time was fast enough to have gotten me in.  And now it doesn't matter because I was able to resist that tug and not go and do something totally insane...like try to get in.

I am looking forward to this one because Columbus is a great city, and they put on a good marathon.  Plus, starting a marathon with fireworks should be very cool!

Columbus Marathon: Weeks 8-10

Goal revision and future marathons
With the end of Week 10, there are now only three full weeks of hard training for the Columbus Marathon before I begin my three-week taper.  It is clear at this point that I am not going to be in a position to challenge the PR I set in Boston, and I am trying to take the pressure off myself a little bit at a time.

I would love to say that after the slow start of the first seven weeks of training that I lit it up the last three weeks.  While I am pleased with the outcome, it was not without significant obstacles.  Without making too big a deal about it, it is clear that that the fall I took in the backyard early in my training had long lasting effects.  After the tailbone pain started to subside, I had severe back spasms - first in my neck and then in my mid-back - in subsequent weeks.  While most of that is now largely resolved, it affected both the quantity and quality of my training runs - as did the ridiculously hot weather that persisted until just last week.

Breaking up the monotony of long solo runs on the weekends will be my participation in the Denver Half Marathon this weekend.  I will not be attempting any PR's, but just getting back the feeling of running in a timed event with other people around me.  I would have done it long before now, but life sort of got in the way and prevented that from happening.

In many ways, this training cycle is like the weeks leading up to the New York City Marathon.  I knew I was not going to try to set a PR, but I was also pressuring myself to get all my runs in.  While that marathon nearly killed me, what I wrote in Week 10 of that training cycle is still valid:

1. I am running the New York Marathon for fun - and not trying to set a PR, and;
2. Running is supposed to be fun no matter what...and not something to be stressed about. It mostly defeats the purpose!

 Advice taken. Attitude checked.

Columbus is a great city, and I am looking  forward to seeing it from a perspective I have not seen before.  17,000 of us will take off from the start in the shadow of the state capitol, and the 6000 marathoners will say goodbye to the half-marathoners before taking a loop around the northern part of the city - including The Ohio State University.  The course is fairly flat and not too difficult.  An 8:00 minute/mile pace puts me across the finish line in under 3:30 hours, which will be just fine with me.

2011 Columbus Marathon Complete Course Overview from dan farkas on Vimeo.

*****

I also recently made a decision about my next marathon.  For the first time since the fall of 2009, I won't have to worry about starting a new training cycle for a marathon immediately after I finish the one in front of me.  Since the time I ran my first half marathon in June 2009 through this  October's marathon, I will have run 5 marathons, 4 half marathons, 5 10k's, and numerous 5k's.  Races and training runs total 2800 miles since March of 2008, and I think my body is starting to talk to me now.

After October, my next marathon will be in the fall of 2012.  I'll register and train for the Chicago Marathon, which is one of the biggies I want to check off my "bucket list."  Between now and then?  Shorter races - nothing more than a half-marathon.

My lovely bride is skeptical...which could be valid.  :)

Columbus Marathon: Weeks 1-7

Time to revise the goal? Maybe not just yet...
After this week, I will have 6 weeks of hard training before the 3-week taper that ends with the Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon on October 16.  To say that the first seven weeks of training have gone well but for a few bumps would be like equating the final flight of the Hindenburg as a good flight but "a little bumpy" on final approach.  (That might be slightly overstated, but that is sort of what it feels like right now)

Most of it is self-inflicted.  I am about 9 pounds above my ideal racing weight, largely due to the food free-for-all I've enjoyed since the Boston Marathon and my undying love of beer.  (I've stated previously that I'll go on whatever training diet I need to, but I will never give up beer).  Life has gotten in the way of parts of my training schedule, and there have also been a few times where I just flat out did not want to run.

And then there was the apple incident.  No one ever wants to get injured, but someone training for a marathon definitely does not have time for it.  A couple weeks ago, I managed to step back onto an apple that had fallen from our apple tree - on a hillside, no less - and slipped and fell right onto my tailbone (and my pride, too, I think).  While I apparently escaped breaking anything, it has hurt ever since.  I skipped a week's worth of runs until this morning's easy 6-miler, and then went to my chiropractor this afternoon.  I can already feel the difference, as I have been able to sit in my office chair for more than three minutes without tears.

Yet with all of that, the last seven weeks have been pretty good.  I've gotten to do a lot of stuff with my family and friends, including seeing some of the best sights that Wyoming, Colorado, and even Utah have to offer.  There is still beer-infused kickball on Mondays, and I have some pretty memorable moments with my step-daughter.  I may have to revise my training goal at some point...but I'll never have to revise my priorities.

Looking back at the 16 weeks of training for the Boston Marathon also gave me some perspective.  I had some off weeks then, as well. My most significant weeks of training were Weeks 8-14.  I think I was in better shape at this same point in that training, but I also had a lot more work responsibilities then.  So I won't go revising my goal just yet.  My new Boston-qualifying time of 3:15:00 would still be pretty darn nice to get, even though I don't plan on trying to get into Boston again anytime soon.  But it sure is good to aim high!

A good start to my 40's

6 Weeks, 3 PR's (4 if you count the heart rate)

I can't lie.  The six weeks between the Boston Marathon and the BolderBoulder should have been a tale of progressive decline culminating in abject failure in Boulder.  Instead, I'm going into the summer having just set three personal records in three different distances in exactly six weeks.

I wasn't shy about the fact that after Boston, I didn't restrict myself too much on my diet and my weekly mileage dropped off substantially.  The mileage reduction was a necessity at first, after pounding out so many miles training and then not being able to walk so well for a week after Boston.  However, it would have been a good idea not to eat everything in the pantry during that same period.  While I certainly learned my lesson on pre-race meals before the Colfax Half Marathon, that didn't stop me from gorging myself at and after a Rockies game two days before the BolderBoulder.

When the gun sounded in Bolder at 7:02 a.m. on Monday, I had already mentally prepared myself for the wall I was sure to hit as I climbed the first three miles.  Yet, as I cruised past the belly dancers an through Mile 2 and into the neighborhoods, I felt good.  I decided to try to keep my pace under 7:00/mile and see if I could make a run at my PR. I passed Mile 3 under seven minutes and still felt like I had a lot of gas in the tank - especially since I knew it was downhill from just before Mile 4 until nearly the end.

Coming down into downtown, I felt good enough to push it again and sped up.  Unlike my last BolderBoulder, I didn't find myself trapped in some of the crowds going up after making the turn just passed Mile 5 onto Folsom and was able to run the pace I wanted.  At this point, I was starting to run out of gas, and the slow incline toward Folsom Field pushed my heart rate up to 180 bpm.  That's the point where I usually start backing off a little bit - before I get to 185 bpm - but I wanted to push through to the end.

Running into Folsom Field is about the closest anyone could ever get to finishing an Olympic marathon, although there aren't too many people there before 8:00 a.m. so there aren't quite the cheering crowds that the elite athletes get later in the morning.  I pushed past Mile 6 just outside the stadium, up the last serious incline before dropping into the stadium at field level.  I ran the last 0.2 miles at a 6:12 pace and finished in 41:47.  It was a PR by 1:21 and meant I ran about a 6:43/mile pace. Oh - and my heart rate was 192 bpm when I finished.  Oops...

Splits
  mile 1: 6:44.05
  mile 2: 6:41.59
  mile 3: 6:55.10
  mile 4: 6:49.16
  mile 5: 6:41.19
  mile 6: 6:36.15

  net time: 41:47.07
  pace:06:43
  http://bolderboulder2011.onlineraceresults.com/individual.php?bib=AB216

I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to do that again, and the same goes for the marathon and half-marathon PR's that came in April and May, as well.  Although, I will want to beat those times, I guess I don't really care anymore if I do.  I'm at peace with regret I had been feeling for not doing all this 10-15 years earlier when I might have had the chance to keep getting faster.

Once more unto the breach...
June 27 began another trek toward a 26.2 mile adventure.  The PR's of April and May are history, but I may have set a PR in food and beer consumed since Boston.

Next up is the Columbus Marathon on October 16.  Summer training means dragging my butt out of bed in the morning while it is still cool outside.  I love it once I'm out there, but it is the getting up and moving part that always seems to be hard than the run itself.  I decided to set my primary goal at 3:15:00 so that I could say that I can qualify for Boston under the upcoming more stringent qualifying standards.  We'll see.

I am utilizing a custom training grid that I put together only slightly modified from the one I used for Boston and the Rock 'N' Roll San Diego Marathon in June 2010.  Stay tuned!!

Kaiser Permanente Colfax Half-Marathon

I signed up for the Colfax Half-Marathon before I ran Boston - mostly because I wanted to guarantee that I wouldn't just slack off completely when I got back from Boston.  That is what happened after San Diego and, to some extent, New York.  I was not planning on trying to go too fast, and I certainly wasn't going to try to beat my PR set last April at the Platte River Half - which is almost all downhill.

However, I always reserve the right to remain inspired...

Sunday turned out to be a perfect day to be inspired.  The weather was perfect for a run.  The downside to that means it is usually freezing before the run, and that was the case.  38 degrees and light rain, and the race started at 6:00 AM.  Fortunately, I got there early and was able to park close so I could strip out of my warm clothes and run right into the start corrals.

As it turns out, I had not quite taken this race seriously - and I paid for it.  I was, indeed, inspired and ended up with a PR, but that's not the whole story. While I may have kept running after Boston to avoid slacking off, I did not restrict myself too much on what I crammed in my mouth.  I would not have allowed that long term, regardless, but I wasn't really thinking about it when I had protein and fiber-filled veggie burgers Saturday night before the race instead of my usual pasta or something plain.

As I exited City Park after the race began, I knew I was feeling like I had some speed in me.  Even trying to carve my way through all the people in the beginning, I managed 7:12, 7:02, and 7:09 in the first three miles.  The first six miles are east on Colfax and slightly uphill, and I managed to keep my pace averaging around 7:15. I knew that could keep me on a pace to PR, especially when going back toward City Park down 17th would be downhill.  However, starting around Mile 5, something started poking at my stomach from the inside...and I started thinking I was going to have a problem.  I would have taken care of it right then, but there were no facilities at each of the aid stations I passed.  By the time I ran through the Aurora Fire Department's open firehouse toward the end of Mile 7, I was getting desperate.  I ran Mile 8 in 6:54 and just past the mile marker was a place to stop...thank God.

The pit stop took two minutes, and I was quite sure that ended my chance to get the PR.  Once I got going again and got my shorts readjusted on the fly (everything was all twisted around...very uncomfortable), I realized I had run Mile 10 in 6:57.  As much as I hate doing math - especially when it involves time - I started doing some calculations.  "Crap," I said out loud to no one. "I still have a chance."

Although I wanted at a couple different points to just slow down and bag trying for the PR, those moments were short-lived.  Running down 17th Street toward City Park is downhill and very pretty so I just put my head down and went for it.  Mile 11 in 6:50 and on into City Park. Mile 12 in 6:40, Mile 13 in 6:33, and the home stretch at a 6:19 pace. 

And wouldn't you know it? 1:34:24.  A PR by a whopping 24 seconds.

I don't think I'll try to do it like that again, but I'm pretty sure I've got a 1:33:00 in me.

Next up - the BolderBoulder. Last October's Fans On The Field 10k - a 43:09 - will be pretty tough to beat, especially in Boulder.  But I reserve the right to be inspired on race day. :)

My Boston Marathon - April 18, 2011

Patriots Day - The 115th Boston Marathon

My alarm was set for 4:15 AM.  I knew that I would have enough energy and adrenaline to overcome a sleepiness that I felt, and I wanted to have time to take a quick shower and slowly go through my whole checklist before I departed for Boston Common to catch the bus to Hopkinton.  Not knowing how that was all going to work, I decided to make sure I was there at 5:45.

As it turned out, I woke up at 3:30 AM - long before my alarm was to go off but amazingly refreshed.  I went to bed a decent hour and slept like a rock.  I laid in bed for a while and just thought about what the day had in store, and then went about getting ready to go.

It was chilly and very windy waiting for the bus so I was glad to be able to get on the first wave going out.  I recall thinking how long it took to get to Hopkinton, and then it occurred to be it had a lot to do with the fact that it was a long way from Boston to Hopkinton...and I was going to run back!  I followed some advice I got and ate my breakfast on the way there, and continued to hydrate.  It turns out that my biggest worry about marathon day has nothing to do with the marathon, but rather whether or not I'll be able to "take care of business" well enough that it doesn't become an issue while I am running.  It occurs to me repeatedly as I am drinking fluids and eating food.  "Please, Lord...give me enough time to..." well, you know.

Athletes Village

It is nothing like a village at all.  They never are.  However, there was food and liquids for those that were willing to tempt fate with things they don't usually eat while training or racing, and plenty of porta-potties for the early arrivals.  After arriving in the village around 6:40, I found a spot out of the wind and laid down.  For most of the time, I just stayed warm, dry, and relaxed.  It must have worked, as a check of my resting heart rate revealed 58 bpm.



Relaxing in Athletes Village (aka Hopkinton High School's baseball field)

I made sure to visit the porta-potties about 3 times so there were no surprises during the run. Around 9:15, I dropped my stuff off at the bag drop and started the 0.7 mile walk down the street toward the start line, making sure to hit the toilets behind the market for one last pit stop.  By the time I got to the start area, the National Anthem had just started.  I peeled off my cheap sweats I bought at Wal-Mart and chucked them to the curb, and then I was able to slip right into my corral.

The early miles

10:00 arrived very fast, but I was ready to go.  In retrospect, I could not have timed it any better had I tried, and I am glad for the strategic decisions I made ahead of time so there was no stress before I got underway.

As the bodies pushed forward toward the start line the pace picked up, and I crossed the start line at full speed around 10:06 AM.  I kept repeating the mantra that I had heard several times and read many times more - "don't start out too fast."  The first few miles of the marathon are downhill, and people that don't care if they walk the last few miles are the ones that race down the hill.  My ultimate top goal was 3:15:00, which meant a 7:25 pace. I set my pace at around 7:35 and just cruised to see how I felt.

After a couple of miles, I was feeling pretty good so I increased my pace. The miles went by slowly at first.  It was quiet, with the only real crowd noise coming from the biker bar we passed around Mile 3, I think. At 10k, I was at a 7:30 pace and continued to speed up through almost every successive mile.  In Mile 12, I ran a 7:16 pace, mostly to get away from someone who wouldn't stop talking to me.  I increased my overall pace to 7:28 through the half-marathon point.

Near disaster

One of the parts of the course one hears about the most is around the half-marathon point in Wellesley.  The women of Wellesley College come out en masse to scream at the top of their lungs for all the runners.  Many of the young ladies have signs that say "Kiss Me" or some variation thereof.  While that didn't appeal to me, I did enjoy cupping my hand to my ear to make them yell louder and high-fiving about half of the student population.  And then...

In front of me, a much older gentleman decided to stop on a dime to kiss one of the girls. He did it far enough in front of me that I was able to step to my left to go around him.  Inexplicably, instead of simply smooching and running, the jerk jumped away from the fence to his left right in front of me.  We collided and I stepped on his foot, rolling my ankle over the top of it in the process.  A bolt of pain shot up my leg, and I thought my day was over.  He took off running and I took a few ginger steps and determined nothing was (severely) torn or damaged...and off I went.  I knew that as long as I kept running, any soft tissue injury probably would not bother me until I stopped.  I caught up to my new friend and shared a few choice words with him...and them left that knucklehead in my dust.

No broken ankle so two thumbs up.

The Hills of Newton

Knowing that the hills were ahead, this was my last good chance to shave some time off before slogging up the hills that do not end until Mile 21.

As I pushed through Mile 15, my overall pace had increased to 7:27.  I knew at that point that I would have to crest the hills ahead with enough left in the tanks to increase my pace and run negative splits the last few miles.  Miles 14-16 were at 7:14, 7:23, and 7:17, respectively.

Assessing my legs as I crossed through Mile 16, I knew that was going to be a long shot.  Without the hills, maybe...but the hills were going to take a lot out of me.  I decided to attack the hills and make a final assessment on trying to speed up when I got to the top of Heartbreak Hill.

The hill after Mile 16 was a taste of what was to come, but it was over fairly quickly, and there was plenty of time to recover through about Mile 17.5.  The right turn at the Newton Fire Station signals the official beginning of the Newton Hills, and I knew the first one was right in front of me. I put my head down and gave myself a quick pep talk.  I had been training for this moment in every long run I did, and I wanted to attack the hills - not just survive them. 

The first hill is not a long hill, but the incline was significant. As I crested the hill, I check my heart rate - 180 bpm - and I was concerned that it was that high with 8 miles left.  As the ground flattened over the rest of Mile 18, my heart rate dropped back to 165 and I felt better about the upcoming short hill after Mile 19 .  The second hill spiked my heart rate again, but only for a moment and it was over quickly. Again, my heart rate settled back down, and I started pumping myself up for the final assault.

Heartbreak Hill

I was talking to the hill the whole way up.  My legs were actually going pretty fast, and I was not going let it beat me. Although, there had been consistent crowd noise throughout the last 15 miles or so, it was at this point that I became acutely aware of the crowd...and needed them.  People were picking out specific runners that were struggling, even the guy in the pink tutu that passed me earlier, and directly encouraging them to fight to the top.  Many runners were walking, and I kept thinking to myself "that is not going to be you...not today."  I kept charging up, fighting to keep my pace below 8:00/mile.  My legs were like lead as I neared the top of the hill.  My lungs were on fire.

At the top of hill, my heart rate was back up to 182 and my legs were cooked.  Even though my heart rate dropped back down into the 160's going down the hill the last 5.2 miles into Boston, I would have had to run at an unattainable pace to come close to 3:15:00.  As I let that goal slip away without any regret or remorse, I focused on beating my PR of 3:17:51 at the Rock 'N' Roll San Diego Marathon in June 2010.

The home stretch

All smiles in the home stretch.
(Well, maybe not ALL smiles)

Everything hurt - but I was having fun!  The crowds were amazing, and I knew I was going to finish.  Somewhere along the way, one of the photographers caught me enjoying myself...or maybe it was delirium.

I was focused like a laser now on trying to run my last miles under 7:30 to get myself in a position to achieve the PR.  The crowd kept pushing us all along and raising the energy level.  At each fluid station, I took the Gatorade and then dumped a full cup of cold water on my head.  The jolt seems to propel me when things start to slowly start grinding and my energy is fading. (The downside is that it often looks as though I peed my pants...as if I had any extra body fluids at this point!)

Just before Mile 23, the first and only wave of all-encompassing pain hit me.  Interestingly, this is almost the exact same spot it hit me in both San Diego and New York.  (Something to remember when training for the next one)  My right quad was cramping slightly so I made a deal with myself to stop to walk and stretch it for no more than 30 seconds and then go all out the rest of the way to the finish.  As I pulled my foot behind me to stretch my quad, my hamstring started to cramp. "No, no, no," I said and quickly stretched out the hamstring, walked it out for about 20 seconds and got my ass in gear.  My day was NOT going end there.

The delay cost me time, though.  I decided to push Mile 24 and Mile 25 so I had a shot at the PR in the last 1.2 miles.  The fact that I was able to do math in my head at that point in time is still a bit shocking to me.  I don't remember exactly what what my Garmin said at each point, but after running Mile 24 and Mile 25 at around 7:38 each, I knew from my Garmin time that I needed to run Mile 26 even faster and then it was going to be very close over the last 0.2 miles.

The finish


3:17:39

After a 7:34 in Mile 26, I had to cover the last .2 miles in less than 90 seconds.  "Go to the arms."  That was good advice that I've received from some great runners, and I started pumping them to force my legs to move.  I have no idea where the energy actually came from, but the moment I turned the corner onto Boylston Street (about 0.3 miles from the finish) I was at a dead sprint.

The finish line looked about 10 miles away at that point, but I locked in on the blue arch and tried to run faster.  All I could hear was the crowd.  The noise was amazing, and I found myself alone with no other runners around me. 

Ahead was a pack of runners, and I decided I wanted to beat them all.  Waving to the crowd and asking them for more, I covered the last few hundred yards at a 6:10 pace, weaved through the pack that had been ahead of me, and crossed the finish line in 3:17:39.

12 seconds to spare....

In retrospect

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the experience.  I know that I can run faster with more training.  However, even if I do, I think I am ready to accept that this is the single most significant personal accomplishment that I have ever had and may ever have.  It came for me quickly - as compared to many who try relentlessly over a period of years to qualify - but that does not mean it came easily.  And it didn't happen in solitary.  Without the encouragement of the people that got me running, and the people that challenged me to do more - and without the support and love of my family - none of it could happen.  I don't think I would have the will.

I don't know if I will get back to Boston again.  I don't yet know if I want to. There was something surreal about running in the footsteps of 115 years of marathoners, and in he immediate footsteps of Geoffrey Mutai, who "stunned the world" with his 2:03:02 - the fastest marathon ever, and I don't know if anything I would experience there again could match what I was part of on April 18, 2011.

I know this...

No matter where I run or what I run, I will keep on this path.  There is nothing like the feeling of challenging my limits and overcoming all adversity.  And nothing tastes sweeter than crossing the finish line.

Patriots Day - April 18, 2011 - 115th Boston Marathon

Link here to my Garmin run data



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