Photos + Wrap-UP

Hard to believe the marathon was a month ago. I went out for a 6 mile run the other day and it is hard to believe that I was in good enough shape to go another 20 just a few week ago.

There are no marathons in my near future but have set my sites on the Portland Maine half-marathon in October.

Another thanks to everyone who supported me in this effort. Through generous donations I was able to raise over $4,000 for the Greater Boston Foodbank. Overall the Food Bank marathon team raised over $65,000 to help feed hungry people.

Below are a few photos from the day....

Jake and Kelsey waiting for Dad to pass by in Natick

My dramatic arrival in Natick. Notice Jeff holding the video camera up for the 1.03 seconds that the battery lasted.

Making the final turn to the finish line on Boylston Street


Getting my medal and trying not to pass out



Me and Dad at the finish line

With Dede and Nancy at the finish line


Meeting up with Karen and the kids at the finish line


At the Family Meeting area with Jeff, Dede, Dad and Nan


The family at the post-race party

Recovery

If anybody wants to see me finish they can go to
http://wbz.com/pages/350895.php

This provides a video feed of the finish line. You select Category 2 and a time of 3:48:10 and you will see me coming up to the finish line on the left hand side of the road. I am wearing a light orange jacket and hat and I am raising and pumping my right hand.

I was certainly hurting the Tuesday and Wednesday after the marathon. Thursday things began improving and by Saturday I was back to normal. Given the wet conditions I thought I would have more problems with my feet and blisters but the main recovery issue was my hamstrings.

I hope to post some pictures in the next few days.

The 111th Running of the Boston Marathon !

Despite the wind and the rain pounding the house - I was able to get a good night's sleep. When I walked out of the house at 6:45am there were tree branches strewn across the neighborhood from the high winds but it was relatively warm (upper 40's) and a light rain falling. The newscaster on the radio said this type of storm this late in the year is a once in 25 year occurrence. Great......

My sister dropped me off in Hopkinton at the house of a fellow Greater FoodBank runner. It was nice to have warm place to hang out for the 3 hours waiting for our race time. At the peak there were probably 40 other runners that the house. My pre-race food intake consisted of a bagel, half a blueberry muffin, banana, Powerbar and 6 oreos.

I generally do not struggle with wardrobe decisions but the odd weather was causing angst among most runners. The wind was continuing to abate and the rain was now on and off. Some people were deciding to wear shorts and others looked like they were headed for the slopes. I wore shorts under a rain proof shell and a short sleeve shirt under a rain proof jacket.

We were part of the second wave of runners that started at 10:30 am. I was pretty far back and crossed the start line at 10:35. The start in Hopkinton is along a relatively narrow stretch of road - so you are shoulder to shoulder with other runners for the first few miles. The first few miles were relatively rain free and many people began shedding their outer layers and discarding them on the roadside.

My sister and her family were waiting for me at mile 4 in Ashland. They had some gatorade and goo for me and the pack was thinning just a little so there was more running room. Just past mile 5 it started to rain and the wind kicked up a bit and I was glad that I still had my waterproof layer on through Framingham. This was a relatively tough stretch mentally as the initial euphoria has worn off and the reality that I still had to go 21 more miles (my longest run to that point in my life) left in the race.

Luckily I had my family and a great cheering squad in Natick at mile 8 to lift my spirits and push me on. My brother gave me some candy swedish fish for an energy boost. However I think he bought them in 1983 because they were hard as a rock and it took me the next mile to try and chew the three fish and then extract them from my teeth.

The crowds were good through Natick heading into Wellesley - although people have said they were less than half of a 'normal' marathon. Wellesley College scream tunnel did not disappoint and was another needed lift around mile 11. My Dad, Nancy and sister Dede were waiting at mile in Wellesley with gatorade, goo and a change of clothes and shoes. My gear had kept me relatively dry and I had avoided the major puddles - so my feet were pretty dry - so I pushed on towards Boston.

This was another tough mental stretch through Newton Lower Falls. It was encouraging to be 16 miles into the course but I could feel my legs getting tired and wondered if I could survive the hills coming up starting at mile 17.

I was determined to make it up through the series of hills in Newton without walking. It was a struggle but I powered through and made up Heartbreak Hill. At the top of Heartbreak hill is where the majority of Boston College students are and the combination of their cheering and the elation of making it over the last major hill provided a huge boost as I crossed mile 21.

Just about mile 22 you make a left turn towards Boston. I was at the 3 hour mark and with just over 4 miles to go - I felt in pretty good shape to hit my 3:41 goal. Soon after making the turn I 'hit the wall' physically and mentally. You can see the building and sign landmarks in Boston but they seem very far away and 4 miles seems like 40. Your brain is telling you that you have gone far enough and your body is not going to make it the rest of the way. A couple times over the next 3 miles I slowed to a walk. I would count to 20 and then start jogging again - because if I let my body stop running for any longer - I would never start again.

When I reached Kenmore Square at the 25 mile mark - I got my final 'burst' of energy and was able to pick up the pace a little as I headed to the finish line. At this point I was at the 3:34 mark and knew it was going to be tough to meet my 3:41 goal with 1.2 miles to go....

I turned the corner onto the home stretch and spotted my brother up in a tree. About 500 yards from the finish I felt my quad tighten up and feared that I may have to limp into the finish line but the muscle relaxed and I was able to triumphantly cross the finish line at 3:43.

I would describe the feeling of crossing the finish line at 40% elation, 40% relief and 20% disappointment for not hitting my goal. I nearly toppled over trying to get the timing chip off my shoes but never felt in danger of needing a wheelchair plus I never saw a cute girl pushing one.

I was a bit amazed at the consistency of my 5K splits when I got home (25 minutes on the first half and 28 minutes on the second half). I guessed that my first 5K (due to the crowds) and the last 5K (due to fatigue) would have been dramatically different.

I am pretty sore this morning and glad it is raining again - so I can cancel soccer practice this evening.

Some random observations from the race:

• There was a gusty head wind at times and some brief periods of rain but I would say weather was a non-factor for most of the race. Although the winner finished about 7 minutes behind last years pace.
  
• I was surprised how some people were unprepared for the weather (wearing garbage bags, etc.). We have only been hearing about this storm for a week !
• As I noted in my blog entry on the training race - I am amazed at the amount of people (of both genders) needing to jet into the woods during the first mile to relieve themselves. And literally they are going about 5 feet into the woods.
  
• At mile 19 there was an old lady holding out a tray of fresh baked brownies...
• At mile 20 there was a guy standing next to a garbage bin holding a sign that said 'ICE".

I have been told that people catch the 'marathoning bug' after running their first marathon. I must have a strong immune system because the day after - I still do not feel the like I have caught the bug. I am certainly glad I did it and it was a great experience but I will be pretty content next year sitting in my lawn chair watching the runners go by.....

I would like to thank my family and friends for all their support and encouragement and especially my wife who was the backbone of this effort.

I will post some pictures in the next few days......

20 Hours to go.....

We are in the home stretch. In 20 hours I will be making my way to the starting line in Hopkinton. Hopefully I will not need a canoe to get there.

It is raining steadily today and the heaviest rain is suppose to occur overnight. There is still suppose to be rain and a steady head wind tomorrow but it is not quite as bad as originally projected. In some ways if it is going to be a lousy day - I would prefer it to be epic (driving rains and 50+ MPH winds) - so I could have something to brag about to my grandkids. "You think this is rain - you should have seen the Marathon Noreaster of '07!!!!"

I am pretty ready to go - I am going out to do a light run shortly.

I am very close to my goal of raising $3500 for the Greater Boston FoodBank. If you have not donated and would like to - there is a link on the right side of the blog.

The Earth has a Fever !!

Went for a nice 5 mile jaunt today under sunny skies. Tomorrow we expect snow and the forecast for Monday looks less than optimal. Some forecasters are calling for 30mph head winds with heavy rain and possibly snow on Monday. Sounds like fun !

I trust long range weather forecasts as much as I trust Al Gore so I am not worried too much about it yet. I think I can handle pretty much any weather but it would be a bit of a downer if there were no spectators. Part of the allure of Boston is the crowds and party atomosphere.

One of the saving graces is that one of our team members lives near the start line - so at least I would not have to be huddled with 22,000 of my closest friends under a tent.

Boy in the Bubble

Many people ask me if "I am ready" for the marathon. With one week to go I really have no choice but to be ready. As a rookie - I am not even sure what being ready would feel like anyway.

My main objective is to stay healthy. This entire winter I have been in good health - with barely even a sniffle. However this past week - everybody around me at work seems to be coming down with something. The guy across from me sound like he has the bubonic plague. I have thought of erecting a giant bubble around my desk to ward off any illness that is infecting our office.

I ran 10 miles on Saturday afternoon. The run went well - although the knee was more troublesome than usual. I plan to do two smaller runs (4-5 miles) before the big day.

Hello Beijing !!

Google has a cool analytics program that allows me to see how many people have viewed my blog and provides a geographic overlay of those hits on my blog. Over the past few months I have had people view the blog from Moscow, Beijing, Australia and other spots on the globe. Not exactly sure how these people stumble onto my blog but we welcome any visitors - especially those who feel moved to donate ! Unfortunately it is probably desperate people that Googled "will run for food" - thinking they could run their way out of poverty.

This is what the hits looked like for a period in March.

Aloha !

My fastest marathon

I am guaranteed to run my fastest marathon. Beyond that there are no guarantees.

"What time do you think you will run ?" is one of the more popular question that I get when people learn that I am training for my first marathon.

Obviously goal #1 is finishing without needing help from emergency medical personnel. My somewhat conservative goal is under 4 hours. My stretch goal is 3 1/2 hours. If I can get closer to the 3.5 hour mark - I will consider that a victory.

My Uncle Gary threw the gauntlet down in a comment he submitted to an earlier post when he stated his marathon best is 3:41. So that has become my target.

I ran 13 miles this Saturday and felt pretty good. It was another great weekend to run in New England and all the snow is now gone - so running is no longer as dangerous to my well being.

You will be able to track my time on the BAA website (www.baa.org). I am runner 20612.

Twenty One

Today was the day of the last big training run. A 21 mile run from the start of the marathon in Hopkinton to Boston College (right at Heartbreak Hill). This draws a big crowd from all of the various charity runners. You have the benefit of waterstops but have to contend with traffic and loads of other runners competing for space on the shoulders of roads.

There are some tenants of preparing yourself for a big race. Of course I seem to ignore common sense.

Advice: Eat a hearty breakfast 90-120 minutes before starting the run
Me: Roll out of bed wolf down some oatmeal and hit the road.

Advice: Keep hydrated by sipping water/gatorade for 90 minutes before a long run
Me: I get up and drink nothing (zero, ziltch, nada) before heading out to Hopkinton

Advice: Don't waste too much energy at the beginning of the race dodging people
Me: I waste energy do weaving around slower runners (risking life and limb with the oncoming traffic).

Bottom line is that I am not very smart and need to do a better job on the big day to prepare myself.

Despite the above mentioned handicaps - I had a pretty good run. The knee was bothersome at times but was essentially a non-factor. The weather was great for running (mid 40's to 50's) and it was nice having other people around to help keep you going. At the end of the 21 miles - I think that I had enough in the tank to go another 5 miles but certainly was not doing cartwheels. Marathon day has the potential of being quite a bit warmer - so that will also play a factor in my endurance.

Some other random thoughts from the 21 miles

• In general - I am amazed at how often some people have to go the bathroom. We were literally 700 yards from the starting point in Hopkinton and there was a guy who darted into the woods to relieve himself. If you can only make it 700 yards without urinating - you need to see a doctor or wear Depends.
• I saw two people that had CD walkmans strapped to their waist. This is curious on a number of levels. First - are they listening to the same CD for 3+ hours ? Can't they spring for the $70 that it would cost for an iPod shuffle that holds 300 songs and is the size of a postage stamp ?
• The training run was organized for the charity runners. Charity runners do not have to have a qualifying time to run the race. I will be shocked if some of the people I saw today see the finish line in three weeks. Some of them looked like they might have a hard time making it to the end of their driveway to get the paper, much less run 26 miles.

Nightmare

Had a vivid dream last night that I had a sudden realization that I only had 30 minutes to get from my house to the marathon starting line. I had not eaten or dressed and since the direct access roads were closed - it was looking unlikely that I was going to make the starting line on time. My Dad was in the dream and ready to give me a ride and try and make it on time. The dream had no conclusion....

Since I live so close to the starting line - I am not particularly worried about race day logistics - so I am not sure how I should interpret this dream. It is preferable to a dream of realizing that I was running the marathon naked......

Weather is looking good for tomorrow's 21 mile race. I need to stop by REI on the way home from work to get some of that Orange flavored Gu.

With a little help from my friends

Running a marathon is an individual sport that tests the body and mind. Training for a marathon is a team sport that requires a support system to keep on track. I am grateful for having a family that supports and encourages me along the way. The long Saturday runs not only require me to be away from my family but sometimes require logistical support to drop me off at various spots on the marathon route.

As a rookie marathoner - I also benefit from the advice of teammates and other runners that I have talked with over the past few months. The husband of our team captain is a running coach that produces a weekly email that has provided valuable information on marthon running and the Boston course.

I did a 11 mile run last Saturday and we have the last big training run (21 miles !) this Saturday. It should be interesting.

Death of an iPod

My original iPod shuffle suffered an untimely death on Friday. Running without musical inspiration is not really a viable option on long runs - so I went out and got the next generation of the iPod shuffle. It is hard to image that these tiny MP3 players can hold a gigabyte of data. In my first IT job, the companies main file server stored less than 5% of the capacity that I now wear on my sleeve.

I ran 12 miles today from my house through Wellesley center. The weather is starting to turn the corner and most of the snow and ice is off the sidewalk. This was the first time I ever used Gu Energy Gel during my run. The gel is consumed in an attempt to replace the glucose and other essentials that you lose during the run. Apparently these gels have a reputation for being nasty tasting but they have made taste improvements over the past few years. I had a delightful orange flavored Gu. In may be coincidence but I did feel better at the end of this run - than I did during the previous week without the Gu.

Got my official team running shirt in the mail on Friday. The race is just over a month away....

My Dad the World Class Marathoner

When I was putting the kids to bed the other night I mentioned that they would be able to see me run the marathon and that I would stop and say hello to them in Natick. After a moment's reflection Brett was sat up in bed and said:

"Dad - you can't stop and talk to us - you might lose"

I attempted to explain that it was a long race and stopping for a brief moment - would not dramatically effect my time. Besides, I told him, I was merely hoping to finish - not to win the race.

Brett was incredulous that I was not going to win the race and was pretty upset by the thought that I would not be winning the 111th running of the Boston Marathon. It is nice to know my 5-year old thinks his old man can beat the world. Hopefully he will not be too disappointed when about 10,000 people pass before him before I amble through....

It was 50 degrees today and I did a nice 10 mile run to Wellesley Center. The route is pretty safe - as there is either a bike lane or sidewalk through a vast majority. The only trouble spot is right in front of Wellesely College. The sidewalks are a mess (ice and snow) - so you are almost forced to run along the road - but there is no shoulder so it gets pretty hairy. At one point I had to jump a guard rail to avoid a collision with a tour bus. That would not be a fight I could win - despite what my son might think of me.....

Running with the Blue Monster

Was down in Miami this week for a short business trip. Thankfully I do not travel all that often because I may be cursed like Hurley on Lost. Back in September when flying to Denver - we had to make an emergency landing in Memphis because a lady in the row in front of me was in cardiac arrest. Going down to Miami the guy across the row from me was having a bad reaction to some meds he was taking to control his flight anxiety. They did not have to make an emergency landing but had an ambulance meet the plane when we landed in Miami. Good times.

Our facility in Miami is not on the beach but in a industrial area near the airport - so the running opportunities were limited. The facility is across the street from the Doral resort - home of the famed Blue Monster golf course. So on Wednesday after work - I snuck into the resort to check it out and discovered they had a 3 mile jogging trail. The odd thing was that it weaved around the golf course and seemed there would be a high probability of being hit by an errant shot. Fortunately I was running an twilight and there were no golfers on the course - so it was nice jaunt around the course.

By Wednesday my body had recovered enough to feel pretty good on the 6 mile run - although the right knee is still pretty cranky. I am thinking about trying a knee brace to see if that will help matters.

18 and Life

My training schedule tells me I am suppose to do an 18 mile run today. Considering I have run about 18 miles total in the last 3 weeks - this did not seem like a very bright idea. Luckily I am not a very bright man.

My gracious family drove me out to the marathon starting line in Hopkinton this morning and I set off with a bunch of other runners at 9am. It was a little cool (20's) but the sun was shining and I felt good through Ashland and Framingham. The knee started getting a bit cranky right as I was running past my house (about 8 miles into the run). I took this as a test of my will and kept going - as I wanted to do at least 11 miles. I eventually made it to Wellesley Center (13 miles) and turned around to head back home (a 5 mile return trip).

The benefit of running with this group is they have people out along the route handing out gatorade and water. The knee pain seemed to subside about 12 miles into the trip but perhaps that was because the other parts of my body were competing for pain attention.

I was pretty pleased to complete 18 miles and it gives me confidence that I can finish even if my knee is not 100%

Back in the Saddle

Two weeks off to rest the knee and I went out for my first run on Sunday. I went out for a 6 mile run to get back into the swing of things. The knee felt OK but not totally pain free. At this point I am going to keep doing the rehab exercises and run as much as I can....

Went to a marathon meeting in Boston that was designed to outline the logistics of the race for us first timers. They apparently start shutting down services (water stations, etc.) and start opening the road to traffic - at the 6-hour marathon pace. Many of the first timers seemed concerned about their ability to keep pace. If I am still on the course after 6 hours - please shoot me....

Rehab

I have taken almost two weeks off to rest the knee. During that period I have been riding a stationary bike or eliptical machine to try and keep in relatively good shape. I have also been doing a series of stretches and exercises to attempt to strengthen the area around me knees.

I picked a good week to enter rehab as we got our first significant snowfall and running has become more of a challenge as the sidewalks are not clear and the roads more narrow.

Here are my top rehab related songs from my iTunes library:

King of Pain - Police
The Waiting - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
I Don't Want to Miss A Thing - Aerosmith
Don't Cry - Asia
The Show Goes On - Bruce Hornsby and the Range
Two Steps Behind - Def Leppard
Basket Case - Green Day
I'm Not Running Anymore - John Mellencamp

On the Shelf

Loyal readers of this blog know that I have complained of knee soreness during my runs. I sent an email to our team's virtual coach and he believes I have a laterally tracking patella. This is a common injury for runners and related to poor biomechanics during the run.

So the challenge is figuring out what to do about the situation. I obviously do not want to fall behind on my training but don't want to keep aggravating the injury and make it worse. My last run was on Saturday (14 miles) and my knee is still a little sore. I think I am going to take next week off too (continuing to ride the exercise bike and elliptical machine) and try to start running again next weekend. There are a bunch of rehab exercises that I will also be doing to improve my flexibility and strength around the quads and hips.

Although a bit discouraged - even if this time off results in little improvement I am confident that I can continue to train and complete the marathon with my some knee pain. It is also helpful that the temps have not been above 30 all week - making the decision even easier...

Governor - Look Out !!!

I was dodging pedestrians as I ran through Wellesley Center during my long run on Saturday. I was squeezing around a couple walking along the sidewalk when I almost ran into (and over) our newly elected Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts - Deval Patrick. He was getting out of his car and running into a restaurant when the near collision happened. Fortunately for him I was not quick enough to shout "No New Taxes!!!" when I brushed by him....

Saturday was a 14 mile run and it was tough from start to finish. Last week I felt like I was ready to conquer the beast but yesterday I struggled. My right knee continues to provide some problems but not enough to prevent me from finishing. Beyond a slight soreness in both of my knees this morning - I am pretty happy with my ability to recover from the long runs.

Next week is an 18 mile group run that begins at the Marathon start in Hopkinton. Hopefully I am up for it....

Fair Weather Runner

Historically I am a very fair weather runner. I do not enjoy running all that much to begin with and consider running a necessary evil to keep from looking pregnant. So if the weather dropped below about 45 degrees - I would find it very easy to not lace them up and go outside.

Now that I am training for a marathon - that option really no longer exists. Of course, many people use treadmills to avoid the elements but I hate treadmills almost much as I hate beets.

Luckly I picked a great winter for training - as I was still running in shorts in January. However upon my return from Florida the temps had plunged and I would have to test my ability to run in colder temps. I had invested in some running gear that was far superior in comfort and utility then the heavy cotton sweats I had previously used.

Although I have not yet run in extreme cold - I find it quite comfortable, and perhaps even preferable, to run in temperatures in the 20's. Yesterday I did a 12.5 mile run along the marathon course and the temps were in the low to mid 20's and I was not bothered in the least.

My right knee is a bit sore today but not major impact from my long run yesterday.

Fun in the Sun and now Back to Reality

One giant step forward for family fun, one small step back for marathon training.

Just returned from a 10-day family vacation to Florida. Was hoping to take advantage of the warmer weather to get in some good training but only got one relatively short run and a brief spin on an elliptical machine during the 10 days. Hopefully walking around Disney with a 5 year old on my shoulders was building up endurance for Heartbreak Hill.

I returned on Saturday to temps in the 20's and a stiff wind but went out for a 5-6 mile run to get myself acclimated to the New England winter. It is the first time I had to wear more than one layer on the legs. Actually felt great during the run but realize that I need to quickly ramp up my miles.

Shorts in January

Up to this point - I could not have picked a better winter to train for my first marathon. It is the first week in January and I am out running in shorts ! It was almost 70 degrees and I took advantage and went for a 10 mile run (to Wellesley Center and back). I was happy that both my knees and achilles felt good throughout the entire run.

Especially during long runs - I rely heavily on my iPod shuffle to help motivate and ward off boredom. Here are my current Top 5 running songs on my iPod.

Mandolin Moon (Sister Hazel)
Drops of Jupiter - Live (Train)
Going the Distance (Rocky Soundtrack)
Stay with You (Goo Goo Dolls)
Son of Man (Phil Collins)

Running + Beer + Pizza

When I first started dating my wife - she lived in an apartment on Beacon street in Boston - directly across from a bar called Crossroads. Every once in awhile we would end up in this fine establishment (once for New Years).

This same bar has a tradition of hosting the various charity running teams on Thursday nights. People gather at the Crossroads and then take the subway out to various spots and run back into the Crossroads. The Crossroads provides free pizza for the runners after they arrive back at the bar.

Tonight was my first experience with a Crossroads night. I met the team in Newton Centre and ran 7 miles along the marathon route and ended up at the Crossroads enjoying a beer and some pizza with about 50 other runners.

This was my first time running on the marathon route and it felt good to get a feel for the terrain.

Ready, Set, Go.....

2007 is the year I run the Boston Marathon. It is one of those ideas that sounds good in theory until you realize that it requires you to run over 26 miles - in a row - without stopping for lunch!

I have been fortunate enough to be selected for the Miles for Meals team supporting the Greater Boston Food Bank. I am a board member and volunteer at a local food pantry (A Place to Turn) in my home town in Natick. Being a part of the Miles for Meals team allows me to fulfill a personal goal of running the Boston Marathon and raise money for a great cause.

My goal is to raise $3,500 for the Greater Boston Foodbank. Your donation is greatly appreciated and can be done online via credit card or you can make a check out to The Greater Boston Foodbank and send it to my at 5 Larchwood Lane, Natick MA 01760

This blog will periodically cover my attempt to get in-shape for the run from Hopkinton to Boston on April 16th.