Fat Man Running!!

NATIONS TRIATHLON.

2009-07-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

And for my next trick, I'm doing a triathlon!!!

Nations Triathlon in Washington D.C. on September 13, 2009.

http://www.thenationstriathlon.com/

Swimming in the Potomac- Does it get any better than that?? Stay tuned! In the meantime, go here and donate!! Thanks! :o)

2009-07-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

Boy, I don't even know where to start...

I've been really lazy about this blog lately. So let's catch up a bit.

5K's etc...

Claddagh Pub 4-mile road race, Lawrence, MA. March 1, 2009: 44:47
Hynes Tavern 5-mile road race, Lowell, MA. March 8, 2009: 59:07
Ras na hEireann USA 5K, Somerville, MA. March 15, 2009: 35:06
B.A.A. 5K, Boston, MA. April 19, 2009: 34:42
Boston's Run To Remember, Boston, MA. May 24, 2009: 1:14:06 (Coaching another runner.)
New Charles River Run, Cambridge, MA. June 28, 2009: 35:06

Duathlons:

Black Bear Duathlon, Waterville Valley, NH. 5K run, 50K bike, 5K run. A hard race for me. I rode the Police Unity Tour (250 miles) that Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Drove home from Washington D.C. on Thursday, got in at 7:00 AM on Friday morning, napped, unpacked, repacked and drove to Waterville to race on Saturday. The first run was hard, the bike was hard, the second run was really hard. Yeah! Fun times! Time? A dismal 2:54:17 But good enough to win the Clydesdale division. (Of course I was the only entry in that division... I'm probably not supposed to mention that...) Gotta love small races!

King Pine Duathlon, Madison, NH. May 31, 2009. 2-mile-ish run, 12.5 mile bike, 5K-ish run. Should have done the tri version. That first run just kills me! Fun event though. We got to watch the kids race during lunch since their bike course went right be the BBQ! Time was a slightly less horrendous 2:03:13

Half Marathons:

Lake Placid Half Marathon, Lake Placid, NY. June 14, 2009. This was a last minute deal. I went to this event as a Team in Training coach. I got a number at the last minute and coached from the course. It was really fun just taking my time and working with the TNT runners and walkers. It's a beautiful if hilly course. I do believe that between the local race organization, the local Team in Training organization and the really inspiring pasta party, this was definitely one of my top two TNT events. All of our TNT runners and walkers finished well! My finish time reflects the amount of time I spent yakking on the course. If you must know, it was 3:14:20

Connemarathon, Clifden, County Clare, Ireland. March 22, 2009. Without a doubt, the best and most beautiful road race I've ever run. If I could never do another half, this one would keep me happy. This one will get it's own blog entry when I get to it. (Don't hold your breath.) Time? Who cares! It was an awesome (And very hilly.) race! Oh all right!! 3:03:22 (But my chip and gun time are the same so I think I was a wee bit faster than that.) I have to get some photos of the area from Mike...

Cycling stuff...

Police Unity Tour. Chesapeake, Virginia to Washington D.C. May 10-12. 250 miles. An epic. It will definitely need it's own blog entry when I get around to it. With photos!!

America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride, Lake Tahoe NV/CA, June 7, 2009. Another Team in Training event in the history books. A great team as always. The weather only cooperated on one day... June 7! I did the boat cruise/35 mile ride again. Big boat, breakfast, good coffee and good company! Time? Unknown and irrelevant!

Stay tuned!

Cartoon run.

2009-01-23T07:43:00.000-08:00

On January 9, 2009 I got up at 5:15 AM to run a 5K. There must be a support group for that somewhere...

On Friday morning, before the Disney half marathon and full marathon, there's a 5K. This year it was a 'fun run' through the Animal Kingdom theme park. The theme was the Lion King Circle of Life. Not really a race, no chip times and kind of a family party atmosphere.

I had tweaked my right ankle the Monday before the half and was nursing it with rest, ibuprofen and good thoughts all week. On Tuesday I didn't think I'd be healed in time for the half on Saturday. I was feeling pretty good by Thursday night so I decided to see how I felt Friday morning. If I felt OK, I'd take it easy on the 5K and see how that went.

I caught the shuttle at 5:45AM and got to the Animal Kingdom park at about 6:00AM. It was probably in the low to mid forties. Not exactly balmy. I was slightly cold in shorts, a long-sleeve dri-fit and a sweatshirt. I ended up checking the sweatshirt before the race start and I was fine.

The 5K start is sort of a mini-half/full marathon start- Loud music, cast members in costume who are way too awake and cheerful for that time of the morning and fireworks at the starting gun. At the start gun, (Still dark out...) they played "I just Can't Wait to be King" from the Lion King soundtrack. Loud. It's Elton John and it's a decent running tune so I started out a little faster than I wanted to. I dialed it back a little bit and my ankle felt pretty good. I had thought that the course would be pancake flat. Nope. There were some ups and downs and a reasonably long descent just prior to the finish. It was pretty cool running through this park. I didn't see too many animals but they sure sounded ticked off that we were waking them up.

Finish time was 00:34:46 by my watch. I was kind of surprised in that I had been aiming for about 36 minutes to go easy on my ankle.

A fun race. I'd do it again- even getting up before dawn! The only downer was that I waited for about 50 minutes after the race for a shuttle bus. Normally, I wouldn't care as much about that except that I had to shower and change before the TNT coaches and staff meeting.

The bib is one of the coolest I've had. I just had to scan it!

You even get a dorky little rubber medal!!...

Tri.

2009-01-22T07:38:00.001-08:00

So I've had my triathlon number on my computer desk for months to remind me to write about it. I'm sick of looking at it.

I think when you sign up for a triathlon, you're supposed to train for a triathlon. Maybe next time.

The 2008 Timberman Triathlon weekend was August 16 and 17. So on Sunday August 10, I went to Walden Pond with Anna, Jill and Don for a 'mock tri.' I think it means that people mock you while you try to swim, bike and run. I signed up for the 'sprint' triathlon. At Timberman, that's a 1/3 mile swim, a 15 mile bike and a 5K (3.1 mile) run. So on the 10th, I swam although I don't know how far (And it certainly wasn't pretty.) then rode about 25+ miles with Jill (Don and Anna went for a longer ride... Fools.) then ran around Walden Pond. (Maybe 2 miles.) Not too bad really. Of course before this 'training', I worked from 3PM on Saturday until 7AM on Sunday. Hallucinations are cool! The first 15 miles of the bike ride, I pushed pretty hard and kept up about my best pace ever- about 16 mph average for the 15 miles. Naturally, I paid dearly for that on the rest of the ride. The run after that? Pathetic. Rocks, roots and tourists! And of course by now I'm completely whipped. I know we went to eat afterward. And I know there was ice cream in a thunderstorm. Other than that, I'm a little fuzzy on the rest of the day...

The preceding paragraph describes my entire triathlon training program...

So for race weekend we rented a 'condo' in Laconia. Let's just say I've stayed in worse places. Friday night was Anna, Jill, Jill's dad Dave and me. Don showed up on Saturday. Of course overachievers Jill and Anna were there to do the half-iron distance (70.3 miles) on Sunday.

Saturday morning I got up absurdly early and went to Ellacoya State Park. I had racked my bike the night before so all I had to bring to the transition area was my personal gear- Helmet, gloves, cycle shoes, running shoes, socks, coffee maker, biscotti, microwave oven...

I went back to my truck and had frosted flakes for breakfast. They're GRRRRREEEEAT.

We lined up for the swim start. 97% of the other athletes were wearing wetsuits. I'm wondering what the deal is- The water isn't cold. Come to find out it's about flotation and speed. Well who knew?

I'm a terrible swimmer. Not to say that I'm uncomfortable in water- I love the water. That love however does not automatically make one efficient or fast when trying to move through it. It is enough to simply report that I made it from point 'A' to point 'B' before nightfall. Actually, my time for the 1/3 mile swim was 00:16:15. Not the slowest time but darn close to it!

Between each sport, there is the art of transition. I say art because my first transition from swim to bike took 00:04:29. Long enough to make coffee, eat a biscotti and reheat the leftover coffee in the microwave. Slow. That's me. Anyway, I got my cycle gear on, with my helmet on correctly and headed out of transition for the bike portion.

New Hampshire has hills- Oh yes it does. The bike race took me 01:02:37. I wasn't disappointed with that since I'm a 'rider' not a 'racer.' I noticed that even though I was getting dropped like a bad poker hand going uphill, I was screaming past real triathletes on triathlon-specific bikes going down the hills. I think triathletes like and train for flat roads- They just didn't seem all that comfy going fast downhill. I actually enjoyed the bike race quite a bit- It felt like it went by very quickly.

Back into transition for a quick costume change. This transition took only 00:02:50- Barely time for an espresso or two. Then out onto the run course.

The run. Did I mention I hate running? My legs did not want to move. My quads felt like they would be in full blown cramps any second. After probably a quarter mile I started to feel better. I did a run/walk interval and actually did better than I thought- 00:35:13 for the run. The run is basically up hill on the way out and downhill on the way back- I have a feeling that it's better this way but I didn't like it much at the time. I saw Jill, Anna and Dave on my way out of the transition area- I think they may have been surprised to see me- I had been figuring around two and a half hours for the tri.

Final time: 02:01:21. I could have cut down on that quite a bit by skipping the trips to the deli while in transition. In retrospect, I'm glad I took some extra time. The extra time kept me from making mistakes. On Sunday while watching the half-iron distance event, I saw a pro come out of the swim-bike transition wearing an aero helmet backwards. Do you know what a triathlete wearing a full aero helmet backwards looks like? Correct- He looks like Toucan Sam of Froot Loops fame.

I really enjoyed the tri. I can see how people get hooked on it. I joined USA Triathlon. I'm planning a bunch more for Summer 2009. I'm nuts.

I have a few more races to post up. I'll get 'round to that soon.

Where was I?

2008-12-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah- I was gonna talk about the triathlon I did back in August. I will. Eventually.

In the meantime, I'll recap the last few races I've blasted through. Well not really blasted but you know what I mean.

10/26/08 Lynn Woods Trail Race. In Lynn. LYNN! Yeah- Good times! 40 minutes for a 5K. It was the one ridiculous hill that did me in. Holy crap! I mean, I know I'm slow- But seriously! It was fun nonetheless. Alyssa ran the 9-mile version. It was a definite 'bite-me zone' day for her. I continues my experiment... a medium Dunkin' Donuts coffee and a plain donut before the race~ It seems to work but I need to experiment more... Oh- the winner of the 9-mil race ran like 6 minute miles. Freak.

11/02/08 Busa Bushwack trail race. Framingham. It's not Lynn!! Me, Alyssa, Kyrsten and some other friends. And our own cheering section: Alyssa's Mom and Dad. A medium coffee and two donuts. (Yeah- two donuts- It was 5.3 miles.) A fun run. Kyrsten overslept (The end of daylight savings time- Only happens EVERY YEAR!) and caught up to us after the race actually started. I actually did OK (For me...) 1:10:32. I think I'm worse at trail running than regular (?) running. It's definitely harder to fall into a rhythm. I took a couple of excellent diggers toward the end of the race. A little blood is cool! After the race, the bunch of us went to Dunkin' Donuts. I had a pumpkin donut. It was good. :o) After breakfast, Alyssa, her Mom and Dad (Annemarie and Earl) went to Bernardi Toyota to look at new cars for Alyssa and torture sales people. I pity the foo' that tries to put one over on Annemarie. I do love making car sales people squirm! Fun times!

11/27/08. Feaster 5 (K or miles- K for me!) in Andover. Too many dogs, too many strollers. It's become a bit of a Thanksgiving Day tradition but I think I might have to look for a new race next year. Kyrsten and I were honorary members of Alyssa's team. They ran the 5 mile race. I ran the 5K. (Why run more when you can run less?!) Even though I ran the shorter race, I wasn't actually sure I'd finished before them! (I did, believe it or not!) We ran into a bunch of Team in Training people. It was nice to be there with so many friends. Oh- And when you finish, you get pie! :D

12/6/08 Mayor Higgins Hot Chocolate Run, Springfield. I went out to Springfield to run this 5K with Kirsten (K1) and Allan who live near there. Due to a comedy of errors, I never actually found them! I did, however, run a 5K PR (A PR for the last few years at least) of 00:33:33. The course was great and the race volunteers were terrific. The hot chocolate though, was not. There is a two mile walk along with the 5K. The walk starts a half hour before the run. Do the math. The walkers cleaned out the first batch of hot chocolate long before myself and rest of the penguins got back. By the time I actually got to the front of the line, the 'hot' chocolate was somewhere between room temperature and 30 degrees. This race seems like it's one of those events that's outgrown it's infrastructure. I might do this one again if I can: A) Find K1 and Allan, and; B) Have chocolate that is, in fact, hot.

So anyway, we're up to date. Well, except for the triathlon. I'll get to that eventually.

Blowing the dust off...

2008-10-21T06:58:00.000-07:00

...of this blog!

Yeah. I know. It's been like six months. Get over it.

So let's see... Where did I leave off?...

Once the marathon was behind me, I started working more with the Team in Training cycle team. In June, the team traveled to Lake Tahoe for a century (100 Mile) around Lake Tahoe. Tahoe is a world-class place. The ride is America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride (aka AMBBR- which isn't really much easier to say...)

I've done the 100 mile ride several times. So in one of my more lucid moments while training for the marathon, I went ahead and registered for the 35 mile boat cruise ride. I'm not so dumb after all. So after seeing the team off outside the hotel, I went back to my room, changed into my cycle gear, shaved, watched TV for a few minutes and then got on my bike and rode about 2 miles to the marina. Once I got there, some nice kids loaded my bike onto the Tahoe Queen and within a few minutes, I was having a lovely continental breakfast in the main salon. Good coffee, good crunchies and a beautiful cruise across the lake.

When we got to the other side of the lake, the captain did an impressive piece of maneuvering to bring us dockside. There was a strong onshore wind trying to push us the wrong way. I don't know if you can tell, but that boat don't turn on a dime! It's got a couple special features for maneuvering but still- A nice piece of seamanship!

On the bike. Geez- the ride is much easier when it's only 35 miles! I averaged about 14 mph back to the hotel. (Pretty good for me!) It's got one of the two most challenging climbs- Spooner Summit. I got to do the other one the day before on the team shakedown ride. (Emerald Bay)

One of the neat things about this ride was that I was able to get back to the hotel, shower, change and get back out on the course. (In the rented Chevy Trailblazer- Not my bike!) I fixed a few flats, shouted a lot and got to see most of the team.

It's a terrific event; a huge event for Team in Training and it's always so great to see so many people who never thought they could accomplish such a challenge succeed. Recruiting starts soon. Get a bike. Sign up. No whining.

Oh yeah... Fat Man Running!!...

Maybe just a little list...

May 2008: Hoyt 5K in Waltham. Perhaps you've heard of Rick and Dick Hoyt. They sponsored a 5K in Waltham. This is where I got smoked by the nun pushing the kid in the stroller. Smoked badly too. 00:36:05.

May 2008: Boston's Run to Remember. I did the half marathon. I'm an idiot. However, my finish time was under three hours for the first time. (2:59:38) OK- so not under three hours by much. The only running I did between the Boston Marathon and the Run to Remember was the Hoyt 5K. More on that later.

June 2008: North Medford Club 7 mile trail run. 1:47:00+. Just ugly. But I won a spaghetti strainer thingy in the raffle!

June 2008: The New Charles River Run 5K. A fun race. I just cannot seem to get a 5K in under 35 minutes. I think that's because I suck at running. 00:35:09. Shoot me.

July 2008: Peaks Island Road Race. It's on an island. In Maine. It's cool. There is Ice cream. Who cares how fast you run? 01:01:15. It's pretty hilly for an island. Really. (Motel 6 in Portland, Maine. Don't.)

September 2008: Canal Diggers 5K in Worcester. Another neat Sunday morning race. Relatively small field. Lt. Governor Tim Murray ran it also. I didn't see him. He, like just about everyone else, is faster that me. I did however, get it done in under 35 minutes! 00:34:49.

September 2008: Lake Tahoe Marathon 5K: 6,200 feet above see level. I did a 20 mile bike race the day before and didn't really feel the altitude. Running was another story. I'm embarrassed to post a time of 00:37:51. It was good enough for third place in my age group. (Out of three runners.) Actually, I could have beaten the guy who came in second. But really, who cares? :o)

October 2008: ING Hartford Half Marathon. Let me recap my training for this half. Boston Marathon, Hoyt 5K, Run to Remember Half Marathon, 7-mile trail race, Charles River 5K, Peaks Island 5 mile, Canal Digger 5K, Tahoe 5K. No training runs at all. (Well one 2 or so mile training run for my triathlon) and a 5K as part of the Timberman Sprint Triathlon. (More on that later.) So by not training, I have a new PR (Personal Record) for the half marathon distance of 2:58:28. Yeah- Not exactly blazing speed. I think it might have something to do with not actually being injured! It's a cool race. I ran the half because Kirsten from Team in Training and her sister Kim of 'How hard can it be- It's only a bike ride' fame? (Before showing up and riding the 109-mile El Tour de Tucson on a 30 pound hybrid bike with no training at all.) ran the full marathon together. Jill and Kirsten's husband Al ran the half also. (Al was pretty fast!) Kim had energy left after the marathon to run around with the mylar blanket she got at the finish line like a cape shouting "I'm a super-hero!!, I'm a super-hero!!. I hate Kim. Kirsten ran with an injury and was not quite up to leaping tall buildings. But everyone finished! A good time was had by all! A special treat for the half marathoners but not enjoyed by the full marathoners, was a run through part of Hartford where there were at least four or five cops per block. And they were NOT there to direct traffic! Professionally speaking, I found it very entertaining- Apparently, not only were there water stops but there were beer stops too! Who knew??!!

October 2008: Manchester NH Police Dept. Footrace for the Fallen 5K. 00:35:22 (Gun time- I was just under 35 minutes but of course, like always, I forgot to stop my watch at the finish line.) Jill Martha and Jay came out for this one. I ran into a bunch of people I knew. Martha and Jay won some lovely parting gifts in the raffle. Some of you know that I work for New Hampshire Marine Patrol during the summer. I noticed looking at last year's race results that there was no one from NHMP entered. I sent an email around to the guys I work with in southern Rockingham County. Kyle stepped up. Kyle runs all the time. He's running the ING New York City marathon in November. Kyle ran to 12th overall in first place in the male 20-29 division. 00:18:17. Imagine if he actually trained for the 5K distance. I hate Kyle too.

The triathlon deserves it's own entry. Since I'm at a caffeine deficit right now, I think I'll post on that later. Stuff to do, peeps to see, blah blah blah. So more later... Triathlon, Montana sapphires, four-wheeling in Nevada. Exciting stuff!!!

Dirt!

2008-06-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

It's seven miles- How bad can it be?

Bad.

I did a trail race Sunday with Alyssa, Anna and crew. The race was in Fitchburg and sponsored by the North Medford Club. When I was registering for the race, the little voice said: "5K, 5K..." Did I listen? Do I ever? So I signed up for the 7 mile race.

The weather was pretty hot but it wasn't bad in the woods. Of course I slid off a rock after about 1/50th of a mile into the race and took a pretty good digger. I was already in last place so it didn't matter much. That sort of set the tone for the rest of the race- I fell at least four or five more times. I'm blaming it on the shoes. Gotta get trail shoes. Or maybe not do trail races. Decisions.

I never really hit any kind of stride or got my breathing right. With the varied terrain, I had a hard time finding any rhythm. Kind of like the difference between mountain biking and road cycling. The course was very nice and extremely well marked. Very scenic. Who knew you could find that in Fitchburg??

Alyssa, Anna, Christine and pretty much everyone else did really well. I was also impressed by the male/female ratio. Maybe there is something to this trail running thing.

Time? 1:47:00-ish. That's about a 15:20/mile for you math whizzes. Hey- it was a fun event and at least I didn't get trashed by a nun.

You all know how I feel about Crocs. If you didn't, you do now. :o)

A new low; A new high.

2008-05-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

OK, so Thursday evening May 22, 2008 we (Don, Jill, me) go to run a 5K with Team Hoyt (Keep in mind that I've run about 3 miles since the marathon.) I had a bowl of Cheerios at about 3:30 PM and the race was at 6:30 PM. Who knew that wasn't enough time? I wasn't having a really great race (Although the event was very fun.) I got passed, I mean like I was standing still by a nun, wearing a habit, pushing a jogging stroller. Really. I suck.

There were several nuns from a school there at the race. Apparently, running shoes are part of the habit. The nuns were there with a whole buncha kids from the school. The little kids had a race around the American Legion building there in Waltham while the bigger kids ran the 5K along with their teachers, the nuns. The nun who went smokin' by me had a special needs child in the stroller, thereby explaining the concept of the nun with the stroller. Thereby not explaining why I suck.

So today, Sunday May 25, 2008 I ran (Sort of) the annual Bostons Run To Remember, a law enforcement memorial event. This event has a half marathon or a 5-mile road race. Being all confident back in March when I signed up for it, naturally I signed up for the half-marathon. Jill had mentioned that she might run the half also. This was confirmed when she came screaming down the highway behind me in Jill-In-Da-Box. (AKA a Honda Element.) I was waffling on whether or not to swap to the 5-mile race. Well, I didn't. Today for the very first time, I ran (Sort of) a half marathon in under 3 hours. Whee. Official net time: 2:59:38. I'll take it thanks. After the marathon we had lunch and then I went to work. I was so proud of myself that I had coffee and donuts. Yeah yeah yeah. That's right- Donuts. I like donuts.

Another thought or two...

2008-04-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

I have to throw in big huge thanks and a plug here for Jody and Jon of Marathon Physical Therapy. Without them there would have been no 2008 Boston Marathon for me. Really.

Check out my teammate Marie's blog. Not only is it a great read with great photos, she also has some very cool stuff she's selling to fund raise.

Since I'm still going to remain very active with Team in Training (You should be too...) I think I'm going to keep this blog active. Since we're now back in the groove helping to train a team of cyclists for Americas Most Beautiful Bike Ride century- a one-day 100 mile ride around Lake Tahoe, the focus will drift away from running and the Boston Marathon. I do have a couple other half-marathons planned this season though so running will rear it's ugly head from time to time. I'm also looking forward to trying a couple of triathlons this season. I'm entered in the Timberman Sprint Triathlon in August and I'm planning on the Pumpkinman Sprint Triathlon. "Pumpkinman"... I really like that name!

Since I've realized that nothing takes weight off like running, I'm going to try to mentor some of the fall and winter run teams. I'm also going to be back as a volunteer for the TNT 2009 Boston Marathon team with Dave Tierney and The Best Water Stop Crew Ever.

I love my bike! :o)

The "RACE"

2008-04-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

Monday April 21, 2008- Marathon Monday- started with the alarm clock at 5:00 AM. Don was picking me up at 6:15 AM to catch the shuttle bus from Boston Common to Hopkinton. Did I really need to wake up at 5:00 AM? Not really- I had set everything up the night before. All I really needed to do was pick up my stuff and walk out the door. I didn't need an hour and fifteen minutes to do that. Who needs sleep anyway?

Since I had time on my hands, my next big decision was breakfast. Cereal. Multi-grain Cheerios or Reeses Puffs? Hmmm... I opted for the Cheerios. I imagined my face on the box. Wait. That's Wheaties. Never mind.

To say that I was apprehensive would be the understatement of the month. My back hurt, my hip hurt and my foot hurt. To kill some time I jumped on-line and checked out the weather. It was looking to be a pretty stellar day weather-wise. Maybe a bit too warm for some but at my level, who cares?!

Don picked me up a couple minutes before 6:15 AM. As we drove to Boston I wondered if I'd be headed home before midnight.

We made good time into Boston, parked in the garage under Boston Common and found a relatively short line to the buses. Jill's dad had dropped her off at the Common. In the crowd of 20,000 or so, she somehow found us. The three of us got on a school bus bound for Hopkinton. I'd forgotten how small the seats on a school bus are. I'm not that tall and my knees were jammed into the seat in front of me. I can't imagine being really tall and crammed into those seats before a 26 mile run!

Introductions... Don Lamothe is the Team in Training New Hampshire Cycling Coach and Team in Training alumni of not only cycling but traithlon and marathon events. Gillian (Jill) Bidgood is a Team in Training alumni of many TNT cycling events, triathlons and marathons as well. Both have become my friends and we all agree that cycling is much, much better than running.

Once we got close to Hopkinton, our bus tour became a very slow affair. Who knew there was going to be entertainment???!!! Runners were jumping on and off the buses to use the 'facilities.' The entertaining part was that if they took too long, the buses moved ahead and the runners had to actually run to find their buses. OK, it's not that exciting but it distracted me for a few minutes.

By the time we got to our drop off point near athlete's village, my back, hip and foot were acting up. I was not optimistic about the day. But after walking for a bit to find the rest of the team, things started to loosen up a bit and my attitude improved a whole lot. My 'tude improved even more when the sun broke out. I spent some time stretching, ate half a peanut butter and jam sammich I brought and just tried to relax. Jill fully analyzed the porta-potti lines and determined that because of the way they were arranged, the lines away from the corner units were the shorter ones. So I only spent three or four minutes in line. Not long after that it was time to head for the starting line with a short side trip to shove our gear bags through the side window of the appropriate bus.

While hanging around the athletes village, Coach Rick grabbed me and said: "You're going all the way!!" After processing that for a bit, I decided that was the attitude I needed to have: Keep moving forward and stop when I get to the finish line. I decided that as long as I was physically able to move forward, that I would not stop. I know how single minded I can be and just decided to make that work for me no matter how long it took. (This may come as a shock but I'm not that fast anyway.)

We started toward the town common and the start line. As it turned out, we wouldn't stand still again until Boston. As we approached the start line, we heard the gun for our wave. It was probably another 15 minutes before we even got to the starting line. I started my watch as I crossed the line. I was with Jill for my first two minute running interval. After that I said goodbye to Jill, wished her luck and settled into my run/walk intervals.

The field thinned out pretty quickly- Most of the field was faster than me. I felt pretty good and kept a conservative pace. I really liked being in the thin part of the pack. I didn't feel like I was holding anyone back and being able to run wherever I wanted to on the road was a bonus for my hip and back. (The arched contour of the road can really alter your comfort level.) I spent a lot of time right in the center of the road on the yellow lines.

Through Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham and Natick I went conservatively. My plan was to start out slow and taper down from there. I felt pretty good. My half marathon split was actually much faster than I thought it would be- 3:00:13- a personal record for that distance. The water and Gatorade stops were plentiful at this point. I alternated water and Gatorade at each water stop. I was using energy gels about every 45 minutes to an hour. My foot wasn't bad and my back and hip stayed very tolerable. I could hear the crowd talking about a runner behind me who was juggling while running. I figured if I could stay ahead of the juggler, I'd be OK!

I really enjoyed the first half. The crowds were very supportive (Except for the few wise-asses who yell: "You're almost there!"- That's OK- I liked them too.) Little kids holding out their hand's for 'high-fives', people handing sliced oranges to the runners, the shouts of encouragement and especially the quiet words of encouragement. If you ever want to be reminded of how kind people can really be, run the Boston Marathon.

In Natick, a little boy ran up to me and said: "Hey! I just saw you on TV!!" I said: "Next to the juggler, right?" He said: "Yeah!" I managed to stay ahead of the juggling runner through Natick and into Wellesley. We were neck and neck for a while- I don't know whether he passed me or not. I noticed he wasn't wearing a race number.

Alyssa was right- The Boston Marathon is a 26.2 mile party!

Part of me had been really dreading April 21 but all the way to Wellesley and the halfway point I was feeling good, little aches and pains aside. I thought I might actually finish before official timing ended and everyone went home.

Just past the halfway point, my back locked into a big giant knot. Stretching provided only momentary relief. The original injury really didn't bother me much at all. It was my back that finally threatened to shut me down.

I kept up my run walk interval for a short time longer. It wasn't so much the running or walking that hurt- It was the transition between the two. This is what you call 'decision time.' My decision was that I would continue toward the finish line until I either got there or couldn't walk. I decided that since the pain would probably fatigue me more than either walking or running, that I would walk. So much for official timing!

The CVS van, race officials and police that signify that a runner is behind the minimum pace passed me in Wellesley. I knew going into the marathon injured that falling off the pace was a realistic possibility so I was prepared for it. I was happy that it had no real impact on me.

Just west of the Wellesley Community Center I saw my brother-in-law Tom and my nephew Wyatt. They didn't have any trouble at all keeping up with me. Coach Rick met me also. We had a little chat about the relative merits of continuing. One of the merits being that if I didn't stop I wouldn't have to do another marathon! There was no question in my mind- I wanted to continue.

At the community center I saw Lindsey and Dawn. If there was any residual doubt about continuing, it was gone. John Engdahl, cancer survivor, one of our team honored heroes and several time Boston Marathon finisher told me quietly: "You can walk all the way from here if you need to- I know- I've done it." Lindsey and John put things into perspective for me. My sister and my mom were there also. I didn't want to stop for too long because I knew that I would stiffen quickly. I grabbed some water and a few snacks and moved on down the road.

John's wife Helen was going to her car and she walked with me for a bit. She and her caught up to me just before I was about to cross route 128. Their adorable granddaughter jumped out and brought me a bottle of water. Stuff like that is better than any medal.

One of the disadvantages of being a slug in the Boston Marathon is that the water stops were gone. I can't count the number of people who offered me water, oranges and cool towels long after the water stops were gone. I have no idea who any of you are but I'm very grateful for your kindness and concern.

About 17 or 18 miles in, I was plodding along in Newton. Who shows up but Kyrsten, one of the angels. Shortly after that we met Paul. Paul was a charity runner from another team, hurting like me. The three of us moved on down the road to where Coach Lori, (Another angel!) was set up at mile 20.5. Paul continued on and Coach Lori beat on me with "The Stick." (Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!) That's when the third angel, Alyssa showed up!

Kyrsten handed me off to Alyssa like a relay baton and we moved east-ish for the last six miles. Someplace in Brookline I think, Alyssa and I met a drunk college guy who offered me Jack and Coke and then walked with us for probably the better part of a mile. Turns out he's a grad student working on a masters degree in education... I fear for our future! He was finally distracted by three drunk blonde women and left us in peace!

The last few miles Alyssa, Paul and I walked together. Coach Rick came out and met us. At the right turn at Hereford St., there was a big group of TNT people including Dave Tierney who'd been there all day. I don't want to try to mention names for fear of leaving anyone out but I want you to know that your presence meant SO much to me- I have no words.

From Hereford St. we made the left turn on to Boylston St. We could see the finish line. We could also see that they were taking it down! Paul and I decided that when we got just a bit closer that we would run across the line. We were a pretty good size group by then. My mom, my sister and my brother-in-law and nephew were there too. About 100 yards from the line Paul and I decided we were ready. Even though it was ridiculously painful, we ran across the finish line of the Boston Marathon about seven hours and forty minutes after leaving Hopkinton.

There were certainly some difficult moments. During those times I drew strength from Lindsey and John.

I thought about another friend also named John who was seriously injured in the service of his country many years ago. He continues to deal with the awful complications of his injuries but always maintains his dignity and bearing. I know what he would say about struggle.

I thought about Diana and what she might think of or do with the situation. She had a great influence on me over the years even though I wasn't always aware of it.

Kyrsten and Alyssa, you have no idea how much you helped me. You are both the bestest.

The fact that the finish line was being disassembled as we ran through it, that all the race officials were gone, that almost of the spectators had left, that there were no time clocks and no medals didn't diminish the moment one bit. To be at the finish line, having done what I said I would do, having done right by Lindsey, John Engdahl and our other honored heroes and surrounded by family and friends has got to be the Best Moment Ever.

I'm told that there are some photos headed my way at some point. I'll get some of them posted on here.

Two of my teammates started, but were not able to finish the marathon. My thoughts are with them.

Many of our teammates had excellent days. Don and Jill both set personal records. A good number of other team members set PRs or posted qualifying times for the 2009 Boston Marathon. Congratulations to everyone!!

I want to thank everyone who supported me during the last several months. I could not have done this without you. If I can return the favor, say the word.

And to answer the question: Yes, I am alive!

What do you call the last guy in the Boston Marathon???...

2008-04-21T19:51:00.003-07:00

Done!

A long hard day but I did finish. More later. Nighty night!

Sunday April 20th, 2008. One day away.

2008-04-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning- April 17, I did a short 4+ mile run/walk. It was a painful experience but not unbearable. By Friday morning I felt OK. I went to physical therapy and got a little tune-up from Jon. Physical therapy goes something like this:

Me: "Is this supposed to hurt?"

Jody/Jon: "Yes."

I'm getting to like the EMS machine. (Electronic Muscle Stimulation) The EMS machine uses a mild electrical current to help strengthen and heal muscles. The feeling is sort of like a baby TASER. Being hit with a TASER is not fun. EMS is fun. I think I am nuts. I can understand why people like getting tattoos...

Trivia...

The muscle I've been having the most trouble with is the piriformis. The word "piriformis" is derived and contracted from the latin words for "pear shaped."

Piriformis: Pear shaped.

Me: Pear shaped.

Coincidence? I think not.

Just to make life more interesting, I think I might have a groin pull. I'm going to try to see a doctor today just to make sure it isn't something more serious. If it isn't I'll be at the starting line in Hopkinton tomorrow morning- And hopefully at the finish line in Boston sometime before dark. The last few days have been among the most stressful I can remember. I really just want to be on the road~ Once the gun goes off and we're moving, I'll be fine.

"Ninety percent of this game is fifty percent mental." I think Yogi Berra said that. Crappy math aside, there's a lot of truth to that statement. My head has been giving me more issues than my injuries. It's been impossible to think about much other than the marathon. I mean, there's really no pressure on me other than the pressure I put on myself. I think my thoughts would have been different if I hadn't gotten hurt so late in training. I know that all I can do is go out and give it my best effort and 'leave it on the road.'

The last new photo before the marathon is another one of Lindsay. Our team's pasta party was last night. Lindsey was one of the speakers. She told her cancer survival story to two hundred or so people. She didn't even seem nervous. When she finished, it was to a standing ovation. Lindsey is destined for great things~ She is my hero.

This marathon is dedicated to Lindsey Kimball.
This marathon is dedicated to Diana Golden-Brosnihan 1963-2001
This marathon is dedicated to my Dad, Jerry Lavine 1923-2003

Off to see about the doc~ I'll check in tomorrow after the marathon. Wish me luck! :o)

Ups and Downs...

2008-04-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. It's been forever.

Where to start...

The last few weeks have been a real rollercoaster. At our last long training run on March 29- A 20 miler from Hopkinton to Newton, I finally managed to hurt myself for real. Best guess is that I've done something untoward to my left piriformis muscle. It's a little deal that holds your sacrum to your femur. I don't really know what caused it. I felt a little twinge there the night before the 20 mile run. I figured it was nothing and would either: A) Be gone by morning. or B) Work itself out during the run. Well, it worked itself IN during the run. By eight or nine miles, it hurt pretty badly. My teammate Kyrsten ran with me for a mile and noticed that I was limping. I then violated my own rule: "When you limp, you stop." At about 11 miles, Kyrsten offered to join me again- I would have been lousy company at that point so I declined. By 13 or 14 miles, I was reduced to an almost continuous walk. Then, the angels appeared. Kyrsten and Alyssa. They traveled with me to the Wellesley Community Center which is just short of 15 miles. A few bad jokes and some interesting conversation made the time painless. Coach Rick met me just west of the community center. He told me what I've told others many times during training for cycle events. The fact that I know he was right didn't make it easy to stop there- But stop there I did.

The next day, Sunday, I could hardly walk. Pain in the piriformis can literally be called 'a pain in the butt.' Damn but that hurt! Going down stairs was just silly! I would almost rather have just fallen down the stairs- It would have been over quicker! I ingested my own weight in ibuprofen and left for the New England Multisport Expo. Yes. I know that was stupid. But I'd agreed to volunteer there and had no way to let anyone know that I was going to be absent so off to Cambridge. Once I got there, I found that I could only walk about 10 steps without stopping. I figured at that point that it was some kind of soft tissue injury since I could feel something balling up as I walked and it would slowly relax if I stood still. Well, like an idiot, I stayed there all day. (Great expo by the way...) I hobbled home and figured that if it still hurt like this on Monday, I'd see the doctor.

Monday- I felt OK when I woke up. No pain. Hah! As soon as I got out of bed and took a step- Yikes! I called my doctors office at Acton Medical for an appointment. My primary care doctor was available but at another facility without x-ray capability. The nurse thought x-rays might be needed so she scheduled me with a different doctor at Acton for that afternoon. I limped into the appointment. I left believing that it was a soft-tissue injury but not knowing much else. The doctor was pretty dismissive. Actually, I thought he sucked. I won't name him here but I won't forget him either. He said "Use heat and ibuprofen. Here are some stretches. (Gives me a printed sheet.) I don't know about the marathon." Thanks doc.

So next step is to find someone who actually does know what they're doing. So I made an appointment with Marathon Physical Therapy with the swift approval of my regular doc. My first appointment was on that Friday. I made it clear that my goal was to be on the start line for the Boston Marathon. So with that in mind, Monica and Jody evaluated the mess that was me at that point. Since then, between Jody beating me up and seemingly endless heat/stretch/ice cycles, the improvement is measurable. The thought of not being sufficiently healed come April 21 still scares the crap out of me. I just keep telling myself and anybody else who will listen that I'm going to be on the Boston Marathon start line on April 21, 2008.

Jody as well as Coaches Rick and Lori have said not to run during the taper. Biking on the other hand is fine. So rather than sit around and eat bon bons, I've been riding during my taper. Yanno, the scenery changes a lot faster on a bike than on my feet!

I ended up being out of work the entire week after I got hurt. To pass the time and keep my head in the right place, I re-read Lance Armstrong's "It's Not About The Bike" and Donna Hicken's "The Good Fight." You all know who Lance is. Donna Hicken is the organizer of "26.2
with Donna: The National Marathon Against Breast Cancer"- The Half Marathon that Jill, Kyrsten and I ran in Jacksonville, FL in February. The books helped me to not only stay positive but to remember the Team in Training mission.

Speaking of staying positive. I've been thinking a lot lately about my friend Diana Golden-Brosnihan. The world lost Diana in 2001.

Read about Diana here, here and here.

I didn't really get to know Diana well until high school. She was a few years behind me and until high school, I knew that she was the kid who had lost her leg to cancer. I got to know her better when she started to get involved with the theater group where I hung out. Diana didn't just enter a room, she exploded into it. She was all exuberance and positive attitude. She was also beautiful and there were more than a few guys with crushes on her, myself included. She was strong and tough and could knock most of us guys off of our feet with or without her crutches.

As you know, since you did your reading above, she became a world class skier. Not only did she compete and win against other disabled athletes, she also competed against athletes without disabilities.

Warren Miller, who is famous for his ski films said about Diana: "After you're with her for a few minutes, you totally forget her handicap,'' he said. ''She has her act together, and it's not an act.''

Not only did Diana prevail over her bone cancer, she was also a breast cancer survivor. Her breast cancer finally took her in 2001. It makes me sad that I lost touch with her. But I never forgot her. (If you ever met her, you couldn't forget her if you tried.)

Diana's name is on my Boston Marathon singlet. I'll be running not only in honor of Lindsey and our other honored heroes, but also in Diana's memory. It is an honor and a rare privilege to have known her. Diana set the bar high. I hope I can measure up.

Well, somehow or another, my blog ended up linked from the Breast Cancer Marathon website.

I heard from another of the bloggers- Jim aka RunningGeezer262- He sent me a quote that's also on his blog:

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." -T.S.Eliot

Damn straight. I just may be going to far. I'll get back to you on that.

Dean Karnazes, an ultra-marathoner and all-around runner of outrageous distances said:

"Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up."

Another quote I've become fond of- Don Kardong (Olympic marathoner and world-class runner) said:

“Hills: You entered a marathon with hills? You idiot.”

'Nuff said!

More nonsense from me...

2008-03-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

26.2 with Donna... DO IT!!!!! OK, you can do 13.1 with Donna also!

Myself and two of my teammates, Jill and Kyrsten went to Jacksonville, FL for the

Inaugural 26.2 with Donna The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer!

www.breastcancermarathon.com

We didn't actually do the 26.2- We did 13.1- the half-marathon.

When you're used to 20 or so degrees in New England in the Winter, upwards of 75 degrees can be a bit of a shock to the system. My goal was to run the half in under three hours. Missed it by this ===> <=== much. 3:00:43. It WAS pretty darn hot. I was a hurtin' unit when I was done. We sat around for a while, listened to the band, had a beer and a snack, popped a couple ibuprofen and felt pretty good by the time we got back on the shuttle. I have to say that this event was really well-run. Even though it was an inaugural event, it had experienced race organizers and really went off very well. The people of Jacksonville were extremely supportive and there was excellent support on the course- Plenty of water stations and excellent traffic control. There were a bunch of people along the course with garden hoses spraying us- I could have kissed every one of them! It was a really hot day and I didn't make my time goal but it was a great experience and I hope to do that race again next year. This race is extremely walker-friendly. It would make a great first half or full marathon if you're so inclined. It's a great cause and very well run. Kyrsten and Jill both finished in well under 3 hours. Jerks.

So since then, I've been trying to get in some quality running time during the week. The weather and work has kept me mostly on the treadmill. I've had races every Sunday for the last four weeks. Today's was a 5-miler here in Lowell. I finished in just under an hour. Even though that's a relatively slow pace, if I can stay anywhere close to that during at least the first 20 miles of the marathon, I should be in fine shape to finish the Boston Marathon before dark.

I have to admit that lately the thought has entered my mind to drop the Boston Marathon idea and swap to a half marathon event. My knees have been bothering me quite a bit lately. Painwise maybe a 3-4 on a 1 to 10 scale. I have these little arguments with myself... I think at the bottom line are two issues: One is that I've already done three half marathons- Where's the challenge? (Not that halfs aren't challenging but it won't be new to me- Does that even make any sense?) Two is that if I drop out at this point, it will bother me forever. It will bother me enough that I'll try it again. I'm stupid like that. I think in that situation that the wear and tear on this petite little body would be cumulative. The big picture is that I should suck it up, shut up and stay with the program. The long runs are beating me up- No question. My main goal is going to be to try to stay injury-free (Other than the knees- I don't want them to get any worse!) while getting in as much mileage as I can. I think the couple spinning sessions that I've done are what is screwing up my knees. I think it's the flywheel deal. Regular exercise bikes and bicycles don't hurt.

Rich Haus, friend and TNT alumni, kindly pointed out to me that there are plenty of people who would love to be able to walk or run but can't. For all my whining, Rich is right. I know that I'll finish the marathon. I'm stubborn and the cause is right. I'll just make sure I take a couple days off afterward!

A couple pictures this week. One is yours truly chugging to the finish line of the Claddagh Pub 4-mile race on March 2nd. The other photo explains itself!

You all have a great week!

Reality bites...

2008-02-13T19:23:00.001-08:00

Reality has set in. My confirmation for the Boston Marathon arrived today from the B.A.A. It's official... :o)

Bear with me...

2008-02-11T09:59:00.001-08:00

...for a minute. I figured something out this past week. At first it sounds bad, but really, it's a positive discovery.

I figured out that no matter what I do, I do not, and will not like long distance running. 5K's (3.1 miles) and the odd 10K (6.2 miles- duh!) with a 5-miler thrown in here and there are fine. Beyond that I really don't like running.

The seed for this epiphany was planted in an email from Coach Rick.

It would seem that this kind of thought process would be counter-productive. Not so much. I'm no longer trying to figure out why I don't fall into a good rhythm or 'groove' when I run. I'm not trying to figure out why I'm so slow. (Being the Fat Man doesn't help there!) I'm not trying to figure out why the distance increases are so hard. I'm not a natural runner. Some people are, and some people are not.

So what does this mean for my Boston Marathon? It means that I'll try some different things in training- I just bought two of Jeff Galloway's running books. I'm going to try some set run/walk intervals instead of the hit-or-miss run/walk I've been doing. No more worrying about how slow I am. I'm actually starting to enjoy training more.

For me, the Boston Marathon isn't going to be about speed. It's going to be about completing a mission- to raise money to fight blood cancer and achieving a personal goal. I do believe that this will be my one and only full marathon- I'm going to do the most with it that I can.

So there!

Saturday's run was a short one for me- The team did 15 miles. I did six miles and then went to a spinning class with the TNT cycle team. Saturday was the first cycle training. Since I was in Las Vegas during the season kick-off, I wanted to meet some of the new teammates. So far, a small group- But it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog; Our group is small but mighty!

I don't know if I mentioned this but I signed up for a sprint triathlon in August- Even though it's the wrong order (A triathlon is swim/bike/run.) the run/bike thing was an eye-opener. It's going to be a fun summer!

This coming Sunday feb. 17, my teammates Kyrsten and Jill will be running the National Breast Cancer 1/2 Marathon along with yours truly in Jacksonville, FL. I CAN"T WAIT for some warmer weather!!! (Las Vegas was only marginally warmer than Massachusetts.) I'll be staying with friends in Melbourne, FL for the rest of the week and flying home on Friday. Back to team training on Saturday and then a three-mile race on Sunday the 24th. Hmmmmm... For someone that doesn't like running, I have a lot of it lined up...

I just got done with five miles on the treadmill. Time to clean up and get to work.

Everyone take care and have a great week!

Halfway there.

2008-01-29T17:55:00.000-08:00

Saturday's training was 13 miles. OK, well it's not exactly half seeing as the marathon is actually 26.2 miles but it's close enough for me.

My knees hurt, my ankles hurt, my feet hurt... Saturday... Hurt. Yanno, sometimes I think I'm the only one who's hurting out there. I know some of my teammates have had some injuries. Although I've been hurting at times, I'm not injured. Hopefully I can keep it that way!

I still struggle with the mental game. I've found that picking a visual goal and then picking another and then another, etc. makes the time go by. When I have a day like Saturday, it's difficult to ignore the pain- Difficult but not impossible- More like choosing not to give in. Dean Karnazes (50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days among other fairly crazy endeavors.) has a great quote: "Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; Just never give up." I haven't crawled yet. Yet.

Only a few weeks until the breast cancer half-marathon in Jacksonville, FL~ Our long runs will be over 15 miles by then- The half will be like a break!

No long run for me this weekend- I'll be in Las Vegas at a trade show. Hopefully missing a long training won't be a set-back. I won't be doing any running in Vegas but I won't be there all that long. I'll be on a red-eye Sunday night to work at the police academy Monday morning. That should be a real treat. Back to running on Tuesday though!

That's all for now. Gotta go pack! Have a great week and weekend everyone!

Heartbreak.

2008-01-22T09:45:00.000-08:00

Hill that is.

Saturday was a 12 mile excursion including the famous Heartbreak Hill. I was underdressed and under-confident. I swear it got colder during the run. Also, much of the return leg was into the wind. At my speed the wind doesn't really change much- I just continue to be slow! But it was a cold wind. Cold wind + sweat + no hat = big freezy head. No calf cramps though. I think between plenty of water during the week, electrolyte replacement, "The Stick" and enough bananas to make a monkey jealous, that problem is behind me. It's time to start thinking about nutrition during the runs. I was really hungry during the last mile. Gels... Mmmmmmm!

I've been having trouble with the mental game. I spent a good part of the 'run' wishing that it was over. I realize it's a big TNT no-no, but I may start bringing my MP3 player to training runs. I end up by myself a lot because I'm so damn slow! :o) Tunes really help on my weekday runs and the treadmill. I'm still brutally attentive to the clock so time really crawls sometimes. I need to find 'the zone.' On my weekday outdoor runs, I'm not a clock watcher. I don't know why. On the treadmill, my eyes are glued to the clock. Maybe that's because it's right in front of my face. I'd love to be able to close my eyes on the treadmill. If I closed my eyes on the treadmill, I suspect I'd become the day's entertainment pretty quickly.

Speaking of the treadmill. (7 miles on it today) I've noticed that I pay much more attention to my form on the treadmill. Maybe that's because if you screw up badly enough, it will spit you out like a cartoon character. I'm still not completely sold on the treadmill idea but it's a good workout and there's no snow. I've heard of people doing full marathon training on a treadmill. Interesting concept but I don't think that would be ideal for me.

One of the big differences between cycling and running for me is that the cycling is much more social. Cycling tends to be more of a group thing where there really isn't alot of competition (Except for Keith! OK, and Anna too.) Runners seem more competitive even if only with themselves. Don't get me wrong- The marathon team is great- Everyone has been very supportive. (Even if they're thinking something else in their heads!!) It's not a complaint about runners- No no no! -Just an observation!

Saturday's run made me realize that I need to crank it up a notch during the week. I think I'm going to stick with two runs during the week and a long run on Saturdays, but I'm going to jack up the intensity. I'm going to work some more cross-training in with the runds as well.

This week's photo kinds of sums up my attitude!

See you soon!

De Plane...

2008-01-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

Who remembers Herve Villechaize? Tattoo from the Fantasy Island TV show? If you do, your age is showing...

Actually, it's "De Pain." It's been a tough couple weeks. I've had some kind of simmering upper respiratory thing going on. I finally got to see the doc on Thursday Jan. 10. I have myself some amoxicillin now so hopefully this illness will soon be gone.

Being sick made running entirely un-fun. I was tired all the time and wasn't running during the week- Only at the Saturday team runs. 9+ miles in Grafton. Nothing is flat in Grafton. It's all either up or down. I only managed 5.5 or so miles at last weeks team run and then this past week, work and being sick kept me off the road. Yesterday's team run was 11 miles. I can honestly say that yesterday was the single worst training day I've ever had for any sport at any time. (Well, I broke my right femur on Dec. 26, 1976 at wrestling practice- But I got morphine for that...) I had bad cramps in my right calf, because of the cramps, my stride changed hurting my right knee. Blech. At least training probably can't get much worse. Not enough water during the week I think. Maybe not enough potassium and electrolytes either. I'm going to be a chimp with gills this week. Which means a lot of bananas and water like a fish. Which reminds me of a joke:

What do you call a fish with no eyes?... A fsh.

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitresses.

John Engdahl, one of our honorees came to training yesterday to talk to the team before the run. John is a cancer survivor, former TNT marathoner and all-around great guy. John is pretty funny and he always motivates me. I probably owe the fact that I finished the training run (Walk?) yesterday to John!

We're solidly into double-digit team runs now so I have to make training during the week a higher priority. I think the next couple days are going to be a wash for outdoor running so I will hit the gym. I'm not a big fan of the treadmill but it's better than sitting at home eating donuts.

No new photo this week because: A) I am lazy and B) I have no new photos to post. So instead I'm posting a couple links. One is to make your own Southpark character and the other is to make your own Simpsons character. What do these have to do with leukemia or marathons? Nothing. But you need a laugh every once in a while. Those of you who enjoy making cop and donut jokes will appreciate the Simpson's loading icon- I know who you are.

http://www.sp-studio.de/

http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/main.html

Have a great week everyone!

Lovin' Winter.

2007-12-27T16:56:00.000-08:00

Well, not only are the roads and sidewalks pretty much jammed with snow and slush, I managed to come down with some kind of upper respiratory thing. What a hoot. It does not seem to want to go away.

Even though I wasn't feeling so hot, I did a 5K on Sunday: The Bill Rodgers Jingle Bell Run. I actually saw Bill for about a millisecond too. Even though I was under the weather, I actually enjoyed the run and did pretty well too. (For me...) My time was 34:58 by my watch (No chip timing in this event.) or about 11:30:00 minutes per mile. In my last 5K I was just under 13 minutes per mile. I feel pretty good about that! By the time the Ras na hEireann U.S.A (Race of Ireland and the United States of America) comes around in March, I hope to be under 30 minutes. We'll see. (I know, I know- This is marathon training not 5K training but it's nice to see progress!) The pic I'm adding this week is me at the 5K. (I'm #483 in case you can't figure out which one is actually me...) Yes I am running. No I am not walking even though it looks like I am. Welcome to my world.

Because of this illness thing, I have not run this week. Only walked. It's a little weird- Even though I still don't like running, I miss it. I think I've lost my marbles. This Saturday will be a nine mile team run out in Grafton, Mass. We'll chat more after that!

See you next week!

SNOW!

2007-12-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

I hate snow. And running. Did I mention that?

The snow has made running on the road a real hoot. I went and checked out a gym right around the corner from me today. They have about 25 treadmills- All brand new. I'd really rather run on the road being more realistic and all but I have this desire not to get squished by someone who is snowblind and under the influence of cell phone. It's actually a pretty nice gym. Maybe I'll even lift a weight. Cross training yanno.

Saturday's run with the team was both good and bad. I felt like a trash bag for most of the run. I felt hefty and just wanted to sit on the curb. I really like running with a group though. We did an "M" shaped course this week- A really narrow "M". So I got to see my teammates a few times which was nice. Seven miles- More than I've run/walked in over a year.

We had a little yoga instruction before the team run. I should know by now that every time I try a new stretch, I end up in pain. From now on, I'm sticking to what I know. Everyone is different. I warm up by taking it easy at the beginning of my run. Then I take it easy during the rest of the run. I stretch a bit after the run and I'm usually fine. New yoga stuff + Ben = pain. Yep~ Stickin' with what I know. Coach Lori gave me some good stretches for my hip/IT Band which help quite a bit and don't hurt. I like that no pain part!

Todays run of 4.5 miles was excellent. I felt good through the whole run. (Do not confuse feeling good with liking running.) Only about five close calls with cars. I really believe running on the road is the way to train. But I think I'm going to start mixing in some treadmill workouts until the snowbanks melt back a bit- If they ever do.

Enough rambling. I'm going to go answer all the emails I've been meaning to answer for a week now! Everyone have a great week- Check back soon!

The Shuffle

2007-12-11T17:09:00.000-08:00

Add running to the list of things I'm not very good at. At least I'm starting to hate it a bit less then I did before. If I ever say: "I love running.", send help.

6 miles with the team last Saturday. It was actually pretty warm by comparison. I think I've found my pace. It's what my senior staff instructor in the police academy would have called the 'Airborne Shuffle.' He may have had in mind a whole bunch of soldiers running together in step. I have in mind a guy running with a parachute and 50 pounds of gear. I think I'm closer to the latter. My new running shoes are getting broken in. Slowly.

I'm continually amazed by your generosity. I'm more than half way to my goal. (Fundraising- not running- Sheesh! pay attention!!) I know that at this time of year, money can be very tight. I deeply appreciate your support.

7 miles on December 15th with the team. I'm sure I'll be DFL as usual but I don't care. If you don't know what DFL is, let's just say that the rest of the team is in front of me, ok? I'm cautiously optimistic- I haven't hurt myself and the mileage is coming along pretty well. Like they say though- It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.

A big shout out to Princess Alyssa~ Thanks for the clue about the New Balance outlet. Great stuff cheap. I drove by it three times 'cuz there is no sign (At the Lawrence store.) but it was worth it!

The photo I'm adding is of Roger. When I did my first Team in Training event I wrote a short article about my century ride for the local newspaper where I work. A woman wrote to me. As it turns out, her family lived near me growing up. Her son Roger was diagnosed with leukemia in the 1960's when the chances of a cure was only about 20%. Roger did not survive. Had he survived, he and I would have been in the same high school class. Lindsey reminds me of how far we've come. Roger reminds me of how far we have yet to go. I think about Roger a lot when I run. Sometimes when I don't want to run, I think about Lindsey and Roger. Then I go run.

Until next time, if you think it's an earthquake, it's just me!

Welcome to my Boston Marathon Blog!

2007-12-06T14:12:00.000-08:00

I'll be using this blog to chronicle my thoughts, experiences and training for the 2008 Boston Marathon. Of course I'll also be using this blog to shamelessly solicit donations for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

The 2008 Boston Marathon will be held on April 21, 2008. I'm training for the marathon in honor of Lindsey Kimball- A 12-year old two-time leukemia survivor. She's a tough nut, she's my hero and she keeps me going when I don't want to!

I'm running as part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training Boston Marathon team. A simple concept really- They make me run and I raise money for blood cancer research, treatment and patient/family services.

Check back here for updates! Feel free to post a comment or two. I know I'm slow- No need to point that out!! :o)