Well there you have it.  I ran across the area in the picture on the left.  That means I am a 2016 Boston Marathon FINISHER!  There were times I wondered if I would make it.  The following is my experience.

I had a pretty decent training period that saw weight training introduced for the first time.  I definitely felt strong leading up to race day. Then 6 days out I went on one last long run and something tightened up that did not feel right. After a visit to the doc, it was determined that it was most likely a micro tear in my calf.  A few extra days off allowed me to reach the starting line intact and as prepared as I could be...but we'll get to that.

I arrived in Boston late Thursday night.  My friends Brian and Meradee were hosting me at their place in Quincy.  That allowed me to work from their place on Friday as well.  They really took me in and made EVERYTHING so much easier.

Saturday was the day to go to the expo.  That was a pretty cool experience.  I had volunteered there two years prior when I was living in the Boston area.  This time definitely had a different feel though.  I bought my Boston jacket, some other clothing, and some other misc things.  I tried to just take in as much as I could.

Sunday was spent with friends and family, and that night saw my usual pasta and action movie tradition.  I was not expecting to get too much sleep that night, and boy was I right. Four hours later, my Boston experience was getting real.

The bus ride to the start takes a while, and you need to get there early.  I sat next to a guy from Michigan by the name of Dan.  He was in his 50's and also running his fifth marathon overall, but first Boston.  We chatted about the usual stuff...training, past running, etc.  He shared a story with me that proved to shape my race to come (more on that soon enough).

The time leading up to the start is a blur, but I do recall it being pretty crazy.  There are so many people, and that fan support is nothing short of amazing.  Even though I was in the first wave, once the gun fired it still took a couple of minutes for all of us to get moving. The first 4+ miles are mostly downhill, but you want to make sure you are not blowing out your legs/quads early on.  You need them when you hit the other versions of hills...the ones that go up!  I maintained a comfortable pace, but I could tell the heat was already going to be a factor.  The forecast was all over the place the days leading up, but it had trended to a high of 58 and cloudy the last time I checked.  I heard that it got to 75 on the course that day, and I do not recall a single cloud in the sky.  It was getting real hot, real fast.

Around mile 5 I started to get a headache, and I could tell it was related to the heat.  I was well hydrated like usual prior to the start, and was grabbing fluids each chance I could.  I knew I had to keep doing that as much as possible.  Concern started to set in a little bit, but I was running the Boston F'n Marathon.  Up to that point, I do not recall a single point where the fans were not at least a few people deep all over.  I pressed on as planned.

The miles leading up to the halfway point are mostly all a blur.  At mile 9, however I saw my buddy Brian right in front screaming and clapping.  I also heard another friend Kim from behind me screaming.  A look back, thumbs up, and on I pressed.  The only other things I remember are giving high fives to all the kids and people that were offering.  I cannot stress enough how amazing the crowd/fans are there.  A buddy that had ran Boston a couple times in the past told me to be prepared for the scream tunnel around mile 12. That is where the Wellesley College annual tradition takes place.  Students line the course for several blocks.  I am not kidding, it is lined with screaming college students that you can hear from about a mile away.  It is absolutely deafening.  They have some pretty funny signs, and others are urging runners to stop for kisses.  There were even two girls "wearing" a sign that said "the faster you run the lower the sign goes".  It is pretty entertaining.  I reserved myself to high fives along the several blocks.  Come one now, I'm running the Boston Marathon...I'm not slowing down for anybody!

I hit the halfway point and realized that I was behind pace.  I came in around 1:30, had a pretty bad headache, already sporting some good sunburn (I know, I know...sunscreen SUNSCREEN!), but I still was determined to hit my time goal.  The new plan was to drop the pace down a lot, and hit a few 6:20-6:30 miles.  The idea of not only running negative splits at Boston (second 13 miles faster than the first) but still hitting my goal time excited me. A couple of miles later I realized I was blazing through, but my headache was persistent, legs getting tired from the heat, and the realization that my time goal was out of reach began to set in.  I still had like 11 miles to go too!  That is when I remembered the story Dan from Michigan told me on the ride to the start.  During a long run for his training, he came across a woman wearing the iconic Boston jacket.  He found out she had ran Boston 10 times, and who knows how many other marathons.  He asked if she had any advice for a Boston rookie. She said that the best advice is to think of Boston as graduation.  You ran a marathon to qualify, and you have completed the training to actually run it too.  Your first Boston you come for your cap and gown (Boston jacket and finisher medal) and the experience that comes with it all.  That is what you should focus on, she told him.  My realization was taking another step.

I cannot recall ever running a race while not caring about my time.  It is always about pushing it as much as I can, and setting/resetting goals along the way if needed.  Boston was about to be different.  I knew I would not hit my goal time.  I knew I was getting into rough shape pretty quick.  I knew I had a mountain to climb in front of me that was not going anywhere.  I decided to dial back my pace, take in as much of the experience as I could, and try to get to that damn finish line in one piece.  The real battle was just beginning.

The miles between 15 and 20.5 were more of the same.  I was struggling more and more, but the crowd was just as intense as I could imagine possible.  I ran NYC in 2014 and thought the crowd was amazing there, because there are so many people.  The thing with Boston, like most things in NE, is that the people take so much pride in everything.  The marathon is no different.  In most of the world you refer to it as the Boston Marathon.  In Boston/NE it is just The Marathon.  Most races people are cheering, clapping, and urging you on.  At Boston they are like 5+ deep everywhere, but they are going CRAZY, absolutely CRAZY!  It is so intense.  It is like they are out there running with you, and are pushing you to keep going as much as they can.  I only wish they could have physically helped at mile 20.5.

Mile 20.5 is about where heartbreak hill starts.  Let me tell you, the name lives up to the hype.  I have ran many other hills that would be worse, but heartbreak is a hell of a hill at the point in a marathon where you are struggling so bad.  Couple that with the pounding of the previous downhills and random other hills, the heat, you name it.  It hurts!  My new goal was to make it to mile 24.  That is where I had a bunch of support waiting for me.  My buddy Jason and his wife flew out to cheer.  He rode his bike on a bunch of my long runs for support, and she joined for one as well.  They helped so much.  Two buddies from work actually took off to fly out and cheer me on.  I doubt Foday and Dan will ever know how much that meant to me.  Then there was my Mom, her BF, my step-sister, and her BF. Trying to reach them, I had to stop a bunch of times to ensure I was able to continue. Blisters, leg pain, and cramps can be a real bitch!

I finally hit mile 24ish and could barely hear anything.  As I jugged along, I heard this distinct screaming coming from behind me and to my right.  It was Foday, and he was going nuts!  Then I saw Dan too, and he was going nuts.  I immediately turned around to go high five them.  It was an awesome moment as they yelled at me to get out of there.  We laughed, and I was back on the course.  Next up I spotted my Mom and crew.  I hugged them all, but my Mom got two hugs.  I remember laughing as I said how much pain I was in. Had I not been dehydrated, I would have cried for sure.  I did not end of finding Jason and Nicole.  He told me later that they were screaming, but it was so loud where they were. He also said he could see it in my face that I was really struggling.  I knew they were there, and that matters so much to me.  Now I had what I needed to finish the last two miles of the Boston Marathon.

The days leading up to the race, I had seen a bunch of people posting pictures of the finish line.  I avoided it all together.  The first time I saw the finish line needed to be when I turned left on Boylston to actually go finish the marathon.  My moment was here, and I about lost it when I made that turn.  The crowd was going nuts, I could see the finish, and I knew I was almost done.  As I picked up the pace as much as I could, I started raising my arms to pump up the crowd.  Boy did they respond!  I crossed the finish line with both arms held high in the air.  I was now a Boston Marathon finisher!  I could not believe it...had it really happened?  Then I could barely walk.  Leg cramps suck, and so do headaches..and blisters, etc.  Now that I was done, all the pain was setting in.  Medical people are all over the place checking on everyone as they cross the finish.  I managed to slip through stating I was fine and got some fluids.  Once I sat down I started hoping someone would come ask how I was doing again.  When someone did, I swallowed my pride and admitted to cramping, bad headaches, etc.  She said I could get a free ride to the med tent...so a wheelchair ride to the med tent I went.  Maybe 20-30 minutes later, an IV, more fluids, and some warm hugs from a sweet older nurse is what I was given.  My headache was not as bad and I had friends/family to go meet.  I was done....and done!

Looking back the main things that stick out from the lead up to Boston, and running Boston, are so profound.  The support from so many people was so overwhelming, and still gets me choked up when I think about it.  Close friends, family, work friends, Facebook friends, and even strangers that found out I was doing it really impacted this experience for me.  I had some pretty awesome people help me during training as well.  I will forever be grateful to each and every one of them.  That is why their names were on the back of my shirt for all 26.2 miles of the Boston Marathon.

Now to enjoy marathon retirement...which is not running retirement...just marathon retirement.  See you out there!

Well, there you have it.  That is what I am dealing with.  I have only ran 12 times since the NYC Marathon (and packed on 10 pounds of beer and food, oh boy).  There have been days off, and weeks off.  I have been trying to stay active and things were looking up.  I had a couple weeks off, was working out at home, and had 2 runs in a row (3 days between) that were great.  Then yesterday I did a regular stretch/pushup type of workout.  Later in the day, when I was planning on a short run again, my hammy was really tight and sore.  I had zero days running close to one another, and also was being very careful not to aggravate my hammy.  Today's workout sealed it, that it is now time to seek some help from the pro's.  I HATE taking time off, but the last few months have proven that I am willing to do it if I HAVE to.  So, I plan on hitting whatever rehab I am given...and hit it hard!  I wanted this year to be one of my best running years to date.  Depending on how this time off and rehab goes, that may still be possible.  For now, I guess I will have to give some updates as I have them.  More to come!

I WILL see you out there soon...

HOLY SHIT...

"Proof" that...

I DID IT!

So, yesterday morning I went for a run through the five Burroughs of NYC with 50,000+ of my closest friends...or I ran the NYC Marathon!  It has been an interesting time processing the weekend and the race.  This experience was nothing like I have ever experienced before.  There are two parts to it, which I will try to explain the best I can.

First I will explain the race itself, as that is the easiest to articulate in words.  I was in wave 1, corral A.  That meant I was the first group after the elites and local pro's.  I was in the first 50-100 people ON the starting line.  Once the cannon fired, yes they fire a damn cannon, we were off on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge from Staten Island.  The elites were a little ways back from us on the right hand lane of the bridge.  That was so amazing to watch them run by so close to me.  Once we crossed the bridge we were in Brooklyn for about 11 miles...almost all straight on one road.  After the 13 mile mark I was feeling pretty good still.  We crossed at 1:30 and the idea of doing another sub 3 hour marathon started to enter my mind for the first time.  I had not set a real time goal with my training setbacks.  Now ideas crept into my mind that were not good to be having at ONLY the half way point.  So what does a level-headed individual do in a situation like this?  He maintains a steady pace.  Too bad I am not one of those level-headed individuals.  Picking up the pace to keep the 3 hour pace group behind me seemed like a better idea.  As a matter of fact I threw a couple faster miles in there to drop them back and out of sight.  Then the Queensboro Bridge is at about mile 15 and the winds (up to 40 mile/hr gusts) were right in our faces.  This is also where the pace group had gained on me so I pushed a little more to get back the ground I had lost.  Fortunately for me, or unfortunately, a pacer maintains a steady pace so I knew I was pulling away.  That damn bridge will remain in my memory as the toughest run I have ever done.  The rest of the race is a blur until around mile 22.  This is where my erratic pace, due to being partially injured and not trained to attempt a sub 3 marathon in ridiculous conditions, caught up with me.  The pace group was at my side and my legs said no more.  I had hit the wall for the first time ever.  I decided it was not worth killing myself over the next four miles.  I let them go and a huge weight was lifted from me.  I took some extra fluids and greeted central park with a clear head.  Too bad my legs were not on board with finishing though.  Central park was so amazingly painful, but I kept trucking along and was able to finish with a VERY respectable 3:02:08.  My 2nd fastest marathon and another BQ.  I had finished the NYC Marathon in some of the worse conditions since the 70's.  I had also placed 824th out of 50,564 people (the largest ever!).  You do the math...I'll take it!  A sign I saw during the marathon puts some things into perspective.  It read, "26.2 miles because 26.3 would be just crazy!"  Running, no racing 26.2 miles seems normal to me.  Going any further just seems nuts...not one step further at all!  This marathon was easily the hardest one I have ran out of the four.  I experienced a level of pain that I not so sure I want to go through again.  If it weren't for crowds along the course, I know for sure that I would not have come through as well as I did.  Having that many people cheering you on personally (I had my name written on my shirt) is an experience I cannot begin to explain the impact of.  Next time, yes I am planning on doing another, will be different.  When that will be is unknown at this point in time.  For now I plan to do a short run tomorrow to help my legs heal and a few more days after that.  The running part was easy to reflect on.  The rest, well...

The other part of this experience was running for the Christopher Reeve Foundation.  This organization is amazing and needs to be more in the news for what they have done, are doing, and will be doing.  When I first decided to run the NYC Marathon, the decision was to do with for a charity.  There are so many to choose from, and I wanted it to mean something.  I found some with donations levels at between $2000-$2500.  If I just wanted to run the marathon I could have gone that route to make it easier.  I am sure those are great organizations, but I wanted something that meant more to me.  When I found Team Reeve, it struck me immediately.  Two years ago I herniated three discs in my neck and shoulders.  Luckily it was not that bad and I was able to rehab/recover from it.  Team Reeve was about raising awareness and money for SCI (spinal cord injuries) and research.  I found out that this year four people were able to gain bladder, bowel, and sexual functions as well as standing on their own and even taking steps.  This was from using a device that was over 40 years old.  The very funds that I was able to raise are going towards a new study that 36 people will be a part of.  This research now has the ability to take huge leaps towards finding out more about SCI's.  I was able to meet some amazing people that make up Team Reeve and the Christopher Reeve Foundation.  It is a truly amazing experience to do something that has such an impact now and in the future.  It is so difficult to put into words what this experience has done to me.  I doubt that the actual level of emotions I felt could be put to words.  Between emails and face-to-face stories from people living with SCI's, or loved ones doing so, I have become a weeping and snotty nosed mess.  My life has truly been touched by some really amazing people, both directly and indirectly.

So for now, and as always, see you out there...

So the weather is changing, and that is always a good thing this time of year.  I am finding that my legs are pretty upset with the spike in mileage I had for the Cape Cod Ragnar, as well as how hard I ran.  Well, we live and learn right?  Perhaps I never learn, haha!  I have started to get prepped for my training plan to start and hope to be in the upper 20's for weekly mileage by then.  Day 1 starts on June 30th!  It is going to be an 18 week program which sounds pretty intimidating right now.  If anything, I will enjoy being back on a planned out running program.  I do plan to do a bunch of races still.  I mean how can you pass so many living in such an awesome running community like the Boston area.  MN was pretty great, but their are races here like every damn day...sometimes every minute...ooops, just missed one!

Not a whole lot else going on.  I am just trying to get into a solid routine of running, blogging, and fund raising.  I have had seven people donate so far, with some pretty big supporters out of that.  I am confident that more will help out eventually.  It is pretty early on at this point.  So, for now this guy is signing off and hoping this rain lets up.  My runner's page group has a 100 mile June challenge going and I need to get today's run in.

See you out there!

Donation site is up! Everything helps friends!
My donation page!

 

In November of 2014 I will be toeing the line (not literally of course) for the New York City Marathon!  So I have already had some of the "I told you so" comments from people, so keep them coming I guess.   Let me explain my rationale first.

I was informed by some Dr's (silly people "practicing" medicine, thanks for the quote Jowder!) that it would be in my best interest to stop running the full marathons as my body was not going to hold up to the pounding.  I have early stages of osteoarthritis in my pelvis and hips that were found by radiologists looking over some x-rays I had to check on some non-related things that are fine now.  They were questioning if the x-rays were mixed up from someone in his 40's or 50's.  Not a good sign.  They also said that I should be in pain all of the time, especially while running.  That was not the case at all.  So, they said to keep running while I can do so without pain.  That was why I stopping doing marathons, and to be honest, I do not particularly care for the longer distances that keep me from "dropping the hammer" and flying.  I love to do that!  So, fast forward to this year's Boston Marathon.  With the events of 2013, I wanted to be a part of this year's event but did not want to go through the winter training to run it.  I decided to volunteer instead and watch from the sidelines.  I volunteered the Friday before at the expo, amazing experience, and cheered from the area around mile 24 front and center on the barricade.  The elites came by, old friends, and even an old track rival.  That was all so inspiring I began to think about lacing up for the challenge of the marathon distance once more.  This time, however, I wanted to have more meaning behind it than just me.  I wanted to give back more than blood, sweat, and tears.  That brings this narrative to the Christopher Reeve Foundation and Team Reeve that accepted my application to join them for the NYC Marathon.  I have set a goal of raising $4000 to go towards their research.  I will explain more about that later on.  I wanted to just add that to my explanation as to why I am doing this.  My running goal is going to be to break 2:50 (about a 6:30 pace).  My current PR from Philly in 2011 is 2:57:37.  Not an easy task to do this, but why would I want this to be easy.

So there you have it.  My blog is back up and running (much pun intended!), and I will be having a lot to say in the coming months.  For now, the date is set, I am registered, and I am putting the finishing touches on my 18 week, almost 900 mile, training program.  More on that to come.  For now...

I'm BACK!  :-)

GOAL ACHIEVED

Victory is mine, I DID IT!  So many miles, so many days and nights on the roads, so much time planning and visualizing this achievement, so many emotions, so much relief and a sense of accomplishment.  I will forever remember November 20th, 2011 for it will forever be the day that I ran 26.2 miles in under 3 hours for the first time.

The running gods were in my favor during that morning a week ago yesterday.  A front had delayed its movement to the east coast and gave way to weather that could not be much more ideal for a marathon.  The temps were in the mid 40's with a projected high in the upper 50's.  No rain, no high heat, some sun.  All those miles running in blizzards, rain, record heat, blistering cold complete with high winds, and still I get blessed with this.  I must have done something right in a previous life.  I awoke with a feeling of readiness that I had not experienced before.  I pride myself on being prepared but had never felt this ready before.  They say that the hardest part is the training and that from there you just need to show up.  Well, as nice of a thought as that may be, you still have to lace em up and go out to run 26.2 miles.  Confidence is good but I'm more for just being ready with said confidence in hand.  It was a strange feeling though.  I had no chance of coming anywhere close to competing for a top finishing spot, but it did not matter as I had my own race I was running.  There were no Kenyan's on my radar.  There were no elites that I was set to battle with in an epic run to go down in history as a true battle.  My adversary was nothing more than a clock.  A simple, man-made concept of time and the little digital lines that represent something that had consumed me for 16 months.  This was going to be a battle that could only be experienced in true intimate fashion by no one other than the one attaching my bib number, wearing my shoes, and running with my beating heart.  This was a personal journey that only I could embark on.  The training had been completed.  The travel and preparations had been completed. There was just one thing left to complete now.

7 am found me in the first corral, with the elites, on one knee giving thanks to anyone/anything that was there with me and listening.  As I thought about the things that had led to this point, I found myself crossing that starting line and running.  Unfortunately, the race started with a hiccup.  My watch went into standby mode the second I went to start it.  So, the first quarter mile my watch was worthless.  Thankfully, it registered and started after only that little ways.  I was set and going.  While the weather was perfect, I started to realize that it would end up being a little warm for the long sleeved compression I was wearing under my shirt.  With my bid number attached to my shirt, I had to removed both and put my planned shirt back on.  I hope that long sleeved I ditched brings warmth and good fortune to the person it got donated to.  I wanted to keep my gloves on to wipe away sweat and keep from my hands getting sticky when spilling on them during the fluids spots. At this point, I was in the race and ticking off miles.

I decided to keep the 3 hour pace group behind me.  It was a large group that was talking a lot and annoying to run with.  I figured that as long as I kept them all behind me, I would hit my time.  In doing so, I was going a little quicker than I had planned.  Anybody that knows me, or follows this blog consistently, would know that this is nothing new.  That tends to be my M.O.  Regardless, I was feeling very comfortable and decided to allow myself to continue at that pace.  I was getting so lost in the run that I began to lose miles. I have that happen during long runs often, but not like this.  I would hit mile 6 and realize I did not recall going through mile 5.  The same would happen at mile 9 and others after that. I came through the half marathon at exactly 1:28:00.  By itself, that would have been my 4th best half ever.  Yes, I was feeling good and still very relaxed.  My buddy jumped in at this point to run with me for the 2nd half.  The next 8 miles were completed much like the previous 13.1.  The last 5, that's where the real battle started.

I have had races, and runs, that I had to push through to complete.  It is said that a marathon is broken up into 3 parts.  The first part is the first 13.1 miles and you run that with your legs.  I had completed that part and into the 2nd part.  This is the next 6-7 miles. Your legs start to get tired and you need to run this part of the marathon with your head. You remember your training and still are carrying the excitement of the race.  This is hard but you can get through it with some focus.  Then you enter the 3rd part of a marathon which is roughly the last 10k.  Your legs are tired, your feet hurt, you've been talking yourself through the last 6 miles, and you are starting to think about the finish and how far you still have to go.  This last part is all heart.  The negative talk and thoughts of stopping begin to creep into your mind.  The water stops seem like a great spot to take a little extra time because you've run so hard to this point and you deserve a little break don't you? You're under your goal time so far and have some time banked.  If you act on one of those thoughts, it is easier to act on another and another and another.  Now you are battling yourself as well as the clock.  By mile 22 and 23, my hips started to really tighten up and my legs were getting harder and harder to keep moving.  The last 30 minutes were about to feel as long as the previous 150.  I tell people that it was the hardest thing I have ever had to push through to complete.  I had previously planned to allow myself to walk through the last stop with 2 miles to go.  I took in some extra gatorade and water to give myself what I needed for that final push to the finish.  Coming through the home stretch I could see the beginnings of the finish line.  I had half a mile to go.  I had a quarter mile to go.  I could see the finish line and I was doing everything I could to just keep my legs moving.  When I crossed that finish line, I threw my arms in the air and knew I had done it.  I did not see the clock but I just KNEW it!  I had accomplished what I had set out to do and became overwhelmed with emotion.  Typing this now, that emotion comes back up just as if I am experiencing it all over again...minus the pain!

Philly Marathon Race Splits/Details

So what does someone do that just accomplished such a goal?  I walked directly to the hotel where our post-race reception area was...and I got a massage...from 2 massage therapists at the same time!  I ate some food and drank some fluids.  I was still taking in the moment.  My goal was in hand and I was now entering marathon retirement.  My body is currently enjoying some much needed rest and recovery.  I don't know my exact plans moving into next year but will be doing many races as usual, just no marathons.  I plan to focus on the half marathon and other races of shorter distances.  I am so happy to have this goal in hand but this is just the beginning and I am far from peaking.  This is just one justification that I'm heading in the right direction.  I'm so pumped for what is ahead for me and my evolving running career. For now....

See ya out there...no time soon though :-)