No, I am your father.

It is a dark knight (as in Jedi Knight- ha, love that one!) and I'm getting in a training run along the Charles River.  It is difficult to see the path in front of me.  Time to turn on my lightsaber.  BB-ZSHOOOO.

Picture the big battle scene between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back as you read this.  You know, the scene where Darth Vader chops Luke's hand off and then Luke finds out the big news.  Kind of like a precursor to a bad Jerry Springer or Maury Povich episode where the results of the paternity test are revealed.  "Mr. Vader, you... are the father".  Bleep!



From my run last night using the Zephyr Fire

Sorry, back to the story.  "You are beaten.  It is useless to resist".  KSCHHHHHHHHHH (sound of lightsabers clashing together).  "Join me and I will complete your training".  "If you only knew the power of the darkside."  "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father?"

"He told me enough! He told me you killed him!"

"No, I am your father."

 "No, that's not true, that's impossible. Noooooooo!"

OK, let me clarify two things so that there is no confusion.  No, I'm not a Jedi who has fallen to the dark side of the force serving the evil Galactic Empire.  But boy, I sure do feel like it!  And more importantly the second thing.  I did not have those quotes memorized by heart!  I had to Google everyone one of them. 

I decided that I should get a lightsaber, sorry, I mean a flashlight, for my night runs.  With the sun setting before 4:30 PM now, it can get pretty dark for those night training runs.  I wanted to see what was available specifically for running instead of just a plain old LED flashlight.  I was surprised to find that there was really only one that is targeted for runners.  It is the "Zephyr Fire" by Nathan.  There are two models of this "runner's hand torch" (as Nathan markets it).  The Zephyr Fire 100 and the Zephyr Fire 300. 

I ended up purchasing the 300 model as it comes with an emergency siren.  I have to say that this is a pretty cool flashlight (as cool as a flashlight can be I guess).  It has 4 light modes (strobe, low, high and sprint).  Recharges via a mini-USB port.  Has great burn time (+6 hrs on low).  Is weather resistant.  Equipped with a rear facing red LED flashing light.  Has an adjustable hand strap that allows for a totally grip-free and effortless carry in either hand.  Finally, the light features an integrated 24-degree downward projection angle to focus light on the path in front of you. 

 

This really is a great flashlight for runners.  It is very lightweight and feature rich.  The different light modes are a plus as I find myself using the low mode when running on the path's along the Charles and the high mode when running on the street.  It is a bit pricey with the list at $55 USD but I was able to pick it up with a 25% off coupon at a local running store so it made it a bit more reasonable.  I would definitely recommend this "hand torch" to any runner who runs outdoor at night and who wants to do it more safely.  Oh yeah, the other cool thing about this flashlight?  You can pretend that it is a lightsaber and you are battling Luke.  It really does resemble one when you turn it on.  You can see the light beam pretty well and it makes a humming noise (especially on high).  No more pretending with the cardboard paper towel rolls or the Christmas wrapping tubes (you know that you have all done it).  Nope.  You can pretend with something a bit more high tech! 

"May the force be with you."

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Partner.

Patient Partner- "The patient partner program pairs up kids who are current or former patients with runners to help inspire them". 

When I signed-up to be part of the Miles for Miracles Boston Children's Hospital Boston Marathon  team I had the choice to also join their "Patient Partner" program if I wanted.  I signed up for this program without hesitation.  It was the opportunity to be able to get more directly involved that I was looking for.  The chance to get, as BCH puts it, "inspired".  That has been fulfilled and then some.

I was sent an e-mail with the name of my Patient Partner a couple of weeks prior to the team kickoff event that was held a couple of weeks ago at Kings in Dedham, MA.  Just a name in an e-mail.  Patrick.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.  It left me wanting to know more.  Wanting to know Patrick's story about how Children's has helped him and his family.  To find out more about him personally.  To put a face to the name.  To find out who Patrick is.

I wrote to his mom and she filled-in all the details.  Patrick is a very active and involved nine year old who is currently in the third grade.  He lives with his mom Karen, father John, twin brother Connor, brother Nicholas, a German Shepherd named Helga and a cat named Mr. Mustachio.  His mom told me that he loves to sing and dance and that he has "the most infectious laugh and smile".  After getting a chance to meet him in person, I have to completely agree by her accurate description!

He keeps himself very busy with multiple activities throughout the year including being a member of the Special Olympics soccer, basketball and swim teams.  He also plays adaptive lacrosse and challenger hockey.  He loves going to the beach and going out on the family boat in the summer.

How has Boston Children's Hospital helped Patrick and his family?  Patrick has Down Syndrome.  It is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in extra genetic material from chromosome 21.  This genetic disorder, which varies in severity, causes lifelong intellectual disability and developmental delays. Patrick and his family have been going to BCH since he was born and are participating in the Down Syndrome program at the hospital. 

I look forward to this opportunity of my family being able to get to know Patrick and his family more and more as the days and weeks go on.  Patrick's story is only one out of countless many that demonstrate the impact that Boston Children's Hospital has on patients and their families.  Oh yeah, and runners by providing us with this great partnering opportunity.

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Ironic.

Some things in life can be so ironic. As I compose this post, I'm sitting in room 904 next to my son waiting for him to be discharged.  Discharged from Boston Children's Hospital.  Who would have thought when I signed up to run on the Miles for Miracles team back in September that I would find myself with my son being a patient again.  I thought that the time had past that he would have to use the services of BCH again. Especially since he seems like a grown man to me. He is taller than me and has a size 13 shoe for goodness sake.  An adult who knows better than engaging in risky behavior which can result in injury. I forget sometimes though that he is still a kid. Still young and learning by his mistakes.

My son receiving emergency care here quickly reminds me of all the reasons why I'm running for such an outstanding organization like BCH. Front and center.  I am so grateful to everyone who works here. Everyone from the maintenance staff, people who deliver the meals to the rooms, the cleaning staff,  the nurses and doctors and everyone in between.  It really makes you feel incredibly fortunate and appreciative to know that such a high caliber facility is here and waiting to help when people are sick and in need.  I learned during my son's stay that Boston Children's Hospital was ranked #1 Children’s Hospital by U.S. News & World Report.  A well deserved honor.  I was also reminded that this hospital is not just for those with chronic illnesses but also for those who need emergency services.  Something that I had never really thought about until this past Thursday.  

I had another bit of irony today.  What's that you say?  Well, let me tell you.  Today was the first weekly run (5 miles) of the Miles for Miracles team which also included a pre-run clinic (proper stretching and warm-up).  What's so ironic about that?  It just happened to be at the Boston Children's Hospital Waltham campus.  Who knew!  It was a great clinic and first of many team runs. 

As I close this post, I think about the conversation that we just had with our son's surgeon and his resident regarding going home today.  The events of the past couple of days are finally coming to an end. We can try and get back to some sense of normalcy.  All the while feeling such gratitude for everyone who helped us out at Boston Children's Hospital. Thank you to those who we had the opportunity to interact with and to those who we did not but who helped out indirectly.  Being a member of the Miles for Miracles team running to support this hospital has a whole new meaning for my family and I.  A small way to give back and say "Thank You".

And isn't it ironic... don't you think?
Who would've thought... it figures
Thank you Alanis.  Hey, I had to get some lyrics in here somewhere!

Until next time, keep on runnin'!
 

Jack Frost.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos

OK.  There were no chestnuts and no fire.  Jack Frost was certainly nipping at my nose though.  My cheeks.  And my forehead.  Carols were being sung but not by a choir.  Just by me and it was only in my head as I didn't want to scare anyone with singing out loud.  Most folks did look like they were from Alaska, but not me.  No fur.  No big warm clunky boots.  A zipped sweatshirt, sneakers and a hat.  Kind of boring.

Day one of week one training completed yesterday. Boy, that was a cold one!  6.5 easy miles.  Very easy!  It was a bit hard to not go at my normal pace.  I kept finding myself running faster and then having to slow down to get back to the slower pace.  It is something that I need to work on and remember that training is not competitive.  I don't always have to go out full force every run like I have been doing lately.  Follow the plan my friend.  Follow the plan.

It was kind of neat running in the city as all the Christmas lights were on in the Common and the Public Garden.  The lights and light snow coupled with the cold winds made it a festive run indeed.  Cannot wait for tomorrow's run to take in more of the lights around the city.

They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly
 
Run Weather:

22 degrees | Windchill 13 degrees

Winds 9 MPH | Gusting to 18 MPH

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

All In Perspective.

What a fantastic morning today.  My wife, son and I attended the Boston Children's Hospital Miles for Miracles Boston Marathon kick-off event this morning at Kings.  Bowling, brunch and my family and I meeting Patrick, my patient partner, and his family in person.  What could be better?!  This was such a well-orchestrated event that allowed us all to officially introduce ourselves and begin to get to know each other better.  It was a great start to a long relationship. sdfsdf

I was really looking forward to today's festivities for different reasons.  A sense of reality as to what I am doing and getting myself into.  Something tangible.  I found out that I made it on team Miles for Miracles back in September but there hasn't been a lot of actionable items since then.  That is, until today.  It all starts in full gear now.  There are key tasks and deadlines.  Training, training and more training.  Well, that actually starts tomorrow but we'll go with it as it is almost Monday now anyway.  It's here.  It's now.  You could say it is where the rubber meets the road.  Rubber.  Shoes.  Get it?  Rubber soles pounding the pavement?  Love that one.  Seriously though.  This is it.  Time to be serious and get to the task at hand.

I have to say that it struck me today at one point while standing by the air-hockey tables watching my son, Patrick and another little girl as they all gleefully played a back and forth game of air-hockey.  The smiles on their faces as the puck glided across the thin layer of air above the surface of the table.  Ker-plunk as the puck landed in the goal.  The three of them were all patients of Boston Children's at some point in their young lives.  I then panned around at all the kids who attended today's kick-off.  The majority of them are/were patients.  They are the reason that I'm doing this.  They are the faces of those being helped by such an outstanding health care facility.  The beneficiaries of the great work being done by all of the professionals at the hospital.  That moment really did put it all into perspective for me.  I received the tangible piece that I was looking for and then some. 

I start my official training tomorrow.  20 weeks of highs and lows.  Cold night runs and cold early morning runs.  Snow, rain and wind.  Ups and downs.  But, after today, I have the perspective that I need to know that it is all worth it in the end.

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Barry White.

OK, I'm not the 3-time Grammy award winning composer and crooner with that distinctive bass-baritone voice.  However, someone did describe my voice as a very hoarse version of his.  "Thanks", I guess?  I'll take any semi-compliment that I can get related to my voice though. 

For those of you who have talked with me over the past year and a half or so know what I'm talking about.  Hoarse and low volume.  It started out with minor hoarseness and then steadily increased to where it is today.  I went to a local ENT doctor and found out that it is caused by vocal cord paralysis.  Yep, one of my vocal cords doesn't work.  Kaput.  Inoperative.  Done for.  Goner.  Finished.  Non-functioning.  Out of commission.  Down for the count, and wait for it..., Down the tubes.  "Down the tubes"?  Get it?  Larynx.  Tube.  A bit of a stretch.  Stretch?  The vocal cords are stretched from back to front over the larynx.  Boy, this is getting really cheesy now!

 The initial course of treatment was voice therapy to learn how to talk better with one vocal cord.  Six weeks of daily facial and neck massage techniques including "laryngeal massage" (don't ask- it causes clicking noises due to pieces and parts rubbing together- freaky stuff!), and pages and pages of phrases to speak out loud.  Did it work?  Not to the extent that I had wanted.  I did learn how to increase my volume a bit and how to be more aware of opportunities to help others hear me better. 

You're probably asking yourself right about now, "what does this have to do with running?"  Here's how.  I ended up going for a second opinion a couple of weeks ago to find a more permanent solution that would hopefully get my voice a bit closer to what it used to be (it will never be the same again though).  The good news is that there is an implant that I can get.  No, not that kind of implant!  An implant made of Gortex which is surgically inserted into the paralysed vocal cord.  The bad news.  I have to be awake during the procedure so that they can hear me speak with it in place and tweak it as needed.  The even worse news.  It will require 6 weeks of downtime from running.  Decisions.  Do I focus on getting my voice better now and pass on this great opportunity to run the Boston Marathon as part of the Miles For Miracles team since the downtime would cut right into my training?  Do I go all in and fulfill my commitment to Boston Children's Hospital?  In the end, I have to finish what I started.  The marathon it is.  I've put way too much into this already and am committed to the cause to let any personal gain get in the way.  What is another 5 months of this raspy voice belting out Barry White classics in a dive bar on Wednesday karaoke night?

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

#GivingTuesday - Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who donated to my Boston Children's Hospital Miles For Miracles fundraiser yesterday as part of #GivingTuesday.  Your very generous donations totalled $905 and were applied towards my goal.  The 2 for 1 match of these donations raised an additional $1,810 that went directly to Boston Children's Hospital.  What a tremendous outpouring of generosity!  Thank you also to all of the other generous donors who have donated to my fundraiser to date.  I really appreciate everyone's support. 

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

#GivingTuesday

While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are for shopping, Giving Tuesday is all about giving back to a cause you care about.  Please consider making a 100% tax free donation to Boston Children's Hospital as part of my Miles for Miracles 2015 Boston Marathon fundraiser.  All donations made online through this link http://fundraise.childrenshospital.org/goto/runner716 on Tuesday, December 2 will be matched 2 to 1 by a generous donor and New England Acura Dealers.  Please note that only your donation will count towards my fundraising goal but the match will greatly help the hospital with its mission. 

My fundraising goal as part of Boston Children’s Hospital  Miles for Miracles team is $7,000.  Please consider supporting my run, and supporting the Boston Children's Hospital! It is fast and easy to make a 100% tax deductible donation, whether small, large or somewhere in between.

Donations by Credit Card:
Please visit my Children’s Hospital fundraising page: http://fundraise.childrenshospital.org/goto/runner716

I am currently at 22% of my fundraising goal due to all  of the generous donors (listed on the right)who have already made a contribution to my fundraiser.  Thank you all!

 

Thank you in advance for any support that you can provide.

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

All By Myself.

Hard to be sure
Sometimes I feel so insecure
All by myself
Don't want to be all by myself anymore

What a bit of cold weather and stiff winds brings out?  Nothing.  Nobody.  It's amazing how the paths along the Charles and the sidewalks around the harbor are now pretty much deserted.  Vacant of most walkers, runners and bicyclists now that the temperatures have dipped south of the 30's.  I'm "all by myself" you could say.  Well, sing anyways.  OK, for all of those who don't get this musical reference (I don't blame you if you don't as it is going back a ways) it is the power ballad "All by myself" released by Eric Carmen in 1975 (thanks to my wife Jen for coming up with this one).  Who is Eric Carmen?  Again, I don't blame you if you have no idea.  He only gave us such great songs as "Marathon man"- 1977, "Make me loose control"- 1988 and "Hungry eyes"- 1987.  Alex, I'll take absolutely useless music trivia for $300 please.  "What movie was the smash hit "Hungry eyes" featured in?"  Seriously though, when the weather is nice it is jam packed with people getting in all kinds of outdoor exercise.  Kind of like sardines in a can.  Warmth + sardines.  Eww, like totally gross.  Gag me with a spoon.  Grody to the max!  Barf me out!  I know, enough already with the valley girl talk- thinking of those 80's songs just made me do it!  When the weather gets cold and windy though, you can hear the crickets.  There is hardly anyone out and about.  Actually, you cannot hear the crickets as they have all died off due to the cold.  Sorry.  It's a circle of life thing.  You do come across a couple of other die-hards here and there but it is pretty much wide open the entire way.  So much so that I want to run on the left hand side of the path instead of the right.  I know, "wow, he is such a rebel".  Well, I haven't mustered up enough courage to do it yet.  Hey, you never know when a bicyclist is going to come up from out of no where.  Just trying to think of their safety.  Yep, that's me.  "Mr. Safety".  Ha!

I ended up going into Boston yesterday morning to get in a long run to boost my miles for the week.  I finished the run with 13.2 miles and a weekly total of 27.1 miles.  I have to say that that morning run was pretty lonesome just like my weekday nightly runs.  I have to break out into song for a moment...  "All by myself, don't want to be...".  Yesterday was pretty cold.  30 degrees with winds gusting at 25 mph which made the real feel at a balmy 20 degrees.  Special note to the folks at Weather Bug and the Boston Museum of Science: You may want to have maintenance take a look at your anemometer as it is reporting zilch, notta, zero, nothing.  I found that out the hard way yesterday.  There was no wind when I left my house.  But boy, when I got off the train in Boston, there was wind.  Again, gusting to 25 mph.  Silly me, I wore shorts based on Weather Bug reporting no wind.  Silly, silly me!  I have since switched over to the Seaport Hotel station since that is accurately reporting the wind.  I kind of like these conditions though.  Peace and quiet and cold temperatures which make it exhilarating to run.  Gives me a pep in my step.  Sounds good to me. 

Thank you to everyone who has donated to my Boston Marathon Boston Children's Hospital Miles for Miracles fundraiser!  I appreciate the generosity of all the donors.  If you would like to make a donation please visit my fundraising page.

I'll be posting soon about the patient who I've been matched up with as part of the patient partner program.  He sounds like a very active 9 year old and I can't wait for our families to meet at the Miles for Miracles kick-off event coming up in the beginning of December.

The answer to the trivia question: "Ghost" released in 1990.  Congratulations to everyone who got it correct. 

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

To Hell And Back.

Now that is a phrase if I may say so myself.  I became acquainted with it last year while I was perusing the runners expo in the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center in, you guessed it, Buffalo, NY.  I was there picking up my number for my 3rd half marathon when I stumbled upon it.  I nice grey t-shirt with black piping around the collar and sleeves.  Nice I thought.  But, it wasn't until I pulled it off of the rack, that I knew I had to get it.  The front had a small grunge sneaker print with angel wings and the brand name "Asics" under it on the left side (my left, your right).  I had never tried a pair of Asics on but that didn't matter.  I just loved the winged sneaker.  How symbolic.  How cool that was.  Register please, you can put the receipt in the bag.  I had found my go-to running t-shirt for the summer.  But wait, let's flip it around to see if there was anything on the back.  Icing on the cake you might say.  Oh boy was there ever icing, and them some.  There were jimmies, candles and assorted candy pieces that spelled out "Happy Birthday".  You know, the kind that your parents used to put on your cake when you were 8?  OK, it wasn't that exciting but it was the phrase that put it all into perspective "To Hell And Back" at the top with the sneaker and wings below it.  It was rather large and centered on the back.  Up to that time, my farthest races had been half marathons and that is what I related that phrase to.  Little did I know...

My first marathon was in Hampton Beach in October of 2013.  It struck me during that race what the phrase on my favorite running related t-shirt meant.  "To Hell And Back".  Yep, that summed it up nicely.  The physical challenges alongside the mental challenges.  You put yourself through hell.  Teetering on the cusp of the fiery pit.  But you summon all that you have from within and make it to the finish line and all is well with the world again.  The sense of accomplishment washes away any remnants of sulfur left behind by Lucifer's grip.  Figuratively speaking of course. 

As many people probably don't know, I "reward" myself after completing marathons by getting a tattoo as a symbol to myself as to what I can do and as a reminder to never give up.  Well, I owed myself a tattoo for completing the Providence Marathon earlier this year.  I decided to wait until after my races were over in the fall so that I didn't have to worry about the sun on it, not going swimming and so that I could cover up the plastic wrap that you have to put on it (you feel like a left over sandwhich that gets wraped up and put in the refridgerator for the next day's lunch.  How embarrassing!  I fulfilled my reward last week by getting my 2nd running tattoo.  I ended up getting my favorite running t-shirt design on my shoulder, including the "To Hell And Back" script to remind me of just how accurate those 4 words really are.  The funny thing is though.  I keep going back for more.  It is such an addictive thing that is very difficult to describe.  Maybe it is not meant to be understood.  Just something that is done.  All I know is that I will proudly where my Asics t-shirt when I'm not running and a slinglet when I am (to show off my new ink).  Either way, people will certainly know that I have been "To Hell And Back". 

Update on training: I went into Boston on Saturday for a long run so that I could tack on a few extra miles for the week.  I ended up doing 13.15 miles that day for a grand total of 27.6 miles for the week.  It was the first really cold run of the fall/winter training season.  Boy, I didn't really miss that at all from last winter.  Wow.  It did feel good to get those miles in and was able to grab a few pictures along the way (this one is from one of my runs a few weeks ago).

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Windy. Windy. Windy.

Wind.

noun: wind; plural noun: winds
/wind/

1. The perceptible natural movement of the air, especially in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction.
"The wind howled about the building."

synonyms: breeze, current of air; gale, hurricane; literary zephyr

Thank you Merriam Webster for your succinct definition of this word.  A word that I was able to experience first hand during my run this past Friday evening along the Charles River and Boston Harbor.  I'd have to say though, my definition wouldn't have been so polite and "nice".  It would have been more direct and laced with a "what the f@ck!" here and  "are you kidding me you piece of sh%t" there.  What the "h" "e" double hockey sticks is up with this $@#%!# gusty stuff?  A real truck driver mouth if I may say so myself. 

I knew that my evening run was going to be a bit breezy as the high rise building I was in was increasingly creaking like an old wooden pirate ship undulating in an angry sea as the day went on.  I guess I didn't realize how gusty it would be though until I made my way towards the Charles.  You get a really nice wind tunnel effect along the way due to all the buildings.  I kind of felt like a Porsche 918 Spyder being examined for aerodynamics.  The only thing that was missing was the smoke to demonstrate the airflow as it moved across my body. 

Notwithstanding Mother Nature's fury, it really was a good run.  While it was challenging to run into a strong headwind, it does help in training to keep a race pace in this type of situation as you never know what type of weather you're going to encounter on race day.  I checked the weather when I finished and the temp was 42 (real feel 34) with sustained winds at 18 mph gusting to 29 mph.  Sweet.

I ended up running 10 miles Friday night for a weekly total of 25 miles.  I'm trying to keep an average of between 25 and 30 miles a week leading up to my marathon training which starts up in earnest at the end of December. 

As I've noted in past posts, I'm hooked on taking pictures as I'm running through the city.  So much so that sometimes I'm stopping every a couple of minutes trying to best the last snap that I took.  Especially those sunsets along the Charles River!  I plan to include a picture or two from my runs to each post to add a little eye candy to all of this blah blah text.  The two pictures that I've included on this post are of the Bunker Hill Monument and the Colonel William Prescott statue (in front of the monument) that I took Friday night.  Enjoy!

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Here I Go Again.

I don't know where I'm going
But, I sure know where I've been
Hanging on the promises in songs of yesterday
An' I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time
But, here I go again
Here I go again

Lyrics from "Here I go again".  Such a great 80's song by the classic big hair rock band Whitesnake.  That said, it does have a wicked cheesy video though with its scenes of the band playing on a stage interlaced with Tawny Kitaen doing gymnastics between two cars and polishing them while slithering all over them.  The cars that is.  So cheesy that it makes me think of a couple of other classics.  Cheeses that is: Roquefort with its sharp, sweet and nutty flavor or Parmigiano-Reggiano with its great crunch and deep caramel-y, nutty flavors.  How quickly I get distracted...  It really is an appropriate song in this situation though because "Here I go again".

I told my family that I had met my goal and felt a sense of closure after I completed the Cox Providence Marathon in May of this year.  That I was done with Marathons and would focus my attention on training and improving my half marathon races (which worked as I had both a half marathon as well as a course PR for the B.A.A. Half Marathon last month).  That's the same thing that I said a year ago when I completed my first marathon up in Hampton Beach, NH.  My wife and son know me better than that though and they told me both times that I would run a marathon again.  Well, they definitely do know me too well, because:

Here I go again on my own
Goin' down the only road I've ever known

I'm running the 119th B.A.A. Boston Marathon on April 20, 2015.  However, I'm not on "my own" as I have been accepted as a member of the Boston Children's Hospital Miles for Miracles Marathon team.  This was the team that I tried to become a member of last year but wasn't able to because they filled their team very early on so I am very grateful that I have the opportunity this year.  Being able to support Boston Children's Hospital's critical mission personally means a lot to me as my son has received outstanding professional and compassionate care from this outstanding organization over the years.  I am very appreciative to have the opportunity and to be able to be associated with such a prestigious organization in the health care community.

I have also signed up to be part of the Miles for Miracles Patient Partner program where I will be teamed up with a patient of Boston Children's Hospital.  This is such a great opportunity as we will be able to provide support and inspiration to each other during my training.  I'll provide more information about who I'm partnered up with when I get the details in early December.

My fundraising for Boston Children's Hospital has just begun.  If you are interested in helping me with my goal of $7,000, please visit my fundraising page:  http://fundraise.childrenshospital.org/goto/runner716  Any donation, whether small or large or somewhere in between is greatly appreciated. 

I want to thank my wife and son for their continued unconditional support and understanding of my need to do this.  Training for a marathon takes a lot of dedication, shuffling of schedules to fit in training and a lot of time away from family.  Knowing that they are behind me 100% makes it a bit more manageable.  Thank you and I love you both more than you'll ever know.

I'm going to blog about my training and new products that I will be using as part of my training along the way.  I've already made several trips to running stores and picked up a few new things that I cannot wait to try out.  It's a bit geeky I know.  As I'm finishing up this post, we are getting our first snowfall of the season.  It reminds me of some of my training runs this past winter.  I cannot wait for those days with 2 degree temperatures, whipping winds and snow in January.  Now that is geeky!

An' I've made up my mind
I ain't wasting no more time...

But, here I go again,
Here I go again,
Here I go again,
Here I go,
Here I go again...

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

15 Miles On The Erie Canal.

I've got a mule and her name is Sal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
She's a good old worker and a good old pal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal

Well, I really don't have a mule named Sal.  I guess that it would be kind of interesting if I had one though.  "Hey, come here you jackass".  I would be giggling like a school girl all the time. 

I did go fifteen miles yesterday.  But, it wasn't along the Erie Canal.  I wish that it had been though because then I would have been back "home" in Lockport, NY.  The site of locks 34 and 35 along the historic Erie Canal.  I spent so much time along the towpaths there as a kid where Sal and her fellow mule friends pulled packet boats many moons ago.  I digress though. 

My fifteen miles were spent "horsing" around (I had to put that in!).  Actually, I ran a long run for a total of 15 miles.  Boy did it feel good to get into Boston and run until my heart was content.  I spent a couple days beforehand mapping out all the routes that I could take.  All the new places I could check out.  But, in the end, like how good old reliable Sal used to hoof her way along the same paths day after day, I decided to go with the course that I knew so well and had run so many times this past winter/spring.  It was my Boston Marathon training route.  It was great to see the old familiar sites like the seagulls at Black Falcon Pier (thank you to the friendly gull that posed so that I could take a fantastic shot- I'll post you to Instagram soon), the families taking in the sites at the Aquarium, the tourists posing with the actors dressed as soldiers at the Charlestown Navy Yard, the spectacular granite obelisk that is the Bunker Hill monument contrasting against the vibrant blue fall sky to the sailboats maneuvering their way in the center of the Charles River (I had to stop and take this picture of them). 

It was an absolutely fan-frickin-tastic day for a run.  Beautiful weather.  Beautiful sights.  It brought back a lot of great memories of preparing for the Boston Marathon earlier this year.  A lot of great memories.  Hmmm...  That gives me an idea...

Get up mule, here comes a lock
We'll make Rome 'bout six o'clock
One more trip and back we'll go
Right back home to Buffalo

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

It Takes Two.

It takes two to make a thing go right
It takes two to make it outta sight
Hit it!

What the frig am I talking about?  OK, I had to stretch it a bit and go back to my DJ days to find a song that would go along with today's post. 

I'm Rob Base and I came to get down
I'm not internationally known
But I'm known to rock the microphone

Back on topic.  Two.  Two updates on past posts.  The first?  Refueling gels.  Back in February/March I compared several different energy gels and rated them.  Guess what?  What Keith?  The first place finisher "Body Glove Surge All Natural Energy Gel- Chocolate", they stopped making it!  Say what?  What?  I love that one.  So much for the influence that my first place nod for it had on the manufacturer.  Oh, well...

The reason why, man, I don't know
So let's go, cause
It takes two to make a thing go right
It takes two to make it outta sight

 

Never fear!  Replacement Gel is here!  A new 1st place winner has been crowned (I used it during the B.A.A. Half Marathon two weekends ago).  It is an all natural product called "Accel Gel Rapid Energy Gel" and which is made by the same manufacturer as the "Body Glove Surge Gel" was.  It has all the same chocolately goodness as the original first place winner but without all the, let's see now, how did I put it before... that's right "texture".  It was as smooth as "(insert your own favorite phrase of choice here- example: baby's bum, silk, glass, velvet, butter, a southern drawl or aged whiskey- just to name a few).  It is a  dry, medium-bodied red, offering sappy black cherry and plum sauce flavors, with dried herb and olive tapenade notes. Balanced, with a moderate finish.  Sorry, wrong blog for that one.  It does however have a mild natural chocolate flavor and pleasant aftertaste.  The Accel Gel has a great consistency and is easy to get down while you are re-fueling mid-run.  It supplied an even and consistent level of energy and is made of all natural ingredients.  The only downside that I have with it?  It only has 20 mg of caffeine versus Surge Gels' 150 mg.

Cause I'm Rob, the last name Base, yeah

And on the mic, I'm known to be the freshest

 

Number 2.  No, not that "number 2".  Boy that stinks.  That's crappy.  Courtesy flush please?  OK, the second update is on the B.A.A. Distance Medley results.  My official results over the three races are:

 

	5K Finish	10K Finish	Half Finish	Cumulative Time	Overall	Percentile	In Age Group	Age Group Percentile
	22:01 (613)	45:41 (522)	1:37:53 (449)	2:45:35	150 / 833	81%	25 / 147	82%

My 5K and Half Marathon times were PRs for me as well as the Half time being a course PR for me.  I'll take all of those stats any day.  And that is no steaming pile of number 2 but it does take two to make a thing go right!

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

That's A Wrap.

What a fantastic morning for a race.  Today was the B.A.A. Half Marathon which wrapped up the B.A.A. Distance Medley for 2014 with a big old blue and yellow bow on top.  What a great trio of races throughout the year.  Starting with the 5K in April, 10K in June and the Half Marathon today.  Great courses and absolutely the best organized and run races anywhere. 

I ran this same half last year so I knew what to expect along the way.  I loved it then and still loved it today.  It is one of the more challenging due to the many hills throughout the course (especially that beauty at mile 11).  Maybe that is why I love this course so much.  Maybe it is the beautiful scenery along the route in the Emerald Necklace.  Maybe it is the throngs of spectators who cheer all the runners on with their cow bells and goofy signs that make us runners giggle as we are pounding the pavement.  Maybe it is all of these things that makes it one hell of a wicked pissah race that wraps its shoelaces around you and makes you run it year after year.  Just maybe.

Race day started with the alarm clock rudely waking us up at 4:30 AM this morning.  How dare it?!  What was it thinking?  Well, if it wasn't the alarm clock, it would have been the alarm on the iPad or the alarm on the iPhone both set for 4:35 AM.  Yes, I am always paranoid that I'm going to wake up late and miss a race.  Always have to have a backup to the backup.  Ah, I totally forgot that I could have set my son's devices too so that there could have been a few more backups!  Darn it.

We got on the road and made it to the shuttle bus location at the Bayside Expo Center in Boston wicked early.  Like seriously wicked early.  Early bird catches the bottle of Gatorade or something like that.  We boarded the bus and made it to the field at Franklin Park next to White Stadium where the finish line is.  Boy (or girl if you prefer) was it friggin cold out this morning!  It was so cold that you could see your breath as you crunched the patches of frost on the ground.  Perfect weather for a run. 

My plan for today's race was to just beat last year's finish.  Plain and simple.  Well, that plan worked out well as I finished with a PR for both a half marathon and for the course as well as shaving 5 minutes 30 seconds off of last year's time.  "Gillette, the best a man can get".  Sorry, "shaving" made me think of that jingle (now it is stuck in my head)!  I'll take that "stubble", sorry, "faster time" and the stats below any day:

Net Time 1:37:53
Pace 7:28
Overall 553/6211
In Gender 451/2682 (Male)
In Division 52/330 (M40-44)

The B.A.A. distance medley was such a great trio of runs to participate in as they were nicely spread out throughout the year, are great courses and well run.  I'll post my final medley time and place as soon as they are posted on the B.A.A. site.

Thank you to my wife Jen for getting up early today to go and support me in the freezing cold!  We both got to listen to "Back in Black" being played over the event speakers while we waited for the race to start!  How appropriate (see my last post before this one)!

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Back In Black.

I been too long I'm glad to be back

Yes I am

Cause I'm back

Yes I'm back

Well I'm back

Yes I'm back

Well I'm back back

Well I'm back in black

Yes I'm back in black

Thank you so much AC/DC for the intro (albeit a long one)!  That song reminds me of sitting up in the nose bleed section of TD Garden with my son watching Boo-ins/Buffalo Sabres games (as-in boo they're bad- sorry I'm a true blue Sabres fan bleeding the blue & gold).  Love when they crank a little Back In Black while waiting for the puck to drop and game play to resume. It's a hockey staple!  

Wow, I cannot believe that it is October and the race season is coming to an end.  I've run a few races and have continued training since my last post back in May.

• Ran a 5K race in May to help fund Celiac Disease research in Merrimack, NH- First time ever placing in a race. I took third in the men's division. 
• Ran the Lawyers Have Heart 5K in May in Boston, MA.
• Ran the BAA 10K in June in Boston, MA (2nd race in the BAA medley- you know, the "Rice Medley"-  I love that one!)
• Strolled, no, of course I ran the Finish At The Fifty 10K in July in Foxboro, MA.
• Ran the Old Port Half Marathon in July in Portland, ME. This was hands down the best course I've run. Such an experience that I'll never forget. 

Cause I'm back

Yes I'm back

Well I'm back

Yes I'm back

Sorry, that's right, we've already established that I'm back.  "Back in black" to be more specific. 

• Ran in the Thompson Island 4K Trail Run in September on Thompson Island in Boston Harbor in Boston,MA.

It is all culminating in my last race of the season coming up this weekend.  It also happens to be the last race of the BAA "Rice Medley". There I go again.  I meant to say "Rice Pilaf". No, that's not right either.  "Race Medley". There we go. A half marathon winding through the Franklin Park area of Boston on a fall morning.  

I have to go and make sure that I've got all my 80's hair bands in the right order on my running playlist. Heaven forbid if Journey comes up before Loverboy!  

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Back In The Saddle Again.

Sunday, May 4th.  Two short weeks after the Boston Marathon. The day that I took the reins back and got back on that horse.  That full marathon horse that is. Neigh!

I was beating myself up ( figuratively of course as I didn't want to get charged with assault and battery on myself- how embarrassing would that have been?) in the days after Boston. In hindsight, I knew what went wrong and what I needed to do if I were to try another marathon. 

It was the Thursday after the Boston Marathon when I woke up and entered the second phase of the grieving process.  The "stop feeling sorry for yourself man and do something about it" phase.  The "get back in the saddle and ride this puppy like there is no tomorrow" phase. I wanted to run another marathon so that I could finish and have closure to the emotional scar that I inflicted on myself. I was in shape from the months of training and didn't want it to all go to waste. I knew the Cox Marathon in Providence, RI was fast approaching so I checked to see if registration was still open.  Hoping that it was but figured it would be closed due to the proximity of the date of the race. Luck would have it. The registration was still open. I talked it over with my wife and son and got their blessing (thank you Jen and Simon very much for supporting me in that decision).  I signed up that night. 

Race day. It started out rather on the cool side but then became warm very quickly.  The sun was out in all its blazing glory. It reminded me very much of that morning on April 21st. It didn't matter because I had a new game plan and was going to stick with it this time. There was a very different vibe for this race. I was much more relaxed and focused. 

The national anthem was sung.  A stirring pre-recorded version by Beyoncé. Well, maybe not stirring but it did invoke a lot of emotions. The pop of the runner's pistol.  I took off out of the gate, sorry coral, like a thoroughbred chasing victory. 

The course wound it's way through downtown, neighborhoods, semi-industrial areas, along the Ocean and down a rail trail. It even featured a "heartbreak hill" (elevation is the same) which had to be completed twice as it was an out and back course.  There was a lot of great spectator support along the way to give cheer and provide needed breaks from the task at hand. A special thanks to the couple blaring the Rocky theme at the end of their driveway out in the middle of nowhere!  

This race turned out to be much more of a mentally challenging race than a physical one. I found myself second guessing every single thing that I was doing. Every decision went before a judge and jury. Afraid that I was going to make that one mistake that would keep me from finishing again.  There were two points in the race that I let my head momentarily get the best of me. However, I knew that I had to make that short lived and dug deep to regain my composure and focus. That second time was not an easy task at all but I knew that I could, make that "had to", do it.

I finished the race in 4 hours 30 minutes. Did I want a faster time?  Absolutely. But in the end what was more important to me?  Finishing.  I had nothing to prove to anyone else except myself. I didn't have to try and best anyone else's time.  No PR to achieve.  This was my race to complete. Complete and bring closure.  Neigh, neigh. 

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Thank You.

The Boston Marathon is now a week in the rearview mirror and I'm in a good place now with the results.  I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me along the way.  Family, friends and colleagues.  Those who supported my fundraising effort.  Those who provided kind words of encouragement.  Thank you to each and every one of you.

I want to especially thank my wife and son for all of their support from the start back in December to race day and the days afterward.  I appreciate their understanding, unwavering support and their commitment in helping me get to where I did with all of this.  I appreciate everything that they did for me.  For all of the weekends that we couldn't get out and do things as a family because I was in Boston training.  Thank you for understanding.  For all of the hours that they stand around waiting for me during races.  Thank you.  For all of the fundraising efforts that my wife did for me.  Thank you.  I thank them both so much for helping to support me with this running addiction.  I could not have done any of this without them.

Thank you all.

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Heartbreak Before The Hill.

Well the marathon is over and here it is two days after and I'm finally posting about my experience.  It has taken me a couple of days to come to terms with Monday and to compose myself enough to make this post.  Here it goes.  My run unfortunately ended at mile 18.3 due to a medical issue that had me in the hospital instead of finishing the race.  I pushed myself too much and didn't factor in the heat during the run (I was on pace to finish with a 3:43 finish which would have beat my marathon that I ran in October of 2013).  All of my training was run during the frigid cold temperatures of the winter so I was still in that mindset (my last long run a couple of weeks ago was 22 fantastic miles).  I've second guessed myself on every aspect of my choices on Monday.  I know that there are things that I could have done differently and that I should have done differently.  However, I cannot change the past now but just learn from it.

I have had a difficult time emotionally dealing with this even with the tremendous support of friends and family.  It is hard to focus on the positive messages when I feel that I've let people down including myself.  I'm being hard on myself about it all because I know that I should have stuck to my plan and had the outcome that I had thought about so many times.  I've reflected so much that it makes my head hurt.  It is now time for me to move on.

While I didn't finish, which was my own goal and something that I wanted to prove to myself, I did raise $6,716.40 for the Curley K-8 School.  I have to remember that my main goal and purpose for all of this was to raise money for this worthwhile cause.  Not to prove something to myself as paces and PRs really don't matter to anyone else except for me personally.  I have learned a lot about where my focus should be and what is important in my life.  That is my family.  I've also learned a lot about myself and where I can and need to improve.  This has been such an experience.  All the highs.  All the lows.  This journey has ended but a new one will follow behind it. 

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

What A Feeling.

What a feeling, being's believin'
I can have it all, now I'm dancing for my life
Take your passion and make it happen
Pictures come alive, now I'm dancing through my life
What a feeling

I couldn't have said it any better than Irene Cara (just replace "dancing" with "running").  What a feeling it was yesterday to go and pickup my official bib and runner's packet after the B.A.A. 5K.  If you are following my blog you'll know that I have been using the word "emotional" a lot lately to describe how things related to the Marathon have been hitting me.  Get ready as I'm going to use it again...  It was such a momentous occasion for me to be there at the Hynes Convention Center to pickup my bib.  Just a year ago, I had been at the same place for the running expo thinking to myself that I would probably never get the chance to run Boston.  I was a bit jealous of the runners who were there picking up their packets at the time.  Thinking about how excited that they must be and wishing that I was feeling that same feeling.  No disrespect at all just wanting to experience the same thing that they were.  Yesterday I was able to experience that feeling first hand.  It all hit me at once as the volunteer was handing me my bib and info packet.  E M O T I O N A L.  All of the early morning training in the cold and snow, missing time with my family, inconveniencing my family to accommodate my training and everything that went into the fundraising came into perspective at that moment.  This was it.  The tangible bib that I was holding meant everything to me.  It validated everything that I had worked so hard for.  It was official.

As I sit here today, the day before the Marathon, I get a chance to reflect on everything that has led to where I am today.  What an incredible journey it has been.  I was extremely fortunate to have been given the great opportunity, back in December of last year, to have my place in this world class event.  Something that I will always be thankful and grateful for.  This is truly an experience of a lifetime.   

As I finish this post, you can rest assured that I will not be uploading any videos of myself in my running gear poised over a chair with gallons of water splashing down on me as "What a feeling" is playing in the background.  Guaranteed.  For those who are too young to get this reference look up the movie "Flashdance" from 1983.  Now, I'm off to get everything ready for tomorrow and to think about my big plate of pasta with Trader Joe's creamy tomato basil sauce for dinner tonight.

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Rice Medley.

A delicious and wholesome medley of whole grain brown rice, wild rice and red rice mixed with vegetables and seasonings.  As Mr. Food would always say, "Ooh, it's so good!".  Sorry, I meant "Race Medley".  Such a goof ball sometimes. 

Today was the 5K race which was the first race in the B.A.A. distance medley and was the kickoff to Marathon weekend.  It was such a good feeling to run a race again after all of the training runs the past several months.  I had wondered if the fact that there were going to be 10,000 entrants running in this race was going to make the course very congested and slow the pace down.  Luckily, it didn't.  It was a bit slow at the start but once we got onto Beacon street it opened up pretty quickly. 

The race today was a bit of a dress rehearsal for Monday as part of the course included the last part of the Marathon.  It was really cool to actually run "Right on Hereford, Left on Boylston".  Making that "Left on Boylston" was a truly emotional point of this race.  The Boston Fire Department had a fire engine with it's ladder extended and a huge American flag hanging from it over the street.  As I went under it, all I could think of was the two firefighters, who passed away a few weeks ago, that were from the firehouse that this engine was from.  Really powerful stuff.  My thoughts quickly went to the events from a year ago as I was approaching where the second bomb went off last year.  I tried to imagine what it would have been like for all those people around that area.  It quickly changed again as I approached the Marathon finish and the site of the first bomb.  I continued down Boylston weaving my way through other runners and then made the final turn onto Charles street.  I put everything into it to finish strong.  I ended up setting a PR for myself for a 5K finishing in 22 minutes 1 second with a pace of 7:00 min/mile.  My race results overall were: I finished 770 out of 8,640 participants and 65 out of 451 in my division.  I'll take that any day.

What an emotional roller coaster this race turned out to be.  From start to finish.  It is something that I will never forget.  I can just imagine what Monday's race is going to be like if I thought this one was emotional! 

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

The Final Countdown.

Oh, We're heading for Venus (Venus)
And still we stand tall
Cause maybe they've seen us
And welcome us all, yeah
With so many light years to go
And things to be found (to be found)
I'm sure that we'll all miss her so

It's the final countdown...

I crack up every time that I hear that song. A montage of Gob Bluth's (Arrested Development) cheesy magic tricks, sorry, "illusions" cycle through my head like I'm flipping channels trying to find something to watch. I absolutely love Arrested Development (original series and not the reborn Netflix version). I digress.

It is the final countdown. 4 days until race day. I have so many mixed emotions right now. Nervousness, anxiety, joy and sadness.  Each one waiting for the right moment to hit like a Mack truck.

It has been a very long week this week waiting for race day. The local news coverage of what happened one year ago at the Marathon really hit me harder than I thought it would. I think that that is because I have a greater understanding of what the Boston Marathon means now not only to myself but the other runners, their families and the City of Boston. Very emotional  stuff.

This week has also been very long due to the fact that I'm tapering. It was much more difficult this time around as I'm really sticking to it. When I trained last year for the marathon in Hampton, NH, I didn't focus to much on tapering and I it caught up with me. I was just winding down a very active race season and didn't feel that I needed to follow the program that closely.  Lesson learned.  I was able to get my final training run (5 miles) in tonight though so that helped with putting my sanity back in check.  It was pretty darn cold out there with the wind whipping and a temperature of 32. I guess it didn't help that I was running in shorts.

I have the B.A.A. 5K race on Saturday along with bib pickup for the marathon at the race expo. Exciting weekend of running activities. It is kind of sad though to think that it is all coming to an end. This thing that has taken over my life since December.  Controlling so many aspects of what I do and don't do. It's a love hate relationship.  More of a love thing though. 

Now, I have to go and pop in the first season of Arrested Development and laugh my @ss off!  Love those crazy Bluth's! 

It's the final countdown
We're leaving together
The final countdown
We'll all miss her so
It's the final countdown (final countdown)
Oh, it's the final countdown.

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

 

 



AT&T Athelete Alert.

The Boston Marathon is only 8 days away!

Interested in following my progress during the Boston Marathon on April 21st?  AT&T and the B.A.A. provide a service called "AT&T Athlete Alert" which allows you to sign-up to receive text messages and/or e-mail alerts when I reach the following marks during the race: 10K, half-marathon, 30K and the finish line.  If you want to sign up to receive notifications, just click on the link below and select how you would like to get notified.  My bib number is 27855.

http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/participant-information/att-athlete-alert.aspx

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

It' All In The Numbers.

This tapering thing is for the birds!  It is very difficult to run so much during training in the months before the marathon and then have to limit how much you run in the last couple of weeks.  I know that I need to do it but it goes against the norm over the past 4 months.  That said, I might as well do something with the extra time on my hands so I figured why not reminisce about my training and put it into some real numbers.  Show what goes into training for a marathon.  So, without further ado...

Training Stats
Number of months training: 4
Number of training runs: 46
Distance run: 454.48 miles
Total time spent running: 58 hours  10 minutes
Average length of each run: 1 hour 15 minutes
Average elevation gain: 506 ft
Average elevation loss: 560 ft
Average speed: 7.2 mph
Average distance: 9.88 miles
Average temperature: 29
Average real feel temperature: 23
Lowest temperature: 12
Lowest real feel temperature: 3

The most important number: 27855

Why is 27855 the most important number?  That is my official bib number for the race.  I was so excited to get my marathon packet recently which contained my runner passport and that awesome number.  27855.  Numbers.  Hey, I should play the lotto now that I have some numbers to use!

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Last Long Run.

Saturday.  Just another weekend day.  The day after Friday and the day before Sunday.  Well, maybe not.  It was the day to take my last long run before the Boston Marathon.

 I knew that I had to get my last long run in this weekend as the marathon is only 3 weeks away now.  The weather forecast was calling for rain this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday.  However, it was going to be rain free Saturday morning.  Saturday morning it was going to be then.  I took the early train in and started my run. 

The weather was gorgeous.  47 degrees and partly sunny.  Perfect weather for shorts, a short sleeve shirt and shades.  I was so excited because I hadn't been able to wear shorts for quite a long time (it's the little things!), it was my last long run and I was trying out three new gels (I'll post about the new gels soon).

 

My intention for yesterday's run was to log 20 miles, focus on staying near race pace, and putting the final touches on my refueling/hydration plan.  I was able to meet my goals and beat my mileage by 2 miles.  I ended up running 22 miles during this session.  The 20 mile mark was approaching and I said to myself that I'm feeling good so let's make it another mile.  The 21 mile mark approached and I did a quick check again.  I was still feeling good and I still had time before I had to head back to catch the train home so I went for it.  I felt really good at the end of it especially saying that I had run 9.25 miles Friday morning (total of 31.25 miles in two days).

I met my goal of staying around my race pace too.  This is something that I work on from time to time but really hadn't focused on too much previously as I usually go for speed over staying at race pace during my training runs.  I had to challenge and prove to myself though that I could be disciplined so that I could finish strong at the end where it really counts.  This is something that is always in the back of my mind from running my first marathon last October.  I started out that race at what I thought was at the right pace but quickly learned, at about mile 17, that I had started way too fast.  I learned from that mistake and will not let it happen again. 

I used this long run to make final adjustments to my refueling/hydration plan as well.  I've decided that I'm going to alternate with Body Glove energy gel and Honey Stinger Ginsting energy gel for the marathon  I found that this combination gives me the energy and mental clarity that I need during my runs.  I also used it as an opportunity to focus on the signs that my body gives me when I need to rehydrate.  The human body is a pretty smart cookie and gives great clues as to when it needs something.  You only have to be smart enough to listen for those clues.

I made a special point during my long run to stop by the scene of the tragic fire that claimed the lives of two Boston firefighters this past Wednesday.  The scene was quiet and a bit eerie.  The only thing that you could hear was a slow "beep... beep... beep" coming from either the charred shell of what once was someone's home or the houses on either side that were impacted by this devastating event.  It made me pause and reflect on what is really important to me in my life.  My heart goes out to all the families that were touched so negatively by this horrible fire.

I also made a special trip over to Boylston street to see the newly painted finish line.  What a sight for sore eyes.  To most, it probably doesn't mean that much at all.  Just some yellow, blue and white paint splashed on the pavement.  To me as a runner, it means so much.  It is the ultimate prize for all of the training.  It is what I've worked so hard for all of these months.  That simple mark on the road is the culmination of such a profound journey.  "Journey".  "Keep on Runnin'".  Wow, I love when they come together like that!

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Let The Tapering Begin.

The Boston Marathon is 21 days away!

Three weeks to go.  This has been a long journey since starting training back in the beginning of December.  Long runs. Early morning runs. Evening runs. Lots of refueling gels and sports drinks.  Trying to balance training, work and family.

Taper.  I'm not talking about a lovely wax dinner candle used to set the mood for fine dining.  I'm referring to reducing the number of miles that I run in the remaining three weeks leading up to the marathon.  The purpose of tapering is to allow the restocking of depleted glycogen supplies and the repair of damaged tissue from the weeks of hard training.  In essence, it is giving my body the chance to recover and to be in peak condition for the big day. 

This process calls for a reduction of miles by 20 to 25 percent per run three weeks out.  A further reduction of 20 to 25 percent per run two weeks out.  The final week before the marathon calls for a few six milers early in the week. 

The process of reducing mileage can be seen as a good thing on one hand but also difficult on the other.  The thought of being able to cut down on mileage each week is so inviting and welcomed this far into training.  However, it can also have a negative mental impact by giving you extra time to start questioning your training.  Did I do enough to prepare myself for this race?  Did I run enough?  Should I have focused more on my speed?  Should I have put more hill work into my weekly training?  All good questions.  However, deep down, I know that I've done the best that I can.  I just have to keep reminding myself of this fact whenever I begin to question things with the extra free time that I'll have on my hands.  Questiong things is expected and has already begun to some degree.  It is just another aspect of marathon training to be prepared for.  This mental component can be just as hard to train for as the physical component.  You have to learn to take complete control of the head games and put everything in perspective.  Mental strength + physical strength = Athlete.  Hello world, my name is Keith and I'm an athlete.

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Delivered.

Last Thursday was a momentous day as it is the day that I delivered the $5,856.40 that I raised to the Curley K-8 School.  I met principal Katie Grassa who informed me that the extra money that was raised ($856.40) will go towards benches and trees for their new playground (funded by another fundraising project).  It was great to finally see the learning community that was going to benefit from all of the generous donations that were made to my Boston Marathon fundraiser. 

Thank you again to each and every donor who helped me obtain my goal and then some. You are all very generous individuals and I appreciate your kindness. 

There are only 24 days until the marathon!

Until next time, keep on runnin'!

Out Of The Blue. WHAMM!

Have you ever had one of those powerful moments that just jumps out of nowhere, surprises you, and then hits you like the dynamic duo fighting a dastardly villain?  POW!  ZLONK!  Something that you will always remember for the impact that it had on you.  I had one of those moments today. 

I knew that I had to go for my weekly long run today as I was not able to get to it yesterday.  I wasn't very motivated though as between Friday and yesterday I pulled 20 1/2 hours straight at work working on a huge IT infrastructure project.  A good amount of that time was spent on the hard floor of a computer room.  Not too good for the legs and joints but you do what you have to do.  I figured out that between Friday morning and this morning, I had only had 9 hours of sleep in total.  Again, not too motivated when the alarm went off at 5:50 AM this morning.  SPLATT!  THUNK!

As I was taking the train into Boston this morning, I was trying to figure out a route that I haven't taken in awhile and that would help to get me excited about today's run.  I kept coming up with the same tried and true routes that I have been going to faithfully.  I needed something different though.  Something to provide that BAM!  I ended up starting out going over into the Seaport District.  Not very BAM inducing but it was different than what I normally run.  I usually don't venture too far into the Seaport District because it really is not that inspiring to run.  Just some fish companies, Black Falcon pier and a lot of solitude.  I made my way down Summer Street, over into South Boston to the old electric plant and then back over to Black Falcon.  I then made my way over to Northern Ave. passing by Harpoon Brewery and the old Bank of America Pavilion.  Northern Ave. turned into Seaport Blvd.  Then it hit.  BIFF!  BONK!

I was focused on trying to watch the road as I crossed the street so that I could run along the water.  I then looked up and saw it.  The new 2014 Boston Marathon banners that were unveiled this past week.  As far as the eye could see.  Both sides of Seaport Blvd.  What a beautiful sight.  My inspiration and motivation was found.  As I passed by each banner, the emotion that I felt increased.  It then culminated into a feeling that I will never forget.  I finally stopped to think about this thing that has completely taken over my life for the past four months.  All of the training.  All of the time away from my family.  The fundraising.  Trying to balance work, family and everything that comes up in a given day.  I hadn't really put it altogether.  Until that moment.  The emotion became so much that I started to cry as I ran by each banner (I'm getting that feeling again as I am typing up this post.  It is such a powerful and emotional thing to think about).  One banner after another.  The tears of joy flowed. 

I continued on my run and used that moment of seeing the banners for the first time as the motivation that I needed to get through today's run.  Along the waterfront in the North End, over to the Bunker Hill monument, along the Charles River on both the Cambridge side and the Boston side.  I ended my training run on Summer Street by South Station.  What did I see when I looked up?  2014 Boston Marathon banners.  BOFF!  "Holy ironic Batman". 

Until next time, keep on runnin'!