Another easy Wednesday run with Raymond. Memories from Monday's run came to the surface during the first couple miles, my legs were sore. The first couple slow miles loosened things up and I felt good. The pace started at 7:45 and gradually closed in on 7:15 near the finish.

I was going to run to the start and home to add 3 miles but I felt a little tickle in my throat this morning that has been getting progressively worse as the day goes on. I decided to skip the additonal miles. 8.5 miles in 65 minutes.

I am not ready to say I am sick as of yet, sometimes these things will pass. I am sure I'll know by tomorrow morning.

Happy Trails

I didn't run yesterday and due to a hectic work schedule and other obligations I won't be running tomorrow so I made sure today counted. The goal was to kick my ass up and down the trails of Wissahickon Park. I set out on a torturous route that combined the hilliest trails I could think of to get me from my house, through the park to Bells Mill Road and back. Temps were in the upper 70's and humid and for first time this year I set out with a full bottle of water to keep me company.

I have been running through this park for about 5 years and although I don't know all of the trails I definitely know a majority of them and it was fun to link up different routes to make one long run. At points where there was a choice between the low road and the high road I opted for the high, hillier route. I kept the pace moderately easy knowing that this run was going to be more of a marathon than a sprint and I didn't want to blow it to early.

I felt good from the start and was enjoying the rocky, roller coaster like trails that dominate the sides of the valley. I was soaked with sweat and by the time I reached the Valley Green restaurant where I refilled my bottle and kept going. The northwest portion of the park is more rugged with steeper longer hills but I really was enjoying the challenge.

When I run Forbidden Drive to Bells Mill it normally takes me about 45 minutes to cover the 6 miles. On the trails it took 72 minutes due to the hills and the additional distance due to the winding trail. This run was going to be longer than I imagined when I left the house.

I crossed the creek and I started heading back, again opting for the hills when I had the chance. I was really tiring by this point and slowed things down. Whew, my ass was kicked by the time I got back to Valley Green. There was a small wedding in progress and I stopped for a breather and to watch a little. In my opinion it is a beautiful spot to get married.

Even if I kept up a good pace on Forbidden Drive from here to home I knew the run was going to go over 2 hours so I decided to avoid the trails for the last portion of the run. Surprisingly I ran strong the last few miles and got home in 2 hours and 2 minutes. My longest run by the clock since Boston, and probably my longest by distance as well but it's hard to gauge on these runs. I made a rough estimate using google maps of the route but I can't really capture all the turns. I'll just call it 15+. The furthest trail run I have done.

Catching Up

My routine is to post to this blog sitting at my desk with a cup of coffee in the morning but work has been way to busy to allow that this week. So it is time for a week of catch. I needed to look back at my training log to remember what I did.

Monday- Off

Tuesday

I went out to the group run. I remember running with Ian and Jim among a few others. The pace was moderate on the way out and picked up a little on the return. The temps were warm and I was sweating profusely by the time we finished. I still had to run the 5 miles back to my house and I wasn't looking forward to it. I stalled by chatting after the run and I was afraid that things would have tightened up in the 15 minutes I spent talking.

I shouldn't have worried, I felt great on the way back and had to hold back my pace. I was pleasantly surprised to see the miles going by at just over 7:00 pace and it felt easy. The last half mile I let it fly. I was having a hard time judging how fast I was running and then thought "Does this feel faster or slower than Broad Street?" it felt a little faster so I guess it was around 5:45 pace. 10 miles in 70 minutes

Wednesday

A run with Raymond. This is becoming a routine and I welcome it. Raymond and I chat mostly about running related items and keep an easy pace through the park. a little over 8.5 miles in 87 minutes.

Thursday

I was going to go to the Wanderers trail race again but I just had to much stuff to do at home and decided on a quick run from my house. Since I missed the race I just ran hard on a trail loop. I definitely didn't hit race pace but kept it more in the tempoish range, which really wasn't that fast with all the hills. 5.7 miles in 40 minutes.

Friday - off

Saturday.

Took an early morning trip to my folks house in Egg Harbor to beat the Memorial Day traffic. After a quick stop at their house I drove to the local bike trail about 1.5 miles away. It is a straight and flat rail to trail route that cuts right through a few towns near the back bays outside of Margate. It is lined with well manicured homes, ball fields, and schools.

I got running at 8:30 and it was already warm. It was summer warm, the humidity was up and the sun was quickly getting into position right over my head. I'm not really used to these temps and I am definitely not looking forward to it this summer. Although I was feeling hot, I kept thinking how these temps would feel like relief by the middle of July. Ugh.

The first hour or so I felt fine, keeping things around 7:20 pace. I stopped at my car after a 1/2 hour for a long pull on some cold water and set off again. This was the longer portion of the path and when I reached the turn around point 30 minutes later I was really feeling the temps. I slowed things down and even took a few walking breaks on the rare shady portions of the path. My search for a water fountain at each school and playground had turned up negative and I was cursing the townships for not putting any fountains in.

I saw a very fit runner heading the other way and asked him to point me towards a water fountain. Luckily, there was one just a 1/4" mile up the path tucked behind a building. I felt better after a break there and finished up the run. 12.4 miles in 1hr 36 minutes.

Sunday - off. I spent it on my Fathers boat fishing for flounder, listening to the Phillies game, drinking a few beers and catching a lot of sun. A great way to spend Memorial Day weekend. The Phillies won and we caught 7 flounder, 2 keepers.

37 miles for the week in 4 four runs.

Easy Weekend

I took off Friday.

Saturday afternoon I went out Forbidden Drive to Valley Green. Things didn't feel great for the first few miles but after that I felt great. I wasn't splitting any miles but on the way back it felt like the pace dropped down to around 7:00. Overall it was an easy run that finished much better than it started, always a good thing.

On Sunday I did almost the same exact run with a few miles tacked on, out to the covered bridge before turning around. I ran with Heather who is finally done with school and is trying to push the miles to gain a little speed and endurance. Her extra effort as of late extra effort definitely showed and our pace stayed in the a consistent 7:45 tp 8:00 range for the entire run.

I also felt better at the end of this run than I did at the beginning. It's funny how 10.5 easy miles can actually make your legs feel energized and relaxed.

44 miles running and 15 on bike last week.

Wissahickon Trail Race

My plan for running was again disrupted by work on Wednesday night. It is not exactly the work hours that are killing but that damn commute from Malvern. I get out of my training class at 4:40 but don’t get home until 6:00 or a little later. Luckily, I don’t work out there any longer and the commute is only temporary for this class.

Anyway, it was raining when I got home, I waited for that to pass and then headed out the door with 45 minutes of running in mind but no real route. I wandered around Manayunk and Roxborugh on some familiar streets and some streets that I have never been on. I worked in a couple long hills but took them easy. 6.5 miles in 48 minutes.

The Wissahickon Wanderers running club holds trail races on Thursday’s in May and I had forgotten all about it until my own trail run this week. I saw the telltale signs of lime green arrows and bunches of flour to mark the route that changes every week. I ran a few of these races in September; they are challenging and easy-going at the same time. They are also followed by beer and food, so I joined the Wanderers Thursday night.

I ran four easy miles from house up Forbidden Drive to the race start at Valley Green Restaurant Based on the races last year I thought I had shot at winning as long as a couple people did not show up. Specifically, Stevus and another guy from their club whose name escapes me. When I got to Valley Green there wasn’t a soul from the club and I at first thought they weren’t holding the race, but many quickly arrived and it was on. The fast guy from last year also arrived and although I didn’t really know his fitness from the year before but he didn’t look any slower.

A 3.5 mile route that they tried to explain to me but mostly went in one ear and out the other as it quickly turned on to trails that I wasn’t familiar with. At sign up I was wondering why they wanted a 5K time with my name this year and found out at the start. It was going to be a wave start with slowest first and the fastest last. They started the first group and several more groups before my group of three started last, 14 mintues later. It was about 30 runners in all.

We took off and within 100 feet we were on a long hill. I was quickly huffing and puffing and wishing that there hadn’t been such a long cool down period between my run to Valley Green and the race start, things had definitely tightened up. Fast guy, Matt, and I pulled away from the third runner Chris on the first hill but ½ mile later we missed a poorly marked turn. With some yelling and screaming Chris let us know our mistake and we turned things around, only losing about 1 minute in the process.

Chris was, of course, ahead of us now and Matt passed me on a long hill. My hill workouts have been lacking as of late and it showed. I was forced to walk a little on a steep section. Matt continued to pull ahead and out of sight, Chris stayed within sight and made for a good rabbit for me to catch as the race progressed. We hit many trails that I was unfamiliar with and would have made Ron Horn proud, I was forced to use my hands to scale some especially steep and rocky sections.

The entire way I was slowly reeling in Chris and due to the wave start, we began to pass some of the runners that had started ahead of us. I eventually was able to get head of Chris and now was just trying to hold on to my lead. On the final downhill, I could hear his footsteps coming behind me and gave it all I had, nearly losing control on the steep and rocky path, but I was able to maintain the lead.

I crossed the line in 31 minutes in what I eventually found out was 3rd place. For my efforts, I was awarded a gigantic jug of lime Gatorade. Afterwards I enjoyed some beers and food with Heather, who met me at the finish with some dry clothes, and the rest of the wanderers club. I am already looking forward to next weeks race.

For the day 7.5 miles in 1 hour.

I ran the trails in the Wissahickon on Monday night for about 5.5 miles in 42 minutes. Pushed a little harder than I was planning because I was feeling good.


Tuesday morning I got up early and met my friend Lee for 5 miles on Forbidden Drive. This morning running thing seems to get easier every time. Knowing someone is going to be waiting for if I don't get up in time is also a huge help.

I planned on running a double with the group but I ended up not getting home from work until nearly 6:30. I didn't really feel like running so instead I jumped on my bike and rode to the top of Wissahickon Park. I exited at the top and then rode up that gigantic hill on Germantown Avenue. It is quicker on the bike but no less painful, especially with my limited mileage on the bike. I pushed fairly hard the entire way to make it a good workout. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 miles in 50 minutes

I expected to come out of the Boston Marathon burnt out on training. It was my second marathon in 6 months and I wasn't to gung-ho about training for it. I thought these feelings would just be doubled for a marathon this fall and decided to forgo another marathon this year.

In reality, I took a few easy weeks after Boston, ran Broad Street and now I am excited about training again. The thought of endless miles over the summer doesn't seem to bad at this point. Maybe it is a drive to get under 3 hours, maybe it is the improvement I see in friends and wanting to improve my times as well, maybe it's because I really do enjoy lacing up my shoes and getting out there a majority of the time, maybe it's because I have gotten myself this far into it and to turn back now is losing ground. I think the biggest single factor is the possibilities. What can I really do if I commit even more time and energy to already consuming endeavor.

The truth is I am often in a battle with myself over running. I feel that I just do it to much and it sucks up a lot of my time for other things. Family, friends, other sports, sitting on my ass, and Friday nights just to name a few. This has to be balanced with the positives; the great friends and people I have me through running, fitness, the sense of accomplishment you get when you cross the finish line with a PR, just getting outside almost everyday.

So with all this on my mind I think one more summer of heavy training (heavy for me at least) is most likely in the cards.

I mulled all of this over on a 13 miler through the Wissahickon on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The first 4 miles on Forbidden Drive with Heather to Valley Green where she turned around headed back and then I continued to the top of the park. The water fountain has still not been turned on but I found that the sink in the bathrooms just up the path makes a great alternative.

On the way back I jumped on the trails for a few miles and then back to the main path to finish up in 1:39. My legs felt great and I am beginning to get used to the heat that is has been slowly building this spring.

Sunday I joined a couple friends at the Race for the Cure, a huge 5K in Philadelphia for breast cancer.(the run for boobies) I think they said 1 trillion people attended and we walked a majority of the first half of this 5K. The rest of the way was very easy running as we dodged the crowds. I crossed the finish line in 46 minutes. Nearly a PR. It was nice to be out there for a good cause and pig out on the snacks that Wawa provided afer we finished.


45 miles for the week. A couple more than I was shooting for.

Joined up with a few Philly runners, Ian, Steve K, and Goat for 9 humid miles through Fairmount Park last night. It was warm enough to soak my shirt with sweat by the time we finished but not so warm that it ruined the run.

Things started off at a relaxed pace as we made our way around Memorial Hall and then down the Belmont Plateau onto the fire roads that cut through the park. We were outnumbered by mountain bikers that were constantly popping in and out of the woods on the singletrack trails. We eventually made it to the Strawberry Mansion bridge into East Fairmount Park where the pace picked up to a point that was right on the edge of easy. Returned to the Art Museum for a conservative 9 miles in 69 minutes.

This morning I got up to meet my friend from work, Lee, for a few easy morning miles. He was on my front porch when I stepped out the door and I think I was off and running about 8 minutes after I got out of bed. I am beginning to get into the groove of morning running and starting to enjoy it. Of course this is the easiest time of year to run early with the sun up and the temps cool but you have to start somewhere.

Runners tend to be a lot more friendly in the early morning and the few that we passed on Forbidden Drive all said hello. I saw Veena, a very quick runner who I am fairly sure runs 7-8 hours per day based on how often and where I see her. A little over 5 miles in 42 minutes.

For the second week in a row I met Raymond at the entrance to Wissahickon park for 8.5 miles on Forbidden Drive. This time I ran to and from the entrance which added on about 2.5 miles.

The weather was quite warm, about as warm as it has been so far this year, and I had a good sweat worked up in the 10 minutes it took me to run over there. However, once we got into the park the shade really cooled things off and it was a nice comfortable run. Both Raymond and I had memories of Broad street in our heads and in our legs. We discussed the race and kept the pace easy, right around 8:00.

Due to Raymond's very analytical approach to running and my somewhat analytical approach to running we often talk about training plans and what has or hasn't worked for us in training. Raymond has a goal of a low 2:50's marathon in the fall and was discussing his training plan to reach that goal. The conversation really got me thinking about my own marathon plans for the fall. Why shouldn't I be shooting for the same times that he is? My shorter races definitely indicate that it is within the realm of possibilty. Instead of "just" trying for sub 3:00 why not shoot for a 2:53.

It's a decision I am going to need to make fairly soon. If I want this to work I need to lay some groundwork for more intense traning in the late summer and fall by logging a bunch of easy miles now. If yesterday was any indication those easy miles shouldn't be to much a of a problem.

A little over 11 miles in 90 minutes. My legs feel much better today.

My legs were quite sore from the race on Sunday and I decided to take Monday off. I tend to be conservatice when it comes to aches and pains and avoid running if I am am even a little suspicious of injury. Tuesday I was on the fence but Heather was going out for an easy 6 on forbidden drive so I joined her.

Things felt OK once I was moving and I think a few easy miles helped loosen things up. We streteched at the turn around and headed back at a somewhat brisker pace but still well within easy range. A little under 6 miles in 48 minutes.

Broad Street Run

Another year and another Broad Street Run. I have been improving on my times consistently each year. The first, a 1:14 in 2000, to a 61 minute race in 2006. The goal this year was to break 60.

For the first time, I got to the start area with more than 5 minutes to spare and warmed up with Seebo, Steve K, and Ian. It was a windy day but luckily it was blowing the same direction we were headed. Just before the race started I was able to work my way into the seeded area up front and I took off with Steve K at the gun.

The idea was to to run slightly under 6:00 pace for the first 5 miles and then see what happened from there. Steve and I started off well with a 5:55 and I quickly settled into the pace. Running a 10 mile race is never really comfortable and by mile 3 I was feeling it, not struggling but not on autopilot.

The miles went by quickly and before I knew it we were through 5 in about 29:33. Steve and I had built a 27 sec lead on that 60 minute goal. Again, as it was in 2005 & 2006, the second half of the race was more about hanging on to the pace then getting any further ahead. I usually fall off miles 6 through 8 and I was determined not to let that happen this year. I accidentally erased the splits on my watch but I didn't fall off badly during this section. The splits were coming in at, or just slightly slower than 6:00 and I was working for every one of them.

Steve was running a little under his ability and it seemed that he really wanted to push it, but he graciously kept pace with me and helped to pull me through the last few miles. This isn't the first time that someone from Philly Runners has helped me in a large race and it is always greatly appreciated. So with Steve keeping the tempo up we cruised through mile 9 in 6:00 flat. At this point, barring a catastrophe, I knew we were going to go under 60, so I just tried to push to the finish.

We crossed the line at 59:41. SWEEEEET! Sub 60 in this this race is a big milestone for me, close to a 3:00 marathon, and I am just totally amped that I was able to pull it off. After the race I ran into Ian who also had a big PR but missed most of the other Philly Runners. Congrats to all that ran.

I ran over to the Green Lane entrance of the Wissahickon Park to meet Raymond for an 8 mile run last night. We planned an easy run from the entrance up to the top of the park. The weather was great and we have been promised more of the same straight through the weekend.

We started at a slow and comfortable pace and I was really enjoying the run from the first step. Having not run with Raymond much we had plenty to talk about besides running and the conversation was flowing the entire way. Things slowly picked up along the route but I don't think we got much below 7:30 pace at any point.

8.5 miles in 65 minutes.

I ran with a runner last night I only know as Marita's Uncle during the Tuesday Night group run. I never caught his name but I have heard of his running past from his niece Marita. He has won the Caesar Rodney Half Marathon on a couple occasions and I was eager to chat with him about running.

The pace was generally in the 6:50 to 7:05 range and it felt very comfortable. I found out that Marita's Uncle once ran a 2:21 marathon in an attempt to qualify for the 1980 Olympic trials in Buffalo. That Buffalo race was the deepest field ever for a marathon trials and I was wishing he had qualified as well just so I could get a few stories from the race. I think the qualifying standard was 2:20 in those days. It's funny how the standards have gotten a little lax over the years. 2:20 is still the "A" standard but "B" standard is 2:22. To bad they didn't have that in 1980.

As with most runner's he was very modest and kind of held back about his past accomplishments. Perhaps it isn't modesty and just the fact that those days are past and why dwell on them, he's a great runner today as well.

5 miles in a little under 35:00 minutes. It was the first time since Boston that I really felt back back to normal and the effort I was putting into it was giving me the pace I expected. It was a good run.

Friday was a planned day off.

Saturday morning I joined the Philly Runners group run for a trip around "The Loop". Easy miles until the Falls Bridge turn around. Raymond and I then picked it up to 7:00 pace for a couple. Raymond commented how this pace was just junk mileage for him, to fast to be easy and to slow to be an interval or tempo pace workout. He was right. We either had to speed it up or slow it down so we did the former. The last couple went by in 6:40 and 6:25. It felt good. 10.5 miles in about 80 minutes.

Sunday I hit the trails in the Wissahickon. I stayed away from the very hilly portions and headed for the flat technical section across from Forbidden Drive. I tried to keep the pace relaxed and easy but it can be difficult for me on the trails. I was hot and sweaty by the time I turned around at Valley Green and looking forward to the water fountain... that was not turned on yet.

What the hell? This has irked me for years about the Fairmount Park system. How hard is it to turn a valve and get the water fountain running? The water fountains seem to sporadically get turned on across the Fairmount Park system. Give me a truck and a wrench and I'd easily have all the water fountains turned on in a single day. Instead we have to play a guessing/hoping game for functioning water fountains. By April 29th I think the chance of freezing and bursting pipes is pretty negligible.

Enough ranting. Finished up the run on Forbidden drive. A little over 8 miles in 65 minutes.

For the week.

34.4 miles running and 17 miles biking.

Sub 14:00 5K

Last night Heather and I headed over to Franklin Field to check out a few events at the Penn Relays. We saw several steeplechase events, a women's 3000 and then the 5000 meter championship for college men and women. The highlight of the evening was definitely the mens 5000 meter championship.

Two runners peeled away from the lead pack in the last couple laps. The leader in the final lap was passed going into the last turn. It looked like the race was over and the guy who got passed was going lose. Suddenly, with about 60 meters to go, the runner who had been passed had an explosion of speed. A surprised and cheering crowd saw him blow by his competitor to edge him out for the win in just under 14 minutes. Wow. A truly inspiring performance. Watching events like that just make you want to run more to improve your own performances.

As for my running... I have only 6 miles on Thursday morning to report. An easy out and back along Kelly Drive. Things started off at 8:00 pace and slowly increased to about 7:20 by the time I finished. I passed Veena, Chris, and Craig on his bike while on Kelly Drive.

The morning running is nice, it's almost like I sneak in a workout. I have my evenings open for whatever I want, including another workout. I tried to get out the door this morning as well, but the sound of thunder when I woke up made for an easy decsion to roll over and go back to bed.

Marathon Pace

Drove down to the Tuesday night run with Heather on a beautiful spring evening. I started off more quickly than I would have liked and the first mile went by in 6:45. I fell into step with Stevus and a couple other guys and we kept this pace up through the turn around. I was pushing to hold the speed and it seemed really fast. It suddenly dawned on me that it was almost exactly marathon pace (for the first 18 miles of the marathon at least) and damn if it didn't feel about twice as hard as it did in Boston.

I kept it up for about 1/4 mile more and thought "Why the hell am I doing this to myself?" Dropped the pace into the 7:15 range and took it easier the rest of the way to the Art Museum. For some reason Boston seems a lot further back than 9 days but my legs definitely remember it.

I want to run well at Broad Street on May 6th, but I think taking it easy would be much more of a benefit that pushing myself right now. It feels like I have no chance in hell of breaking my 61 minute time from last year. In my head I know I have gained a lot of fitness in the past year and I should be able to break my time but I just can't wrap my head around 6:00 minute pace or better for 10 miles. A couple guys who ran Boston in 2006 had big PR's at Broad Street and I am hoping for the same despite how far fetched that pace seems at the moment.

Monday Morning

I got my ass out of bed to run by myself this morning! To the morning runners out there this doesn't seem like much of an accomplishment but for me it is big.

I had reset the alarm to 6:25 and planned another 35 minutes of sleep but as I tried to fall back asleep I was yelling at myself to get out of bed. It actually worked and I threw on my clothes and got out the door. Once out there the beautiful morning made me very happy with my decision. 4.5 miles in 33 minutes. Felt good.

I rode my bike down to the Art Museum to watch the 5K for Clean Air that Both Ian and Seebo happened to be running. Seebo was chasing a so far elusive sub 16:00 5K and Ian was testing out what seemed to be a new pair of bionic legs.

I missed them at the start but saw them finish, both solidly under the 16:00 minute mark. Watching friends run a good race is almost as good as running one yourself. This especially holds true when you know how much work went into hitting those goals.

As for me, I ran 4.5 miles Friday morning with Lee, a guy I work with. Lee is traning for an Ironman in September and I don't really think he knows what he is in for. I guess I don't know what he is in for either but I sure as hell wouldn't want to run a marathon after a 2.4 miles swim and 120 on the bike.

Hopefully this will turn into a twice weekly morning meeting. It's is tough for me to get out of the bed to run in the morning and this might be just what I need to get into morning mode. My legs felt tight but okay and teh run really seemed to loosen them up for the rest of the day.

Boston

The dreary weather outside the train window was forecasted to get even drearier but that couldn’t put a damper on my excitement to finally be on my way to this race. Boston has been a goal of mine since finishing the Baltimore Marathon in 2004 and now after many miles, many new running friends, and many high’s and low’s, I was on my way. Fuck the weather.

I was rooming with English Mike and we were headed there together, we got to our room, went to the expo and got our race packet, got a big plate of pasta and got to bed. The wind was howling outside and the rain was pounded against the window but the local forecast called for clearing conditions just before race time. I think Mike and I both went to bed with out fingers crossed.

In the morning we made our way down to Copley Square and lined up for the bus. It was pouring rain and quite windy but our spirits were still high as we chatted with a few other people in line. As promised the ride out to Hopkinton seemed like forever and I think it was compounded by the fact that you could not see out the fogged up windows.

After about an hour I was itching to get off the bus, we unloaded onto a mud covered field. The rain had let up a little but the mud was everywhere, unavoidable, especially when you really didn’t know where the hell you were going. Luckily we had planned ahead and I had my dry running shoes and a fresh pair of socks to throw on before I handed over my bag and headed to the start.

The rain had been sporadic and light since getting off the bus but it started coming down heavy as I headed to my corral. I got into the corral with a few minutes to spare and miraculously the rain stopped just before the start. I didn’t know it at the time, but it would only return for a couple brief periods during the race.

Actually, during the race the weather didn’t seem like a huge factor. The wind was virtually nonexistent for the first 5 miles and then popped up hear and there often at especially bad times such as a big hill but overall I didn’t think about it much. It was 48 and overcast, great racing conditions. It obviously had an effect when you look at the male and female winning times, the slowest for the males since 1977, but for me it was hard to notice a big difference during the race. So I am going to shut up about it.

I promised myself to hold back in the first couple miles but it was hard to gauge on the steep downhill. First mile went by in about 7:20 and the second was just over 6:40. I was feeling great, finding my groove early and was plugging away. It was mostly downhill for the first several miles with some uphill mixed in. The course passed by a lot of single homes with families out there cheering us on. It was nice.

Surprisingly I saw Devon at about mile 4, said a quick hi and tried to ignore a cramp that had popped up in my stomach. A ½ mile later the cramp was gone as quickly as it had come and I was just trying to take it all in. The miles were going by quickly and they were all at, or just below my goal pace of 6:48. Before I knew it mile 10 passed, I was on pace and was feeling OK. Not terrific but definitely not bad. My breathing was smooth and I didn’t feel like I was pushing to hard.

I was concentrating on splits as we went by mile 12 and I had forgotten all about Wellesley College. The wind was blowing from that direction and on the wind I suddenly picked up the sound of a 1000 screaming girls. “My God! People aren’t exaggerating; you really can hear them a ½ mile away.” Like a distant roar that grew louder with each step. Despite the build up from past runner about this part of the course I was still floored.

I couldn’t help but join in the excitement as I ran by. I was giving out high fives like they were going out of style, cupping my hand to my ear and getting bowled over by the increase in screams. It was more than I thought it would be and the perfect pick up as you head up a hill and into the second half of the race. It's also the reason mile 13 went by in 6:37 despite a hill.

This was where the marathon really started and I was just counting up the miles we approached Newton. Mile 14-16 were fairly uneventful, generally downhill and I just tried to keep an even pace and save some energy for what I knew was ahead. The first real hill was in mile 17, up and over Interstate 95.

I was feeling decent and I tried to slowly pass people as we went up the hill, not flying just making sure I wasn’t falling off the pace. Mile 17 went by in 7:05. I was happy with that. This was followed by more downhill and then a hard turn at the fire house and on to the Newton Hills.

At mile 18 in a marathon you are never feeling terrific but I knew I felt decent enough and was confident I’d able to get over these hills without losing to much. Thinking back about these hills I can’t really remember everything exactly. I was getting a little hazy as can sometimes happen later in the marathon. I can remember repeatedly thinking “This ain’t over until you pass that mile 21 marker, keep on it” Mile 18 – 7:05, mile 19 - 6:55, mile 20 – 7:11 and mile 21- 7:20. I didn’t want the miles to go below 7:15 but I wasn’t going to worry about 5 seconds. The hills were about as hard as I thought they would be after balancing all the hype you hear about them against the experiences of people who actually have run them.

So now I have 5.2 miles to go and 35:53 left before the 3 hour mark passes. I wasn’t feeling to hot at this point but I knew if I kept the pace sub 7:00 I was going to break 3 hours. Before the race I had imagined this exact situation and thought if I could get myself to this point I would be able to hold until the finish. What you imagine isn’t always what comes true.

My body was revolting, it wasn’t a sudden thing but slowly building with every mile. I was pushing and pushing just praying that the splits wouldn’t start to tail off. I remember passing Boston College and turning onto Beacon Street but my concentration wasn’t too great. When the crowd kind fades off into the back ground both audibly and visually I know I am pushing myself into territory where things can quickly get bad. I was worried I was hitting the wall but didn’t want to drop off the pace.

In the Chicago marathon I never got to this point. I was fatigued racing towards the finish but always in total control. Chicago had dulled the memory of how things can get when you are pushing yourself at the end of a marathon and now in Boston I was getting a strong reminder. Mile 22 – 6:52, “one down, 4 to go”. Mile 23 - 7:07, “Shit, pick it up”. Mile 24 - 6:57 “Maybe I have a shot”.

I now had 15 minutes left and 2.1 miles to go. I couldn’t precisely calculate things at the time but I knew I was going to need to speed things up to pull this off, it just was not happening. It wasn’t a total collapse I just couldn’t seem to move faster or even hold my pace. Mile 25 - 8:03. 3:00 was now out of reach. I was let down and whined about it in my head for a minute or two but quickly realized I was going to PR in Boston, on a shitty ass day, and I had less than a mile to go. I am going to enjoy it.

I forced, what must have looked like the smile of madman, onto my face and concentrated on keeping up my 8:00 minute pace until I crossed that line. My mood followed the smile and I turned onto Boylston, saw the finish and despite how I felt physically, I was mentally elated. I crossed the line and waddled through the finish area. 3:02:45

Missed my goal but I still felt great knowing I had PR’d and it was done. Boston was done. We got word of the winner’s time as I walked through the finishing area and realized that it was 7 minutes off of the pace from the year before and easily 5 minutes slower than the average winning time over the last 25 years. That fact made me even happier. I felt like I had given it all I had out there. I raced just about exactly the race I wanted and it just didn’t come together in the end. I’m cool with that, I don’t think I could have done much better.

I looked through all other Philly Runner finish times and it seems everybody had a decent day despite the weather. Congratulations to all the racers and big props to Michelle, Ryan, and Devon who came up to cheer us along on a nasty day.

Tip Top

I'll tell you what, this taper thing really works.

I went out for an easy run after work, temperature was about 50 and the winds were light. Against my better judgement I hopped on the trails promising myself an easy pace on the flats and an especially easy pace on the technical portions. I don't need any trail running injuries at this point.

I felt like a well oiled machine on my first step out the door and that stuck with me for the four miles. I kept things easy until the very end where I couldn't resist a little sprint up the hill to the finish. 4 miles, untimed. My left calf has been tight at the end of my last two runs this week but there wasn't even a hint of that today.

As usual I feel like I am not doing near enough the last week of taper, I won't even break 20 miles. However, I don't think I have ever felt this good in the final week. Mentally I haven't felt that focused but physically I feel tip top. With a little weather luck I still might be able to pull this sub 3:00 hour thing off. I just have to get my mind into race mode.