And then there were three...

weeks, that is. Three weeks from today, I’ll be at the starting line at Hopkinton, with many miles behind me and 26.2 more to go. After my 20-miler yesterday, my long runs are pretty much behind me as I taper the training down over the next few weeks.

Some highlights from the last two weeks.

10. The past three Sunday runs have been 20 miles in the rain and wind; 15 miles of Newton Hills that started from heartbreak hill, ran back to mile 14.5 and then back and up heartbreak hill; and 20 miles yesterday. I’m tired just writing that.

9. Did running the Newton Hills help? Consider this: On a weekday run, I turned up Mt. Vernon street, a long and steep Beacon Hill incline, then ran down to the Common and proceeded to do a couple reps of running up and down the stairs.

8. No Gu. No energy. It’s as easy as that. About a mile from the end of my Newton Hills run, a group had set up a water and Gu station. Picked a disgusting flavor but it was just what the doctor ordered. Thanks to whoever manned the table that day!

7. Speaking of the doctor, the once problematic left foot remains fine even with the addition of some new weekday running. Tired, but fine.

6. Highlight of the 20 miler yesterday was the 10-mile mark.  I was doing an out and back route and so I stopped at 10, took some water and turned around. As I did this, I walked past a policeman on detail and two volunteers who were setting up a course for a 5k race. One of the volunteers, an older man in his 70s, asked me why I wasn’t running the road race. I told him I did one the day before and I had to do 20 miles today. He asked if I was training for a marathon? Yes, I told him. I’m running Boston in three weeks.

“Ah, great race. Great race. I ran it 7 times!” He still remembers the cheering past Wellesley and finishing the race with a tear in his eye. We shook hands; he wished me luck in the race and I was off.

5. One of these days I’m going to be smart and NOT run a 23-minute 5k the day before I run 20 miles.

4. Then again, outside the marathon, I think there might be few days when I’m going to run 20 miles in the near future.

3. Still, even waking up with tired legs yesterday, and stopping to talk for 90 seconds with my new friend at mile 10, and taking a couple other walking Gu/water breaks, I came in at 3:04 for 20 miles. My running pace was actually under 9:00.Could I do the remaining 6.2 in 70 minutes? Even if I take a minute break at every mile, I would just need to keep it under 10:20 running pace. It’s good to have a goal.

2. Any ideas for good pre-race meals? I know what you’re supposed to eat – complex carbs, protein, low fat --  but I’m trying to translate that into real food. So far, I’ve been relying on either scrambled eggs, wheat toast and a banana; or pb on wheat toast and a banana. Any other ideas that is NOT oatmeal. Can’t stand oatmeal.

1. Would have liked to have done a 21 or 22 miler before the big day, but an almost 19, and two 20s will have to do. It’s taper time.

Happy running all!

Why I run, take two

This week, a more serious note, about why I'm running for Dana-Farber and raising money for cancer research. (We'll get back to the running update next week)

My 5-year-old was sick earlier this week. Nothing serious, nothing to be alarmed about -- just a stomach bug that's going around.  He was sleeping restlessly on the couch downstairs when I wrote this and my wife was downstairs with him doing what moms do, making sure he's okay.  The next morning, he was back to his energetic, talkative, happy self. But at the time, there was little we can do but try to comfort him.

Those are the times that really try parents. It's not when your kids are acting up, or fighting over who sits where in the car, or who gets which color plate, or leaving their baseball mitt out in the rain No, those times are a pain to be sure, but they're part of the parenting experience. But when your child is sick and not himself, and there's little you can do but hold a bucket for him, or wipe his forehead, or give him a hug; those are the times that are hardest for a parent.

But for my son, this was only a bout of the stomach bug. A 24 ordeal that passed before he returned to his normal self. The fact that we knew it would be over soon gave us some solace, but it didn't do much to ease his pain or discomfort. And at times like that I think about how we, as parents struggle with this helplessness, and then, I think of what real struggle is -- of what parents of pediatric cancer patients must go through; what the kids themselves must go through. When nausea and vomiting aren't the illness, but part of the cure -- the side effects of powerful drugs designed to destroy the cancer.

We're making great progress in our understanding of cancer, and in the development of better treatments with less side effects and improved outcomes. But kids (and adults) are still getting sick, and parents are still struggling to ease their pain.

Can you imagine a time when that's no longer the case? I can. 

We're not there yet, but that's why I run.  That's why I'm raising funds for cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. With every dollar raised, we're one baby step closer to that day. To help support this cause, please consider a donation.

It Wasn’t Pretty Folks, But 20 Miles Is In the Books

Boston Marathon here I come. Five weeks to go. 20 miles in the bag. Nearly $6,000 raised for Dana-Farber. Two plus really hard weeks of training; two plus weeks of tapering down. And then see you at Hopkinton. As always, thanks to everyone for all their support! Been a great couple weeks of fundraising. 

My top 10 comments from the week (okay, they are all from today.)

10. It was a miserable run. No euphemisms, no, “It wasn’t that bad.” This morning’s run was a long, wet, windy, painful, miserable run. There, I said it. 

9. It was a very, very, very wet ride. The weather started off at about 42 degrees with a steady 15 mph wind and light vertical rain. By the time I was done, I have no idea what the temperature was but the wind was 20-25 mph with gusts and driving horizontal rain. Somewhere around mile 12, it stopped being fun.

8. And I ran this morning instead of Sunday because today was the GOOD day for weather. I can not be serious? Oh yes, I’m serious.

7. Still, I finished it. 20 miles. 3 hours and 12 minutes, with about 5 minutes of that for walking through water breaks/Gu-ing up/resting legs. That’s about 10 minutes off my ideal pace, but I was fading fast the last few miles and if I had six more to go, I would guess that I would have run/shuffled them in about 66-72 minutes which would put me at Boylston Street (the finish line) at about 4:20, which would still be a PR for me.

6. I do get perverse pleasure from running in really crappy weather. Rain, snow, cold, heat? Bring it on. It’s what separates those who are training from the fair-weather sunshine seekers.

5. I’m looking forward to when I can be just a fair-weather sunshine seeker if I want.

4. Notice in my list of crappy weather that I didn’t say wind. I Hate the wind, and yes, I said “Hate” even though we don’t use that word in this house. Deal with it.

3. What I’m trying to get my arms around is how just 3 weeks ago, I could run 18.6 miles without hitting a wall and feel fresh throughout. And yet today, I hit a wall, at um, mile 2. Okay, not mile two, but really around mile 12-13 as I was doing my three miles around the track in an effort to prevent my left foot from hurting.  As I think about it, I did just about everything wrong to prepare for the run, stemming mostly from my decision mid-day yesterday to do my long run today and not Sunday.

·         I didn’t eat nearly enough for dinner last night. When I ate my last Gu at mile 17, I downed it like it was a steak. I was starving. But by then, it was too late and my legs had so little energy in them.

·         I didn’t hydrate enough either. Normally, the day before I do a big run, I’m pounding water like a frat boy pounds beer. But because I only decided to run at 3 pm, I never caught up on my water intake.

·         I didn’t sleep enough. The difference between 8+ hours and just under 7 is huge for me on big run days.

·         I ran with my iPhone. I like working out with my iPhone but I no longer like running with it. It may cut down the boredom to have three hours of Pandora streaming in my ear, but it distracts me from concentrating on how I’m running.

·         Too many laps on the track. It's a psychic drain to know that you've got 13 laps to do on the track. It was a good idea originally but its time has past. 20 miles with not an ounce of pain in my left foot -- plenty of pounds of pain elsewhere, but that's another story.

2. And then there was the wind. See above. There were times in the last mile when I’d turn into the wind and it would gust for 15-20 seconds and I felt I was doing everything I could to not go backwards.

1. The good news is that I can correct all of the above…. except the wind. Next week, it’s up to Newton for a taste of the Newton Hills and 14 miles with my friend and Boston qualifier (which is unfathomable to me) John. Then back to Barrington for a 20 plus the following week. I hope the wind dies down by then.

Happy running.

Confidence

With six weeks to go from tomorrow, I finally found something I've been missing for the last four weeks. Confidence.
I didn't realize how important it was to have a completely solid long run until I had one. On the heels of a successful 18.6 mile run a week and a half ago, I find myself thinking about my running differently. It's not about can I finish 16 or 18; it's about what should I run and how should I pace it. It's not about being nervous about an upcoming 20; it's about whether I'll be able to do some strides in the last mile of that run. It's all about confidence.

That said, the last few weeks haven't been without challenges. Some observations from the training (and fundraising) trail.

10. What a day for fundraising! On the heels of my latest email update, I raised about $800 in the last 24 hours. Wow! Just when I thought I couldn't be more amazed at my friends and family's generosity, I have a day like today. Thanks all!

9. Strangely, as resistant as I was to switch from shorts to runners tights (or whatever you call them) when the temps started dropping last fall, I find myself bizarrely reluctant to make the switch back to shorts now that spring is near.

8. Colds suck. Luckily, mine hit hardest on my first scheduled off day in a week. Unfortunately, that became three days off as the cold knocked me out.

7. Still, better to get the cold now, then a week before the marathon.

6. After an easy 10 mile run today, I was feeling a bit guilty for not running more -- so I jumped on the exercise bike for six miles at the end. It was like a biathlon -- except without the cross country skiing and the shooting.

5. And now for the hard stuff. Next three weeks will include two 20-mile runs sandwiching a 14-miler with my friend John on the Newton Hills. After that, it will be April and time to taper down and get the body rested and ready for the 19th.

4. The Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge singlets arrived. They are, in a word: Bright. And in another word: Cool.

3. I still think four hours may be a bit beyond my reach, but I'm not ruling it out.

2.  So my plan has been to keep the left foot rested by running only on the weekends, with the weekday workouts being restricted to arc strider workouts. Is it working? Well, I was a bit annoyed the other night when I was about 10 minutes into my arc strider workout and my foot started hurting. Damn, I thought. Until I realized... it was my RIGHT foot that hurt.  Nothing serious at all.

1. Oh, and the left foot? Fine, thank you.

Happy running!

18 in the books!

If it wasn't for Dana-Farber and the Marathon Challenge, I'm not sure I would have gotten this far. With my struggles in the past 4-6 weeks, I've had plenty of opportunities to say, "I don't think I should keep going."
But since October, as you know, I haven't just been training, I've also been trying to raise money for cancer research at Dana-Farber. So when I hit a training dead end -- usually because of my left foot -- I've simply looked for another path to the start (and finish) line.

My new formula of weekend long runs and weekday cardio work on arc trainers and bikes paid off today. 18.6 miles at a solid 9 minute pace with a new pair of Brooks running shoes, custom fit at my fave running store, Rhode Runner. They've got some new software that records you as you run on the treadmill. So I tried on a couple different brands -- and compared my running stride in my current New Balances side by side with my stride in a pair of Sauconys; and then did the same with the Brooks. And not only did the Brooks feel better; they also helped keep my stride straight. It's the first time I've ever run in Brooks but the proof was on this morning's run. My left foot had only the slightest issue now and again, but for the most part, it was a non issue. With seven weeks left, I'm feeling confident that my it will hold out.

One thing I discovered watching the tape of my stride is that I have a little glitch in my right foot where the points out and heel turns in for a second, just before it straightens out and lands.

The net result is that I occasionally kick the inside of my left ankle, which over 18 miles makes for a nice imitation of Curt Schilling's bloody sock. It's a little cut and not quite a stitched together tendon, but there you have it.

Happy running!

The Way 10 Oughta Feel

Maybe it was that I was wearing my Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge running shirt. Maybe it was the fact that it was in the mid twenties with only a light wind. Maybe it was the fact that the Boston Marathon is only two months away. But Saturday's 10 miler was the way a 10-miler should feel this far into my run. Not bad considering my last run was on Tuesday. The reason for the gap? Once again, my left foot. I had a good 16 miler last Sunday -- right on target at about 2:20 (even if the last 1.5-2.0 were definitely slow) but my left foot started acting up toward the end. Then, on a decent 6-mile run, same problem. 

So I spent much of the second half of the week wondering how to deal with it? It's a fine line, as I've said before, between pushing through an ache, and pushing an ache into a run-stopping injury. Do I push through with my regular schedule? Do I cut back on the long runs? Hit the gym for the arc trainer? The only answer I knew for sure is that I wasn't going to throw in the towel. I decided, in the end, to adopt a schedule where I make sure I do my weekend long run, and then use the weekdays for whatever cardio work my foot can deal with -- even if that's primarily arc trainers. With this plan, I'll still get an 18 miler, and two 20-milers in before Marathon Day. Will it work? We'll see on April 19th. 

So, some observations from the last week.

10. There's a reason why they call it hitting the wall. When you hit it, it's like hitting a, um, well, a wall. And it showed up at mile 14.5 as I turned into the wind for my last 1.5.

9.  How strong was my 10-miler today? Somewhere around mile 8, I said to my running partner, "I feel like we're running downhill."

8.  Let's see, left foot has two bad toenails, two large blisters, and one nagging aching tendon. My right foot? fine, thank you.

7.  Got an email from the Boston Marathon suggesting I consult my physician before beginning on a training program. A little late for that, don't you think?

6.  Got a different email which discussed pace and time goals. Based on the numbers, assuming I can run a 5k at 8:00/mile, and a 10k at 8:30/mile -- both well within my limits -- then I should be able to run the marathon at about 9:15 - 9:20 pace, which should keep it within 4 and 4:15. Interesting theory.

5. At this point, I'm pretty convinced that it's not a question of whether my foot will hurt during the marathon; it's a question of when it starts and how bad it is.

4. That makes for an important 18-miler this Sunday. Think positive thoughts for me and here's hoping that keeping the pounding to a minimum makes for a strong foot this weekend.

3. Between that inspiration and Just over the $4,500 mark for fundraising. Thanks to all those who've supported me so far! Two months and more than $5k left to go.

2. I'm a far, far, FAR cry from an Olympian, but it is inspiring to see the athletes push themselves through injuries.

1.  Slowly, but surely, the temperatures are creeping up. I'm hoping the 10 degree days are gone, but also hoping that the 60 and 70 degree days stay away until after April 19th.

Happy running all.

Sleep, eat, run

I got a scary email from the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team earlier this week. It said: 10+ weeks to Marathon Day. Um, that's pretty damn soon. Luckily, it was a good week, but it didn't start this way. I struggled through 8 miles on a Sunday run that should have been a 14 or 16 miler, had a six miler on Tuesday that felt like I was running in sand. But then kicked it the second half of the week as my body got used to running again, with a fast 7 miler and a good speed work. Now I'm ready to tackle the big run on Super Bowl Sunday. 15 or 16's on the docket and I'm up for it.

Some quick thoughts from the week.

5. Food matters. Part of the problem with the run on Tuesday was a poor breakfast (without a particularly big dinner the night before). I was light headed when I started and that went away around mile 2 but I never felt a great groove.

4. Sleep matters. Part of the problem with the run on Sunday (and on Tuesday) was not enough sleep. Less than 7 hours makes for a tired run the next morning.

3. Food + Sleep = good run. Lots of carbs on Wednesday night, nearly 8 hours of sleep, and good breakfast (protein and carbs, and of course, COFFEE) on Thursday am made for a 7 mile run at 8:30/mile. Sure beats my 8:59 pace on Tuesday.

2. Did my first speed run. 8 440s between 1:36 and 1:39 per, with one at 1:35 and one at 1:40. I was really looking forward to the run and it was good to mix it up. I'm going to try to work that in weekly now, instead of my easy 4-miler.

1. Just when I thought my left foot had seen everything, a nice new blister appears out of the blue. This is manageable. Nothing a band-aid can't fix. And the rest of the foot feels fine. I'll take that.

That's it. Only top five this week. Let's hope for a good 16 this Sunday somewhere around the 2:20 mark.
Happy running.