Slept in this morning. We were up late chatting with our cousins. It was good catching up with them and seeing their kids last night. Gosh they grow up so fast! JM announces to me as we are watching his car zoom around the kitchen floor. "Nice Tattoo!" lol. so cute.
Got up around 9ish and got around to go for a brick workout. A called and her knee was bothering her. Ugggh I broke A! Hopefully it's nothing. She just didn't want to risk anything by hopping on the bike today so she bailed on the workout.
Met two new CTCers. I got in a 50 minuteish run on the trails with M while J had to go back for her helmet! It was pretty warm out today and humid but it was still a pleasant run. We got to do some exploring because my normal trail was blocked off by bridge work.
We got back just after J and hopped on our bike for about an hour. Very relaxed pace but we got in a few rollers and ended up with 15 miles or so on the bike. Thank goodness I remembered sunscreen. It was sunny out! We rode in tank tops!
Got back and did another 40 minutes running on the trails.
My legs feel great still. I have been stretching a lot and trying not to force anything. I am really wishing I didn't have to run on the road ever again! These trails are so much fun!
Just got up from a quick catnap! I think we are going to have some dinner and perhaps a movie. Who knows. David's back has been really bad the past few days so I don't know how much walking we will be getting in.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Congrats to Rae and Brent on their half! To Iliketoast on his marathon! And Lana too, I hope it went well!
I don't think there is any appropriate title for such a great day. And it's only 6:45 PM.
Woke up at 5 AM this morning in order to eat some breakfast before heading out the door to the valley at 6:15. Pre poured my gatorade into my fuel belt bottles last night so I was ready to hit the trails.
There was a big crowd out this morning to start at 7. Wonder how many the 8 o'clock group got... They go too fast and Wild Bill promised me and A 100 mile pace so that sounded more like our cup of tea, despite the early start.
Hopefully F will be able to get me the photo he took but this was the crowd minus A and I.
I had told A we were going to do 6-8 miles, maybe 10 if we felt good. Well 2 hours later we were just hitting the towpath and had another 7 or so miles back to the start. So 3 hours and ~18 miles later we finished. I hope she wasn't too peeved with me. F and R shared their fluids and some nutrition with her, but we were both pretty hungry afterwards. Had a great breakfast at Fishers after some good stretching and putting up our legs.
I felt absolutely great today. I think this may have been the best run I have ever had. The trails are so much more forgiving than the road. I don't even feel like I ran. It was absolutely gorgeous out and the company was great. I have been on a running high ever since.
Came home and David and I went out for burritos then I went and did the second half of Curly Su's Wildflower spin class to spin out any lactic acid. The legs still feel great (knock on wood) Had a very rewarding brownie sundae and a spinach pie. Looking forward to a few beers tonight!
Oh and as an added bonus they gave me the locker number 77 at the gym before the spin class today which is my lucky number. I think someone is smiling down on me today and it feels good.
ps. We saw a coyote wading in the river during our trail run. How cool is that?
Woke up at 5 AM this morning in order to eat some breakfast before heading out the door to the valley at 6:15. Pre poured my gatorade into my fuel belt bottles last night so I was ready to hit the trails.
There was a big crowd out this morning to start at 7. Wonder how many the 8 o'clock group got... They go too fast and Wild Bill promised me and A 100 mile pace so that sounded more like our cup of tea, despite the early start.
Hopefully F will be able to get me the photo he took but this was the crowd minus A and I.
I had told A we were going to do 6-8 miles, maybe 10 if we felt good. Well 2 hours later we were just hitting the towpath and had another 7 or so miles back to the start. So 3 hours and ~18 miles later we finished. I hope she wasn't too peeved with me. F and R shared their fluids and some nutrition with her, but we were both pretty hungry afterwards. Had a great breakfast at Fishers after some good stretching and putting up our legs.
I felt absolutely great today. I think this may have been the best run I have ever had. The trails are so much more forgiving than the road. I don't even feel like I ran. It was absolutely gorgeous out and the company was great. I have been on a running high ever since.
Came home and David and I went out for burritos then I went and did the second half of Curly Su's Wildflower spin class to spin out any lactic acid. The legs still feel great (knock on wood) Had a very rewarding brownie sundae and a spinach pie. Looking forward to a few beers tonight!
Oh and as an added bonus they gave me the locker number 77 at the gym before the spin class today which is my lucky number. I think someone is smiling down on me today and it feels good.
ps. We saw a coyote wading in the river during our trail run. How cool is that?
Brick
Went back to the pool tonight. And no wonkiness!
(Another thought I had post swim was that usually before hopping in the shower I grab my toiletries etc and this involves some walking back and forth. Monday I went straight from pool to hot shower. This also may have had an affect?)
Anywho. Steelhead training called for a 2500 yard swim and a 3-5 mile run tonight.
So I decided to take it easy pace wise and focus on endurance in the pool tonight.
5*500 focus on form and keeping it easy. 60 seconds of rest and rehydration between each 500. All 5 (except the first warm up 500) were right around 8:30. I think I must have swam 550 on the first one because it was 9:30. I am really bad counting laps. I usually count by 50s. i.e. every 50 I start telling myself "that's 50 yards that's 100, that's 150." Well I forget to count a lot. So on the last 4 500s tonight I counted laps instead. I breathe every 5th "stroke" (I count one arm going through rotation as a stroke.) So tonight I counted 1,2,3,4 and on the breath the number of the lap. That seemed to work pretty well except for one set where I got lazy and found myself adding laps as I went down one length. Just counting sequentially you know?
How do you all keep track during your long swims? Does anyone else have this issue? I just can't seem to keep focused in the pool. I guess this is why I like running. I don't have to think about anything! Just press my watch split when I pass a mile marker and voila, instant stats.
Stopped by Home Depot on the way home from the pool to pick up some more flowers and dirt for our second flower bed. I really have no clue what I am doing but hopefully they will look nice for a summer.
After the Home Depot trip I headed out for an easy 30 minute run around the hood. Took the mp3 player with and just had fun and absorbed all the scenery. Checked out all the neighbors landscaping and got some ideas. Got to watch as the sun was setting on the lake. So pretty.
Tonight was a good night :)
Tomorrow is rest day then Saturday marks the beginning of the CTC virtual training camp. I am going to start off with a trail run on Saturday and a bike/run on Sunday. Extremely tempted to run really long with Wild Bill on Saturday but A is going with me so hopefully she will convince me to hold off and we will just do 6-8 miles. Sundays run will be on trails too, so that should be a nice break from the roads.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
(Another thought I had post swim was that usually before hopping in the shower I grab my toiletries etc and this involves some walking back and forth. Monday I went straight from pool to hot shower. This also may have had an affect?)
Anywho. Steelhead training called for a 2500 yard swim and a 3-5 mile run tonight.
So I decided to take it easy pace wise and focus on endurance in the pool tonight.
5*500 focus on form and keeping it easy. 60 seconds of rest and rehydration between each 500. All 5 (except the first warm up 500) were right around 8:30. I think I must have swam 550 on the first one because it was 9:30. I am really bad counting laps. I usually count by 50s. i.e. every 50 I start telling myself "that's 50 yards that's 100, that's 150." Well I forget to count a lot. So on the last 4 500s tonight I counted laps instead. I breathe every 5th "stroke" (I count one arm going through rotation as a stroke.) So tonight I counted 1,2,3,4 and on the breath the number of the lap. That seemed to work pretty well except for one set where I got lazy and found myself adding laps as I went down one length. Just counting sequentially you know?
How do you all keep track during your long swims? Does anyone else have this issue? I just can't seem to keep focused in the pool. I guess this is why I like running. I don't have to think about anything! Just press my watch split when I pass a mile marker and voila, instant stats.
Stopped by Home Depot on the way home from the pool to pick up some more flowers and dirt for our second flower bed. I really have no clue what I am doing but hopefully they will look nice for a summer.
After the Home Depot trip I headed out for an easy 30 minute run around the hood. Took the mp3 player with and just had fun and absorbed all the scenery. Checked out all the neighbors landscaping and got some ideas. Got to watch as the sun was setting on the lake. So pretty.
Tonight was a good night :)
Tomorrow is rest day then Saturday marks the beginning of the CTC virtual training camp. I am going to start off with a trail run on Saturday and a bike/run on Sunday. Extremely tempted to run really long with Wild Bill on Saturday but A is going with me so hopefully she will convince me to hold off and we will just do 6-8 miles. Sundays run will be on trails too, so that should be a nice break from the roads.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
ps
Got in a nice walk with David last night! Man you just never know with this Ohio weather.
While David cooked dinner I planted my Easter flowers. I thought that it might have been too late but this morning they looked to be doing quite well. I will take pictures when more of them bloom.
After dinner I rode on the trainer for 50 minutes. Watched Chicago while doing this. Pretty good vid choice IMHO. The music kept my cadence high while keeping me from getting bored indoors.
Lots of stretching afterwards and then off to bed. I am trying to wait to go to bed until I am tired and let myself naturally wake up. So far it is 50/50. But I have only tried this for 2 days. This morning I actually woke up before the last chance alarm, so that's a start.
While David cooked dinner I planted my Easter flowers. I thought that it might have been too late but this morning they looked to be doing quite well. I will take pictures when more of them bloom.
After dinner I rode on the trainer for 50 minutes. Watched Chicago while doing this. Pretty good vid choice IMHO. The music kept my cadence high while keeping me from getting bored indoors.
Lots of stretching afterwards and then off to bed. I am trying to wait to go to bed until I am tired and let myself naturally wake up. So far it is 50/50. But I have only tried this for 2 days. This morning I actually woke up before the last chance alarm, so that's a start.
More Boston
Back to Boston weekend details.
Photos below are from the science museum.
After chilling a bit and getting things around for the race on Sunday we headed out to have lunch with B2 and T. We decided on California Pizza Kitchen. By far the most affordable meal we had all weekend. Very good food. Had some pizza and lettuce wraps.
After lunch we headed to the musem. We had planned on taking a duck tour. Last year David and I really enjoyed the one we went on. But unfortunately all of the tours were full until 6:30PM. So we had to alter plans.
We decided to check out the Star Wars exhibit, the butterfly house, and some of the regular exhibits. The Star Wars exhibit was pretty cool. Lots of hands on activities. We waited in line for the brief robot show. KT and I had to sit in front with the kids because some people decided they wanted to stand in front of our seats, nice. Being up close wasn't too bad except for the shock everytime something loud occured.
The butterfly house was pretty cool. A little small but tons of fluttery friends to photograph. One kept landing on this guys foot. It was pretty funny. I found out that you can actually pick up a butterfly if you need to (under extreme circumstances, like they are going to escape the butterfly house or get stepped on) without harming them but you have to hold them on the outside of their wings by their base while their wings are closed, and obviously not pinch very hard. If you pick them up in this way you won't rub off their scales. If you touch the edges of their wings that's bad.
After checking out the butterfly house we walked around the museum a bit. They had a very neat exhibit on visual perception and illusion. I got a wee bit sick playing in the science in the park section. Guess I didn't need to push so hard to start the circular motion. whoa. I am a huge science geek, so the museum was a lot of fun for me.
Post museum we changed and got ready to head to Vinny T's. Somehow half the SERC crew got the date confused so there was only a few of us. My mom was sick so she couldn't make it either. I was just not in the mood for pasta. No clue what that was about. So I got the chicken picatta with veggies and roasted potatoes, oh and a bud light. I ate the whole thing, it was delicious! Dinner company was good. JU's father and son were along for the ride and they were very genuine and that made for good conversation.
I think we finally got back to the hotel around 10pm. I wanted to head to bed directly. I got a little snippy with my mom because they couldn't decide on their spectating plans for the morning, and felt bad about it. This is why David doesn't like to come along on race weekend. When I get stressed I get a bit volatile. But that was my only bitchy occurence the whole weekend so not so bad! I am getting better!
Details on the cab ride to the buses, the bus tour through small towns of MA not called Hopkinton, meeting Okolo and Robin, the running star encounter on the way to the party, and the party to come soon.
Photos below are from the science museum.
After chilling a bit and getting things around for the race on Sunday we headed out to have lunch with B2 and T. We decided on California Pizza Kitchen. By far the most affordable meal we had all weekend. Very good food. Had some pizza and lettuce wraps.
After lunch we headed to the musem. We had planned on taking a duck tour. Last year David and I really enjoyed the one we went on. But unfortunately all of the tours were full until 6:30PM. So we had to alter plans.
We decided to check out the Star Wars exhibit, the butterfly house, and some of the regular exhibits. The Star Wars exhibit was pretty cool. Lots of hands on activities. We waited in line for the brief robot show. KT and I had to sit in front with the kids because some people decided they wanted to stand in front of our seats, nice. Being up close wasn't too bad except for the shock everytime something loud occured.
The butterfly house was pretty cool. A little small but tons of fluttery friends to photograph. One kept landing on this guys foot. It was pretty funny. I found out that you can actually pick up a butterfly if you need to (under extreme circumstances, like they are going to escape the butterfly house or get stepped on) without harming them but you have to hold them on the outside of their wings by their base while their wings are closed, and obviously not pinch very hard. If you pick them up in this way you won't rub off their scales. If you touch the edges of their wings that's bad.
After checking out the butterfly house we walked around the museum a bit. They had a very neat exhibit on visual perception and illusion. I got a wee bit sick playing in the science in the park section. Guess I didn't need to push so hard to start the circular motion. whoa. I am a huge science geek, so the museum was a lot of fun for me.
Post museum we changed and got ready to head to Vinny T's. Somehow half the SERC crew got the date confused so there was only a few of us. My mom was sick so she couldn't make it either. I was just not in the mood for pasta. No clue what that was about. So I got the chicken picatta with veggies and roasted potatoes, oh and a bud light. I ate the whole thing, it was delicious! Dinner company was good. JU's father and son were along for the ride and they were very genuine and that made for good conversation.
I think we finally got back to the hotel around 10pm. I wanted to head to bed directly. I got a little snippy with my mom because they couldn't decide on their spectating plans for the morning, and felt bad about it. This is why David doesn't like to come along on race weekend. When I get stressed I get a bit volatile. But that was my only bitchy occurence the whole weekend so not so bad! I am getting better!
Details on the cab ride to the buses, the bus tour through small towns of MA not called Hopkinton, meeting Okolo and Robin, the running star encounter on the way to the party, and the party to come soon.
Steelhead on My Mind
So why the heck am I already back up and running some of you may be pondering. Well my next A race is Steelhead Half Ironman in August and official training for Steelhead started March 19th.
Obviously the called for training schedule was modified so that I could run Boston hard.
But with nearly a week off for taper before Boston and pretty much a week off afterwards it's time to get back to work.
I know that some camps recommend a day off for every mile raced, but I think that may be a little off base. And while I may be getting a bit of friendly scolding here on my blog for getting back into my swing too quickly I am getting just as much flack at the bagel shop for not doing enough post race. Ask any of the under 3 crowd at the bagel shop what I should have been doing Tuesday after the marathon and they would tell you that I should have been out running.
What did I do Tuesday after the marathon? Work and rest. I did absolutely nothing for 4 days after Boston (except putting in some quality time at work, watching movies, sleeping a lot, oh and blogging). Saturday I only ran 1.5 miles. Sunday was an easy 40 minute jog. Monday should have been an easy swim. (2000 yards is not a very long swim workout for me. I have swam over 3,000 yards after taking months off.) Yesterday was Tuesday and Tuesday's I run on the track. Granted I could probably have taken it a bit easier but I was not pushing that hard.
I have been running for a long time and I know my body pretty well. This is why Monday's post swim crap was really scary. Nothing like that has ever happened to me. I've never hit the proverbial wall, ever.
So what happened and why the heck did I go to the track yesterday after that?
Here's my thoughts:
I usually swim in the morning. I usually eat a large dinner. I usually am extremely hydrated. I usually take a gel pre swim and swig some water.
Mondays swim was done around 2pm. I ate lunch at 11am-ish. I may have been drinking less water than normal. I didn't take a gel before swimming. I forgot to eat breakfast.
So my best educated guess is that I was dehydrated combined with low on carbs. And I usually get a bit dizzy first time back in the pool so those three things added together caused the undesired resulting sickness.
Was I nervous about going to the track yesterday? Hellz yeah. But I could either sit and worry or go and see what happened. I chose the latter. I made sure to eat a hearty breakfast yesterday morning, a big carbed up lunch and as an extra precaution I took a gel before the workout. Added to that I made sure to stop and swig some gatorade after each interval.
Other than the sickness on Monday I didn't see any real reason why I shouldn't do the track workout. My legs are pretty recovered from Boston. No residual soreness. I am walking normal and some of the things that were ailing me pre Boston are actually not ailing me now. So I figured I'd go and see how it went knowing I could always take it easy and pace someone slower if my legs weren't up to the task. And I had friends there if something scary were to happen again.
I did a thorough warm up with 2.25 miles easy and felt pretty good. The 800s were not forced at all, they felt like a decent tempo day. The 200s hurt but 200s always hurt for me, I'm not a sprinter. :) Today I have some soreness in my quads and a bit in the calves. Nothing painful, just feels like I did a track workout yesterday.
So don't worry about me folks :) I feel fine! Actually I felt pretty damn good during the track workout yesterday and the haze from Mondays swim is completely gone. (I honestly think that now that Boston is over and I took a few days off, the marathon just becomes part of my base for training to come. I didn't plan a major break and I don't intend to take one unless I am injured. I am really starting to think that your body is capable of adapting to whatever you throw at it. I never would have thought that I could run 3 20+ mile runs in the span of a month before this year but now I know I can and that my body will adapt and it will bounce back stronger.)
So my plan for the next few weeks is to take things as they come. Nothing too hard but a lot of long slow distance in all three disciplines. Lots of aerobic base building. Will I run hard at the track next Tuesday? It's highly possible. But I know my limits on the track, trust me. And I don't think one hard/fast day a week is going to undermine anything I am trying to do.
What am I trying to do? I am trying to be the best I can be come August 5th. And on August 6th? I will have 70.3 in my base training bank for Chicago and JFK ;)
I guess it is a scary thing when people start to weigh in on what you are doing. No one likes criticism that's for sure. When I started this blog the only ones reading were mostly non-athletes. So nothing I did was really questioned. I knew best ;) I know I don't have to justify anything to anyone but thank you to those that question what I am doing because it forces me to stop and really evaluate whether the choices I am making are what's right for me. So far I think they are!
Obviously the called for training schedule was modified so that I could run Boston hard.
But with nearly a week off for taper before Boston and pretty much a week off afterwards it's time to get back to work.
I know that some camps recommend a day off for every mile raced, but I think that may be a little off base. And while I may be getting a bit of friendly scolding here on my blog for getting back into my swing too quickly I am getting just as much flack at the bagel shop for not doing enough post race. Ask any of the under 3 crowd at the bagel shop what I should have been doing Tuesday after the marathon and they would tell you that I should have been out running.
What did I do Tuesday after the marathon? Work and rest. I did absolutely nothing for 4 days after Boston (except putting in some quality time at work, watching movies, sleeping a lot, oh and blogging). Saturday I only ran 1.5 miles. Sunday was an easy 40 minute jog. Monday should have been an easy swim. (2000 yards is not a very long swim workout for me. I have swam over 3,000 yards after taking months off.) Yesterday was Tuesday and Tuesday's I run on the track. Granted I could probably have taken it a bit easier but I was not pushing that hard.
I have been running for a long time and I know my body pretty well. This is why Monday's post swim crap was really scary. Nothing like that has ever happened to me. I've never hit the proverbial wall, ever.
So what happened and why the heck did I go to the track yesterday after that?
Here's my thoughts:
I usually swim in the morning. I usually eat a large dinner. I usually am extremely hydrated. I usually take a gel pre swim and swig some water.
Mondays swim was done around 2pm. I ate lunch at 11am-ish. I may have been drinking less water than normal. I didn't take a gel before swimming. I forgot to eat breakfast.
So my best educated guess is that I was dehydrated combined with low on carbs. And I usually get a bit dizzy first time back in the pool so those three things added together caused the undesired resulting sickness.
Was I nervous about going to the track yesterday? Hellz yeah. But I could either sit and worry or go and see what happened. I chose the latter. I made sure to eat a hearty breakfast yesterday morning, a big carbed up lunch and as an extra precaution I took a gel before the workout. Added to that I made sure to stop and swig some gatorade after each interval.
Other than the sickness on Monday I didn't see any real reason why I shouldn't do the track workout. My legs are pretty recovered from Boston. No residual soreness. I am walking normal and some of the things that were ailing me pre Boston are actually not ailing me now. So I figured I'd go and see how it went knowing I could always take it easy and pace someone slower if my legs weren't up to the task. And I had friends there if something scary were to happen again.
I did a thorough warm up with 2.25 miles easy and felt pretty good. The 800s were not forced at all, they felt like a decent tempo day. The 200s hurt but 200s always hurt for me, I'm not a sprinter. :) Today I have some soreness in my quads and a bit in the calves. Nothing painful, just feels like I did a track workout yesterday.
So don't worry about me folks :) I feel fine! Actually I felt pretty damn good during the track workout yesterday and the haze from Mondays swim is completely gone. (I honestly think that now that Boston is over and I took a few days off, the marathon just becomes part of my base for training to come. I didn't plan a major break and I don't intend to take one unless I am injured. I am really starting to think that your body is capable of adapting to whatever you throw at it. I never would have thought that I could run 3 20+ mile runs in the span of a month before this year but now I know I can and that my body will adapt and it will bounce back stronger.)
So my plan for the next few weeks is to take things as they come. Nothing too hard but a lot of long slow distance in all three disciplines. Lots of aerobic base building. Will I run hard at the track next Tuesday? It's highly possible. But I know my limits on the track, trust me. And I don't think one hard/fast day a week is going to undermine anything I am trying to do.
What am I trying to do? I am trying to be the best I can be come August 5th. And on August 6th? I will have 70.3 in my base training bank for Chicago and JFK ;)
I guess it is a scary thing when people start to weigh in on what you are doing. No one likes criticism that's for sure. When I started this blog the only ones reading were mostly non-athletes. So nothing I did was really questioned. I knew best ;) I know I don't have to justify anything to anyone but thank you to those that question what I am doing because it forces me to stop and really evaluate whether the choices I am making are what's right for me. So far I think they are!
200s are freaking hard
Man what a difference a day makes. No sickness at all on or off the track tonight. No issues except for sore quads and calfs and a blister. I will take it being that it is just over a week since the marathon. Oh and the fact that I thought I was going to die yesterday!
Tonight was 4*800 and 8*200. I hate 200s. I hate them more than about anything. I would rather run 1200s or 1600s, hell I'd rather do 3200 repeats than freaking 200s. My legs just don't start turning over that fast so quickly. I need at least a 200 just to warm up through a fast 400. When I run 79 quarters the first 200 is almost always a 40 and the second 39.
It was extremely cold tonight. About 42 with an extreme wind. I swear it almost knocked me down on the last 200.
Anyways here's the workout rundown. 6.75 miles total in 55:47.
Warm up 2.25 miles
800 splits: (300-400 recovery between)
3:18.52
3:14.78
3:12.08
3:10.95
2*(4*200: 1st one glide 100, sprint 100; 2nd one glide 75, sprint 125; 3rd glide 50, sprint 150; 4th glide 25, sprint 175: 100 recovery in between each 200)
44.36
42.21
39.99
40.58
43.36
42.06
40.83
40.63
1/2 mile cool down (Stopped shy of the mile because of a blister. Didn't notice it during Boston but lost a good chunk of skin off that toe since and I didn't want to make it worse)
I swear I have no fast twitch muscles, whatsoever. How is it that I can run a 79 quarter but the fastest 200 I can manage is a 40? WTH.
Tonight was 4*800 and 8*200. I hate 200s. I hate them more than about anything. I would rather run 1200s or 1600s, hell I'd rather do 3200 repeats than freaking 200s. My legs just don't start turning over that fast so quickly. I need at least a 200 just to warm up through a fast 400. When I run 79 quarters the first 200 is almost always a 40 and the second 39.
It was extremely cold tonight. About 42 with an extreme wind. I swear it almost knocked me down on the last 200.
Anyways here's the workout rundown. 6.75 miles total in 55:47.
Warm up 2.25 miles
800 splits: (300-400 recovery between)
3:18.52
3:14.78
3:12.08
3:10.95
2*(4*200: 1st one glide 100, sprint 100; 2nd one glide 75, sprint 125; 3rd glide 50, sprint 150; 4th glide 25, sprint 175: 100 recovery in between each 200)
44.36
42.21
39.99
40.58
43.36
42.06
40.83
40.63
1/2 mile cool down (Stopped shy of the mile because of a blister. Didn't notice it during Boston but lost a good chunk of skin off that toe since and I didn't want to make it worse)
I swear I have no fast twitch muscles, whatsoever. How is it that I can run a 79 quarter but the fastest 200 I can manage is a 40? WTH.
Don't Panic
Come on Down...
and help me figure out what the hell went wrong today.
Decided to swim during lunch break to break up the day today. Had my new swimsuit and goggles in tow. (Both of which worked wonderfully. I got the speedo women's vanquisher goggles, clear. I switched out the nosepiece to the smallest one it came with. They didn't fog or leak at all.)
I got in my 2000 yard workout in just shy of 40 minutes.
warm up
200 warm up
100 catch up drill
100 slow arm recovery
100 fingertip drill
2*150 (50 slow arm, 50 head down, 50 sprint)
100 backstroke
main set
4*200 20 second rest
3:13
3:19
3:17
3:12 (Interestingly enough I started humming the SOS song in my head during this last 200 and that seemed to help get me back on pace)
cool down
100 back
200 free
Got out of the pool and headed for the locker room. Major dizziness and headache getting out of the shower. I stopped and drank from the fountain then attempted to get dressed. Every time I attempted to do something my heart would start racing and my hands got all clammy. I felt like I wanted to vomit. After sitting on the locker room floor for what seemed like an eternity I got up and bought some M&Ms from the machine, thinking some nutrition (using the term loosely) would help. No go. Somehow I managed to drive myself home. David gave me some Gatorade and I slept it off. For like 2 hours. We just got done eating dinner and watching Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
I am feeling a bit better now. Still have a headache. I have absolutely no clue what happened today or why. But it was incredibly scary considering I was only in the pool for 40 minutes.
Let's hope my immune system is just revolting from the marathon still. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
and help me figure out what the hell went wrong today.
Decided to swim during lunch break to break up the day today. Had my new swimsuit and goggles in tow. (Both of which worked wonderfully. I got the speedo women's vanquisher goggles, clear. I switched out the nosepiece to the smallest one it came with. They didn't fog or leak at all.)
I got in my 2000 yard workout in just shy of 40 minutes.
warm up
200 warm up
100 catch up drill
100 slow arm recovery
100 fingertip drill
2*150 (50 slow arm, 50 head down, 50 sprint)
100 backstroke
main set
4*200 20 second rest
3:13
3:19
3:17
3:12 (Interestingly enough I started humming the SOS song in my head during this last 200 and that seemed to help get me back on pace)
cool down
100 back
200 free
Got out of the pool and headed for the locker room. Major dizziness and headache getting out of the shower. I stopped and drank from the fountain then attempted to get dressed. Every time I attempted to do something my heart would start racing and my hands got all clammy. I felt like I wanted to vomit. After sitting on the locker room floor for what seemed like an eternity I got up and bought some M&Ms from the machine, thinking some nutrition (using the term loosely) would help. No go. Somehow I managed to drive myself home. David gave me some Gatorade and I slept it off. For like 2 hours. We just got done eating dinner and watching Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
I am feeling a bit better now. Still have a headache. I have absolutely no clue what happened today or why. But it was incredibly scary considering I was only in the pool for 40 minutes.
Let's hope my immune system is just revolting from the marathon still. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Saturday 4-15-06 Evening and Sunday Morning
After the Expo it was time to finally get back to my hotel. I had planned on getting in a 4 mile run but that just never happened. Took the T with my parents back to the hotel and picked up my sister then we headed out to dinner.
We went to Legal Seafoods. I had the best salad there last year and I was ready to have it again. OMG. It was just as good as I remembered it to be. A cornucopia of flavors in my mouth. So freaking tasty! Tortilla, apple, avocado, goat cheese, orange sauce, shrimp, and crushed red pepper. Trust me, it's to die for.
Our waiter was very friendly. A bit too much so, he kept talking to us. I am trying to savor every delicious bite of this salad and it is being interrupted by this dude's life story. But he was a good waiter and my sister goaded him into clearing the whole table at once, he only dropped a fork, impressive.
After dinner we made our way to meet B2 and his wife for dessert at cheesecake factory. I decided on Tiramisu. In retrospect I should have gone for the Sunday. It looked much better. The tiramisu wasn't the cake like I was used to , it was more liquidy.
Oh have I mentioned I like food? This is why I have to run, seriously.
After dinner we walked back to the hotel and got ready for bed, had to be up early for the Freedom Run the next morning. After arguing over how many lights were blinking on the ceiling (KT thought 1, dad though 2, mom thought 3, I just wanted to get to freaking sleep) we finally crashed for the night. I think I was up for about 18 hours, I was beat!
Got up and onto the T around 7 the next morning and headed to Copley Station to join in the Freedom Run. We all got the free t-shirts then mom and dad headed to Cheers to hang out until we made the loop around their. KT and I lined up. We moved forward a bit towards the stage and saw a friend from the club. We ended up jogging together for the Freedom Run. Before the run started they had jazzercisers up on stage pumping the crowd up. We didn't get far enough forward to partake but it looked like a lot of people were really getting into it. They also introduced some people before the start including the Hoyts and the winner of the race from 1950 something. Very tiny little man. I think he ran the race on Monday too!
I tried to take some pics but I am short so they didn't come out great. You can see the Hoyts down in the corner of one but not a very good photo.
Had fun jogging the Freedom Run. I am amazed at how many people show up but hey, it's free! Afterwards we got some grub. They were giving out peeps since it was Easter! Score!
We headed to the finish line and took some photos with my running club. Kurt from Boston met up with us, he was finishing up a long run. We took some photos and then hopped on the T together. My family enjoyed meeting another blogger and my mom is hoping Kurt will qualify so next year they can cheer him on too! Unfortunately we didn't get to spend too much time chatting as he had to head to church, but it was great seeing him again even if it was brief.
We headed back to the hotel and my family napped while I organized everything for the race...
We went to Legal Seafoods. I had the best salad there last year and I was ready to have it again. OMG. It was just as good as I remembered it to be. A cornucopia of flavors in my mouth. So freaking tasty! Tortilla, apple, avocado, goat cheese, orange sauce, shrimp, and crushed red pepper. Trust me, it's to die for.
Our waiter was very friendly. A bit too much so, he kept talking to us. I am trying to savor every delicious bite of this salad and it is being interrupted by this dude's life story. But he was a good waiter and my sister goaded him into clearing the whole table at once, he only dropped a fork, impressive.
After dinner we made our way to meet B2 and his wife for dessert at cheesecake factory. I decided on Tiramisu. In retrospect I should have gone for the Sunday. It looked much better. The tiramisu wasn't the cake like I was used to , it was more liquidy.
Oh have I mentioned I like food? This is why I have to run, seriously.
After dinner we walked back to the hotel and got ready for bed, had to be up early for the Freedom Run the next morning. After arguing over how many lights were blinking on the ceiling (KT thought 1, dad though 2, mom thought 3, I just wanted to get to freaking sleep) we finally crashed for the night. I think I was up for about 18 hours, I was beat!
Got up and onto the T around 7 the next morning and headed to Copley Station to join in the Freedom Run. We all got the free t-shirts then mom and dad headed to Cheers to hang out until we made the loop around their. KT and I lined up. We moved forward a bit towards the stage and saw a friend from the club. We ended up jogging together for the Freedom Run. Before the run started they had jazzercisers up on stage pumping the crowd up. We didn't get far enough forward to partake but it looked like a lot of people were really getting into it. They also introduced some people before the start including the Hoyts and the winner of the race from 1950 something. Very tiny little man. I think he ran the race on Monday too!
I tried to take some pics but I am short so they didn't come out great. You can see the Hoyts down in the corner of one but not a very good photo.
Had fun jogging the Freedom Run. I am amazed at how many people show up but hey, it's free! Afterwards we got some grub. They were giving out peeps since it was Easter! Score!
We headed to the finish line and took some photos with my running club. Kurt from Boston met up with us, he was finishing up a long run. We took some photos and then hopped on the T together. My family enjoyed meeting another blogger and my mom is hoping Kurt will qualify so next year they can cheer him on too! Unfortunately we didn't get to spend too much time chatting as he had to head to church, but it was great seeing him again even if it was brief.
We headed back to the hotel and my family napped while I organized everything for the race...
Another Run
Ran for 40 minutes on the trails in SCR today and it was lovely! I wanted to run longer but ran out of water and had to pick up my hubby. We'll call it 4 miles I guess :)
More Boston details coming soon I promise. I am exhausted.
Oh and museum clarification, SharkTank is our friend Furian's blog. He's a curator for a county museum. So no shark pics, sorry! But I do have a lovely one of me inside the lingerie display :)
Coming soon!
More Boston details coming soon I promise. I am exhausted.
Oh and museum clarification, SharkTank is our friend Furian's blog. He's a curator for a county museum. So no shark pics, sorry! But I do have a lovely one of me inside the lingerie display :)
Coming soon!
Just got back
From a RUN! Yesss!
Okay so it was only like a mile and a half, I didn't time it, and everything hurt. But I got out and ran.
Yay!
Silly marathon preventing me from doing the thing I love for most of two weeks. Sunday in Boston was the perfect day for an easy 12 miler but could I do that, nope I had a marathon to run :)
We are off to Michigan to lunch with my grandparents and then to Wood County to check out Shark Tanks museum season opener. Should be a fun day!
More Boston tales to come!
Okay so it was only like a mile and a half, I didn't time it, and everything hurt. But I got out and ran.
Yay!
Silly marathon preventing me from doing the thing I love for most of two weeks. Sunday in Boston was the perfect day for an easy 12 miler but could I do that, nope I had a marathon to run :)
We are off to Michigan to lunch with my grandparents and then to Wood County to check out Shark Tanks museum season opener. Should be a fun day!
More Boston tales to come!
EXPO time
On our trip into Boston we witnessed the madness that was the Silver Line with airport and expo traffic, so we were a little intimidated to get back on that line.
We headed over to Copley and took the Green Line to the Red Line over to where we needed to either catch a shuttle or the silver line to get to the expo at the Seaport World Trade Center.
This lady on the T overhears us trying to decide which option to take and she informs us that we should just walk and it isn't that far, we were marathoners for goodness sakes, and she could say that because she had run a marathon...okay Freak! So we start looking at the Boston walking map and consider walking, mind you we had already walked much more than anticipated that morning.
So we don't really make a decision (I'm famous for indecision) and just get off the T and get in the line for the Silver Line. And guess who's in the freaking line? That's right little miss walker lady! Another guy tells us that he heard the shuttles were the better route and he thinks he was going to try that option. Not sure why he decided to inform us of his decision but I could tell the crowded line we were currently in did not look appealing to my companions so we followed the guy up the stairs to find the shuttle.
We stood looking at the walking map on the corner trying to figure out where we were and if we could huff it (not really any signs to the shuttle). JD sees some ladies with expo bags so we ask them if it is a short walk. They reply that no it is a very long walk but that the shuttle was just down the street and pointed us in the right direction. We start to go that way and see the same guy waving at us to follow him, okay a little scary. So we get in line for the shuttle and wait as everyone is getting off. Everyone gets off and we go to get on and are informed that this was not a shuttle to the expo just from and the shuttle we need is down the street. Why didn't you tell us that before we waited in line?
So we finally find the shuttle and get on to get to the expo. It was about 120 degrees on the shuttle and we are all sweating profusely. I was SERIOUSLY regretting not changing into a short sleeve. Finally one runner couldn't take it and asked the driver to turn on the AC. I swear he turned on the heat, but it was just a short ride to the expo so we got out pretty quickly.
Surprise surprise the expo is also incredibly hot. We get our bibs, t-shirts, and some carrots and then head straight to the Adidas venue. We all wanted fleece shirts and I needed to get a backpack to replace the one I broke. We got to the expo around 1 or 2 on Saturday and there were no M,S, or XS fleece left. Hmmm change of plans. So I opted for a sports bra and the backpack as my "official" gear. Stood in line and thought I was going to die from the heat so I could try on the bra. No way I was spending that much cash on something I didn't try on.
We found our bib numbers on the wall and filled them out and took some pictures. Risko noticed that some famous Adidas runners were just setting up for signatures so we got in line for that. Risko was super excited. I felt bad because I didn't really know much about any of them. I should really pay more attention to the pro's, their names, and their accomplishments. But we got some signatures and Risko informed Tim Broe that she has a major crush on him. So funny. We got some good photos of her with him! I am glad she got to meet him. I think she asked Jen Rhine's if it was really hot in Athens, too funny!
We shopped some more. JD and I got a cool Boston shirt from Asics. And I picked up a running Tee for my baby sis. It was so hot and crowded so we had to get out of there.
We headed back to the Sheraton and I waited for my parents to come over so I could take the T to Cambridge and my hotel...
We headed over to Copley and took the Green Line to the Red Line over to where we needed to either catch a shuttle or the silver line to get to the expo at the Seaport World Trade Center.
This lady on the T overhears us trying to decide which option to take and she informs us that we should just walk and it isn't that far, we were marathoners for goodness sakes, and she could say that because she had run a marathon...okay Freak! So we start looking at the Boston walking map and consider walking, mind you we had already walked much more than anticipated that morning.
So we don't really make a decision (I'm famous for indecision) and just get off the T and get in the line for the Silver Line. And guess who's in the freaking line? That's right little miss walker lady! Another guy tells us that he heard the shuttles were the better route and he thinks he was going to try that option. Not sure why he decided to inform us of his decision but I could tell the crowded line we were currently in did not look appealing to my companions so we followed the guy up the stairs to find the shuttle.
We stood looking at the walking map on the corner trying to figure out where we were and if we could huff it (not really any signs to the shuttle). JD sees some ladies with expo bags so we ask them if it is a short walk. They reply that no it is a very long walk but that the shuttle was just down the street and pointed us in the right direction. We start to go that way and see the same guy waving at us to follow him, okay a little scary. So we get in line for the shuttle and wait as everyone is getting off. Everyone gets off and we go to get on and are informed that this was not a shuttle to the expo just from and the shuttle we need is down the street. Why didn't you tell us that before we waited in line?
So we finally find the shuttle and get on to get to the expo. It was about 120 degrees on the shuttle and we are all sweating profusely. I was SERIOUSLY regretting not changing into a short sleeve. Finally one runner couldn't take it and asked the driver to turn on the AC. I swear he turned on the heat, but it was just a short ride to the expo so we got out pretty quickly.
Surprise surprise the expo is also incredibly hot. We get our bibs, t-shirts, and some carrots and then head straight to the Adidas venue. We all wanted fleece shirts and I needed to get a backpack to replace the one I broke. We got to the expo around 1 or 2 on Saturday and there were no M,S, or XS fleece left. Hmmm change of plans. So I opted for a sports bra and the backpack as my "official" gear. Stood in line and thought I was going to die from the heat so I could try on the bra. No way I was spending that much cash on something I didn't try on.
We found our bib numbers on the wall and filled them out and took some pictures. Risko noticed that some famous Adidas runners were just setting up for signatures so we got in line for that. Risko was super excited. I felt bad because I didn't really know much about any of them. I should really pay more attention to the pro's, their names, and their accomplishments. But we got some signatures and Risko informed Tim Broe that she has a major crush on him. So funny. We got some good photos of her with him! I am glad she got to meet him. I think she asked Jen Rhine's if it was really hot in Athens, too funny!
We shopped some more. JD and I got a cool Boston shirt from Asics. And I picked up a running Tee for my baby sis. It was so hot and crowded so we had to get out of there.
We headed back to the Sheraton and I waited for my parents to come over so I could take the T to Cambridge and my hotel...
Saturday 4-15-06 Morning
Woke up at 4:15 AM to get ready to fly to Boston.
I stayed with Risko (Who is telling her weekend tale in entries much more eloquently than I am!) so that I wouldn't sleep through the alarm. Her parents picked us up at 5 to 5 and we were off. How much do her parents Rock for getting up so early!!!
They dropped us at the airport and we self checked in. I had to help Risko out a little bit. I guess I didn't realize how much traveling I have been doing the past few years, I am becoming a pro!
Looked at the ticket and our flight which was supposed to leave at 6:35 AM now says 7:55 AM. Hmmmm. We get through security with no real issues. Although the kid behind me kept trying to "help" me and was pushing my bags forward. Listen dude you don't touch other peoples crap at the airport! Seriously!
We got to the gate and sure enough it says 7:55 too. We are a little worried since we have to stop in NY before catching our second flight to Boston. JD and her hubby arrive a few minutes after us and everyone commences worrying. The lady at the help desk announces that there is bad weather in NY and that our flight is delayed and she isn't worried about anyone's connections, except those going to Boston. Great!
Usually I would be flipping out but for some reason I kept my cool. We all went up to the counter to get the scoop. I'm informed that my flight to Boston may also be delayed but if I miss it I will be on the next flight which leaves at 11:30 AM. Cool (Our original flight is supposed to arrive in Boston at 10 AM). So I go and sit down. JD and Risko come back and JD is fuming. The lady was not quite as helpful with them. She tells them they will also be put on the later flight. JD asks for time confirmation which the lady did not want to give her but reluctantly replied 1:30 PM. JD must have said something that caused the lady to ask why she needed to be in Boston at a certain time and JD said we needed to get to the marathon expo. The lady replies with "Oh there's a marathon in Boston this weekend?" at which point JD turns and walks away before she does something she might regret. She comes and sits down and the guy behind her starts SHAVING HIS HEAD with an electric razor! She is looking around to find the sound and sees him and I think she almost exploded!
It was pretty funny but I knew she was upset. I think I tried to calm everyone down by being a stooge, not sure if it worked. But we managed to get on our original flight to Boston so everything was all good!
Some confusion about which T to take and some serious claustrophobia followed when we got off the plane, but finally we were off the packed T and walking to their hotel. I was staying with my parents in Cambridge but they still hadn't arrived so I was just going to drop my stuff at the Sheraton with my friends. We got off at Boylston which turned out to be about 3 stops sooner than we should have got off. We started the hike across Boston Commons and my backpack burst open. Personal items go flying everywhere. I shove everything back in the bag "fix" the zipper and we're off, 2 seconds later it bursts again. So then I am stuck finding ways to fit everything from the backpack into my carry on suitcase that was already stuffed. We managed to get it all in and were on our way again.
On the way we saw the kids relay. There were a TON of kids doing the relay, it looked like a lot of fun! The announcer was doing a pretty good job talking about the different teams and their training. Fun stuff!
We finally made it to the Sheraton after calling B to make sure we were in the right place. We followed JD and her hubby to the room and walk in, it was boiling hot and Risko's bed looked like there was a body in it! Their AC ended up not being fixable and they got a different room somehow.
We headed to lunch and then it was on to the expo...
I stayed with Risko (Who is telling her weekend tale in entries much more eloquently than I am!) so that I wouldn't sleep through the alarm. Her parents picked us up at 5 to 5 and we were off. How much do her parents Rock for getting up so early!!!
They dropped us at the airport and we self checked in. I had to help Risko out a little bit. I guess I didn't realize how much traveling I have been doing the past few years, I am becoming a pro!
Looked at the ticket and our flight which was supposed to leave at 6:35 AM now says 7:55 AM. Hmmmm. We get through security with no real issues. Although the kid behind me kept trying to "help" me and was pushing my bags forward. Listen dude you don't touch other peoples crap at the airport! Seriously!
We got to the gate and sure enough it says 7:55 too. We are a little worried since we have to stop in NY before catching our second flight to Boston. JD and her hubby arrive a few minutes after us and everyone commences worrying. The lady at the help desk announces that there is bad weather in NY and that our flight is delayed and she isn't worried about anyone's connections, except those going to Boston. Great!
Usually I would be flipping out but for some reason I kept my cool. We all went up to the counter to get the scoop. I'm informed that my flight to Boston may also be delayed but if I miss it I will be on the next flight which leaves at 11:30 AM. Cool (Our original flight is supposed to arrive in Boston at 10 AM). So I go and sit down. JD and Risko come back and JD is fuming. The lady was not quite as helpful with them. She tells them they will also be put on the later flight. JD asks for time confirmation which the lady did not want to give her but reluctantly replied 1:30 PM. JD must have said something that caused the lady to ask why she needed to be in Boston at a certain time and JD said we needed to get to the marathon expo. The lady replies with "Oh there's a marathon in Boston this weekend?" at which point JD turns and walks away before she does something she might regret. She comes and sits down and the guy behind her starts SHAVING HIS HEAD with an electric razor! She is looking around to find the sound and sees him and I think she almost exploded!
It was pretty funny but I knew she was upset. I think I tried to calm everyone down by being a stooge, not sure if it worked. But we managed to get on our original flight to Boston so everything was all good!
Some confusion about which T to take and some serious claustrophobia followed when we got off the plane, but finally we were off the packed T and walking to their hotel. I was staying with my parents in Cambridge but they still hadn't arrived so I was just going to drop my stuff at the Sheraton with my friends. We got off at Boylston which turned out to be about 3 stops sooner than we should have got off. We started the hike across Boston Commons and my backpack burst open. Personal items go flying everywhere. I shove everything back in the bag "fix" the zipper and we're off, 2 seconds later it bursts again. So then I am stuck finding ways to fit everything from the backpack into my carry on suitcase that was already stuffed. We managed to get it all in and were on our way again.
On the way we saw the kids relay. There were a TON of kids doing the relay, it looked like a lot of fun! The announcer was doing a pretty good job talking about the different teams and their training. Fun stuff!
We finally made it to the Sheraton after calling B to make sure we were in the right place. We followed JD and her hubby to the room and walk in, it was boiling hot and Risko's bed looked like there was a body in it! Their AC ended up not being fixable and they got a different room somehow.
We headed to lunch and then it was on to the expo...
Analyzing Splits
Yeah that's right I love numbers and I have to look back and compare everything to races before, and to others races who I know. I'm a freak, I know.
Validation
While looking through results posted at Boston on Monday by our running clubs' members I was intrigued that AK and I ran almost EXACTLY the same race. How crazy is that? We even hit some of the 5k splits at the exact same time. Freaky! Too bad she started in wave 2, we probably would have had a good time running together! To my knowledge AK is a pretty damn good athlete so it made me feel good to know that another runner ran the race the same way as me and had the same results (She was slightly faster).
Me:
AK:
Guilt
WV was coming back from a stress fracture and we always get him riled up by saying he'll get beat by whichever girls in the club are running. The guys are always making bets, putting breakfast on the line. I didn't take the bet that I'd win, I should've. Turns out fresh doesn't beat prepared I guess (WV is an incredible runner and I am somewhat ashamed that I beat him).
Striving
I definitely am improving. Although this wasn't a PR when looking at the 4 marathons I've done I think I can confidently say this was my best marathon so far.
My first marathon was Richmond in 04. I ran 3:39:42. Came back and ran Boston in 3:49:50. About 10 minutes slower (Combination of preparation, conditions, injury, and the course). Ran Columbus in fall of 05 in 3:27:16. And now Boston in 3:31:04. Supposedly the course alone at Boston adds 5 minutes, if that's true then I would say I ran much better on Monday than I have so far. I can definitely say I put forth the most consistently hard effort of all 4 marathons. I didn't leave anything on any of the courses, but all have been different. This one I ran hard the whole way, no floating and hammering, just hammer hammer hammer.
Comparison
The closest I came to running a mile the same as last year at Boston were miles 21 and 22. Heartbreak is the great equalizer I guess. I find it fascinating that the differences aren't more consistent. I am not sure what this means about my progress but I am definitely looking it over!
Validation
While looking through results posted at Boston on Monday by our running clubs' members I was intrigued that AK and I ran almost EXACTLY the same race. How crazy is that? We even hit some of the 5k splits at the exact same time. Freaky! Too bad she started in wave 2, we probably would have had a good time running together! To my knowledge AK is a pretty damn good athlete so it made me feel good to know that another runner ran the race the same way as me and had the same results (She was slightly faster).
Me:
| 5k | 0:24:05 |
| 10k | 0:48:00 |
| 15k | 1:11:47 |
| 20k | 1:36:19 |
| Half | 1:41:41 |
| 25k | 2:00:57 |
| 30k | 2:26:59 |
| 35k | 2:53:41 |
| 40k | 3:19:33 |
| Pace | 0:08:03 |
| Official Time | 3:31:04 |
| Overall | 6408 |
| Gender | 1044 |
| Division | 849 |
AK:
| 5k | 0:24:05 |
| 10k | 0:47:55 |
| 15k | 1:11:47 |
| 20k | 1:36:27 |
| Half | 1:41:45 |
| 25k | 2:00:52 |
| 30k | 2:26:16 |
| 35k | 2:52:12 |
| 40k | 3:18:31 |
| Pace | 0:08:03 |
| Official Time | 3:30:43 |
| Overall | 6332 |
| Gender | 1017 |
| Division | 825 |
Guilt
WV was coming back from a stress fracture and we always get him riled up by saying he'll get beat by whichever girls in the club are running. The guys are always making bets, putting breakfast on the line. I didn't take the bet that I'd win, I should've. Turns out fresh doesn't beat prepared I guess (WV is an incredible runner and I am somewhat ashamed that I beat him).
Striving
I definitely am improving. Although this wasn't a PR when looking at the 4 marathons I've done I think I can confidently say this was my best marathon so far.
My first marathon was Richmond in 04. I ran 3:39:42. Came back and ran Boston in 3:49:50. About 10 minutes slower (Combination of preparation, conditions, injury, and the course). Ran Columbus in fall of 05 in 3:27:16. And now Boston in 3:31:04. Supposedly the course alone at Boston adds 5 minutes, if that's true then I would say I ran much better on Monday than I have so far. I can definitely say I put forth the most consistently hard effort of all 4 marathons. I didn't leave anything on any of the courses, but all have been different. This one I ran hard the whole way, no floating and hammering, just hammer hammer hammer.
Comparison
The closest I came to running a mile the same as last year at Boston were miles 21 and 22. Heartbreak is the great equalizer I guess. I find it fascinating that the differences aren't more consistent. I am not sure what this means about my progress but I am definitely looking it over!
| Mile | 2005 | 2006 | Difference | |
| 1 | 8:55 | 8:04 | 0:51 | |
| 2 | 8:07 | 7:32 | 0:35 | |
| 3 | 8:17 | 7:39 | 0:38 | |
| 4 | 8:17 | 7:40 | 0:37 | |
| 5 | 8:22 | 7:42 | 0:40 | |
| 6 | 9:09 | 7:36 | 1:33 | Bathroom Stop in 05 |
| 7 | 8:08 | 7:40 | 0:28 | |
| 8 | 8:19 | 7:36 | 0:43 | |
| 9 | 8:33 | 7:50 | 0:43 | |
| 10 | 8:24 | 7:42 | 0:42 | |
| 11 | 8:31 | 7:47 | 0:44 | |
| 12 | 8:38 | 7:56 | 0:42 | |
| 13 | 8:38 | 8:01 | 0:37 | |
| 14 | 8:34 | 7:52 | 0:42 | |
| 15 | 8:47 | 8:00 | 0:47 | |
| 16 | 8:44 | 7:54 | 0:50 | |
| 17 | 9:10 | 8:23 | 0:47 | |
| 18 | 9:08 | 8:35 | 0:33 | estimated-missed marker 05 |
| 19 | 9:08 | 8:16 | 0:52 | estimated-missed marker 05 |
| 20 | 9:14 | 8:37 | 0:37 | |
| 21 | 9:22 | 8:57 | 0:25 | Heartbreak |
| 22 | 8:42 | 8:22 | 0:20 | |
| 23 | 9:14 | 8:24 | 0:50 | |
| 24 | 9:14 | 8:20 | 0:54 | |
| 25 | 9:04 | 8:15 | 0:49 | |
| 26.2 | 10:59 | 10:17 | 0:42 |
Three words every runner lives to say: I Finished Boston (2006)
Some Finish Lines Just Mean More Than Others. It's What Happens at Boston.
One of my favorite things about the weekend in Boston is the marathon ads that are everywhere. Adidas has a really cool campaign for Marathon weekend.
Interesting how the poster has the 110th Marathon Finish line but we got it at the expo before the race :) Gotta Love Photoshop!
I loved last years posters. I wish I would have taken some pictures. I made sure to take some this year. I think B2 may have taken some of the rest!
I will try to post a little about the weekend everyday with a few pics. I want to make these memories last as long as possible :)
Some Finish Lines Just Mean More Than Others. It's What Happens at Boston.
One of my favorite things about the weekend in Boston is the marathon ads that are everywhere. Adidas has a really cool campaign for Marathon weekend.
Interesting how the poster has the 110th Marathon Finish line but we got it at the expo before the race :) Gotta Love Photoshop!
I loved last years posters. I wish I would have taken some pictures. I made sure to take some this year. I think B2 may have taken some of the rest!
I will try to post a little about the weekend everyday with a few pics. I want to make these memories last as long as possible :)
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