So, it was a crazy-hectic Summer, and I've been a horrible blogger. I have so many race reports to post that I don't know where to begin. I started writing my report on the Worcester Half-Marathon, but decided to shelf it until after Lex's Run because there were so many things that I learned (as-in what NOT to do when organizing/directing a race), but I wanted to refrain fro fear of jinxing myself. So, look for that report to be published soon, because I think it's important that some of those things be said.
I also had a great time running in the Marathon Sports 5-Miler (team challenge was fun) and that report is also forthcoming. The most important race report of the Summer which should be highly entertaining is the report of the birth of my second daughter Charlotte. Lex and I had a beautiful home-birth experience, and there is a lot that NEEDS to be said about our experience specifically but also many things we learned about the home-birth -vs- hospital birth, sticking to your birth-plan, and remembering that obstetrician's are surgeons after all...
I'm also going to put-up a race report and some pictures of Lex's Run 2010. Although it will be a race report from the perspective of the Race Director, it should be a fun and interesting read. Maybe it will inspire others to go out and put on their own races, or maybe it will scare people enough that they will never want to go out on that limb. Hopefully, it will at least inspire people to raise money for charity. The experience is so worthwhile...
And last but not least there is another post I've been working on about "What's Next?" What does the future hold for me, what are my plans, where do my running/racing plans fit-in with my family, and what does my schedule look like for the next year.
Man, I've got a lot of writing to do... Better get to work!
9.18.2010
7.14.2010
7.08.2010
Minimalist Running
My friend Blaine Moore of RunToWin.com just published this on his blog:
A few weeks ago, Travis Lee from WMTW 8 News came out to our Tuesday Night Trail Run with a camera and a wireless mic. The story ran tonight on the 6:00 news:
After putting on the largest barefoot/minimalist race in the country a few months ago, Maine is getting some attention as an area friendly to barefoot running. Which is rather humorous given how long our winters are…
Travis did some quick interviews after our run and then shot a bit of footage of us running barefoot (although I kept my huaraches on) and then edited in some of Jamie Anderson’s excellent footage from barefoot race at Pineland Farms. You can watch the story here:
This is good exposure for the minimalist movement for sure. Of course I believe in the benefits of minimalist running as I do most of my running in Newton's, and I find that the other shoes I prefer have a "minimalist" heel and/or a low heel-to-toe drop (re: Brooks Green Silence, Saucony Kinvara). My own story is one of how changing my running style and developing proper form have turned around my nagging repetitive use injuries and strengthened my running all around.
After doing some barefoot running on the beach this past week, I've developed the courage to go ahead and venture into the Vibram Five Fingers arena. I may even make myself a pair of huaraches!
5.21.2010
Welcome to the Madness
One of the things that tends to happen when you undertake monumental challenges such as training for a marathon is a phenomenon I like to call "collateral damage." That is, the inadvertent inspiration that you pass on to people in your different social circles. I can't tell you how many people within my six degrees of separation have informed me that they've started walking, working-out, running or even training for a marathon as a direct result of witnessing my journey. I always congratulate them and tell them how awesome I think it is that they've decided to take charge of their health and fitness, etc. After all, that is why I started this blog and share these blog posts along with my training log entries on facebook, and talk about my training and marathon experience every chance I get.
One of the most incredible things that has happened to me so far on this journey was when my friend James told me at the post-race reception after the Boston Marathon that partly because of me, he was beginning to train for a marathon and was interested in doing triathlons and ultimately Ironman Triathlon's. I was genuinely moved by this as James and his family were my inspiration for running the Boston Marathon as part of the Children's Hospital "Miles for Miracles" Team. Those of you who regularly read my blog know that James and Shanna's daughter Brenya spent most of her life in and out of Children's Hospital and died at 7 months old from a genetic brain malformation right before I found out I was accepted onto the team. I ran in honor of her memory, and she got me through many of my toughest runs and races when I couldn't have finished on my own.
So, of course when he told me of his plans, well, I really can't put my feelings into words. I immediately referred him to Coach Cap and Breakthrough Performance Coaching so I knew he would be in good hands. James got together with Coach Cap the other day and called me to tell me he's now officially a member of Team BPC. He also informed me that he is starting his training and will be running a fall marathon with the intent and purpose of joining me on the "Miles for Miracles" Team and running Boston with me next year! So, of course, when I got home I had to write him and welcome him to the team and all that is the madness of training for and running marathons. Turns-out, the e-mail was full of tips and pointers for getting started. Upon further review I realized that it would be the perfect blog post because it fits right in with my mission for "I'm really not a runner." What follows is and edited version of that letter...
I wanted to write and welcome you to all that is running and training (for marathons and triathlons, etc). I'm sure you will find it is one of the most awesome things to undertake as it is a very personal, emotional, passionate, and at times incredibly painful journey. I could get into all sorts of cliché's and get all sappy and motivational about it, but I'll spare you the melodrama. I know you will be successful because I know you and I know what you're all about and there is nothing that will stop you from achieving your goals. I just can't wait to bear witness to the process! I'm incredibly excited to train with you, to race with you in Boston 2011, and I hope to one day share in the experience of Ironman with you!
But seeing as you are just getting started, I wanted to relay some information that I hope you will find useful. Most of what I'm about to suggest to you has come from experience and are things that I wish someone would have told me from the outset (and all the links go to pertinent info).
1) Get yourself a good pair of running shoes. Money should be of no object here. Seriously. Go to a "running store" like Marathon Sports where they will watch you walk and get you on a treadmill and make sure you are in the right shoe. At the same time, realize that there is a lot of information out there and the people at the running store don't know everything. If what they're telling you doesn't feel right, or you just don't like the shoe, try another. Personally, I'm very partial to Newton and Brooks, but I've found the brand and type of shoe is as much a matter of personal preference as it is form and functon. You should also go in with a little bit of knowledge of what they are talking about when they mention pronation, over-pronation, supination, etc. Know you own feet! A good resource of information on foot-type, shoes, etc. is http://www.runnersworld.
2) While you're at it, get yourself several good pair of running socks. I found that I REALLY like the Smartwool brand. They are merino wool, moisture wicking, non-smelly, and literally the most comfortable things I've ever put on my feet. I'm quite partial to the "Adrenaline Multi-Sport Micro" but I've been told they are discontinuing them and replacing them with "pHd Running." Whatever you do, make sure they are tight (I wear the Large with my size 12 foot, even though the packaging suggests the XL) and well padded (go with mid or heavy weight, avoid the ultra light at all cost). I've also heard good things about, but not tried the Balega, Wrightsock, and Thorlo (although I plan too, I've actually developed quite the sock fetish). And if you find that you develop between-the-toe blisters, I've heard that the Injinji toe socks work wonders. AVOID "Feetures" socks. They are HORRIBLE. Both pairs that I bought, though comfortable to walk in, seemed to wrap around my foot weird while running and the wool completely wore-off the ball of my foot on my first runs in them...
3) After you go to the running store and give these shoes and socks a test drive, go to runningwarehouse.com and order what you need from there (Marathon Sports, City Sports, etc's prices are outrageous). Let me know when you are ready to buy and I'll show you a discount code to get 15% off of their already discounted prices on everything. Unless you are buying Newton's because their prices are pretty much fixed and don't vary. If you decide to buy Newton's let me know and I'll give you a 15% off coupon for Marathon Sports that I have laying around...
4) Body Glide, and lots of it. It is your friend. I've also heard that Bag Balm is very good and a lot of people use it with the same success. And for your feet use Body Glide Liquified Powder. It's great for preventing blisters, and therefore life saver. Trust me.
5) Protect your nipples man! They get very chafed and have been known to bleed on some people. It also depends on what type of shirt you are wearing and distance you are running, but, if you're wearing a compression shirt, Body Glide will work for most distances. If you are wearing a moisture-wicking tech shirt that hangs a little and thus causes more friction, you may be able to get away with Body Glide for your shorter runs, but on longer runs you will absolutely need to use Band-Aids on those suckers (or tape, or Nipple Protectors).
6) With that, you need to get yourself some good Tech Shirts for running. Avoid cotton like the plague. You may have to try several different shirts until you find a one that you like, then buy as many of them as you can afford. The Champion C9 Duo Dri's that I found on the cheap at Target, and the Starter Dri-Star shirts I found at Walmart were great! But by far the most comfortable shirt I've ever worn is the Brooks EZ T although it is a bit more expensive...
7) While you're at it, find yourself some good running shorts, the kind with a liner. And go commando in them. That's what the liner is for, it's built-in underwear! I've got Nike's, Champion C9's, and Brooks. Again, my favorite are the Brooks and I prefer split sides, but again a lot of this is about feeling and personal preference.
8) Get yourself a good watch. not your everyday run-of-the-mill stopwatch, but one that can keep track of your time, distance, heart rate, etc. I found a Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS Watch with Heart Rate Monitor on eBay for around $250. It was a "factory refurbish," but I haven't had any issues with it. A little later I purchased the foot pod for it so I could track my treadmill workouts and my foot cadence, etc. It has the functionality to keep track of your data on the bike too. The only complaints I've heard from anyone have been about the battery life. These mostly come from those who do Iron distance triathlon's. I used mine in the Boston Marathon and although it started beeping at me and told me that I had "low battery" at mile 22, it made it through the whole marathon. Again, there are a lot of these watches out there and much of it comes down to personal preference. However, you can ask Coach Cap (Jeff) about it, he has some way of getting a discount for team members, though I'm unsure of what the discount is.
9) Buy yourself a good hydration system (belt) or two. I have a 2-bottle belt that I use on my shorter runs, and a 4 bottle belt that I use on my longer runs. I use the Fuel Belt systems. I have a CamelBack but found it to be too cumbersome and awkward. I think if/when I start training for an Ultra, the Camelback will be great, but until then... There are tons of them out there, and some people even prefer the bottles that you can strap to your hand. Just find what works for you and keep in mind you need something for your shorter runs and something for your longer runs...
10) Figure-out what you are going to use for mid-run fueling. I chose to use GU Espresso Love flavor. Coach Cap really likes the GU Roctane Endurance and a lot of people love the Powerbar gels. There are all sorts of fueling options out there, chews, gels, chomps, drinks, etc. My suggestion is to go to Sports Authority or some other major chain and buy a whole assortment of fueling options and flavors and try them out now. When you find one you like that you can tolerate (that doesn't give you heartburn, the squirts, or make you puke/gag) go to runningwarehouse.com or roadrunnersports.com and buy it by the case. I'd also try to find a good recovery drink, something with carbs and protein (4:1 ratio). I used Accelerade and found it to be easy on my stomach. Many people recommend just using chocolate milk as recovery drink. I did this for a while and found it pleasant and MOSTLY tolerable, but after my longest runs it tended to upset my stomach and give me the runs (I have a mild lactose intolerance apparently).
Along those lines... The day before and morning's of your long runs and races, cut back on fiber or avoid it altogether. This will save you lots of pain, discomfort, possible embarrassment and time in the toilet afterward...
And finally, as I noted in a recent blog post "I just don't think anyone can do something like this without a great support network of kindred spirits. A group of people who have either been there and done that, or are currently doing the same thing. I've been so lucky to have discovered an awesome community of runners on twitter, which eventually led me to dailymile. I owe so much to this AMAZING community that I don't know where to start. So much to be said about the kindness of virtual strangers who are always willing to lend a supportive ear, offer advice, words of encouragement or bits and pieces of acquired knowledge based on their years of experience, or just plain commiserating." Get yourself out there. Get involved in the running community both real and virtual.
My advice to you is to create an on-line presence strictly for your running life. Put yourself out there on Twitter and dailymile. It's an endless and invaluable resource. I can't even begin to describe what it has meant to me. Start a blog and write about your training experiences, the thoughts that swirl around through your mind while out on your long runs, your hopes, fears, dreams and doubts. Trust me, it helps. And it preserves it all for posterity's sake. Once you do decide to put yourself out there and get a Twitter account and/or a dailymile profile, let me know and I'll introduce you to all of the people in this awesome community that have meant so much to me and my training/racing. That's all for now. I'm sure there will be more. If you can't tell, I'm really excited that you've decided to do this! I can't wait to follow your progress and be a part of your transformation!
5.16.2010
My Ultimate Pancake Recipe
So, I've been opening my mouth and telling people about my awesome pancake recipe for a couple of months now, so I guess it's time to put-up or shut-up!
I'm going to preface this by saying this recipe is the culmination of about 20 years of trial and error practice, refining and revision. I picked things up from one chef or another that I worked for, from greasy spoons and diners that I worked in, friends, family members and co-workers. I added things here, took away things there and voila'! My wife is very upset that I am giving this "family secret" recipe away freely, so I hope it is well received!
I can give you some tips on cooking pancakes, but if you don't know how to cook pancakes, no recipe is going to help you. Like I said, it's trial and error and you'll figure out what works for you with experience.
1) Cook on a flat iron griddle over medium-high heat (350 degrees F)
2) Always pre-heat the griddle, and use butter or cooking spray to "seal" the griddle, only using it prior to the first pancake being cooked. After that you don't need use it again and in fact it will lead to uneven cooking surface temperature and messed-up pancakes.
3) Flip pancakes when the batter bubbles and looks dry on the outside edges, at this point they should be golden brown. They are done when they rise and the steam coming-out from the edges slows to a near stop.
4) Be quick with the spatula. Don't drag the spatula under the pancakes.
5) if you're adding any type of fruit, add it on top of the batter on the griddle. DO NOT ADD FRUIT TO THE BATTER!
I'm sure I'll come-up with some more tips, but here's the recipe:
Makes 8-10 8-inch pancakes
2 Cups Flour (I use whole wheat flour, but you can use whatever flour you prefer)
1-2/3 Cups Milk (I use skim, again use whatever you like)
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 Cup Sugar {1 Tbsp. set aside in separate bowl} (I use organic raw sugar)
2 Eggs (separated, whites in bowl with the sugar)
1/4 Cup Butter (melted)
1/4 Cup Orange Juice (pulp free)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
**In a large bowl, combine and mix dry ingredients well. Set egg yolks aside for now. Combine egg whites and 1 Tbsp. Sugar in a medium bowl and whisk vigorously for several minutes until the beaten egg whites come to soft peaks (think meringue). Add egg yolks and all liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in eggs whites with a rubber spatula until thoroughly mixed-in. Let batter stand for at least 15 minutes prior to cooking. Pre-heat large pan or flat iron skillet to 350 degrees F. Use butter/Pam/oil to seal the pan. Ladle from 1/3 to 1/2 Cup of batter onto pan/skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides. A proper pancake should be served with butter and pure maple syrup.
Let me know if you have any questions or need any help perfecting these pancakes.
Enjoy!
I'm going to preface this by saying this recipe is the culmination of about 20 years of trial and error practice, refining and revision. I picked things up from one chef or another that I worked for, from greasy spoons and diners that I worked in, friends, family members and co-workers. I added things here, took away things there and voila'! My wife is very upset that I am giving this "family secret" recipe away freely, so I hope it is well received!
I can give you some tips on cooking pancakes, but if you don't know how to cook pancakes, no recipe is going to help you. Like I said, it's trial and error and you'll figure out what works for you with experience.
1) Cook on a flat iron griddle over medium-high heat (350 degrees F)
2) Always pre-heat the griddle, and use butter or cooking spray to "seal" the griddle, only using it prior to the first pancake being cooked. After that you don't need use it again and in fact it will lead to uneven cooking surface temperature and messed-up pancakes.
3) Flip pancakes when the batter bubbles and looks dry on the outside edges, at this point they should be golden brown. They are done when they rise and the steam coming-out from the edges slows to a near stop.
4) Be quick with the spatula. Don't drag the spatula under the pancakes.
5) if you're adding any type of fruit, add it on top of the batter on the griddle. DO NOT ADD FRUIT TO THE BATTER!
I'm sure I'll come-up with some more tips, but here's the recipe:
Makes 8-10 8-inch pancakes
2 Cups Flour (I use whole wheat flour, but you can use whatever flour you prefer)
1-2/3 Cups Milk (I use skim, again use whatever you like)
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 Cup Sugar {1 Tbsp. set aside in separate bowl} (I use organic raw sugar)
2 Eggs (separated, whites in bowl with the sugar)
1/4 Cup Butter (melted)
1/4 Cup Orange Juice (pulp free)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
**In a large bowl, combine and mix dry ingredients well. Set egg yolks aside for now. Combine egg whites and 1 Tbsp. Sugar in a medium bowl and whisk vigorously for several minutes until the beaten egg whites come to soft peaks (think meringue). Add egg yolks and all liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in eggs whites with a rubber spatula until thoroughly mixed-in. Let batter stand for at least 15 minutes prior to cooking. Pre-heat large pan or flat iron skillet to 350 degrees F. Use butter/Pam/oil to seal the pan. Ladle from 1/3 to 1/2 Cup of batter onto pan/skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides. A proper pancake should be served with butter and pure maple syrup.
Let me know if you have any questions or need any help perfecting these pancakes.
Enjoy!
5.10.2010
Gratitude
Ok. I started this post the night before the Boston Marathon. However, most of it just wasn't right. I couldn't find the right words, they didn't sound right, I couldn't express my overwhelming feelings in any way that came close to justifying them. I don't know why it's taken so long to edit, re-edit and finally post this, but here goes nothing...
So, as I sit here on the eve of the Boston Marathon, I can't help but reflect on the path I've taken to get here. While taking the long-view of everything that I've accomplished and all of the experience and knowledge I've gained I keep coming back to one thing... Gratitude. The most important thing I've learned is that although at times the life of a distance runner is lonely (much of the training and even the competition is very solitary, as an overwhelming majority of runners compete only with themselves), nobody can do this alone. We all need the love, support, kindness and mentoring of dozens, if not hundreds of other people. Sitting here just trying to wrap my head around the sheer number of people that have made this all possible for me makes me dizzy. So, as usual, in order to help myself grasp sheer magnitude of the support I've received, I'm going to write it all out...
First and foremost, it took the love and support of my family to get here, and it was no easy road (no pun intended), I only made it more difficult for myself by how I went about it. Let's just say I should've been a little more open and discussed my intentions and decision with my wife Lex, but I honestly didn't think I'd get accepted onto the Children's Hospital team on the first try. When I did get on the team, I kinda just dropped it on her like a bombshell. When she read all of the paperwork later and saw the financial commitment I'd gotten us into, she was rightfully pissed-off. It certainly didn't make the first few months of my training any easier. That doesn't mean the love, support and sacrifice weren't there, because they were, but the enthusiasm for what I was doing was certainly on the lower-end. It was purely my own fault. Then we found-out that Lex was pregnant at the end of November. The first 5-6 months of pregnancy when your husband is training for his first marathon? Not fun.
Despite all of this she eventually came around and was my rock during all of this as she is every day in all that I do. Her and Isabelle became my support crew on my longest runs in the worst conditions, and even some of the shorter ones when she knew instinctively that I needed help out there. Throughout all of this she has been amazing, and she's even kept-up her own fitness by fitting in her own 3-4 mile runs 2-3 times per week (until a stress fracture of her pelvis at 24 weeks sidelined her). I can't even begin to express to her how much I've needed and have appreciated everything she's done and all she's sacrificed in order to make this dream come true for me. As soon as she gives birth to our second daughter in August the roles will be reversed as she trains for her first half-marathon. I only hope I can be as wonderful to her as she has been to me!
I know that I couldn't have even made it to the starting line without the help of my coach. Jeff Capobianco of Breakthrough Performance Coaching has been instrumental to my success. Jeff is a co-worker of mine at the fire department, and he is quite the accomplished endurance athlete himself as a six-time Ironman who qualified for and competed in the 2009 Ironman World Championships in Kona, HI. I initially approached Jeff with a few simple questions and he gave me some tips on training. Eventually, when we discussed what I was doing and why, out of the kindness of his heart he offered-up his coaching services to me. This was incredibly generous and almost overwhelming.
He created a completely customized training plan for me, taking into consideration my previous injuries and lack of experience, and was able to get real results out of me. In order to grasp the magnitude of what he accomplished with me you really have to think about where I came from, what I was able to accomplish, and the timeframe I was able to accomplish it in. He took a fat (265 lbs), out-of-shape non-runner with "bad knees," and turned him into a 4-hour (ish) marathoner in less than six months. Along the way I lost over 70 pounds, brought my 5k time from 29 down to 22 minutes, ran a 16-mile torture-fest, ran a sub-2 hour half-marathon, and finished my first marathon (the Boston Marathon no less) in 4:14:09. I did exactly what he told me (most of the time) and got exactly the results I was hoping for.
I also have to thank everyone associated with the Children's Hospital "Miles for Miracles" program for making this such an incredible experience for me. But especially the coaches Mike Ferragamo and Jeff Hintlian and the team coordinator Stacey Divine. They really helped to guide me every step of the way in becoming a charity runner. They inspire me to be more and to do more. From fundraising questions and problems solved, to planning and executing the weekly runs and most especially the 17 and 21-mile team long runs on the course. massive productions that were open to all of the BAA Charity Programs (re: hundreds of runners) that they pulled off with lightning precision.
The coaches always made sure that they interacted with every one of us out on the course during these runs and even during the marathon itself providing insight, encouragement, and even first aid to everyone who needed it (even though it meant running 30-40 miles themselves). And my teammates who inspired me in so many ways. Regular people from all walks of life, each with their own reasons for running and inspiring stories. There were the rookies like me, people with a few marathons under their belts, and the seasoned veterans of 10, 15 even 20 Boston Marathon's. There were those who qualified for Boston yet still committed to the "Miles for Miracles" program and raised funds like the rest of us,and there were those who would never dream of qualifying. But most special to me were the friends I made whom I ran the team long runs with, the 16-miler and half-marathon with, and was most happy to see on Marathon Monday... Sarah, Steve, Daniel, Peter, Scott and Chuck. I can't wait for next year!
I really want to thank my friend James and his wife Shanna who allowed me to do this to honor the memory of their beautiful daughter Brenya. I felt her presence many times throughout my training and especially during the marathon. When things got really tough I called on her for strength and she helped me push through. When I saw them at mile 20, it made everything worthwhile. I also have to thank all of my friends and family and other donors from all over the country who supported me and donated to Children's Hospital on behalf of my campaign. Trust me, when my calf cramped-up at 21.5, I thought about everyone who had donated an everyone who was following along and getting my splits via text and email, I thought about all of the hopes, dreams and expectations those donations came with, and I was able to get moving again.
A very special thanks to Eric Derrico of Boston Massage and Acupuncture who helped me with a fundraiser, made a very generous donation as a result, and gave me one of the best massages I've EVER had following my 21-mile training run. A few of my teammates and twitter friends have also visited Eric and had nothing but glowing reviews of his services. If you're in the Boston area and in need of therapeutic massage, schedule an appointment with Eric. you won't be disappointed. I have to get in to see him again SOON!
One of my co-worker's (also coached by Jeff), has been a great support to me and has finally reached his goal of running a BQ at the Country Music Marathon last month, thanks for your support Thin! You are truly an inspiration to me! I just don't think anyone can do something like this without a great support network of kindred spirits. A group of people who have either been there and done that, or are currently doing the same thing. I've been so lucky to have discovered an awesome community of runners on twitter, which eventually led me to dailymile. I owe so much to this AMAZING community that I don't know where to start. So much to be said about the kindness of virtual strangers who are always willing to lend a supportive ear, offer advice, words of encouragement or bits and pieces of acquired knowledge based on their years of experience, or just plain commiserating.
There are so many people that I owe thanks to, that there is just no way I could list them all and I'm bound to forget some of them, but I have 216 friends on dailymile and 528 followers on twitter. Trust me when I say that I love and appreciate all of you in your own way. But there are several of my tweeples and dailymilers that I want to give special thanks to for their kindness, support and inspiration along the way: Suann (afterward, when I saw your tweets rooting me on, they brought a tear to my eye), Ali, Lori, Mary, Tim, Jennifer, Matt, Ally, Steve, Kimberly, Josh, Alett, Ashley, Ed, Ron, Chris, David, Glen, Bob, @IronmanLongRunr, my very close friend and inspiration Jess (who will be running her first half-marathon at the San Diego RnR soon!), and last but certainly not least, my friend and Boston Marathon Running partner/pacer @runnrgrl. I can't tell you how disappointed I was that I was forced to start dropping back at the 30k mark, but I was so proud to watch you pull away as you kept-up our intended pace. I really thought you were headed to another BQ. I'm truly sorry I couldn't keep up to continue pushing you, but it was great conversation and cool getting to know you better along the way. Thanks for sharing in my first marathon experience!
Stay tuned for my next post where I talk about the "experience" of it all and post pictures from the expo and dailymile meetup, etc.
So, as I sit here on the eve of the Boston Marathon, I can't help but reflect on the path I've taken to get here. While taking the long-view of everything that I've accomplished and all of the experience and knowledge I've gained I keep coming back to one thing... Gratitude. The most important thing I've learned is that although at times the life of a distance runner is lonely (much of the training and even the competition is very solitary, as an overwhelming majority of runners compete only with themselves), nobody can do this alone. We all need the love, support, kindness and mentoring of dozens, if not hundreds of other people. Sitting here just trying to wrap my head around the sheer number of people that have made this all possible for me makes me dizzy. So, as usual, in order to help myself grasp sheer magnitude of the support I've received, I'm going to write it all out...
First and foremost, it took the love and support of my family to get here, and it was no easy road (no pun intended), I only made it more difficult for myself by how I went about it. Let's just say I should've been a little more open and discussed my intentions and decision with my wife Lex, but I honestly didn't think I'd get accepted onto the Children's Hospital team on the first try. When I did get on the team, I kinda just dropped it on her like a bombshell. When she read all of the paperwork later and saw the financial commitment I'd gotten us into, she was rightfully pissed-off. It certainly didn't make the first few months of my training any easier. That doesn't mean the love, support and sacrifice weren't there, because they were, but the enthusiasm for what I was doing was certainly on the lower-end. It was purely my own fault. Then we found-out that Lex was pregnant at the end of November. The first 5-6 months of pregnancy when your husband is training for his first marathon? Not fun.
Despite all of this she eventually came around and was my rock during all of this as she is every day in all that I do. Her and Isabelle became my support crew on my longest runs in the worst conditions, and even some of the shorter ones when she knew instinctively that I needed help out there. Throughout all of this she has been amazing, and she's even kept-up her own fitness by fitting in her own 3-4 mile runs 2-3 times per week (until a stress fracture of her pelvis at 24 weeks sidelined her). I can't even begin to express to her how much I've needed and have appreciated everything she's done and all she's sacrificed in order to make this dream come true for me. As soon as she gives birth to our second daughter in August the roles will be reversed as she trains for her first half-marathon. I only hope I can be as wonderful to her as she has been to me!
I know that I couldn't have even made it to the starting line without the help of my coach. Jeff Capobianco of Breakthrough Performance Coaching has been instrumental to my success. Jeff is a co-worker of mine at the fire department, and he is quite the accomplished endurance athlete himself as a six-time Ironman who qualified for and competed in the 2009 Ironman World Championships in Kona, HI. I initially approached Jeff with a few simple questions and he gave me some tips on training. Eventually, when we discussed what I was doing and why, out of the kindness of his heart he offered-up his coaching services to me. This was incredibly generous and almost overwhelming.
He created a completely customized training plan for me, taking into consideration my previous injuries and lack of experience, and was able to get real results out of me. In order to grasp the magnitude of what he accomplished with me you really have to think about where I came from, what I was able to accomplish, and the timeframe I was able to accomplish it in. He took a fat (265 lbs), out-of-shape non-runner with "bad knees," and turned him into a 4-hour (ish) marathoner in less than six months. Along the way I lost over 70 pounds, brought my 5k time from 29 down to 22 minutes, ran a 16-mile torture-fest, ran a sub-2 hour half-marathon, and finished my first marathon (the Boston Marathon no less) in 4:14:09. I did exactly what he told me (most of the time) and got exactly the results I was hoping for.
I also have to thank everyone associated with the Children's Hospital "Miles for Miracles" program for making this such an incredible experience for me. But especially the coaches Mike Ferragamo and Jeff Hintlian and the team coordinator Stacey Divine. They really helped to guide me every step of the way in becoming a charity runner. They inspire me to be more and to do more. From fundraising questions and problems solved, to planning and executing the weekly runs and most especially the 17 and 21-mile team long runs on the course. massive productions that were open to all of the BAA Charity Programs (re: hundreds of runners) that they pulled off with lightning precision.
The coaches always made sure that they interacted with every one of us out on the course during these runs and even during the marathon itself providing insight, encouragement, and even first aid to everyone who needed it (even though it meant running 30-40 miles themselves). And my teammates who inspired me in so many ways. Regular people from all walks of life, each with their own reasons for running and inspiring stories. There were the rookies like me, people with a few marathons under their belts, and the seasoned veterans of 10, 15 even 20 Boston Marathon's. There were those who qualified for Boston yet still committed to the "Miles for Miracles" program and raised funds like the rest of us,and there were those who would never dream of qualifying. But most special to me were the friends I made whom I ran the team long runs with, the 16-miler and half-marathon with, and was most happy to see on Marathon Monday... Sarah, Steve, Daniel, Peter, Scott and Chuck. I can't wait for next year!
I really want to thank my friend James and his wife Shanna who allowed me to do this to honor the memory of their beautiful daughter Brenya. I felt her presence many times throughout my training and especially during the marathon. When things got really tough I called on her for strength and she helped me push through. When I saw them at mile 20, it made everything worthwhile. I also have to thank all of my friends and family and other donors from all over the country who supported me and donated to Children's Hospital on behalf of my campaign. Trust me, when my calf cramped-up at 21.5, I thought about everyone who had donated an everyone who was following along and getting my splits via text and email, I thought about all of the hopes, dreams and expectations those donations came with, and I was able to get moving again.
A very special thanks to Eric Derrico of Boston Massage and Acupuncture who helped me with a fundraiser, made a very generous donation as a result, and gave me one of the best massages I've EVER had following my 21-mile training run. A few of my teammates and twitter friends have also visited Eric and had nothing but glowing reviews of his services. If you're in the Boston area and in need of therapeutic massage, schedule an appointment with Eric. you won't be disappointed. I have to get in to see him again SOON!
One of my co-worker's (also coached by Jeff), has been a great support to me and has finally reached his goal of running a BQ at the Country Music Marathon last month, thanks for your support Thin! You are truly an inspiration to me! I just don't think anyone can do something like this without a great support network of kindred spirits. A group of people who have either been there and done that, or are currently doing the same thing. I've been so lucky to have discovered an awesome community of runners on twitter, which eventually led me to dailymile. I owe so much to this AMAZING community that I don't know where to start. So much to be said about the kindness of virtual strangers who are always willing to lend a supportive ear, offer advice, words of encouragement or bits and pieces of acquired knowledge based on their years of experience, or just plain commiserating.
There are so many people that I owe thanks to, that there is just no way I could list them all and I'm bound to forget some of them, but I have 216 friends on dailymile and 528 followers on twitter. Trust me when I say that I love and appreciate all of you in your own way. But there are several of my tweeples and dailymilers that I want to give special thanks to for their kindness, support and inspiration along the way: Suann (afterward, when I saw your tweets rooting me on, they brought a tear to my eye), Ali, Lori, Mary, Tim, Jennifer, Matt, Ally, Steve, Kimberly, Josh, Alett, Ashley, Ed, Ron, Chris, David, Glen, Bob, @IronmanLongRunr, my very close friend and inspiration Jess (who will be running her first half-marathon at the San Diego RnR soon!), and last but certainly not least, my friend and Boston Marathon Running partner/pacer @runnrgrl. I can't tell you how disappointed I was that I was forced to start dropping back at the 30k mark, but I was so proud to watch you pull away as you kept-up our intended pace. I really thought you were headed to another BQ. I'm truly sorry I couldn't keep up to continue pushing you, but it was great conversation and cool getting to know you better along the way. Thanks for sharing in my first marathon experience!
Stay tuned for my next post where I talk about the "experience" of it all and post pictures from the expo and dailymile meetup, etc.
4.23.2010
The 114th Boston Marathon (Race Report)
Subtitle: Thank God for Drunk BC Kids!
I'll do another post later with pictures from the @dailymile meetup and Expo on Saturday. Right now, I just wanted to get this out of my head...
I started training for this day, in earnest, in October. Everything I've done for the last 6 months of my life was leading-up to this moment. From the pre-dawn sub-zero runs where my water bottles froze, to the 18-mile drudge in the middle of a Nor' Easter and even the beautiful 21-mile run on the course from the start until just after Heartbreak Hill when I felt like I could have run the marathon in 3:30! One thing I've learned in my short, six-month running career is that some days you have it, and some days you just don't. No matter what you do or how perfectly you prepare, if it's just not your day, it's just not your day. This was one of those days for me.
Going into my taper I had a litany of small, nagging injuries that I had hoped would heal-up just fine over the three weeks of my taper. Pretty much everything that was bothering me healed-up, and the compartment syndrome in my posterior tib was doing much better. My sports Chiro was treating me with ultrasound and e-stim, etc. And I was doing my part with the stretches and icing. As my taper went along I felt stronger and stronger. With my strong performance in my final 5k Vdot test, I also earned my first blister on my right foot, but it healed well and looked good the morning of the marathon.
I spoke with Coach Cap on Friday evening and we had a long chat about my nutrition plan and I followed it to a "T." I've never felt that nutrition has been a problem for me going into any of my previous races including the Hyannis Half and the Boston Prep 16, but Coach was able to give me some understanding of the differences in nutritional prep for a marathon as opposed to the other distances. I took it all to heart, followed the plan, and didn't have any of my "usual" GI disturbances and pain during or after the marathon. Amazing! Throughout the race I felt like my energy levels were high and don't think I ever really "crashed" physically. I carried a high level of energy all the way through the race, so what went wrong? I'm still trying figure that out...
I went to bed early on Saturday night (9 pm) and Isabelle actually let us all sleep-in by not waking-up until after 8 am (miracles never cease). Sunday I wanted to get to bed at 8, but no matter what I did, i kept finding one more thing that needed to be done in preparation for Monday, finishing-up with making my Belgian Waffle Batter for my Marathon Monday big breakfast and an e-mail from Coach Cap about my pacing strategy. My goal coming into training for this marathon was simply to finish. As I got further into the training and was able to consistently exceed my own expectations and constantly surprise myself, I figured I could run a sub-4 and was most probably capable of much more. Coach Cap agreed and laid-out a strategy for running a 3:45:00. After reading the pacing strategy, I let it sink-in for a minute and got to bed around 9:30.
I woke at 5am with my alarm, jumped into a nice hot shower, lubed-up with Body Glide and got dressed. I decided to wear my nice warm Smartwool Adrenaline Multi-Sport socks until I put my shoes on, when i would slather my feet in Body Glide Liquified Powder and put on my brand new Smartwool PhD Performance Ultra Lite Running socks that I bought specifically for the marathon (apparently a poor choice, btw). I woke-up Lex and Isabelle and started cooking our waffles. We had a nice big waffle and maple syrup breakfast, gathered our things that we had prepared the prior evening and headed-out the door by 630am, arriving at the Masonic Hall (Children's HQ) just before 7am. I was one of the first to arrive (before any of the busses), so I found myself a nice corner upstairs and set-up camp. I was going to relax with some tunes from my brand new 5th Gen iPod Nano , but apparently the headphone jack was screwed-up and only the external speaker worked (you should've seen the funny looks I got from the few other there who were trying to sleep). [post script: I'm a dumbass. I returned the first one only to find the second one had the same problem- The headphones didn't seem to fit in the jack... Only to realize they actually snap into place tight, D'oh!]
I sat and collected myself sipping on my Accelerade until about 830 when I ate a banana and started getting ready. I mixed-up my Fuel Belt bottles of (2) Accelerade and (2) GU (I mix 2 gels + 6oz. of water in each bottle), made sure my bag was packed properly and took it to the bus. Then I walked around making nervous small-talk with some Children's Team member's I was familiar with, used the totally available private porta-potties (awesome) a few times, did some light stretching and jogging around the parking lot. I walked next door to watch the Elites come out to the start and got some good video of Meb and Ryan as they came out. Watched as the sea of humanity that was the first wave started. Did some dynamic stretching with the Children's team, then made my way to my corral.
Once I was in my corral, I found @runnrgrl my running partner for the day. We realized earlier that we were aiming for the same pace/time goal and decided we'd run together as long as we could. We also bumped into @petfxr in the corral and gave hugs and well-wishes to each other. Once we started, it was literally almost 15 minutes by the time we had actually crossed the starting line. While walking toward the starting line I saw my buddy "Phill, Phill Kennedy" and said "hey" to him as he was outside of the corrals waiting to run "bandit" for the second year in a row. I've never in my life witnessed anything as amazing as nearly 23,000 runner's spread-out down the road in front of me. I was trying to take it all in without getting to wrapped-up in it all. I wanted to run conservatively for the first half of the race and not burn myself out before the "Hills of Newton." I decided ahead of time that I wasn't going to take any of the Gatorade Endurance while on the course as Gatorade ALWAYS gives me heartburn, and I'd been training with Accelerade since the beginning. I also planned on taking at least a sip or two of water from the aid station's only if I was thirsty.
Miles 1-5 Splits (9:12)(9:05)(9:07)(8:43)(9:37)
Everything started-out beautifully. With the crowds on the narrow streets of the first couple of miles, I don't think it was possible for me to run any faster. Then I just settled into what I felt was a comfortable pace for me. In the middle of the 5th mile @runnrgrl had to use the porta-potty, so I slowed-up a little so that she could catch back-up without burning herself out, but I also didn't want to lose too much time that it would be difficult to make-up.
Miles 6-10 Splits (8:44)(8:51)(8:59)(8:56)(9:04)
Drank 4oz of my GU mixture shortly into mile 6. My friend James and his wife Shanna had set themselves u[ around 5.5 miles by the Winter St. Bridge in Framingham. I was really looking forward to seeing them, as I was running to honor the memory of their daughter, but somehow I missed them. This was almost too much for me to deal with emotionally at that point. I really struggled with my emotions over the next few miles as we moved from Framingham into Natick . I even pulled-out my Blackberry and sent them a text to let them know how sorry I was to have missed them. @runnrgrl really helped me by putting things into perspective so I could focus on running my own race. Over the next few miles we had some excellent conversation and realized we actually had a lot in common. It never ceases to amaze me when talking to other runner's that just about everyone has something to share, some motivation, history, or experiences that we all have in common outside of running. Doesn't matter where you go, there's such a camaraderie among runner's. It really is amazing. I was incredibly thankful and blessed to have @runnrgrl there to share with at that point. It was exactly what I needed when I needed it. I drank some of my Accelerade concentrate with a water from the aid station at mile marker 8. I kept up a solid pace that would keep me in the sub-4 hour range, figuring if I didn't tear myself up now I could really burn it up after Heartbreak.
Miles 11-15 Splits (8:59)(8:52)(8:52)(9:04)(9:12)
Drank 4oz of GU in mile 11. Coming through the Wellesley Scream Tunnel was an absolutely amazing experience. The support from those girls was simply inspiring. I actually thought about kissing one of them since they were ALL asking for it (LOL), but considering it would most likely be saved and replayed forever in the age of YouTube, I decided to refrain and opted for some high-fives instead. Coming into Wellesley I was feeling great knowing I was halfway done. Drank more of my Accelerade with some water at the mile 13 aid station. I looked at my Half-Marathon split as I passed-over the mats, noticing I was at 1:58 and change I knew I was in good position to hit the sub-4 or better. Just after mile marker 14 I saw my family on the side of the road and stopped for some hugs-and-kisses from my girls and a high five from my father-in-law then was once again on my way.
Miles 16-20 Splits (8:54)(9:26)(9:29)(9:21)(10:23)
After the mile 16 marker I drank some more GU and had a little extra water from the aid station. I continued to run strong and happy after 17, knowing I was going to see Coach Cap after the turn onto Comm Ave. in front of the fire station. Unfortunately, he didn't recognize me with my freshly shaved head and I didn't notice him until right as I was passing by him. I yelled to him and flashed him a peace sign as I continued to hammer out the hills. The hills slowed me down a bit, but overall I didn't feel bad. Although somewhere around mile 17 I started to feel a blister on my right foot and somewhere around the 30k mark my left calf started to cramp. It was also around the 30k mark that I watched @runnrgrl steadily pulling away from me, and a sense of dread started to move-in... The Children's Coaches came running by and asked if I needed anything, told me I was looking good but said I looked like I was "running a little hot." I just kept plugging away as I remembered my 21-miler on the course and how mile 19 was the most difficult for me then too, but knowing it lasted less than a mile, I drank another GU and just kept grinding it out hoping things would pick up if I pushed through it.
Miles 21-25 Splits (11:08)(11:50)(11:54)(10:48)(11:23)
I saw James and Shanna at the bottom of Heartbreak Hill, this gave me a huge emotional lift, but maybe it was too much as I stopped to give them hugs and completely broke-down. Tears were pouring down my face as I ran away from them toward Heartbreak. That hill was not at all like I remembered it. I didn't think I was going to make it, every step was getting more and more painful. About halfway up, my friend Josh (@bostoncardiovet) jumped-in and ran a bit with me. He asked how I was doing and I told him it was getting rough. He told me I was looking good and gave me some more words of encouragement that helped perk me up a little. Then somewhere just after the 21 Mile marker the wheels came off. My blister was bothering me a little bit, but my left calf completely locked-up and I couldn't even walk. The emotions all came flooding-in as I stood there trying to will myself to move. I thought about all of my training, all of the sacrifices my family had made, all of my donors, Jimmy and Shanna, and all of the people who would be following my performance online and via text. It was all over. Just as I sent a text to Lex telling her simply "I'm done," a whole group of drunk BC guys came running over to me, hugging me, screaming at me and smacking me on the ass, and believe it or not, they helped get my legs moving again. I think I owe my finish to them! LOL! But I knew my goal of a sub-4 marathon was out-of the question at that point. I went into "Just Finish" mode and walked through the aid stations, drinking Gatorade and Water, pouring water over my head, just trying to get through.
Mile 26.2 (10:09) - 4:14:09 Official Time
As I was coming over the bridge into Kenmore Sq. I saw someone go down on my right, looked at them and thought "Oh they're ok" and kept running. Little did I know that they started CPR on the person immediately after I passed by. My friend Michael (@milesandtrials) was there in the crowd on top of the bridge and started yelling at me. I waved to him, then saw the sign in front of me that read "One mile left," and just started running as fast and hard as I could. I ran that last mile with every bit of heart that I had left. I was passing people by the handful. I even passed a fellow Children's team member from Shrewsbury, whom I knew was an experienced marathoner, one who had smoked me in the Boston Prep 16. As I passed him I said, "Looks like the Shrewsbury guys are going to finish together today." To which he looked up and said "It was a tough one..." and he faded-back. I lost him after the turn from Heresford onto Boylston St. Only to find out later that he had stopped to grab the jogging stroller with his patient partner in it to take him to the finish.
As I crossed the finish, I can't even explain the sense of relief, and exquisite pain I felt. It was so strange to feel both of those things at the same time. I just knew I had to keep moving or I was going to drop. Both calves were cramping, my quads were on fire and my head was spinning. Somehow I moved through the gauntlet that is the post-race area gathering my blanket, medal, food and water and just continuing the drudge through to the family reunion area. You could've knocked me over with a feather, and some lady very nearly did. Luckily we both grabbed each other and held on for dear life preventing us both from going down. We both let out a huge sigh and said "Phew! That was close! Coulda' got ugly." When I finally got there, I was just so incredibly happy to see my wife and daughter. As I sat down on the granite side of a flower bed outside of the Hancock Tower I couldn't help but remember how, in another life, at almost 300 pounds and completely unhealthy I used to take my smoke breaks in that same spot every day...
I'm STILL really not a runner, but I am a MARATHONER!
I'll do another post later with pictures from the @dailymile meetup and Expo on Saturday. Right now, I just wanted to get this out of my head...
I started training for this day, in earnest, in October. Everything I've done for the last 6 months of my life was leading-up to this moment. From the pre-dawn sub-zero runs where my water bottles froze, to the 18-mile drudge in the middle of a Nor' Easter and even the beautiful 21-mile run on the course from the start until just after Heartbreak Hill when I felt like I could have run the marathon in 3:30! One thing I've learned in my short, six-month running career is that some days you have it, and some days you just don't. No matter what you do or how perfectly you prepare, if it's just not your day, it's just not your day. This was one of those days for me.
Going into my taper I had a litany of small, nagging injuries that I had hoped would heal-up just fine over the three weeks of my taper. Pretty much everything that was bothering me healed-up, and the compartment syndrome in my posterior tib was doing much better. My sports Chiro was treating me with ultrasound and e-stim, etc. And I was doing my part with the stretches and icing. As my taper went along I felt stronger and stronger. With my strong performance in my final 5k Vdot test, I also earned my first blister on my right foot, but it healed well and looked good the morning of the marathon.
I spoke with Coach Cap on Friday evening and we had a long chat about my nutrition plan and I followed it to a "T." I've never felt that nutrition has been a problem for me going into any of my previous races including the Hyannis Half and the Boston Prep 16, but Coach was able to give me some understanding of the differences in nutritional prep for a marathon as opposed to the other distances. I took it all to heart, followed the plan, and didn't have any of my "usual" GI disturbances and pain during or after the marathon. Amazing! Throughout the race I felt like my energy levels were high and don't think I ever really "crashed" physically. I carried a high level of energy all the way through the race, so what went wrong? I'm still trying figure that out...
I went to bed early on Saturday night (9 pm) and Isabelle actually let us all sleep-in by not waking-up until after 8 am (miracles never cease). Sunday I wanted to get to bed at 8, but no matter what I did, i kept finding one more thing that needed to be done in preparation for Monday, finishing-up with making my Belgian Waffle Batter for my Marathon Monday big breakfast and an e-mail from Coach Cap about my pacing strategy. My goal coming into training for this marathon was simply to finish. As I got further into the training and was able to consistently exceed my own expectations and constantly surprise myself, I figured I could run a sub-4 and was most probably capable of much more. Coach Cap agreed and laid-out a strategy for running a 3:45:00. After reading the pacing strategy, I let it sink-in for a minute and got to bed around 9:30.
I woke at 5am with my alarm, jumped into a nice hot shower, lubed-up with Body Glide and got dressed. I decided to wear my nice warm Smartwool Adrenaline Multi-Sport socks until I put my shoes on, when i would slather my feet in Body Glide Liquified Powder and put on my brand new Smartwool PhD Performance Ultra Lite Running socks that I bought specifically for the marathon (apparently a poor choice, btw). I woke-up Lex and Isabelle and started cooking our waffles. We had a nice big waffle and maple syrup breakfast, gathered our things that we had prepared the prior evening and headed-out the door by 630am, arriving at the Masonic Hall (Children's HQ) just before 7am. I was one of the first to arrive (before any of the busses), so I found myself a nice corner upstairs and set-up camp. I was going to relax with some tunes from my brand new 5th Gen iPod Nano , but apparently the headphone jack was screwed-up and only the external speaker worked (you should've seen the funny looks I got from the few other there who were trying to sleep). [post script: I'm a dumbass. I returned the first one only to find the second one had the same problem- The headphones didn't seem to fit in the jack... Only to realize they actually snap into place tight, D'oh!]
I sat and collected myself sipping on my Accelerade until about 830 when I ate a banana and started getting ready. I mixed-up my Fuel Belt bottles of (2) Accelerade and (2) GU (I mix 2 gels + 6oz. of water in each bottle), made sure my bag was packed properly and took it to the bus. Then I walked around making nervous small-talk with some Children's Team member's I was familiar with, used the totally available private porta-potties (awesome) a few times, did some light stretching and jogging around the parking lot. I walked next door to watch the Elites come out to the start and got some good video of Meb and Ryan as they came out. Watched as the sea of humanity that was the first wave started. Did some dynamic stretching with the Children's team, then made my way to my corral.
Once I was in my corral, I found @runnrgrl my running partner for the day. We realized earlier that we were aiming for the same pace/time goal and decided we'd run together as long as we could. We also bumped into @petfxr in the corral and gave hugs and well-wishes to each other. Once we started, it was literally almost 15 minutes by the time we had actually crossed the starting line. While walking toward the starting line I saw my buddy "Phill, Phill Kennedy" and said "hey" to him as he was outside of the corrals waiting to run "bandit" for the second year in a row. I've never in my life witnessed anything as amazing as nearly 23,000 runner's spread-out down the road in front of me. I was trying to take it all in without getting to wrapped-up in it all. I wanted to run conservatively for the first half of the race and not burn myself out before the "Hills of Newton." I decided ahead of time that I wasn't going to take any of the Gatorade Endurance while on the course as Gatorade ALWAYS gives me heartburn, and I'd been training with Accelerade since the beginning. I also planned on taking at least a sip or two of water from the aid station's only if I was thirsty.
Miles 1-5 Splits (9:12)(9:05)(9:07)(8:43)(9:37)
Everything started-out beautifully. With the crowds on the narrow streets of the first couple of miles, I don't think it was possible for me to run any faster. Then I just settled into what I felt was a comfortable pace for me. In the middle of the 5th mile @runnrgrl had to use the porta-potty, so I slowed-up a little so that she could catch back-up without burning herself out, but I also didn't want to lose too much time that it would be difficult to make-up.
Miles 6-10 Splits (8:44)(8:51)(8:59)(8:56)(9:04)
Drank 4oz of my GU mixture shortly into mile 6. My friend James and his wife Shanna had set themselves u[ around 5.5 miles by the Winter St. Bridge in Framingham. I was really looking forward to seeing them, as I was running to honor the memory of their daughter, but somehow I missed them. This was almost too much for me to deal with emotionally at that point. I really struggled with my emotions over the next few miles as we moved from Framingham into Natick . I even pulled-out my Blackberry and sent them a text to let them know how sorry I was to have missed them. @runnrgrl really helped me by putting things into perspective so I could focus on running my own race. Over the next few miles we had some excellent conversation and realized we actually had a lot in common. It never ceases to amaze me when talking to other runner's that just about everyone has something to share, some motivation, history, or experiences that we all have in common outside of running. Doesn't matter where you go, there's such a camaraderie among runner's. It really is amazing. I was incredibly thankful and blessed to have @runnrgrl there to share with at that point. It was exactly what I needed when I needed it. I drank some of my Accelerade concentrate with a water from the aid station at mile marker 8. I kept up a solid pace that would keep me in the sub-4 hour range, figuring if I didn't tear myself up now I could really burn it up after Heartbreak.
Miles 11-15 Splits (8:59)(8:52)(8:52)(9:04)(9:12)
Drank 4oz of GU in mile 11. Coming through the Wellesley Scream Tunnel was an absolutely amazing experience. The support from those girls was simply inspiring. I actually thought about kissing one of them since they were ALL asking for it (LOL), but considering it would most likely be saved and replayed forever in the age of YouTube, I decided to refrain and opted for some high-fives instead. Coming into Wellesley I was feeling great knowing I was halfway done. Drank more of my Accelerade with some water at the mile 13 aid station. I looked at my Half-Marathon split as I passed-over the mats, noticing I was at 1:58 and change I knew I was in good position to hit the sub-4 or better. Just after mile marker 14 I saw my family on the side of the road and stopped for some hugs-and-kisses from my girls and a high five from my father-in-law then was once again on my way.
Miles 16-20 Splits (8:54)(9:26)(9:29)(9:21)(10:23)
After the mile 16 marker I drank some more GU and had a little extra water from the aid station. I continued to run strong and happy after 17, knowing I was going to see Coach Cap after the turn onto Comm Ave. in front of the fire station. Unfortunately, he didn't recognize me with my freshly shaved head and I didn't notice him until right as I was passing by him. I yelled to him and flashed him a peace sign as I continued to hammer out the hills. The hills slowed me down a bit, but overall I didn't feel bad. Although somewhere around mile 17 I started to feel a blister on my right foot and somewhere around the 30k mark my left calf started to cramp. It was also around the 30k mark that I watched @runnrgrl steadily pulling away from me, and a sense of dread started to move-in... The Children's Coaches came running by and asked if I needed anything, told me I was looking good but said I looked like I was "running a little hot." I just kept plugging away as I remembered my 21-miler on the course and how mile 19 was the most difficult for me then too, but knowing it lasted less than a mile, I drank another GU and just kept grinding it out hoping things would pick up if I pushed through it.
Miles 21-25 Splits (11:08)(11:50)(11:54)(10:48)(11:23)
I saw James and Shanna at the bottom of Heartbreak Hill, this gave me a huge emotional lift, but maybe it was too much as I stopped to give them hugs and completely broke-down. Tears were pouring down my face as I ran away from them toward Heartbreak. That hill was not at all like I remembered it. I didn't think I was going to make it, every step was getting more and more painful. About halfway up, my friend Josh (@bostoncardiovet) jumped-in and ran a bit with me. He asked how I was doing and I told him it was getting rough. He told me I was looking good and gave me some more words of encouragement that helped perk me up a little. Then somewhere just after the 21 Mile marker the wheels came off. My blister was bothering me a little bit, but my left calf completely locked-up and I couldn't even walk. The emotions all came flooding-in as I stood there trying to will myself to move. I thought about all of my training, all of the sacrifices my family had made, all of my donors, Jimmy and Shanna, and all of the people who would be following my performance online and via text. It was all over. Just as I sent a text to Lex telling her simply "I'm done," a whole group of drunk BC guys came running over to me, hugging me, screaming at me and smacking me on the ass, and believe it or not, they helped get my legs moving again. I think I owe my finish to them! LOL! But I knew my goal of a sub-4 marathon was out-of the question at that point. I went into "Just Finish" mode and walked through the aid stations, drinking Gatorade and Water, pouring water over my head, just trying to get through.
Mile 26.2 (10:09) - 4:14:09 Official Time
As I was coming over the bridge into Kenmore Sq. I saw someone go down on my right, looked at them and thought "Oh they're ok" and kept running. Little did I know that they started CPR on the person immediately after I passed by. My friend Michael (@milesandtrials) was there in the crowd on top of the bridge and started yelling at me. I waved to him, then saw the sign in front of me that read "One mile left," and just started running as fast and hard as I could. I ran that last mile with every bit of heart that I had left. I was passing people by the handful. I even passed a fellow Children's team member from Shrewsbury, whom I knew was an experienced marathoner, one who had smoked me in the Boston Prep 16. As I passed him I said, "Looks like the Shrewsbury guys are going to finish together today." To which he looked up and said "It was a tough one..." and he faded-back. I lost him after the turn from Heresford onto Boylston St. Only to find out later that he had stopped to grab the jogging stroller with his patient partner in it to take him to the finish.
As I crossed the finish, I can't even explain the sense of relief, and exquisite pain I felt. It was so strange to feel both of those things at the same time. I just knew I had to keep moving or I was going to drop. Both calves were cramping, my quads were on fire and my head was spinning. Somehow I moved through the gauntlet that is the post-race area gathering my blanket, medal, food and water and just continuing the drudge through to the family reunion area. You could've knocked me over with a feather, and some lady very nearly did. Luckily we both grabbed each other and held on for dear life preventing us both from going down. We both let out a huge sigh and said "Phew! That was close! Coulda' got ugly." When I finally got there, I was just so incredibly happy to see my wife and daughter. As I sat down on the granite side of a flower bed outside of the Hancock Tower I couldn't help but remember how, in another life, at almost 300 pounds and completely unhealthy I used to take my smoke breaks in that same spot every day...
I'm STILL really not a runner, but I am a MARATHONER!
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