The Boston Marathon Should Not Be the Site of a Terrorist Bombing

I'm literally on the verge of tears. Been like this since I found out. Goosebumps on my arms. 

My marathon PR is from Boston - 3:28.

I cannot believe someone ruined something so beautiful and wonderful. Why? Why hurt innocent spectators and runners? Why?

We cannot hurt and use hate to control the world. We need to use love.

Run love...

So glad I didn't even attempt to get into Boston this year.

Boston Marathon Recap

The Boston Marathon was okay. I went into the race, knowing the chances of me PR'ing were quite unlikely (and I didn't PR), but hoping I would run strong. I felt the effects of many things:

1. Running Umstead 100 Miler 3 weeks prior
2. Training primarily in ultra mode (lots of long slow distance)
3. No speed workouts
4. Some recent time off since Umstead due to knee and foot pain

My time was either 3:52 or 3:54 - something like that. I felt okay but quickly realized I would miss my PR and goal and decided to try to enjoy the day to the best of my ability. I slapped little kid's hands, smiled, chatted, felt happy. I re-experienced all the stupid hills of Boston (I forgot how many hills there are!), and the quiet spots of the Boston course. Around Mile 21 (actually, in the midst of Heartbreak Hill), I began feeling dizzy and my electrolyte levels were out of wack. I took an endurolyte, ate some pretzels, chilled, and felt better. I picked up the pace but then began feeling like a complete slug the last 3 miles with extreme hamstring pain. I was SO glad to be done.

I'm not doing that one again.

I understand what an honour it is to qualify for and run Boston, but I don't know - I miss ultras. I love the comradery, the people, the beauty of trails, the pace. Ultras are much more my speed than marathons. I'm doing NYC this year, though I do plan on doing some speed training (which should help w/ ultras as well) and I have to figure out how to run it w/o getting all stressed about time.

Learning something big...

I'm excited/dreading the Boston Marathon...I'm dreading b/c I know I haven't done enough speed workouts. I ran a 100miler 3 weeks ago, so am still in that slower mode. I also have recently dealt w/ two injuries - top of my foot pain and I'm still dealing w/ some knee pain (though it luckily hasn't been bothering me while running) so I've had to scale back my training a bit more than I would have liked, and took off too many days.

I've never felt like this about a race before. I'm trying to feel excited, but I'm mostly nervous now. I just don't want to feel horrid and slow and miserable.

Nelson wrote me some sage advice, and I will do my best to heed it:

I think you are going to learn something big... It amazes me that for someone I admire so much I hang out with so little... Just run! It is what you like to do anyway. Slow? Well then see the sites! Fast? Then just see a blur! 3:30? Then just be in the pack! 2:10? Ha, to funny to think of anything... You are wonderful and amazing, you have great friends... What you do in Boston is a side issue because we will all run Boston vicariously through/with you...

why i'm not super excited about running the boston marathon this year

I've gotten SO into ultras lately. I love the distance, the speed (or lack thereof!), the eating chocolate/cookies while running, the trails, the scenery, but especially, the people! I'm running Boston and I'm just not that excited this year.

I am proud that I qualified, and it will be fun to be up there with my NBR teammates, and oh yeah, shopping at the best runner's expo is going to be fun - but I'd honestly rather be on trails.

I'm also pretty nervous - I haven't done very much speed training at all. I've done some fartleks and tempo runs, but speed has fallen off the table so I will probably not be so fast...not to mention the fact that I ran a 50k in January, 50 miler in Feb, 50k in March, 100 miler in March...so I'm all about running slow and long, not fast...I hope I don't die out there.

I do know the course, which gives me confidence at least. I also know I can manage the hills. For those who obsess over Boston's heartbreak hill, it's not THAT bad.

I

I'm pondering Leadville, and I wanted to do Western States (lottery shut me out!), so I know what Heartbreak Hill is...and it's manageable. 

So I want to run Boston to have fun! I'm hoping I have some speed, and plan on pushing myself however fast that I can. 

My Papa is also in the hospital. He turned 90 yesterday (yay!), and has been having back pain. I'm going to dedicate this race to him, and whenever it gets tough, I'm going to push as much as I can because I know he's had worse pain - and because I love him, I will succeed for him.

Here's to Boston...Heartbreak Hill, you won't break my heart! We're going to fall in love...or maybe it's just a crush until I head to Vermont 100, someone I really love.

boston marathon 2009: 3:28!!!!

it's funny how boston is the standard of marathons. when you say, "boston" to another runner, they know you mean the boston marathon. even non-runners are impressed; while my boss came out and cheered me on at the new york city marathon (with a sign and everything!), she was so proud of my personal best time at boston ("look...look how many people you beat! you came in the 6,000s out of over 25,000 runners!") she started meetings by announcing my success. everyone knows it's THE marathon...

i almost didn't do it. i qualified in the nyc marathon; i was aiming for a personal best in nyc and i got one (3:32) but then crista was doing boston...and i had to do it. crista ended up NOT doing boston, but i had already paid. "there's no refund! i have to run it."

i ran a 50k two weeks before boston, and was really nervous. i had been running longer, slower, and doing less speed overall. i didn't have super high expectations, but wanted to PR, have a good time, and run strong.

i arrived in boston full of energy. i bought two boxes of Gu at the expo (strawberry banana, yum!) and realized after the expo that i didn't have my endurolytes. these help balance my electrolyte deficincies, which my doctor and i discovered i am prone to. i hoped i would run well.

the morning started off good. i got nearly eight hours of sleep, and met a super nice guy on my bus ride. we chatted and were super runner nerds ("oooh, kara goucher!") and it helped keep me calm. i headed into my corral and chatted with a fellow new yorker, shivering. it was COLD!

after the race started, my first mile was actually kind of slow. i picked it up, cursing that i was in the last corral of the first wave. this meant i had to fight my way forward...and fight i did. but i enjoyed myself. i smiled, i waved, i ran strong, i watched my watch...i was on target for 3:22, 3:23.

of course i started feeling nausea (i'm blaming the lack of endurolytes, though it also could've been the speed i'm not used to), which slowed me down the last few miles. i refused to give in. i ate pretzels. i ate oranges, lots of them. i ate watermelon (oh. my. god. i am going to have watermelon at my 50miler next week - it was that incredible!). i tried to force down gus. i got kisses from wellsley girls. i felt great, strong, happy, alive.

coming into boston i ran into a strong headwind but kept pushing. i was disappointed my time wasn't as fast as i had hoped, but i was still PR'ing. at the finish, i didn't pass out (that's saying something for me) and was rewarded with an amazing hot cocoa but a good friend. that was probably the best hot cocoa i ever had in my life. it was SO good. i asked for more whipped cream after i ate it all, and the guy gave me a ton. fantastic!

this race was amazing because i felt good, strong, happy, and i ran fast! 3:28!

and you know what? i qualified for boston at this race. i just might have to do it again next year!

boston

i worked for a year and a half for this one race and how did i finish? with my arms in the arm oh-so-weakly, to stumble, drink water, and later, on the pavement, to cry.

marathons are such a crapshoot. you can wake up and not feel 100%--you never know what will happen. the weather could suck. you could have your foot stomped on by a large man on the subway. i felt great--the first ten miles were lovely. i was enjoying running (though i did a 6:57 for the first mile!!) and chatting with a very fascinating woman about eating habits and nutrition and how much we loved running. she dropped off around mile 11 to go to the port-a-pottie and i picked up the pace a notch, feeling good. i started feeling a little queasy but forced a gel down and drank more. it was hot. it was sunny. i was in boston.

the wellesley girls were all that i was promised, and more. i heard the screams from down the road. i ignored the advice and slapped the hands of all the girls, blowing kisses. they gave me so much energy. i loved them. i wanted to kiss all of them (their signs invited me to do so, but i was afraid if i stopped, i would never start again!). i ran.

and then the nausea really hit. hard. i stumbled. i stopped at one point by an water station, telling myself aloud, "i'm not going to throw up" - and much to my amusement, several spectators took a step back. i continued running. run. run. slower. don't stop.

it was hard to run, feeling like crap. i won't lie - it was one of the hardest races i've done. then the hills came. "just let this race be over. i hate it, i just want to be done. i want to lie down on the pavement," i thought many times.

mile 16, i began scanning for boston bill. i almost gave up hope when i saw him right before mile 17! he cheered me up with a giant hug and i ran. i felt like crap but i ran. i took to the hills...literally. the hills at boston are 17-21. i can't remember them all too well now (yesterday is a giant blur) but there were hills. cheering people. i was searching for pretzels, to calm the queasiness. stopped at an aid station to take an endurolyte. felt like crap. kept running. ugh. running. running.

mile 21, the top of heartbreak. "i actually don't feel so bad." i ran, but without any nourishment (read: energy gels), i was weak. i tried to push myself, but it was impossible. i sucked on oranges from spectators, took water, probably drank too much but it was sunny. i was hot, thirsty. i ran. i ran slower, yes, but i ran. i would not stop. i ran. i ran.

boston college. someone who broke my heart, the second person i ever loved, went here. (so did boston bill, who did not break my heart but was the highlight of my marathon.) i LOVE boston college. the students were AMAZING--cheering, screaming, i think, louder than the wellesley girls. they were amazing, out of control, put a smile on my face. "PRETTY IN PINK," the crowd kept screaming. i loved it. i love running. marathons. run. run. running.

the end felt like forever. "only mile 22?" "maybe i passed mile 23 sign and didn't notice...no, of course not." hills. ugh. crowds screaming while i wanted to die. legs. hurt. feet. hurt. ow. ow. so. tired.

ran. ran. the final stretch. so happy. screaming crowds. arms in the air. yes. i did it. okay, maybe 20 minutes slower than what i had hoped, but i finished. i finished with arms in the air.

finish. get water. medal--i earned it! get food bag (dark chocolate? cookies? bagel? i LOVE the boston marathon!), get pick-up bag. cry. cry a lot. cry, with face in hands, while sitting on pavement. cry. nice people. cry more. meet boston bill, who cheers me up. meet friends--cara, who didn't run as well as she hoped (but did not train as hard as she possibly could have due to illness and work) and mark (who ran 11 min slower than his best)--everyone was bummed but we cheered each other up--we'll try harder next time. we always do.

but in the meantime? we'll run. run. run. keep running. run.

this made me cry

ordinary, sedentary people run a marathon

i was absolutely bawling during the last video clip, but watch the whole thing.

yay

i just registered for the boston marathon!

eugene marathon results

So I ran the Inaugural 2007 Eugene Marathon--and the best part is, I qualified for Boston 2008. Boston is one of the biggest marathons--some say the best, though how could anything beat NYC?--and to enter, you either have to raise like a billion dollars for charity (okay, maybe it's a little less) or run fast. I ran fast. For a woman my age, I have to run 3:40 or faster. Today I ran 3:36:09. The last two miles were the hardest--my stomach was really not happy (that last hammergel made me feel like I was going to throw up) but I kept telling myself, MIND OVER MATTER--I wouldn't let myself slow down or walk or quit, and it's so hard to not do any of those. My back was aching (damn fuel belt), my stomach was hurting (evil energy gels), blisters were growing at an alarming rate (Who ever heard of blisters on the pads of your feet???), but I persevered. I just kept digging deeper, running a hard as I could--and I knew I could do it. I'm so, SO happy. Here are my results:

Out of 1496 finishers (not sure how many were DNF), I placed 339. Out of 659 women, I placed 73--getting me a TOP FINISHERS coupon, woohoo, to a store in Eugene I won't go to! But anyway, I'm really happy.

The part I'm sad about is my beloved running partner, Crista, wasn't feeling so hot--her stomach was really hurting her and her knee was really bothering her--so we couldn't finish together. But she did finish--and at a sub-four hour pace--so I'm really proud of her. It is SO hard to run--and to finish--and at a good rate--that I am very happy with my fast friend! Go Crista! I love you! Run hard at Marine Corps--I'll be there!

The things I did that I want to repeat include:

*Carbo loading all week

*Speed workouts

*Took energy gels religiously every 45 minutes (I LOVE Strawberry Banana gu)

*Took three salts

*Drank lots of gleukos (yummy and less sickenly sweet alternative to Gatorade)

*Slept really well the previous two nights to the marathon

I'm in a lot of pain right now but really proud of myself. I'm running Boston in April, maybe I'll even do Big Sur, and Cara, I'm ready for the Jay Mountain Challenge. Thanks to all of my friends and family who support me, and I'll be looking for you at the sidelines of a future marathon!