Run? Why Yes I Did.

But I forgot to charge my Garmin beforehand, so there is no link to post.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas.

Back on the Road Again

The training starts again! The road to Boston 2010 starts, or restarts would be more accurate, now!

For those of you who haven't seen me recently, the original plan was to do a fall marathon to stay is shape for the 2010 Boston Marathon. I trained all spring and summer to be ready. I put myself in PT to work out the kinks. Heck, I was getting massages. I ran my fastest half marathon building up to do the full Newport Marathon. And on the appointed weekend - It Rained. Not a little. Full New England gale weather. Driving cold wind and rain weather.

So there I was in Newport to set a personal record for the Marathon and between the weather and the extra 10 pounds I was carrying in wet clothes, my pace was completely off. At the halfway point I knew I would not be setting a personal record. So I stopped.

And now I am finally over it. For on the horizon is the 2010 Boston.

Thank You Garmin!

Garmin recently updated their site so my now my training activities can be tracked as a RSS feed. So we'll try using that for a while to see how we all like it. Instead of posting a link just look to the right of the screen to see the 5 most recent activities.

Where have I been?

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. Like everybody, my summer has been full of ups and downs.

• Ups - Still running (registered for the Newport Marathon on Oct 18th), great family vacations to Smuggler's Notch and New York, and a fun weekend in New York for just Karen and I (even the rain couldn't ruin it!)
  
• Downs - Really only one big one, our beloved Gracie became sick with two different diseases and in a very short period of time became ill enough where it wouldn't have been fair for us to continue her suffering.
  

I've been running so much this summer that I would hate to fill this space with links. If you are interested you can visit Garmin Connect and search for activities by user wljcr. As I'm now back to blogging I'll start posting the runs again as they happen.

Hope you all had a great summer, talk to you soon!

Duh, Sunscreen would be a good idea!

At some point in my life I will learn:

• I sunburn easily
  
• Sunscreen would be a good idea
  
• Especially when running and being outside between the hours of 10 am to 2 pm
  

Yes, I am sunburned again!

Harpoon 5 Miler

How am I ever going to get to a 4 hour marathon with 5 mile times like this? But I did stop to use the restroom, so i guess I can cut myself some slack.

Thanks to Harpoon for hosting a great event!!

Yes, I'm still running

But my postings have slowed down. Sorry, here is what I've been up to:

May 9th Easy Run

Mystic River Herring Run

Get Yer Yah-Yah's Out

The Training Begins Again

So I treated myself to a new pair of running shoes. These are Vibram
Five Finger shoes and the concept is to protect your feet while
running bare foot. I did a couple of miles in them this week and
while I don't picture doing a marathon in them, they are comfortable
to run in.

2009 Boston Marathon

Ok, so it didn't go like I expected. But I did finish and the crowds were fantastic. Thank you to everyone who came out to cheer us runners on, and thank you to everyone who tracked me on-line. I special big thank you to everyone who called out "Go Rufus!" It was great to hear the name said out loud again. As we get photos I'll post them as well, but for now below is the link so you can view my run.

Click here to review my 2009 Boston Marathon

FitCorp Training Run #17

This was the big one, Framingham to Boston 20.5 mile training run. So with no further ado here is the run down.

• My pace was good almost all the way into Boston. I felt even better about it after comparing this run to the same run last year and seeing I was about 20 seconds quicker per mile.
  
• A special thanks to Firstgiving and Marathon Sports for having water/gatoraide/Gu stops. A special, extra large thank you to Saucony for having a stop with water, Gu, deluxe Gu, food, and best of all A PORTA POTTY.
  
• I don't listen to music while I run, but music is power. Beastie Boys "You can't, you won't, and you don't stop!" and "No sleep til Boston", and Motorhead "We are the road crew" did their fair share to keep me going.
  
• I've never run until my legs were numb before. It was a very new experience.
  
• I only had to walk a couple of blocks and managed to run, very slowly, up the State House hill at the end.
  

Click here to review this week's 20.5 mile run.

Thank you Grandpa Rufus for the inspiration. Thank you dad and Donna, Brenda Bailey, and Louise for sponsoring me and supporting the Eaton-Peabody Lab. Don't forget, you can donate by clicking on the Firstgiving link on the right. Clicking on the ads on this page also produce a small amount that I will be giving to MEEI and the Eaton-Peabody.

FitCorp Training Run #16

Ok, I give up. I have idea what to expect during this year's marathon. Some weeks just fly by and other weeks it feels like I have had to fight for every inch. So here is what I have decided - The 2009 Boston Marathon will not be my attempt at a personal record. There are plenty of other marathons during the year for that. The 2009 Boston Marathon will be conducted grandpa Rufus style which means:

• Enjoy the experience.
  
• Enjoy the company of friends.
  
• Smile at the children.
  
• Help others.
  

Of course if I feel great on April 20th and can do all of the above and set a personal record all the better!

I haven't done it yet, but watch this week for a special post about grandpa Rufus. March 13th would have been his birthday for which I wanted to write a special post, but I just haven't had the stomach to yet. I'll be sharing some of the memories of grandpa people have been kind enough to share with me over the past 3 years. Thank you all for sharing them with me, they really do make the miles go easier.

This week's run was a choice of a 10 or 12 miler. Since I cut last week short I went for the 12 miles which was a run out to BC and back. All in all we'll count it as a good run. My average time on the way out was great and everything felt fine.

On the way back I had the opportunity to talk to a group I've seen on the course for the last month or so. I've been wanting to speak with them as they all look young and they run wearing bright orange singlets that say Dreamfar. I've been wondering who they are and what they are running for.

It turns out they are high schools students at Newton South High School and they are training for the Providence marathon. Best I can tell from my conversation with them is they are running a marathon to do it. If you see them out on a Saturday morning cheer them on.

Back to me. On the way back I started to run out of steam a bit, but still finished the run with a reasonable time and everything still working. On to 21 miles this coming Saturday!

Feel free to review this week's run by clicking here.

I have many people to thank this week. Thanks to Grandpa Peg, Laurie Kelley, Bob Giunta, Gabrielle Ward Beeler, and Kirk for sponsoring me and supporting the Eaton-Peabody Lab. I would also like to thank Doris and Dave for donating a puzzle that brought in $200 via eBay! Don't forget, you can donate by clicking on the Firstgiving link on the right or by attending my Fundraising Event. It will be April 2, 2009, starting at 7 pm at The Greatest Bar. Click here to view the e-vite and RSVP. Clicking on the ads on this page also produce a small amount that I will be giving to MEEI and the Eaton-Peabody.

And I am number....

25655

In the Marathon of course.

http://www.baa.org

FitCorp Training Run #15 - The Return of Sick Running!

Usually we think of school age kids as germ factories. They are always catching some sort of cold and these colds spread around school like a fire going through CA forest. I have two school age kids.

I also work at a hospital. You know, where sick people go. I do work in an office, but my co-workers are like yours. They are dedicated, and since they also work in offices, see no problem coming in to work sick since they don't deal with patients.

I tell you all this because it feels like I have had more colds this winter than the past two combined! Last week was no exception. All week I was falling asleep on the sofa by 9. Waking up tired. Head felt like a cinderblock.

Yes, I kept going to work.

Yes, Saturday morning I decided I was going to do the training run.

In a new pair of shoes I was trying to break in.

After a night where both kids had woken us up at some point.

Here is where the story is better than week 4. When I was approaching the first water stop and realizing that air was going in and out, but actual breathing was not happening, I decided to cut the run short. Instead of doing the 10-16 I had planned I did 6, went home, showered, and went back to bed. The new shoes? Gave me a blister.

Either I'm getting wiser, or really sick of being sick, but I knew the road would still be there next week. And so will I. Hopefully able to breath.

Feel free to review my Long Training Run #15 by clicking here

Thanks this week to Steve Taranto for sponsoring me and supporting the Eaton-Peabody Lab. Don't forget, you can donate by clicking on the Firstgiving link on the right or by attending my Fundraising Event. It will be April 2, 2009, starting at 7 pm at The Greatest Bar. Click here to view the e-vite and RSVP. Clicking on the ads on this page also produce a small amount that I will be giving to MEEI and the Eaton-Peabody.

Customer Service Done Right - Thanks Cliff Bar!

I believe everyone knows about the Peanut Butter recall that happened recently. Food with peanut butter are a staple of my diet so when the recalls were happening I went to the FDA web site to see which of my foods were impacted. The Peanut Butter Cliff Bar in my cabinet was on the list, and this is my story of customer service done right.

I clicked over to the Cliff Bar web site and learned 1. They gave easy instructions on how to determine if your item was recalled, 2. Instructions on the information you needed to provide them, and 3. An easy, on-line form to apply for a refund. No "take the bar back to where you purchased it," or ""mail us the entire bar in it's original packaging." Just fill out the form and throw the bar away. It was done in under five minutes. I should also point out that none of their products were confirmed to be a problem, but they were recalling them just to be safe.

I knew their plan was to mail a coupon for a free replacement Cliff Bar, but imagine my surprise when I received this in the mail.



That is customer service done right!

FitCorp Training Run #14

I'm sorry to be getting this week's run information posted so late, it has been a crazy week. Instead of giving a detailed update let me just say What a fantastic day on Saturday! I'll try to post more soon.

Click here for the details from this week's run

Long (Well sort of) Training Run #13

Due to some scheduling and family illness issues I did not take part in the FitCorp training run this weekend. This turned out to be a disappointment and an unexpected blessing. The disappointing aspect is I didn't get to do the 10.5 miles run from the Woodside T stop to One Beacon Street. You regular readers know I love this run as it goes over the Newton Hills, and it usually produces some of my best paces. But oh the blessings!

First, it felt good to change things up a bit. Running on a Sunday instead of a Saturday. Taking my time getting ready instead of rushing out the door. Having the Garmin grab a signal quickly instead of fighting to get one. Running wherever I wanted to go instead of having a set course. The only plan I had was to head from home towards Karen's office, as I know there are hills between here and there.

Second, it started to lightly flurry snow when I started out. Light snowfall in New England is an amazing thing. Cars disappear from the roads, the world becomes quieter, and prettier. It becomes just the runner, alone with your thoughts. I didn't realize it, but I missed having that aspect of running. Not always, but it has it's place. The only other runner I saw was near the Muffin House, we traded knowing smiles of having the world to ourselves.

I did end up cutting the run a little short, and running a route back that I normally wouldn't, as around mile 7 I realized the roads would be getting slippery soon.

You can view this week's run here

Thanks this week to Lisa Nelson for sponsoring me and supporting the Eaton-Peabody Lab. Don't forget, you can donate by clicking on the Firstgiving link on the right. Clicking on the ads on this page also produce a small amount that I will be giving to MEEI and the Eaton-Peabody.

Finally, I'm happy to announce the details of the Fundraising Event. It will be April 2, 2009, starting at 7 pm at The Greatest Bar. Click here to view the e-vite and RSVP.

FitCorp Training Run #12 - The Best Worst Run Ever!

I should have known that it wasn't going to be my best run.

Factors working against me:

• I felt like I was fighting a bug all week. You know the feeling, run down and tired.
  
• I had one of my shoulder and neck aches the night before, and therefore tossed and turned all night and slept very little.
  

I took about four advil to get out the door, but I knew the run would help.

So why do I call it the Best Worst Run?

Factors to the Worst:

• Even though I went outside to pull in signal for my Garmin before the run, when the run actually started it couldn't get a location. Check it out on the review the run, it has me running across the common and depending on it's mood, in Chinatown.
  
• Right from the get-go my pace and energy were off.
  
• I didn't hit my stride until about mile 7, and it only lasted until about mile 7.5.
  
• My legs felt dead and hollow most of the run.
  
• I had to walk sections coming back, at best alternating blocks.
  
• I thought I was going to have to roll myself up the State House hill.
  
• Having such an off day really was a spirit breaker.
  
• My feeling like poop was so strong that it seemed that every dog I got within 20 yards of assumed the position.
  

Factor to the Best - Despite all of the above, I completed the long distance. 18+ according to FitCorp, 19 according to Garmin

Also making it interesting along the way and an alright run:

• I ran up the BC and Newton Hills.
  
• I hit the wall twice and managed to keep going both times.
  
• I never realized how many houses in Newton remind me of Grandma Frankie's house. Always an enjoyable sight.
  
• The snow has melted and the trees are starting to bud. I don't care what the groundhog said, spring is right around the corner. When we did this run last year the water stops were in snow banks.
  
• Coming back along Beacon Street I saw a Tesla Roadster with CA plates. It is a very good looking car!
  
• Even feeling like toast at the end I was able to make myself alternate blocks of running and walking.
  
• I was right, the run made my shoulder and neck stop hurting.
  

All of the details for this week can be seen by clicking here.

Needless to say, I'm already looking forward to the next run and a chance to redeem myself.

Thanks this week to Doris and David, Lee and Sharon, Judy Cause, Bill Peake, and Dad for sponsoring me and supporting the Eaton-Peabody Lab. Don't forget, you can donate by clicking on the Firstgiving link on the right. Clicking on the ads on this page also produce a small amount that I will be giving to MEEI and the Eaton-Peabody.

FitCorp Training Run #11 - Missed It!

Due to a family matter I missed this week's training run. I did take advantage of the long weekend to pick up a new pair of shoes.

While I'll wait for next week's 18 miler I thought I would share two cool items with you.

First up is this cool 3 minute video reviewing the Boston Marathon course. While you are watching it remember it takes the best runner a little over two hours to complete. Most of the runners for Team Eye and Ear, myself included, will be out there from 4 to 5 hours.

Second is this reminder that the marathon is right around the corner!


I'm saving all other updates until after the 18 miler.

2 big satellites collide 500 miles over Siberia - Boston.com

2 big satellites collide 500 miles over Siberia - Boston.com

Posted using ShareThis

FitCorp Training Run #10 and an Overall Good Day

Overall Saturday was a good day.

There were three options for Saturday's training run, roughly 14, 16, or 18 miles. Last year I went for the longest distance no matter what. But this year I seem to have better self-control, as I decided to go for the middle distance. As of Friday the weather people were calling for weather in the 30s for Saturday morning, but in typical New England fashion it actually was in the 20s. There went the dream of wearing shorts!

The run itself went pretty well and followed a familiar course of out Beacon Street, but instead of taking a right in Newton Center continuing on and taking a right at Walnut Street. From Walnut take a right on Commonwealth, over the lovely Newton Hills, and back on Beacon. I'm starting to wonder if I could run stretches of this course with my eyes closed. I wish I could claim deep thoughts for this run, but the truth is my big toe on my left foot began to hurt somewhere in Newton and I just kept pushing myself to complete the run. How do I keep the push going? I remember Grandpa, and how he was slowed down from Parkinson's from water skiing to fighting to walk. Running through a bit of pain didn't seem like much in comparison. I didn't even mind not running all of the way up the State House hill. By the time I was back at One Beacon Street both legs were solid and tight. But I did, I completed 16.5 miles. It was a happy surprise that Saucony had bagels for the runners along with information and coupons for Marathon Sports.

Click here to see the details of FitCorp Training Run #10

Instead of stretching and showering like normal I hurried home for my chance to buy Red Sox vs. Yankees tickets. Lest you think I stank all day, I was home quick enough to shower before the tickets went on sale at noon. The good news is that after waiting in the Virtual Waiting Room for 2 hours success was had!

The final good item from yesterday is Brooke and I have arraigned to have a fundraising event at The Greatest Bar on April 2nd. Be on the lookout for your invitation in the next few weeks.

Thanks this week to Magee Filitor-Murray and Nicole Phillips for sponsoring me and supporting the Eaton-Peabody Lab. Don't forget, you can donate by clicking on the Firstgiving link on the right. Clicking on the ads on this page also produce a small amount that I will be giving to MEEI and the Eaton-Peabody.

FitCorp Training Run #9 - That is better!

I have no idea why, but this 10.5 mile run from the Woodland T stop back to One Beacon Street over the Newton Hills is becoming my best run. This week I actually had some speed back, which is surprising as I was trying something new. After last week's run I overheard one of other marathon team's trainer suggesting not to use energy gels on long runs. So I tried it this week and things seemed to go well. I'll still keep them with me, but will continue to try limiting my use of them.

For those keeping count - only one standard poodle this week.

You can view this week's run by clicking here

Thanks this week to Marilyn Paterno and Mary Leach for sponsoring me and supporting the Eaton-Peabody Lab. Don't forget, you can donate by clicking on the Firstgiving link on the right. Clicking on the ads on this page also produce a small amount that I will be giving to MEEI and the Eaton-Peabody.

Team Eye and Ear Kick-Off Dinner

Last night was the kick-off dinner for the members of the Team Eye and Ear marathon team. Kristina, the Team Coordinator, arraigned for a pasta party in the MEEI café with Fred Treseler as the guest speaker. What a great event!

First off I met Hilda Chow, who is an accomplished marathoner. This will be her 6th marathon! The great parts for me were 1. She actually reads these blog posts, 2. She doesn’t think I’m slow, and 3. her motivation for running the marathon is somewhat related to mine. Her daughter utilizes the services of the Audiology department at MEEI. My motivation, grandpa Rufus, started the firm that built many of the machines used by the Audiologist at MEEI and installed the sound proof rooms, served on standards committees concerning Audiology, and served on the MEEI Board of Trustees. Talking to Hilda and hearing her speak about her motivation helped me remember mine. Thank you Hilda – Run Strong!

Fred is the president of Boston-based TRACS, Inc., a global sports marketing and event management firm, which is responsible for the design and execution of John Hancock running initiatives. He is a running industry expert and director of several John Hancock programs related to the Boston Marathon. His presentation included a video of the marathon route with helpful course and training tips. Seeing the route again was fantastic. It is amazing how the course is burned in my memory. I found myself thinking things like “Here comes the Dairy Queen,” “That is the corner Karen watches from,” “Here comes the mile 10 water stop where I’ll see Mary, Laurie and Jim,” “Is that where Vince was standing,” “There is that damn dip under Mass Ave.,” and finally “The Finish” which brings back the entire flood of joy.

Finally, it was great to meet other members of Team Eye and Ear, compare training notes, catch up with the other multi-year team members and see the other Saturday morning faces.

FitCorp Training Run #8 - Where is my speed?

This week's course is the same as the last time I ran. Out Beacon Street, past BC, into Newton Center, take a right, take another right at Comm Ave, over Heartbreak, take a left onto Beacon, and back to the start. The weather was in the 20s or 30s, depending on who you believe, and the wind was much less than expected.

I haven't reviewed the run yet but what I expect you'll see is heading out things were up and down for the first 5.5 miles, settled down from there until mile 12, and then rough from there in. My legs felt tired most of the run and I need to review my breakfast choice. Time to start ramping up the mid-week workouts again!

Other good news from this week's run: Dogs were out in force again. An old Irish Setter, a few standard poodles (including one that I almost ran over), labs galore, and lots of small dogs. Which reminds me - Hey Lady on Beacon with the cocker spaniel puppy. Your dog may be the size of your foot, but I'm sure it can out run you, especially since you had both hands holding your coat closed. So get smart and put a leash on that dog. I'd hate for it to become a Beacon pancake!

This week is the Team Eye and Ear kick off pasta party, so look for a rare midweek post.

Hope everyone had a great week. Below is the link to yesterday's run.

FitCorp Training Run #8

-Bill

FitCorp Training Run #7

Bad news, I overslept and didn't make today's FitCorp training run. As with everything, there was a bright side to this, I didn't end up running in single digit conditions. I'm planning on running tomorrow morning before the snow gets here.

I did make good use of the time I would have been running. Played school with Katrina for a little while and put together a solicitation letter I'm sending to Cardinal Health, the current owners of GSI.

FitCorp Training Run #6

Today I'm going to share with you some of my thoughts over the 2+ hours it took to run almost 15 miles. You'll notice things get "funny" as the run goes on.

First, there was the bit of panic when I thought I left the house late. Lucky for me, I drive like a bit of a maniac and had the last Cult CD on so I made great time into Boston and was in FitCorp with plenty of time to lock up my back and use the restroom.

A nice surprise was seeing Alicia in the lobby before the run began. Alicia also did the FitCorp training series last year and ran/is running the marathon in support of MEEI. In this small world that is Boston, Alicia is also married to the college roommate of one of my co-workers. Welcome back Alicia, I'm glad you are feeling better.

After the instructions of today's course all of the runners stream outside to start. This is when I start up my Garmin 405 GPS watch so I can track my run information and post it here for you all to enjoy. The Garmin was a gift from my wife Karen after last year's marathon and I have developed a love/hate relationship with it. When it works I find it as amazing as the iPhone. I love that it tracks heart rate, pace, and when I get home I can review all of this data. I may even get the footpod at some point. But sometimes the Garmin is temperamental. Such was the case today.

When I went outside today and flipped the Garmin to training mode it began to start to look for satellite signal. This process normally takes about 20-30 seconds. Today it felt like playing games. Up the indicator went, and then back down. It played this game a couple of times. Plan B time, which is to shut off the GPS and turn it back on. At this point all of the runners are out and on their way, and I'm still there playing with the Garmin. But it appeared plan B worked, so I hit start timer and I'm off. Until I get to the State House and notice that according to Garmin I've haven't gone anywhere and I have no speed. We play plan B a couple of more times before finally having success. This is NOT the way I like to start a long run.

On the other hand, I do. Starting last lets me play a game I call chase. This is where I try to catch up with runners in front of me.

The stretch of Beacon Street from FitCorp to Kenmore Square is always interesting. First there are the nice places along the Common. At Charles Street there is a Starbucks on the corner where last year some guy outside wished me good luck for the marathon. I still recall that every time I run by that Starbucks, so thank you whoever you are! Next up is the pub that inspired the show Cheers. Yes, each and every time heading out I think "That is the pub from Cheers." On the way back I think "Why aren't they outside handing out beer??" Next is what I've taken to calling the flats, it is the stretch of Beacon from the Common to Kenmore Square. On this stretch I spend a large amount of time trying to:

1. Not get run over my cars coming out of side streets.
2. Trying to figure out which place is Tom Brady's.

I spend a much smaller amount of time noticing the Scientology place and the collection of Frat houses. Today I had the added distraction of trying to keep my fingers warm. Last week the new mittens kept my hands nice and toasty. This week my fingers were starting to look frost bitten. I decided to blame the Garmin since I had to stand around in the cold for so long. Finally you get to the over passes that mark the entrance to Kenmore Square. The good news is that by this time I had caught up with the tail end pack of runners. The bad news is my plan to try for a negative split today was shot to hell.

There is not much to love about Kenmore Square, lots of traffic in the street and distracted people on the sidewalks, leaving almost no place for a runner to go. But I do love seeing all the college kids taking the "walk of shame". Once getting through Kenmore and over the Pike things quiet down for a bit. At this point I'm still trying to focus on technique and keeping my speed down. Up ahead the water stop at the Holiday Inn in Brookline.

There was a large pack of runners at the water stop, so my game of chase worked out well. Drink down some Gatorade, avoid the ice in the driveway, and start up the hill to Brookline Center.

Brookline Center is busy by now and you spend a large amount of time dodging people. What do I think about going through here? It usually goes along the line of "I think I can get around that person on the left," "Coffee sounds good about now," "Hey, that is the place that is suppose to have good cakes," "That would look good on Karen," and finally on the way out there is a store that has Russian items in the window which reminds me that all of my high school Russian is gone. Next up, the stretch to Cleveland Circle and BC.

The stretch of Beacon from Brookline to BC seems to have be all Dentist and Temples. The dentists get me thinking about how Katrina will be getting braces soon. The temples get me thinking about my dad's side of the family, which always leads to thoughts of grandma Frankie. I couldn't tell you how many years it has been, but I still miss her.

In Cleveland Circle there is a burrito place which gets me thinking about food again.

Once across the street I start preparing. I start preparing for the wind that is usually whipping across the water, the hill that follows the curve, and finally mentally that now is the time to settle in. Today, no wind! I approached the hill the same way I always do, which is with a version of the Beatles song "Here Comes the Sun" My version goes:

Here comes the hills
Do, do, do, da
Here comes the hills
and I say
It's alright!

For some reason it helps. Once up the hill it is on to Newton Center and the next water stop. During this stretch I thought about not slipping on the ice and trying to remember the route. At the intersection of Beacon and Centre Streets was the next water stop and today it was hosted by the Team Brigham coordinator. This women came prepared! In addition to water and Gatorade she had glide, vasoline, pretzels, and trail mix. Thank you! Time for a Hammer Gel, glass of water, some trial mix and then I was on my way down Centre Street.

A right on Commonwealth and boom! you are right in the middle of the Newton Hills. How did I forget this?!?!? But I love the hills. Back to my Beatles and up the hills we go. I actually love this stretch because it seems every marathon team in Boston is there. You see runners who are much slower than you are (I rock!), runners who are much faster (They Rock!) and all of the people there to keep them fueled up. At no other point in the course do I feel more a part of the marathon than the hills.

The bad news is starting down the hill something felt wrong with my left foot. To me it felt like a pebble or like the sock bunched up. Since the water stop was right ahead I resolved to fix it there. Shoe off, tapped it against the wall a couple of times, straighten the sock out, put it all back together, drink of Gatorade and I'm off. From here to Cleveland is all memories of previous marathons and why I keep doing them. Thank you Grandpa Rufus for the inspiration.

By Cleveland Circle I began to think about a restroom. Boston Running Center lets runners use their bathroom, so I decided to hold off until then. Needless to say, the stretch to there my thoughts were completely about my bladder. Except when I got there they weren't open yet. Oh well, the Holiday Inn is only another mile or so.

During that mile I began to realize something. There are always Labs and Goldens out for walks. But today I was noticing a marked increase in the number of other breeds. Most notable - Grayhounds, at least 4, and Standard Size Poodles, of which I saw 3. When was the last time you saw 3 standard size poodles in one day???? Are they making a comeback? Should I get one?

Running though Brookline Center I decided the item I thought would look good on Karen was all wrong. Usually that store has good window displays, but today's were not as good as usually.

Finally the Holiday Inn. As I head down to the restroom I took my hat off. As I did I felt something cold. Would you believe it was cold enough today that an icicle formed on it? Anyhow, once business was taken care of it was upstairs to the water stop. A Hammer Gel and water and I was on my way.

The run back is always strange. It is only a 5K from the Holiday Inn to One Beacon Street but it might as well be another 10 miles. Everything you see going out you see coming back and most of my thoughts are similar. For today I decided I was going to kick it over the Mass Pike overpass. Success!

I tried to keep my pace from Kenmore to the Statehouse hill with mixed results. You can see One Beacon Street for most of the way, but like the final marathon stretch along Boylston, the distance is deceiving. I have a constant battle with myself to keep pace but to try and save something for the hill. Today, success!

It was very slow, but I managed to run up the State House hill. I even gave a little victory yell at the top. From there it is downhill to One Beacon Street.

Some stretching, a shower, and I was on my way!

You can view this week's run by clicking here

Thanks this week to Marie Larose for sponsoring me and supporting the Eaton-Peabody Lab. Don't forget, you can donate by clicking on the Firstgiving link on the right. Clicking on the ads on this page also produce a small amount that I will be giving to MEEI and the Eaton-Peabody.

Thanks for hanging in there for a long post.

FitCorp Training Run #5

As with many things, the best way to get over a bad run is by getter out there again and having a better one. Thus the plan for this week's run was born.

1. Feel Better - Check!
2. Remember all of my gear - Check, I packed my bag the night before.
3. Fuel up - Check, a bowl of pasta the night before and water during the week.

All this led up to me feeling really good Saturday morning. A feeling that only got better with the number of returning familiar faces at FitCorp. For example the doctor from BWH and the woman who runs extra miles to prepare for the marathon. Lastly, JD, who is a friend from high school who I haven't seen in twenty years, is also training for this year's marathon and was at the run. So we had the T ride to Newton to catch up. I'll look forward to seeing him most weeks.

Not a news flash, I know, but I'm a bit strange. I get a kick out of the training runs that cover the Newton Hills as this week's run did. As you'll see on the Garmin playback, this week's run starts at the T stop near Newton Wellesley Hospital and is a one way course back to FitCorp at One Beacon Street. It basically follows the marathon course from mile 17, over the Newton Hills including Heartbreak, into Boston, and splits off course in Kenmore Square.

I'm happy to report this week's run was fantastic. Everything felt great, held together, and I came in at a 10:08 average which was just about on target. Interestingly, I averaged a better pace thru the hills than I did in the flats of Boston. So I still haven't perfected the art of a negative split.

Here is the playback for this week's FitCorp Training Run #5.

Thank you this week to Laurie Redmond for supporting me, the Eaton-Peabody Lab, and volunteering during the marathon at the mile 10 water stop. The Marathon volunteers are the great unsung heroes of the day. They get up as early, or earlier, than the runners, and are also there no matter what the weather is. I encourage all runners to thank as many of them as you can.

Until the next post,

Bill