WLJCR - Training notes, As I see it, and other random thoughts

2011 Boston Marathon - Details

2011-04-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here it is, my 2011 Boston Marathon as tracked by my Garmin. Can you tell when my hip began to revolt? Bonus points for spotting where my left calf joined the revolution.

Thank you to all of my sponsors, all of my supporters, and the the volunteers along the course. Special thanks to:

Grandpa Rufus
My family
The Thirsty Runners
The Mile 10 Water Stop (Jim, Mary, Laurie)
Jennifer for getting me halfway up the Newton Hills
Nicole for getting me the rest of the way
The college kids during the graveyard stretch that kept me moving
Everyone who shouted "Rufus, Rufus, Rufus" to make me run
Karen and Katrina for getting through the last two miles.

Look out New York - I've got all summer to train and make you mine!

wljcr 2011 Boston Marathon at Garmin Connect - Details

A Special Thank You to GSI

2011-04-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

Grason-Stadler is supporting the Eaton-Peabody Lab and Team Eye and Ear in Grandpa Rufus's memory.

Medford to Newton

2011-03-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

I haven't been writing, but I have been getting some running in. Here is today's Medford to Newton effort. I stepped on a root around mile 8 and from then on went quite a bit slower.

Medford to Newton by wljcr at Garmin Connect - Details

Where does the time go?

2011-01-29T07:27:00.000-08:00

It seems like yesterday that I finished the 2010 Boston Marathon, and yet here we are in countdown mode for the 2011 event.

Quick recap of the 2010 Boston Marathon - I had the pleasure of running most of the race with several other Team Eye and Ear runners. When I hit the wall I kept going, even when it meant walking. I knew I would get to the finish, even if it wasn't with a personal record time. It was great to be able to finish.

Post-marathon I decided to take a break from running and limited myself to a few favorite events. The mental break was good, but the effect on my fitness level was alarming. I had to walk parts of the Harpoon 5-miler. But with the occasional 5K here and there I kept my legs moving during the summer.

November came and it was time to start training for Boston. Things were going well, core workouts, adding miles, and then Thanksgiving morning

I was going to the basement to get something, stepped off the stair, onto a shoe, and the ankle rolled. At first I thought it was going to be serious, Karen wanted to take me to the hospital, but I quickly found that it would bear weight. When I finally went to the doctor about it he referred to it as a small tear and instructed me 1. it is more likely to happen again, 2. Training is fine, but go slow, and 3. give it more support.

So training this year is off to a very slow go. Longest run so far has been 10 miles when I'd like it to be 14-16. My speed makes turtles look fast. Both very discouraging.

But then I remember why I'm doing this. It isn't for a personal record. It isn't for personal glory. It is in memory of someone who dealt with Parkinson's disease for more than a decade and only complained once. It puts the small setback of the ankle in perspective.

2010 Boston Marathon

2010-04-24T09:07:00.001-07:00

I'll post more as soon as I get a chance, but for now here is my 2010 Boston Marathon. You'll see I forgot to hit the "Stop" button at the end, so you even have some of me walking after the finish.

It's Almost Go Time!

2010-04-18T15:30:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is the day.

None of the past matters. The disappointing Boston and Newport
marathons last year, the PR at the Wicked Half in the fall, the
difficult and scary November, the weeks of training lost when trying
to save ankles cost me a hip, the fantistic bounce bank runs. None of
it, none of it matters.

All that matters now is that tomorrow I will be in the starting chute
and after a fantastic 26.2 mile journey I will be on Boylston St in
Boston. Along the way I'll see Family, Friends, The women of
Wellesley, The pains of the Newton Hills, and The best and the worst I
have inside me. Already Zander understands I'm a winner because I
line up and I keep going.

Being year 4 the planning and packing have become easier. But the
reason I run is still with me.

Thank you Grandpa Rufus. We still miss you.

You may track me online during the race at http://www.baa.org using my bib number 25713

Thank You Cleveland! Goodnight!

2010-03-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

I know, what the heck does Cleveland have to do with me. I'm not from Cleveland, never have lived in Cleveland, heck - I've never even been to Cleveland. Bear with me for a little story telling (you like stories, right?)

Saturday was the best weather Boston has seen since Halloween. It was also the day of Zander's birthday party for his friend's at Monster Mini-Golf. The good news is a great time was had by all. The bad news is they play music. Let me rephrase, that they play music isn't bad news. But getting a song stuck in your head can be bad news. Which explains Cleveland. If you ever watched the Drew Carey show you may remember it's theme song "Cleveland Rocks" performed by The Presidents of the United States of America.

Thus how I found myself running 18 miles, plus one bonus cool down mile with Zander, chanting over and over again "CLEVELAND ROCKS!"

Thank you Rachel, Nelly, Janet, Marie, Cathy and Jim, Karen, Kathleen, Joan, Doug, and two anonymous donors.

Short Runs Sunday, In the Rain

2010-03-14T10:14:00.001-07:00

I didn't get a long run this weekend, instead I did a series of shorter runs. I ran to Davis Square, to run the Ras na hEireann 5K, and then ran home again. Some observations from running in the rain:

It makes you feel like a hardcore runner
Your shoes weight twice as much
You get to be a kid again running through, instead of around, puddles

My Garmin isn't waterproof, so instead of having the normal data available I used the google map pedometer and the race map so you can see yesterday's run.

Going: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3544125

Race: Ras na hEireann U.S.A. 5K

Coming Home: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3544150

Thank you Bob, Sean, MJ, and Richard for sponsoring the Eaton-Peabody.

The Tale of Two Runs

2010-03-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

Last week's run, February 28th, was near perfect. I ran from my house to my mother's house, Medford to Lincoln, almost following exactly Paul Revere's famous ride. The mileage turned out to be less than I hoped to complete, but my pace ended up being to training plan and I recovered nicely. Heck, I even managed to run by the house grandpa built, a real tear provoking moment for me, and get a few nice hills in towards the end of the run. Look out Newton Hills, here I come!!!

This week's run, March 7th, was the polar opposite. Right leg Achilles pain became hip pain. Hip pain became lower back pain. My pace stunk. Heck, I stunk! By mile 15 I was toast. Of course that is when someone else I know, who qualified for the marathon, drove by. Thank goodness they aren't judgmental, and only shouted encouragements. The aches pain finally went away last night.

So what lesson am I taking away from these two runs? Marathon running favors those who can remember that training is a long process, but who can also forget the short term setbacks. March 7th, you are dead to me.

Thank You Nick and Alicia, Jim, Nancy, Jan, Mary, Steve, Xio, Michelle, Andy, Anne-Marie, Carlo, Larry, Susan, Margaret (who I'm pretty sure also so me this past weekend), Vince, Brenda, Judy, Leslie (I'm ordering new shorts today!), Laurie, Kevin, the Bergs, Nicole, Stephanie and Joe (we still need to get together!), Carol and Max, Grandma, and Lee and Sharon for sponsoring me.

If your going to be in Boston on March 25th, please don't forget to RSVP to join me at the Harpoon Brewery from 5:30 to 7 pm for a Marathon Happy Hour. It is my way of thanking you all for your support.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Running, but still not right?

2010-02-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

Still not rocking the runs the way I would hope. Tomorrow is another day.

Tonight I Did Not Rock

2010-02-17T19:02:00.000-08:00

Some nights you rock the run.

Other nights the run is crap.

Tonight, crap.

I'll be complaining about it until my next run. Pity my famiy since
they have to put up with me until then.

Team Eye and Ear Kick-Off

2010-01-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

Attended the Tea Eye and Ear Kick-Off dinner tonight and this year's
team is fantastic! Tonight had great turnout and almost everyone has
some connection to Eye and Ear. Special thanks to Fred for answering
questions and being so encouraging of the newcomers.

It was great to meet KC, who is totally going to rock his first race,
and reconnect with Charles.

Alicia, your name came up, and we missed having you there. Thank you
for supporting the Eaton-Peabody, and I'm looking forward to catching
up with you on March 25th. Hopefully next year you can run past me
again!

This past weekend's run went well. As you have proably noticed from
the Garmin maps, I haven't been doing the Fitcorp runs so far this
year. Similar to when I started running, I'm finding the solitude of
running alone healing and comforting. Of course on April 19th that
all changes.

Don't forget that you can sponsor me by clicking on the marathon
countdown or the firstgiving widget. Thanks!

So Far, So Close

2010-01-22T16:21:00.001-08:00

It feels like forever away, after all Boston Marathon = Spring, but it is really right around the corner.

Now that the SPHR exam is behind me I'm starting to focus on training again and was able to get both a long run and intervals session in this past week.

This coming week will be even better!

Part of the Week Off

2010-01-16T06:06:00.000-08:00

As you can see in the run history, I ran 10 miles last Sunday in what was claimed to be 10 degree weather, 0 degrees if you include the wind chill. Thank goodness for winter running gear! Smartwool socks and glove liners plus running gloves probably saved my toes and fingers.

I didn't get my midweek runs in this week as I wanted to make sure I was prepared to pass the SPHR exam on Friday. The good news is I did pass, YEAH! Now I can get back to focusing my evenings on miles and asking for your help in supporting the Eaton-Peabody Lab.

Ran, but forgot my Garmin

2010-01-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

So I put 4 miles in today, but I forgot my Garmin. Do I still get to
count it as a training run?

Sent from my iPhone

Run? Why Yes I Did.

2009-12-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-09-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-08-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-31T09:55:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-02T12:04:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-21T03:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

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....

2009-03-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

25655

In the Marathon of course.

http://www.baa.org

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

2009-03-17T03:27:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-19T16:16:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-19T09:41:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-11T16:33:00.001-08:00

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

Posted using ShareThis

FitCorp Training Run #10 and an Overall Good Day

2009-02-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-28T10:24:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-01-25T08:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-04T06:53:00.000-08:00

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

FitCorp Training Run #4 - Revenge of the Road

2008-12-29T18:02:00.000-08:00

It was bound to happen at some point, and I should probably be glad to get it out of the way now, but this past Saturday's run was bad. How bad you ask? A little over 10 instead of 12 bad. A 11 minute plus pace instead of a 10 minute pace bad. A had to walk part of it bad. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

It all started Christmas eve. The kids were excited. Trina woke up at 12:30am. Luckly Nana was able to get her back off to dreamland. Then it was Zander at 3:30am. He too could be convinced that sleep was a good idea. But his waking up woke up Katrina, who took over my side of the bed, which sent me packing to her bed. Needless to say, we were up early. The point? Night 1 of bad sleep.

Christmas was a terrific day. We opened presents with the kids in the morning. Enjoyed some breakfast. Hosted the family for lunch, and then opened more presents with them. Needless to say, an exhausting day. The entire house was in bed by 8:30. Which would normally make for a great night's sleep. And sleep well I did. Until 4:30. So by mid-day I was tired and starting to not feel well. By Friday night it was the cold sweats and early to bed again.

Hello Saturday Morning! I woke up feeling with a head like a cement block. Isn't that what the Claritan is for? So I started treating it like any normal Saturday morning. Coffee, breakfast, newspaper, check. I put my running bag together and got ready to go. But I wasn't feeling 100% and told Karen I was thinking about skipping the run and doing it on Sunday instead, but was afraid that I wouldn't get it in. Her response was right to the point, " you mean you're afraid that if you don't run today you won't ever run again?". Yes! I didn't say this obession makes sense.

So now you have the back story. The run was suppose to be 12 miles. I knew it was going to be a fight to complete, so I tried to start out slow. I usually don't hit my grove until mile 4, so I wasn't overly concerned at the mile 3 waterstop when I still felt dead on my legs. But she. I hit mile 5 I knew. I knew 12 miles were not going to be mine that day. I knew that it was time to turn it around. I went out with a low tank and started back on empty. The way back was so bad that I walked part of it and couldn't even run all of the way up the hill to One Beacon Street. The lone highlight I can think of was seeing an Irish Setter. I was so disgusted that I didn't even bother stretching. You can review the terrible run following the link below.

FitCorp Training Run #4

Lessons learned: listen to my body, cut myself a break, bad days happen, and stretch no matter what.

The good news is this coming Saturday is the Newton Hills. Time for some redemption!

Thank you to Carlo Severo, John Meade, Margaret Moran (who will hopefully also be at the marathon), Dave Santino (Marathon 20??), Karen, Mary Buonanno (My smile at the marathon mile 10 water stop), Dave Magliozzi, and Catherine Corliss for supporting me and the Eaton-Peabody Lab since my last post.

FitCorp Training Run #3 - Canceled

2008-12-20T07:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a little snow the FitCorp Training Run #3 was canceled.

Instead I spent the morning snow blowing the driveway, street, sidewalk, across the street, the sidewalk across the street, and a few neighbor's driveways as well.

Maybe I did get a workout after all.

FitCorp Training Run #2 and Somerville Jingle Bell Run

2008-12-16T18:06:00.000-08:00

Did you ever finish something just to prove you could? That was me on Saturday. I knew the Jingle Bell Run was on Sunday and that I should save something for it, but the Fitcorp training run was for either 8, 10, or 12 miles and I set my goal as 12 early in the week. The good news is I was able to do it, and within the pace I planned. Overall it was a good run where I was able to get into a grove around mile 5. You can view the run information here.

This coming Saturday's run is a good one. We take the train out near Newton-Wellesley Hospital and run back over the Newton Hills, into Boston, and up Beacon following the normal Saturday course. It is only 10.5 miles but with the Newton Hills at the begininng and the state house hill at the end it is a good workout.

Sunday morning brought slightly sore legs and the Somerville Jingle Bell Run. It is only a 5K, but because of the previous day's mileage every mile felt like miles 16 during the marathon. Truth be told I proud to say I finished, and am delighted that I did so with around a 9 minute mile pace. Thanks to Nicole, Michelle, Dave, and Larry for running it as well. My details from the Jingle Bell Run are available here.

As always, you can click on the Firstgiving banner to the right if you would like to help sponsor me running the Boston Marathon to raise funds for the Eaton-Peabody Lab in memory of my late grandpa Rufus. Thank you.

Training at the Y 12/10

2008-12-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

Tonights training at the Y went great. I started with a half mile warm up on the treadmill at 10 minute miles. Followed that up with two miles of intervals with a work speed of 7 or 7:30 minute miles. Finally I did a little bit of weight work on the shoulders and lower back. Now to bed early and I'll call it an productive evening.

Tuesday Night and no Trip to the Y

2008-12-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

It is Tuesday night, which is normally when I would go to the Y to run intervals and do weight work. But sometimes something more important comes along. Tonight it was Katrina's homework.

Next week Katrina will be giving a presentation in front of her class concerning a volcano. The requirements for the presentation calls for it to be "Entertaining". Thus I found myself assisting Katrina with powerpoint creating animations. Animations I never use in my presentations at work. Guess whose presentation would be more interesting to sit through.....

Fantastic!! Ill. governor arrested in corruption scandal - Boston.com

2008-12-09T17:54:00.001-08:00

You too can buy your way into a Government job!!

Ill. governor arrested in corruption scandal - Boston.com

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FitCorp Training Run #1

2008-12-07T03:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the first training run through FitCorp. You could run either 6,8, or 10 miles and being the hyper runner I sometimes am, I went for the ten. It was perfect running weather for me. Low 30s, almost no wind, sunny. As you may know, I'm not a big fan of sweating, so anytime I can run and it is cold enough that I don't feel the sweat is ok by me. My gear for the day was my Red Sox running hat, Frosty Four long sleeve shirt, fleece vest, New Balance shorts, freebie Marathon Sports gloves, and of course socks and shoes.

I'm a bit like a kid of Christmas the mornings of these runs and was up by 5:40 to have breakfast and start getting ready. Keep in mind the run is at 8, they open the doors at 7:45 and it takes me all of 10-15 minutes to get there. My fuel of choice was coffee and toast with honey. I was out the door by 7:10. At One Beacon I met Steve (excuse me if I get the name wrong, I'm horrible at names) for whom this will be his 13th Boston, and first in 10 years. Just as cool, he is fast, and my guess is he'll be able to qualify for next year's marathon when he runs this one. He is running for Boston Medical. Speaking of causes, there were the normal teams from last year's runs at FitCorp - Team Brigham, Team BMC, Team Liver, Tedy's Team, and of course Team Eye and Ear. It is terrific to see so many people giving of themselves to support such great causes. Shameless plug - you can support mine by clicking here.

As for the run - I started late as I went to start the GPS on my Garmin too early. That made it that I had to stop and restart the GPS before I started. The good news is I did get it to work and you can click the link below to play back my run. Once I finally did get started it felt like I never stopped training from last year. The course is so familiar at this point that it was like I was on autopilot. Before I knew it I was at the turnaround point and heading back. The highlight/lowlights along the way; Will they ever be done with the construction in Kenmore Square, kids doing the walk of shame going back to their dorms while you run past them full of energy, there is a condo building in Brookline that still has 2 units left (just like last year!), getting to the turn-around point and still feeling fresh, passing people who started earlier (I'm a big fan of each person running at their own pace, but I still like catching and passing), and finally getting up the State House hill at the end of the run. Last year it was quite a few runs before I could run all the way up the hill, so I'm already ahead of where I was last year. You can replay the run and view the route using the Garmin Link at the end of this post. As it turns out the run was only about 9.75 miles. You can ask Karen how that went over with me.

So long run #1 is done and went well. I was a bit tried by the end of the day, but I'll calling it a success. Thanks again to everyone at FitCorp who organizes and supports these runs.

FitCorp Training Run#1

Training at the Y

2008-12-03T03:13:00.000-08:00

My training for the marathon isn't only long runs. I need to also get the rest of my body stronger. Thus why I found myself at the Y last night using weight equipment that I would otherwise normally avoid. This morning my legs and hips are sore, but it will be worth it when I'm able to complete the next marathon better than the last one. In addition to the weight work I spent a little time on the treadmill, about 20 minutes, varying the speed and incline, finishing with a sprint at a 7:30 pace for the last minute or so.

The first FitCorp long training run is this weekend. It is a bit amazing how much I am looking forward to it!

And the Boston Training Begins

2008-11-27T07:24:00.001-08:00

So I'm delighted that my first long run in a while was a success. My left calf, which gave me such problems during the summer and fall seasons, finally relaxed. Could it be that I don't feel right unless I run over 6 miles?

Click here to see the details of my run last Sunday

Remember I don't only do this for my health. Please visit my firstgiving page to help support the excellent work done at the Eaton-Peabody lab.

Obama economic plan aims for 2.5M new jobs by 2011 - Boston.com

2008-11-22T10:49:00.001-08:00

I was not a big Obama fan, let's just say his track record and my career run at odds with each other. But this proposal is a step in the right direction, and is a much better idea than handing a blank check to industries that have shown poor judgement. I actually think he needs to take it further and expand this to expanding the number of public school teachers, improving the air traffic control system faster, improving the rail system (you should be able to take a train from Boston to New York in 2 hours), and other projects with an eye to the future.

Hopefully he'll be smart enough to keep this captial investment directed to domestic firms and not let organzed labor add unreasonable cost.

Obama economic plan aims for 2.5M new jobs by 2011 - Boston.com

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Why?

2008-11-14T05:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, I've decided to start a blog. Why? Three main reasons.

1. I'm very opinionated.
2. In the past few years I've discovered I'm a bit vain.
3. I hate writing. This will force me to put my thoughts down on a more regular basis.

So read, enjoy, argue with me, it is all good.