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.

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