NYC Marathon

Well it looks like people are still finding their way to this site so I figured I'd give a little update.  I'm running the NYC Marathon on Sunday November 1st.  If you're interested in tacking me my bib number is 40209.  I'll be on the blue route (upper deck of the bridge on the right) in wave 2 starting about 10:40.  Come on out and cheer me on!

Boston Marathon Update

So last year after the Boston Marathon I wrote about my experience and desire to run the 2014 edition.  Well apparently anyone who ever thought about running marathon said the same thing so in September when charity registration opened up they were inindated with applications.  It was like I was in high school again applying to colleges but instead of saying “Yes” I got a “Sorry” or wait listed.  I applied to Teddy’s Team, Mass General, Dana Farber, Healthworks, Team in Training, the American Liver Foundation and the Museum of Science, all of which turned me down.  All of these are wonderful causes to which I would have been grateful to support.  I think I was honest in my assessment on how much I could raise and since you have to back up that commitment with a credit card, I didn’t want to overreach and have to donate my entire tax refund check to run the marathon (even though I considered it).  The applications were pouring in so much that the Globe did a story about it.  Throughout the whole process I was getting a bit discouraged that I wasn’t going to be able to run Boston next year.  After the year I had with 10 halfs in 11 months I thought this would be the most logical choice and I wasn’t sure if I would attempt it in the future.

My last ditch effort was to apply directly to the BAA for an invitation for those affected by the bombings last April.  There were only 450 spots (and over 1200 applicants) and I figured there were probably people who more affected than me but it was either this, or watch it from my office again next year.  So I sat there and wrote and re-wrote my essay trying to stay within the 1500 character limit (I used 1493 of them) or about 250 words.  I think this probably helped me as the reader wasn’t subjected to too much of my poor writing.  I wrote about my experience on that Monday and the following Friday at my home.  I wrote about wearing my marathon shirt to all of my halfs this year and setting 3 new PRs along the way.  I submitted my application and had nothing to do until December 6^th when I would hear by.

After thanksgiving I started to look at 2014 and what to do, and to change it up I started to think about trying a triathlon.  I would need a new bike (mine is a $100 target special that weighs about 30 pounds) and join either Waverly Oaks Gym or the Boston Sports club in Watertown since they had a pool.  I started to look for races and plan out my transition from full out running to a multisport regiment, and going big as I like to do (see 10 halfs in 11 months) I had visions of a half Ironman dancing in my head.

Then came December 4^th.  I hit snooze and woke up late so I had to cut my run short, no biggie I don’t really have anything to train for, just a 5K next weekend and that’s it until St Patty’s day.  Checking out my twitter feed I saw that a new half Iroman was just added in Princeton, NJ and thought “I can already do a half no problem, if I could get my bike soon I could do that!”  Julie to her credit just rolled her eyes rather than try to dissuade me.  I went to work and started my day as normal.  Just after noon as I sat back down at my desk with my lunch I opened up Gmail to check my personal account.  I had a pretty good number of emails to go through.  Nothing on my primary tab, a couple of LinkedIn and twitter updates on my social tab and there on my promotions tab were three e-mails. 

 The first was the Nook daily deal of the day (another book with a guy without a shirt on the cover…pass).  The second, received at 10:59 was from the Mass General Marathon team announcing that they had gotten a number of additional bibs from the BAA due to their work on Marathon Monday and how to apply.  I got excited, I had another chance, but first I had to read e-mail number three which was a form letter from the BAA received at 12:20.  Apparently I read the date wrong and I was another rejection a couple of days early. Wait this worded really weird.  I think I’m being invited to run the Boston Marathon from the BAA.  I read the first paragraph again.  We got a lot of applications, limited number of entries, yada yada.  Then the third and fourth paragraphs and confirm it’s definitely a form letter.  Then the second “Upon careful review by a committee from the B.A.A., your request has been accepted.”  I’m in…I think…I forwarded it to Julie just to be sure, and she confirms I am in!

After the second time I read the letter to confirm that I will be running in 2014 I was ecstatic, shaking I was so happy. I'll be applying again to a charity or two as an invited runner (with a much lower fundraising goal) so I hopefully I'll be back soon with the details on that! 

How to have a sucessful Expo

Go early (no lines)

Check in

Get your bib

Get your swag

And put it in a bag

Get on the bus that says "Free Candy"...or you can just get a gaite analysis but I would much rather have free candy

Get your fortune read by a Fake zoltar....do NOT ask to be big, trust me it does not end well.

Make Friends

Make lots of friends

Seriously there are a lot of interesting people there

Become Gozilla and terroize a city (sorry Seattle it's a requirement of a sucessful expo)

Eat samples

Eat Lots of samples

 

Above all ROCK OUT!!!!

Race Selection

There are a LOT of races out there, and whether you’re picking race number 1 or 100 there are several things to consider when choosing your next race.  Here are the top 5 races in my humble expert opinion.

Distance: The first thing in choosing a race is what distance are you going to do?   There are races from 1 to 50 miles, and everything in between.  Most people starting out will pick a 5K, but I’m going to argue against it.  I think you should pick something that’s crazy.  Pull a half marathon out of your hat.  Do something that will truly shake things up.  Go big or go home.

I’ve found that if you plan a shorter race and train solely for that distance, it will end up being an excuse not moving to a longer distance later in the year.  You’ll claim that you won’t have enough time to get up to that longer distance and it will get back burnered until next year (unless you live somewhere like California where you can run outside all year round, then you have no excuse slackers).  By picking a longer distance you’ll have a goal that will be really challenging and will help your times at the shorter distances.  Also you can use the shorter races as training runs for your ultimate goal. 

Location: I’ve said it before, I love traveling to run.  It’s a great way to meet new people and reconnect with old friends.  Most races take you through or by the iconic landmarks of the city, so if it’s a place you haven’t been to before then it’s a great way to see the sights, and if you are returning, it’s a great way to get reacquainted with them.  Also the biggest benefit of traveling to run is being on vacation!  You’re in a hotel with someone cleaning up after you, cooking your food, and if your planning is good, you’re staying right near the start line so there is no need to worry about getting to the corrals.  Plus after a long race there is nothing better than going out, meeting some locals and other racers, and hitting the hot spots the city is known for (or any bar you can find a seat at because no one wants to be on their feet anymore).

On the other hand when you run near your home it can be an advantage as well.  When you’re training, you’re able to run part or the entire race course.  You know how to get to the start line, how long it will take to get there and how to navigate around road closures.  Also you can guilt your friends and family in to coming and cheering you on.
There is a give and take with running both at home and on vacation, but make sure you don’t exclude a race just because of its location.

Amenities:  Do you want to run while being covered in color?  This isn't 50 shades of grey we're talking about.   Do you want to run at night with lights attached to you?  You can sparkle all you want.  Do you want to just run and get a couple of free beers at the end?  Drink Up!  Do you want to run from Zombies?  You know they’re just using you for your braaaiiinnnnssss.  Do you want to run through an obstacle course?  Yes, yes and…aw hell, there are so many of these types of races now go find them yourself.

You can find almost any kind of race out there so think about what you want your race to be and how you want to remember it, but most of all just remember to have fun.

Date:  While the date is probably the least important of these five things to consider it can’t be totally ignored.  The most important thing to think about in terms of your race date is to be sure that you have enough time to train for the race.  Under training can lead to injury and keep you out longer than if you just picked a race a couple of more weeks away.

Honorable mention for the date category is weather conditions.  Racing and training in different climates can make for a slow race. Trust me, I know.  Also running in really hot or really cold weather might not be your cup of tea so the date can come into play a couple of ways.

x-Factor: Let’s face it, some races are just cooler than others.  The New York Marathon is the largest in the world.  The armed forces marathons help honor those who serve.  Some races are put on just to help raise money for charity.  These races and many others just have something that the others don’t, and for many people that’s the draw.  

               

What do you consider when choo-choo-choosing a race?  (10 points for knowing what I’m referencing, but they won't help you because like “Who’s Line is it Anyways?” the points do not matter here either.)

Boston Marathon 2013

Originally I had planned to write a short blog post on the Boston Marathon and its uniqueness from the point of view from a Boston transplant, but instead I’m writing to share my experience of that day.  If you do want to read on why Boston is so important to runners then please read what Toni Reavis has already said here.  This is a bit heavier than I would like for this blog and not as harrowing as some but its my story.



Entrance to the Boston Marathon Expo

On the Friday before the marathon I made my way down to the Expo from my office before it started to get too crowded.  For those of you who haven’t run a lot, the expo is where you pick up your number, t-shirt, and other swag your registration paid for.  In addition to that there are tons of health and running exhibitors selling everything from race tees to massage chairs (no I wasn’t able to try one out, I had to get back to work).  Marathon Sports, whose flagship store is at the finish line, was having a 50% off sale at the expo, so I was able to pick me up a nice new running jacket and help support a local business.

The atmosphere at the expo was electric.  You could feel the excitement and couldn’t help but be caught up in it.  For a couple of years now I have been thinking about running Boston, and this really strengthened my feelings about trying to run it.

For those of you who haven’t had the chance to go, marathon Monday is something uniquely Boston.  Other than in Lexington and Concord where reenactments take place to commemorate the start of the revolutionary war there is little fanfare.  In Boston the best comparison would be a warm weather St. Patrick’s Day.  The bars open early and people are in line to get in before that.   The Red Sox start their game at 11AM to allow for people to get to the game through the road closures.  What other professional sport has a start time before noon?  The spectators come early (there were a few lining the course down near the finish line when I arrived just after 8AM over an hour before it started over 26 miles away) and as the first winner comes across the line they’re as many as 10 deep in places all the way from the start to finish.  Oh and they are loud.  It’s been said that you can hear the women at Wellesley College a half mile away, and I knew when this year’s female winner Rita Jeptoo made the well known left turn onto Boylston as I heard the crowd 22 floors below me scream in delight.



A view from my office.  A Lone Runner completes that last quarter mile as fans look on.

Now as a rule of thumb, most people who work outside of the city don’t get it off as a holiday, and most of us who do work in the city do get it off.  Seeing as I work just past mile 26 and a half block off the course it makes perfect sense that I have to fight the road closures and crowds on my way into the office.  Being in the area and a runner I thought I would make the best of it, so just before lunch I left my computer in the trusty hands of one of our IT folks to fix an update issue, and headed down to grab some lunch and watch some of the race.  It was just after noon.
After an easy lunch I walked out and watched the race at the 26 mile mark for about a half hour until just after the 3 hour mark hoping to see one of my co-workers (he is OK).  I didn’t get to see him, but it was an inspiring scene to see all the people fighting their way through the 26.2 mile.  Loud cheers rose several times when fathers pushing their sons in wheelchairs came by, and I had to cover my ears when group military personnel carrying a full rucksacks and an American flag made their way by us.  Yes it’s that loud. 


The view from Mile 26

I took some pictures and starting texting my wife and my friend Brandon who is an avid marathoner and trying to do 50 marathons in 50 states.  I was trying to convince him to apply to a charity with me next year and run the Boston Marathon.  If you’re doing one in mass might was well do Boston!  Eventually I had to go back to work so I started my way back up to my office.  It was just after 1pm.



Up the stairs back towards my office

After arriving back in my office I talked to one of my co-workers and told her about what it was like down there and encouraged her to go down and check it out.  When she took her lunch she said she was going to check it out for a while.  She returned just before 2:45 and came over to talk about it.  She agreed that the warm weather and festivities merit a day off, and then our talk turned to our co-worker.  We looked up his time and based upon the tracking I just missed him by a few minutes.

Suddenly there was a loud boom and the building shook.  I thought to myself that it was strange only to be shocked into realization of what was happening when the building shook again a few second later.  I jumped up from desk to the window.  Below us throngs of people ran in one direction, to our left away from where the blasts had occurred.  To my right a cloud of white smoke rose above the buildings.  I ran back to my desk and turned to twitter but saw nothing indicating what happened.  I typed a hurried and misspelled warning to Boston followers who might be in the area.  I specifically didn’t use the word “bomb” because I wasn’t sure and was hopeful that was not the case.  I quickly headed over to the other side of the building to see if we could see anything.

The office was fairly empty due to the road closures and more than half of those remaining were in the stairwells heading down to the street as soon as they processed what happened.  The remaining group looked out over the windows that faced Boylston Street.  Most of the street level was blocked by a building but what was visible was a clutter of fallen barricades, discarded signs and lost belonging.  Emergency vehicles raced up the street towards the finish.  Sadly the view from the window that I posted above remains the same but eerily empty of people, the dunkin’ donuts truck standing empty.  A better blogger would take a picture for this part but I choose not to.  This is not how I want to remember Patriots day, the marathon nor Boston.

I quickly called my boss to fill her in on what was happening.  I called so soon after the blasts that the cell network was not yet overwhelmed.  After that I wasn’t able to call out on my cell again for over two hours until I was in Brighton, but strangely text and data continued to work.  It appeared that the attack was on the marathon and so I quickly made a plan to stay in place until people had left the area and police swept it.  I threw my sneakers then called my wife from my work phone and let her know that I was OK and that I was going to stay for a while.  I charged my phone and filled a water bottle figuring I would have to walk the 6 miles home. About fifteen minutes later an announcement came in urging us to stay where we were.  A little late but thanks.

Work was done for the day.  Those of us left in the office mulled around and talked about what we had seen and heard.  I tried to update my friends and family as best I could.  The sirens were non-stop for God knows how long.  Whenever I hear a lot of sirens I’m afraid I’ll be taken back to those twin blasts.

Around 4pm I decided it was time to go.  I packed up my things and was greeted with a third announcement asking us to “shelter in place”.  Thanks but no thanks, so I headed out to the elevator and down to the prudential center.  They had my wing closed off blocking access to Copley mall and Ring Rd, but allowed be to exit towards the Pru.  As I made my way to the center of the mall I was greeted by about 100 people waiting for loved ones.  Some people were crying, some consoling but all looking scared.  This was a scene that would repeat as I passed large groups of people on my journey home.

I made my way through the Sheraton and out to Mass Ave taking a right towards the Charles.  As I passed through groups of people and the sun bore down I started to get hot, but I thought better of stopping to put my back pack down and take off my fleece.  I would have to sweat to the esplanade.  I passed Comm Ave which was barren except for a few marathoners with medals and Mylar blankets, and a pair of drunks in Sox gear.  One was trying to move his friend along while the other seems to want to talk to every police officer he passed trying to wrap his mind around the day’s events.

A few minutes later I was at the bridge and down to the esplanade. I walked leapfrogging a mother and daughter as each of us stopped for a break.  They were making their way to Harvard Business School the only way that we could as public transportation was shut down and cabs full.  I thought about making a sign that read “Watertown” to see if anyone would pick me up, but decided against it.  Over the next hour or so I trekked away from the city until I reached soldiers field road and was picked up by a friend who took me to my car.  The next morning when I checked my e-mail there was a message from Bandon asking how we could sign up for next year’s marathon.  Damn right!  Barring an injury we’ll be applying this September to run Boston in 2014.

Today is Wednesday my first day back to work after the bombing.  We go to work amid SWAT teams and national guardsmen.  Marathon Sports where I purchased some new shoes exactly one week ago is heavily damaged and only open to law enforcement.  Some of my co-workers appear shaken but we’re here and defiant.  At lunch I went down and purchased one of the last remaining Boston Marathon running shirts I could find.  To honor the victims and my city I will wear it at the remainder of my races this year starting next Saturday in Nashville, and if all goes well next year as I cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon April 21, 2014.  Mark your calendars and remember right on Hereford left on Boylston.  See you at the finish.

My New Race Shirt