Week 9 of Training Already!!!

Boston training continues and I've been fairly consistent. Taji 100 helps with that, as I really need all the miles I can get.

Training Chart.  Green = miles completed; Blue =  more miles than planned; Red = Did not do; Yellow = Less miles than planned; Pink = Cross Training

This week I crossed the 50 mile mark before the 14th, which puts me in a great place to finish early.

Screen capture of my Taji 100 total miles of 57.97. 

Plus I've earned a few achievements.

Screen capture of my Taji 100 achievement badges. 

Today I'll walk a mile or two, but otherwise rest. Tomorrow I'll run 10 miles between treadmill and indoor track.

January Wrap Up

Marathon training continues.

Over the month I have run a few 5ks, Freeze Your Buns, Snowflake Shuffle and Fudgesicle.

Here is the training update. I've had some struggles with the Wednesday run getting longer, but I'm working to find solutions to that. I realized this week as I was running that in a month it will be warmer than it is colder. There is something about the 30 degree temperature line. Above that temp is far easier to run, than below. In four weeks we'll be over 30 more than we'll be under it.

Green = complete, yellow = less than desired miles, blue = more than planned miles
red= skipped, pink = cross training

Cross training has started to take a hit, and I need to get back to that. Find some routine of body weight strength I can do. My pace is slowly improving, I am able to run further without walk breaks, and when I'm having a heavy legs struggle run, I'm running at my fast pace for last fall. The consistency is helping, along with the strength work I started in November.

The biggest challenge has honestly been finding time, which was the challenge last time as well. Saturday I ran from home to the Westwood branch of the Nashua YMCA and meet up with my family there. Sunday morning I ran Freeze Your Buns to complete the needed miles.

I'm starting to plan out my 2020 race schedule. The two big anchor races at the moment are Boston Marathon and Mt Washington. Eastern States is a secondary now that Boston is confirmed. Other races will be all the mountains leading up to Mt Washington, and I might just do one more after to get Goat status again. I'm hoping to complete the New Hampshire Grand Prix and possibly the USATF All Terrain Runner series. My fall running schedule will need some fluidity to accommodate my youngest running cross country.

Now onto February and striving towards completing Taji 100!

Are you planning to Run Boston?

Edit: Yes I am.  I'll be running Boston April 20, 2020!!!   

Thank you Gate City Striders!

I live in New England and if you mention a marathon, everyone assumes you’re going to “Run Boston”. The race is iconic in the region, and over shadows every other regional marathon.  It’s pop culture in these parts. I remember watching highlights of the race as far back as I can remember.

Anytime I tell someone I’m a runner, the question of am I going to run Boston always comes up.

The short answer, not very likely.

There are two ways to run in the Boston Marathon. Complete a marathon in what is referred to as a “qualifying time” (minus 5 mins), or apply for a charity bib.

Completing a qualifying time would likely require years of training for me. Running coaches and even more time away from my family. A charity bib requires a year(or less) of fundraising that would take on the appearance of a second job, or a financial situation that makes writing a $5,000 check seem like nothing.

Boston has such a history, and is in many ways the goal of so many runners. I have a hard time believing that running the race can live up to anticipation and expectation. I have heard many runners say in September or December, the last time they ran was Boston. I joked if the roads of the race were made of rainbows, and the water stops served chilled unicorn juice, maybe just maybe the race could live up to my internal expectations.

All that doesn’t even take in account the winter training. Which I admit I am learning to love.

There is ONE reason I would push to run Boston. If my best friend asked me to run it for her. She was there in 2013. She was hurt in the explosions, but she stayed calm and helped others that day. If she asked me to run for her, I’d figure out how to make it happen.

Just to put this in perspective, a qualifying time for my age (40) is 3 hours and 45 mins, but if I want to guarantee I get a bib, I need 3 hours and 40 mins or better.  That means I average for the qualifying race around 8 mins and 20 second per mile. If I wait until 2022, I get 10 more minutes added to my qualifying time. My last reasonable long run had an average pace of 13 minutes and 07 seconds(I don't count the 13:34 but the sidewalks were snowy ice and I was trying to levitate).

It is possible that someday for fun, I’ll go run the Boston Marathon route with a friend or two. But not this year.

All that said, my best running friend is running Boston and fundraising for Impact Melanoma, please consider donating on her page to help her and the charity out.