Summertime at Last

 

Our plan was to go about 12 miles on Saturday morning.  We were on the Prairie Path somewhere in West Chicago.  We were running into the sun, when something happened that hadn't happened for yearly a year.  We overheated!  This spring has seen plenty of nasty, cold, and rainy weather.  There have been precious few warm, humid days.  But it all came back to us over the weekend.

 

Last Saturday we ran in a downpour, and tried to see the bright side, comparing it to running in heat and humidity.  At the time we opted for the heat.  Saturday, we longed for the rain.  Go figure.  In any case, we were on about mile 8 when my friend Tom put into words what the rest of us were thinking.  We would be fine with running a little shorter than we planned.  Thank you Tom!

 

Seriously, the heat can be not only unpleasant to run in, but dangerous.  We all remember the 2007 Chicago marathon.  Tom and I, coincidently, ran together that day, and made the decision to quit after about 12 miles (choosing to run another marathon a couple weeks later).  Of course, later that day, marathon officials shut down the race. 

There were lots of people transported to hospitals, and one person died.  There were complaints about running out of water.  You remember.  It was a bad scene. 

 

So with that in mind, you might consider a seminar my friend Mark Buciak is hosting Tuesday evening.  Details are below.  Meantime, I'll see you on the roads....

 

 

BEAT THE HEAT SEMINAR:  Running Tips To Survive The Summer’s Heat

More runners are dying in races from 5K’s to the marathon.

Find out what you can do run safely in the summer’s heat while not sacrificing your training.

Please join us for this free seminar presented by veteran marathoner and Coach Mark Buciak. Mark will give you great tips and inspiration to get ready for any summer running program or races.

Coach Mark Buciak, QCC veteran of 53 marathons including 30 straight Bostons and one open heart surgery welcome you and your questions. He is program director of THE ROAD TO BOSTON Training Program and is a friend & supporter of Jack's Team.

Date: Tuesday, June 23rd  

Location: REI, 1466 N. Halsted Street

Time: 6:30-8:00PM

Cost: Absolutely free but please RSVP to reserve your space

RSVP:  www.theroadtoboston.info

Free Parking: For 90 minutes in the garage with validation

 

 

What Was Your Time?

I was on a run recently with friends I hadn't seen in several weeks, since before the Boston marathon, when one asked how I did.  I told him it was a great day, that I had a good run, and the weather was perfect.  That apparently was not the answer he was looking for.  What he really wanted to know, was the time I had run.  I told him.  I finished in 3:37, and was marginally dissapointed that it was a little slower than my goal. 

In this case, the time was just one part of the overall experience from the race.  Sure, if I had run significantly slower than I was hoping for, the overall experience would not have been nearly as positive.  But I answered his question with the first answer.  It was a great experience.  

It got me thinking about personal goals in running.  Sometimes we are looking specifically to place in our age group, or in the overall standings.   Sometimes we are just looking to beat a rival.  Usually we have a time goal in mind, and the number on the clock at the finish line is the most important thing.

I have friends my age and older who remember the finishing times for every significant race they have ever run.  One friend recalls finishing times from college races several decades ago.  I get that.  You certainly remember how close you got to magical times like a 4:00 mile, or a sub 30:00 10k.  He was close to both of those.  He particularly remembered a half marathon he ran in 1:07.  All great times indeed.   

As for myself, however, I've really never been concerned too much about the clock.  In fact, if Boston didn't require qualifying times to run the marathon, I probably wouldn't even remember most of my marathon times.  Come to think of it, other than four or five of the most recent, I don't remember.  I don't even remember how many marathons I've run.  I'm pretty sure it's more than ten and fewer than 20.  Nor do I remember the times I ran in college cross country or track.  I generally remember the pace I was able to run, and the place I finished on my team, but I couldn't tell you a single finishing time from those days.  About the only thing  I do know is that the times were significantly faster than they are these days!

The problem with times is that everything is relative, and your finishing time in a race is really only meaningful to you.  You are the only one who knows what you were hoping to run.  And you are the only one who knows how much effort you gave, and whether you had anything left in the tank at the end, or a nagging injury slowed you down a little. 

The Soldier Field 10 miler was another interesting example of this.  I ran pretty well, and enjoyed the day quite a bit.  I did not run as fast as I was capable that day, nor did I take it as easy as I might have felt like.  I shared the time I ran, 1:12, with my friends who had run the race.  Mine was far from the fastest time, and not quite the slowest in my group.  But the only one who it really meant anything to was me.  I know how I ran, and I was the only one who could decide whether I was happy with it.  For the record, I was.

After Boston in April, I wrote on my facebook page that I was thrilled with my time because it was 20 minutes faster than the last time I had run there.  That was true, and it sounded impressive  But I failed to mention it was also 18 minutes slower than the time I ran to qualify for the race in the first place.  Everything is relative.  The first time I ran the course, it was in terrible weather, and I basically threw in the towel halfway through the race.  As unsatisfying as the time was that year, however, I still enjoyed the experience of running the Boston marathon.  I was more happy with the race this year, though, because of all the factors involved.

My real goal for Boston this year was to make sure I left it all on the course.  I wanted to give a good effort and have a good feeling about it afterward.  I accomplished that.  And no time on the clock would reflect that.  I think we miss out on quite a bit of the journey when we focus too much on the destination.  And how long it takes to get there.

There are lots of first-timers who enter the Chicago marathon every year with the objective of simply finishing.  There are plenty of others who aim to run a better time than their last, or a p.r.  Many want to qualify for Boston.  Some want to break 3 or 4 or 5 hours.  My time means little to them, just as their time means little to me.  Unless they are out to win major prize money, it probably doesn't matter a whole lot to anyone in the big scheme of things.

The way I look at it, running is a way of life.  Races are supposed to be a celebration of that lifestyle.  They can serve as goals to help keep us on a training schedule, as well as a kind test that we give ourselves.  But there are really no grades.  Just being out there makes it a successful day regardless of the time.

Oh, and  speaking of races, there is a good one coming up later this month I want to share with you.

RACE for the Kids 5K RUN/WALK

to Benefit Children's Memorial Hospital

Who:               Serious athletes, fitness enthusiasts, families and Children's Memorial supporters are invited to take part in...

What:              Children's Memorial Hospital’s Race for the Kids 5k Run/Walk.

When:             Saturday, June 20

8:00 a.m. Start

Start/Finish:  Soldier Field

               

Registration:    Registration is $35 (children 12 and under are free)

Visit www.childrensmemorial.org/raceforthekids

Packet pick-up and in-person registration will be:

·        Thursday, June 18, 4 to 7 p.m.

·        Friday, June 19, 2- 6 p.m.

      Running Away, 1634 W. North Avenue, Chicago

*Receive a 10% in-store discount when you pick up your race packet at Running Away.

Note: There will be no race day registration.

Highlights:      The 5k features a CARA-registered course that will take participants along Chicago’s beautiful lakefront path. All participants will be timed and will receive an exclusive Race for the Kids t-shirt. A post-event party with live music, refreshments, kids’ activities and awards will celebrate the finish. 

It should be a good race.  Maybe I'll see you there, or somewhere else on the roads.....

Rev Up Your Run?

I've never shared this story with anyone before, but I thought about it when reading a recent story about caffiene and endurance athletes.  It is something I've thought about quite a few times over the years, and I'm sure my former teammates have as well.

Maybe I'm getting old, but I barely remember most of the races I ran in College.  And I was an 800 meter runner.  The race typically lasts less than two minutes.  And I still don't remember much.  But I do still remember my last high school race 27 years ago very clearly. 

The pictures, by the way, are of other high school track runners.  I have no pictures from the races I'm writing about.

In any case, In what would be the last track meet of my high school career, the night before our senior prom, I decided to run the lead-off leg on our 4x800 meter relay.  The week before, we had run a school record time, and that made us a favorite in the sectional meet.  But there was a big difference in our lineup this time around.  Instead of our really strong all-conference miler running on the team, we had an equally talented, but inconsistent, runner taking his place.  The other team members were all strong though.  The coach gave me the choice of leading off or running anchor.  I decided to try to get us off to a good start, and chose to lead off.

This was the meet that would determine who qualified to go to the state meet.  This was what we worked for all season.  The pressure was intense.  But our strategy worked pretty well.  I ran about 1:59 for the first leg, and handed off the baton in third place, still very close to the lead.  We stayed close with our second runner, and then he handed off to the third runner, the one who had not been on the team the week before.   

That's when it fell apart.  He ran nowhere near his capability, and we were pretty much out of it by his second lap.  The anchor leg was run by a really strong runner who later played quarterback on his college football team.  But by the time he got the baton, it was too late.

I tell this story because of what preceded it on the team bus.  I've never discussed it with anyone, and I'm keeping the names out of it, but I've thought about it often over the years.  The third runner, who had about as much natural talent as any runner I've ever known, lacked confidence.  He was the proverbial 'head case'. 

Well he and the rest of the team were sitting on the bus before our race, talking strategy, and basically killing time before starting our warm-up.  Out of nowhere he pulled a baggie out of the pocket of his sweats and took a pill out of it.  I don't remember what he said it was.  Probably the equivalent of 'speed' or something.  I'm betting it was actually a caffeine pill.  Anyway he offered one to all of us, and we declined.  Then he said it would help him, and he swallowed it.

Well, obviously it didn't help him.  Or us.  Our time was nowhere near what it was the week before.  To this day, that's as close as I've ever gotten to an athlete taking supposed 'performance enhancing' drugs.  In this case, I believe it was the result of someone who lacked confidence trying to get some help in what at that point was the biggest race of his life. 

This was years ago, long before the scandals about drugs in sports came to light.  I think the pressure he felt is a common feeling among athletes.  But the feeling we, his teammates, had is also common.  We all declined the pill, and turned our heads the other way.  We didn't feel like it was our place to tell him not to do it.  And we worried about how it would affect his run, and our chances.  We all felt pretty good about our chances without any artificial (though not illegal at the time) help. 

I don't blame this runner for our failure as a team to make it to state.  It was a character-building experience, and what was meant to be.  We learn from our disappointments as much, if not more, than from our successes.

All this came back to me as I read a recent story in the New York Times about the effect of caffeine on running performance.  I read it with interest, even though about the only thing I do to help my performance is try to get good sleep, and eat pasta the night before a big run.  The conclusion of a number of researchers, however is that caffeine makes quite a positive difference.  And it's perfectly legal  Here is a blurb and a link to the full story.

Exercise physiologists have studied caffeine’s effects in nearly every iteration: Does it help sprinters? Marathon runners? Cyclists? Rowers? Swimmers? Athletes whose sports involve stopping and starting like tennis players? The answers are yes and yes and yes and yes.

Starting as long ago as 1978, researchers have been publishing caffeine studies. And in study after study, they concluded that caffeine actually does improve performance. In fact, some experts, like Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky of McMaster University in Canada, are just incredulous that anyone could even ask if caffeine has a performance effect.

“There is so much data on this that it’s unbelievable,” he said. “It’s just unequivocal that caffeine improves performance. It’s been shown in well-respected labs in multiple places around the world.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/health/nutrition/26best.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=caffiene%20running&st=cse

I'm the type who likes to run on basically an empty stomach.  I never drink coffee before a run.  In fact, I've always heard there are health risks to that.  The story suggests otherwise.  It's interesting reading, but I'll probably take a pass on trying it out.  After three decades of running, I have a pretty good idea of what works for me, and I'll stick with that.  Even if it costs me a few minutes on my marathon time.

See you on the roads....

Run to Remember

The time on my watch said 7:53 am.  The race was supposed to start in 8 O'clock.  The problem is that I was still in the car, waiting to get into the Soldier Field parking garage.  And once I found a place to park, I still had to help my wife unload our 4 kids and  the stroller, and then make it over to the starting line.  I resigned myself to the idea that I wasn't going to be running the Run to Remember 5k that morning.  I figured I would just walk with them, and try to enjoy the beautiful morning. 

I'm still in the post-marathon 'relaxation mode'.   But Tom, one of my running buddies, and I planned to meet at the start and we were going to let it go a little.  We were curious to see what kind of time we could run considering my post-race soreness, and his injury-recovery status.  But as we walked up toward the start, the race was already starting.  Oops.  That allowed me to get a picture of the leaders at the start anyway.  Tom, however, was long gone.

So we worked our way to the back of the starting line as the last of the walkers with strollers were leaving.  That's when my wife told me to go ahead and run.  She would walk with the kids and let them enjoy some of the activities there.  As you can see, they found a couple friends to play with.

Well, after a moment of hesitation where I tried to determine whether she really meant it, I decided to go ahead and run.  I hadn't warmed up or stretched.  It was almost ten minutes after the start, and I was going to have to weave my way around and through the walkers and joggers, but at least I'd get a little bit of a workout in.

Once I hit the first mile mark I looked at my watch and discovered I'd failed to start it.  That seemed to go along perfectly with the rest of the morning at that point.  Once again, I decided not to worry about it.  It wasn't like I was going to run a good time under those conditions anyway.  I was guessing the first mile was somewhere around 8:00.  At that point in the race though at least I was pretty much past the walkers.  I just had to find gaps to make my way past some of the runners at the back of the pack.  

Apparently in my haste while I was weaving through the runners, I missed the highlight of the race that my friend, John Garrido later told me about.  There was a keg at the turnaround point where runners could replentish the carbs with something other than gatorade!  John used that as an excuse for his slower than expected time!

As I neared the finish there was some guy huffing and puffing his way to a sprint finish, so I decided to go with him, and try to encourage him to make it all the way in.  That probably helped my time a little as well.  When I met up with my family and Tom at the end however, I had no idea what my time was.  The finish line clock was useless, since I had started too late.  I guessed it was in the neighborhood of 24 minutes.  Tom's watch shoed he managed to run one second under his goal time of 22 minutes.  

I was curious though, so I checked the website to find my actual finishing time according to the chip.  When I saw it I started laughing.  First of all, I saw that the winner of the race was a friend of mine from High school.  Coincidently, Rob Chenoweth and I were both at an event at Fleet Feet Sports the night before, where we both were out too late, and enjoyed more adult beverages than advisable given that we both had a race the next day.  Not that either of us were too worried about it.  When we chatted at the event, neither one of us mentioned we were running the next morning. 

And it turns out I ran a little quicker than I thought.   Under the best of conditions, I would expect to run very close to 20 minutes even.  Maybe a little faster.  But these were far from the best conditions.  I still apparently ran well enough to finish third in my age group.  My time was 22:17, which was good for 71st place of about 1500 finishers. 

None of that really mattered much.  More importantly, my wife and kids had a good time.  And we were all there to support a very worthwhile organization that helps support the families of Chicago Police officers killed in the line of duty.  This was the fifth year of the race, and the best one yet.  Next year, you should consider adding it to your calendar!

See you on the roads.....

  

More Boston Reflections

 

 

I did not run a step last week.  Well, except for the 26.2 miles on Monday.  You know, that little footrace they call the Boston marathon.  Recovery from a marathon is a strange time.  Like most others who have trained to run the distance, I am in really good shape right now.  It would be great to take advantage of that to run a good time at some other distances.  But instead, I'm trying to recover and get my sore muscles to start feeling normal again.  Oh, and figure out what to do with the rest of my life.

Marathon training is such an all-consuming pursuit.  Like many others, I have been focused on the race for months, and most anything else that happened in my life, I viewed through the prism of how I expected it to affect my training and race.  It's a very abrupt change once the race is over and you have nothing to focus on.  I'm sure I'll figure it out. 

 

I plan on running a 5k this weekend, the 'Race to Remember' that benefits the families of Chicago Police Officers killed in the line of duty.  And I expect I'll be recovered in time to try to run well in the Soldier Field 10 miler at the end of May.  But in the meantime, I have plenty more thoughts I want to share about some of what I saw in Boston.

I have run lots of marathons, but usually, when it's over I find the nearest party and start enjoying myself.  That's usually followed quickly by a search for the nearest place to lie down and rest for a while.  This time, I stayed around the finish line area visiting with different friends until the awards ceremony that evening.  I wanted to see my friend Kurt Fiene accept his award as the winner of the visually impaired division.

I've run with Kurt in training a few times, and I know how hard he trained for this event.  His primary competition in the division was from 32 year old Adrian Broca from California.  Kurt is 15 years older, but proved that experience trumped youth in this race.  Kurt ran the race of his life:  a p.r. of 2:43.  I had the privilege of helping guide him to the stage to accept his medal, accompanied by a standing ovation.  It was really a special moment.

I also got to see the other winners accept their trophies.  One of the highlights was seeing two Americans honored.  In the women's race Kara Goucher ran courageously and finished a strong third, just 8 seconds behind the first two, who were separated by just one second in the closest finish ever.  It was about as exciting as finish as you will ever see in a marathon.

My friend, Liz Plosser from Time Out Chicago, did a great interview with Goucher.  You can find it at this link.

http://www.fit-ink.com/2009/04/kara-goucher-post-boston-q-its-just.html

The men's race was pretty exciting as well, and the loudest cheer at the awards ceremony were, once again, for an American who finished in third place.  Ryan Hall led the race for some time, after going out hard, but that strategy didn't work.  He did, however, make a strong recovery late in the race to hold on to third place. 

I only watched replays, of course, since I was quite a way back still on the course when they were crossing the finish line.  And I was having my own fun back there.  But it is very encouraging for American distance running to see the two run so well.

Meantime many people are starting to think about training programs for fall marathons.  The cycle continues.  I won't be doing any 20 milers for a while, but I will see you on the roads...

What a day!

I may be a running geek, but I was one of thousands who took this picture at the finish line on Sunday, the day before the Boston marathon.  Why not?  It's the most famous finish line in marathon running.  And it arguably takes the most work to get there.  For me, it was a lot of work.

The next morning, I was walking through the athlete's village about 40 minutes before the start, when I ran into a friend from Chicago, Dan Daley.  The nerves and self-imposed pressure I was feeling must have been showing on my face, because the first thing he said to me was "relax, this is supposed to be fun!"  That's right, to those who've never contemplated running 26 miles, that seems more than a little crazy.  But if you have run marathons, then you probably have wanted to run the Boston marathon.  Why?  Because it's the ultimate.  And, of course, as Dan said, it's fun.  Sometimes, it's hard to keep that in perspective. 

This was a day where it was easy to have fun.  With possibly the best weather I've ever run a marathon in, on the most historic course, how could you help but enjoy it?

The day began early.  The alarm went off at about 5:30 am.  I tried to squeeze every minute of rest time out of the morning, as evidenced by the pillow over my head.  I was with a great group of runners from Elmhurst, all of whom ran p.r.'s!  I'll save their stories for another entry.  I'll try not to bore you with my experience here.

For me, going to Boston was a little bit of a quest for redemption.  I had run it one other time, and had no need to go back out there just for the experience, except that the first time left a little sour taste in my mouth.  So, aside from the finishing time, I had several goals that I really wanted to accomplish.

First, I hoped for good weather.  I ran in 2007, when they had storms and cold, and the crowds were relatively sparse.  They say it was the worst weather in the (at that time) 111 year history of the event.  In fact, I had tickets to the Red Sox game the night before, and it was rained out.  So I made sure to go this time, with my friends Dan, and Samantha. 

But I digress.  2007 was also the slowest marathon I have ever run.  So I wanted to have a better finishing time.  In an ideal world, I wanted to re-qualify which would have meant running 3:30, a time I believe is well within my capabilities and training.

More importantly, though, I wanted to make sure I gave a strong effort.  I read something a few days before the race about how difficult it is to try to manage your energy in a marathon so that you don't use too much of it up early in the race, but also don't save so much that you have some left at the end.  I have done both of those things in past marathons, so I wanted to try to end this one feeling completely used up at the finish, but not before.  My other objective played into that goal as well.  I wanted to make sure I got an authentic experience out of running the famed 'Newton Hills' which include 'Heartbreak Hill' between miles 20 and 21.  In other words, I wanted to run well enough leading into the hills that they were difficult.  The last time I ran, I remember being halfway up heartbreak and asking whether it was really heartbreak?

Oh, and I also wanted to enjoy the famed 'wall of sound' just before the halfway point in the race at Wellesley College.  It's a women's college along the course, and the students traditionally come out and cheer so loudly you can hear them nearly a mile before you get there.  They offer their hands to slap, and many carry signs offering free kisses.  Fan support along the Boston course is unrivaled, but the stretch through Wellesley might the the best stretch of racing anywhere.  The last time I ran, crowd support suffered because of the weather, but Wellesley was still amazing.  It was even more so this time.

In fact I would say most of my missions for this race were accomplished!  I actually asked the question this time on the second of the hills, hoping that we were almost done with the hills.  Unfortunately, we were not.  The hills were difficult, and I felt an appreciation for why they are legendary.

I should mention that aside from the 25,000 other runners, I ran from start to finish with a good friend of mine, who was doing his first Boston.  Greg Sanchez is a very talented runner, who was running his first time in Boston.  He qualified with a time about 5 minutes faster than mine, but actually has been running much better than me of late.  So he took it easy on me!  The picture shows us from behind at about the 25 mile mark.  It was really a great experience to run together the whole way.  We kept on the goal pace almost right on for every mile split until the hills.  That's when I started to feel a little bit of pain from some recent hamstring problems.  It slowed me down, but when I suggested to Greg that he go on ahead, he stayed with me.  And I appreciated it.  That probably kept me from taking a walking break I would regret later.

In several recent marathons, I have realized late in the race that I was going to miss my goal time, and so I slowed considerably, finishing, but not caring about the time any more.  That would not do on this day, however.  This was my Boston redemption, and I would have to look at that time for years to come.  So I was determined to make it as respectable as I could, even if I fell short of the 3:30 goal.

It was clear at about 21 miles or so that I would fall short of that time.  The hamstring was fried, and I was out of gas.  But with Greg's encouragement, we kept on running until we got to Boylston Street, which is the 600 meters or so of road to the finish.  We picked up the pace as the finish line neared.  And then we crossed it.  I looked at my watch and it read 3:37. And then I collapsed. 

I could barely move for about 45 minutes after the race.  I was unable to get up even to get a bottle of much-needed Gatorade.  I was in pain.  It seemed like every muscle in my body was screaming at once.  But despite all that I had a smile on my face.  It was over, and it was fun!

When I got home, I saw in an email that the Chicago marathon had reached capacity, and was no longer accepting entries.  45,000 have already signed up, and I'm not one of them.  And after my experience at Boston, I'm ok with that.  There will be more marathons in my future, I'm sure.  But it's not something I'm going to be thinking about for a few days!

See you on the roads.....

Beantown Here we come!

   

A friend of mine who is running the Boston marathon mentioned the other day he is trying not to think about it.  I get that.  I don't want to think too much about it either.  And I was tempted not to make a blog entry this week.  At this point, the jitters set in, and runners who have been training for months just want to hit the starting line and get it going.

But, this is the Boston marathon!  The oldest and most prestigious marathon in the country.  I can't let this experience pass without writing and reflecting a little. 

The week before a marathon is always a weird time for runners.  You tend to have lots of energy, because you are running less.  But you also are full of nerves.  Hits the the weather.com website tend to peak in marathon cities in the days leading up to the race.  Everyone is hoping for the best, and worrying about every little ache and pain, and small percentage chance of rain (or snow, or cold, or heat or wind) the day of the race.

I know I tend to pay close attention to my body on runs during the week.  That's not a good thing.  There is nothing I can do at this point to improve my fitness, and chances are pretty good that everything will be find on race day.  This is a time to relax and have faith in your training.  Most runners have done the training, and worked hard, and should feel good about everything leading up to the race.  The marathon has so many variables, there's really nothing else you can do.

I'm trying a different strategy for tapering during the final week before the Boston marathon.  I'm keeping my mileage up a little higher than most programs suggest.  For instance, I ran 20 miles two weeks out from the race.  The week before, I ran 12, and I did an 8 miler five days out from the race.  I think this should help me keep my mental edge, which I have a tendency to lose in past races. 

My former Coach, an experienced marathoner, drilled me with some advice during our weekend run.  I believe it's relevant for most runners during the days leading up to the race.  He suggested making sure you dismiss any negative thoughts that come into your head immediately during the week.  Those thoughts inevitably work their way into your mind, but you should immediately replace them with confident thoughts about your fitness, and race plan.

Having a race plan is also important.  I've run a number of marathons where I've simply hit the starting line and hoped for the best.  That generally doesn't work.  When I thought about the splits I wanted to hit, and what to do if I missed them a little, I have more success.

Boston will be a great experience, and I expect to run well.  The crowds are the most amazing I have ever seen, and they help all the runners get through it.  I'm sure I'll have much more to share after it's over.

See you on the roads... in a few days....

Worlds collide

The countdown is now on!  The real work is done, and there's nothing left to do but stay healthy and loose, and rested before the Boston marathon on April 20th.  This is about the time when all my thoughts (and anxieties) turn toward the race.  Before my last 20 miler, there was always a long run to be concerned about.  Once that is done, you have done all the running preparation you can do, and you've just got to get to the starting line and run the darn thing.

So it's nice that Runner's World devotes much of it's current issue to the oldest marathon in the country.  There are great articles about Bill Rodgers, and my friend Kurt Fiene, the sight-impaired runner from Elmhurst.  And there is a good story about the qualification process and how it works.  As you probably know, Boston is the only 'people's race' that you have to run a qualifying time in order to enter. 

According to the magazine, only about 10% of marathon finishers in the country run a qualifying time.  It took me a few tries to realize how tough a standard that is.  And a few more tries to actually run a qualifying time.  They make the point that Boston is the only race where you win just by showing up at the starting line.  But, of course, then you have to run it!

So it was really great that I had about the most enjoyable run of my Boston training season the other day.  It was two weeks out from the race, and I was finishing my last 20 miler.  That, in itself, was a huge relief.  But what made it so great was the group running along with me. 

None of my normal running partners is training for Boston, but I got Bill Sanders, a strong marathoner who runs about a dozen of them a year, to join me for the entire 20.  And for the first ten, we were joined by a group of really strong women runners from the Elmhurst running club.  And since my wife and I just had a baby a few days earlier, I enjoyed talking to them about the baby for much of the run.

The second ten brought out the largest group of my regular partners yet this year.  The picture above shows all the guys.  Bill Sanders is on the far right, and I'm in the back left corner.  Most of the rest of the guys all ran with me in High school with our coach, Rick Staback, who is in the front left.  There was very little talk about the new baby, but lot's of good conversation anyway!  We had a great run in nearly perfect weather.  I can only hope it's as nice on Patriot's day in Boston.

It was certainly a lot nicer than Sunday, March 29th.  A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I regretted not signing up for the the Shamrock Shuffle.  But after seeing the cold, and slush the runners faced, I was glad I skipped it.  A few easy miles later that afternoon, when much of the snow melted, was much nicer. 

Although, I have to say I was surprised that fewer than half of the 30,000 people signed up for the race showed up at the starting line.  This is Chicago after all.  We've just been through a winter much, much worse that that! 

But that's the risk you take when you sign up for a race.  Any race.  The weather is always a huge variable, and I believe, if you want to run well, you have to be put yourself in a strong mental frame of mind so you don't let it affect you.

That's the mindset I expect to have at Boston, and I'll have good memories of some great training runs to help get me there!

See you on the roads.....

Baby Mania

I had been feeling kind of anxious during my last few runs.  That, I suppose, is natural given that the Boston Marathon is just a couple weeks away.  Like most others planning on a spring marathon, I've been training for it for the last three months, and am about to enter the best phase of marathon training:  the taper.

My anxiety, however, had nothing to do with running.  I was looking forward to a much more important event that was imminent.  My baby daughter, Jayda Lynn Garcia, was born on Monday March 30th.  As you can see from the picture, mother, and baby are doing well.  It was a miraculous event that I've been blessed to witness several times in the last few years.  Jayda is our fourth child.  All girls.

It adds a great deal of perspective to my training to watch the 9 month marathon my wife endured through her pregnancy.  And the pain women endure during delivery dwarfs any little irritation one feels in the latter stages of a marathon!

I stay with her in the hospital from the time of delivery until we are able to bring the baby home.  That could make for an interruption in training, but my understanding wife encouraged me to bring my running shoes along and run from the hospital.  I'm grateful, because we are at Northwestern Hospital, right next to the Lake, and the Lakefront path.

As I look out the window from our room, in fact, I overlook the Chicago park District track on Chicago Avenue.  But rather than look forlornly at others running on the track, I got out to join them for a couple runs.  Amazingly, in fact, my training calendar remained unchanged.  Not that it would have mattered much if I didn't get to run. 

More than anything, running offers a great chance to get out of the hospital and reflect a little on the miracle of new life.  It's going to be crazy at our house for some time to come with four children under five.  All girls too.  So I appreciate the opportunity to get some time alone with my thoughts and the environment.  That's what running is all about for me in the first place, and it's great to get back to it. 

Running, I've always believed, is a great complement to your life.  It should not be your most important priority, but it can help you with all your other priorities.  Right now, my priority is to take care of our new baby, and help our other children adjust to the new baby.  Training for, and running,the Boston Marathon is something I've looked forward to for some time, and I'm excited about it.  I also know what I will be thinking about during those runs!

See you on the roads.....

Shamrocking

It is the traditional start of the running season in Chicago.   More than 30,000 runners will be pounding the pavement.  There's a great party afterward.  I'm a runner, and I'm excited about the start of the running season.  So why am I not running the Shamrock Shuffle?  It's the 30th anniversary after all!  Well, there are good reasons.  At least they sounded good at the time.  Now, maybe not so much.

Yes, the Shamrock Shuffle is upon us once again, and after a long winter of freezing and shoveling snow, I am ready for it.  Except the part that I failed to sign up.  I even got the emails from the organizers warning that it was about to fill up.  And when it did, I mentioned it in this space, and barely gave it a second thought.  But now that it is really upon us, I'm having second thoughts.

Maybe one of the reasons is the fun run that Nike sponsored a couple weeks ago.  They billed it as the 'start of the running season'.  It was partly designed to get people psyched about the Shamrock Shuffle which they help sponsor.  They brought in a couple of the best runners in the country:  Olympians Alan Webb, and Sanya Richards to run a few miles with Chicagoans training for the Shamrock Shuffle.  Unfortunately, I was on vacation during that run, so I missed out.  But they did send me some great pictures from it.

The Shamrock run seems to have grown into this mega-race almost overnight.  I remember running it when there were a few thousand runners going through the loop.  The post-race party and concert were in the basement of the Hilton Hotel, and it was a 'can't miss' part of the event.

Now race is packed with runners at almost every pace level.  The party is under a huge tent by Buckingham Fountain, and the band plays before tens of thousands of runners!  It's still a 'can't miss' part of the event, but the intimacy is definitely gone!  The band this year, by the way is 'Maggie Speaks".

Meantime they also have a bunch of great runners competing this year.  There is a great team competition, which I have written about previously.  And they have a couple world class runners including Deena Kastor, the Olympian, and American record holder at the 8k distance.  I could write more about her, but it's probably better just to let you read the press release from the race organizers!

After injury forced her to drop from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Marathon field mid-race, decorated U.S. runner Deena Kastor will make her return to road racing on Sunday, March 29 at the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K. In so doing, Kastor, 36, will return to the site where she set the current American women's 8K record in 2005 (24:36).

"After more than 6 months of recovery and training, I am so excited to race again," said Kastor from her home in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. "Chicago has a special place in my heart as a city where ‘luck' has been on my side both at the 8K in 2005 and again later that year at the marathon distance. I look forward to starting my 2009 racing season at the Shamrock Shuffle 8K. It is just my style to be in a race where there is so much enthusiasm and excitement on the starting line." 

Kastor's 2005 Chicago appearance was preceded by her Olympic Marathon bronze medal performance in the 2004 Athens Games. Her medal was the first for a U.S. woman in the marathon since Joan Benoit (Samuelson) won the inaugural gold in 1984.

Following her 2005 Shamrock Shuffle performance, Kastor returned to Chicago in October to win the Chicago Marathon in 2:21:25. The following spring she set the current American women's marathon record with a 2:19:36 win at the Flora London Marathon.

Kastor will lead the 30^th Anniversary Shamrock Shuffle field on Sunday, March 29 featuring 32,500 participants in the 8K run (30,000) and 5K Fitness Walk (2,500). The annual rite of spring for local fitness enthusiasts begins and ends in Chicago's historic Grant Park.

In advance of the event, a two-day Health & Fitness Expo featuring more than 75 industry-related exhibitors will take place at Navy Pier on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28. The Expo is free and open to the public as is the event day race course.

Deena should be exciting to watch.  And that's what I'll be doing.  Watching.  Ok, really the reason I decided not to sign up is because I know I'm running the Boston marathon in a few weeks, and I need to do a long run the day before the Shamrock.  It sounds like a solid excuse, except for the fact that I know a number of people who are doing both. 

And that's probably ok, so long as you don't race too hard, and negatively impact your marathon.  You do have to be very careful about that.  But it's certainly possible to treat it as a fun run.  Because, really, that's what it is.  And I hope everyone has fun out there.  I'll be rooting you on....