Link to story in EMC paper.
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| Do you think he hears my footsteps? LOL. |
Finished 5th out of 8 in the OPEN paratriathlon class in a time of 2:04:11.
Next up is the NYC Triathlon on August 7th. This is my "A" race for sure.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Subaru Triathlon Series - Peterborough - July 10th
Here is a link to the story in the local paper about my race in Peterborough, ON, Canada. Still trying to "bang-out" my race report.
Link to story in EMC paper.
Finished 5th out of 8 in the OPEN paratriathlon class in a time of 2:04:11.
Next up is the NYC Triathlon on August 7th. This is my "A" race for sure.
Link to story in EMC paper.
Finished 5th out of 8 in the OPEN paratriathlon class in a time of 2:04:11.
Next up is the NYC Triathlon on August 7th. This is my "A" race for sure.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Patroit 1/2 Iron Distance Triathlon Race Report
Run to a pole, walk to a pole, run to a pole......more about that later.
Last year I completed the FIRM MAN 1/2 Iron Aquabike down in Narraghansett in September. Prior to that race I had not completed a 1/2 marathon. I then completed a 1/2 marathon in Salem a week later and then completed another one last month in Newton. With the training plan I started at the beginning of the year and some tweaking from Kurt, our team captain, I was confident I would be ready for this race on June 18th.
I competed in the Minuteman Sprint at the same race site last year. This would help with my familiarity with the location. I found out as a paratriathlete I would be in the first wave for the 1/2 with the Elites/Pros. It would make for a small crowd, and would hopefully get me out so when the following waves came by I would not get banged around too much.
Sue and Owen had plans to come down to the race site after Owen's swim lesson in the morning so my choices were to drive down as usual or get a ride with another athlete. Not wanting to deal with two cars I opted to find a ride. I was also worried about driving myself home after competing in a race that would end up taking me more than 8 hours to complete. I emailed around and Tim Clarke (Team Comp teammate) graciously offered to drive me down. I would have preferred to leave a little earlier, but grateful for the ride from Tim, he planned to pick me up outside of our place at 4AM. I was up at 3AM to get packed up, prepare my nutrition for the ride down and do my usually sharpie writing (S.O.T.H and PINGS) on my arms for encouragement. I also was able to bring Katie Lynch's sock again (read my previous race report for background) and it would later become SO important to me on the run.
Tim arrived and we hooked up my bike and we were off down to Freetown. The ride was quick and uneventful and we arrived down at the race site a little after 5:30AM. We parked and wandered over to pick up our race packets.
To my surprise, I looked up my race number and I was given #1. We went back to the car to get our gear and bikes and then lined up for body marking before getting into transition,
Last year I completed the FIRM MAN 1/2 Iron Aquabike down in Narraghansett in September. Prior to that race I had not completed a 1/2 marathon. I then completed a 1/2 marathon in Salem a week later and then completed another one last month in Newton. With the training plan I started at the beginning of the year and some tweaking from Kurt, our team captain, I was confident I would be ready for this race on June 18th.
I competed in the Minuteman Sprint at the same race site last year. This would help with my familiarity with the location. I found out as a paratriathlete I would be in the first wave for the 1/2 with the Elites/Pros. It would make for a small crowd, and would hopefully get me out so when the following waves came by I would not get banged around too much.
Sue and Owen had plans to come down to the race site after Owen's swim lesson in the morning so my choices were to drive down as usual or get a ride with another athlete. Not wanting to deal with two cars I opted to find a ride. I was also worried about driving myself home after competing in a race that would end up taking me more than 8 hours to complete. I emailed around and Tim Clarke (Team Comp teammate) graciously offered to drive me down. I would have preferred to leave a little earlier, but grateful for the ride from Tim, he planned to pick me up outside of our place at 4AM. I was up at 3AM to get packed up, prepare my nutrition for the ride down and do my usually sharpie writing (S.O.T.H and PINGS) on my arms for encouragement. I also was able to bring Katie Lynch's sock again (read my previous race report for background) and it would later become SO important to me on the run.
Tim arrived and we hooked up my bike and we were off down to Freetown. The ride was quick and uneventful and we arrived down at the race site a little after 5:30AM. We parked and wandered over to pick up our race packets.
To my surprise, I looked up my race number and I was given #1. We went back to the car to get our gear and bikes and then lined up for body marking before getting into transition,
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| In transition taken by Andrea B. (Comp teammate) |
I usually like to be at the race site as close to 5AM as possible, so this time I would not have much time to mentally prepare. Maybe it ended up being a good thing, since this was going to certainly be the biggest physical challenge I have ever taken upon doing. I realized as I started to unpack, that I had forgotten 3 crucial items. I forget to bring my flat sandwiches (PB and J) for the bike, GATORADE, and sunscreen. I did remember to bring a couple of CLIF bars, so I made to sure to have those ready to stuff in the back of my shirt during T1.
After meeting up with most of my Team Comprehensive teammates prior to the start of the race, I made sure my bike and gear were ready and then made my way down the start of the swim. I have always tried to swim a bit prior to the start, but did not have time this year. I would have to make due with simply starting right away. At this point, the start of the race was delayed about 15 minutes. When I got to the starting area I ate my one gel pack and then readied myself for the start. I was chatting with one of the elite males who told me this race would be his first ever open water swim. How the heck was he an elite?
Anyway, all the Minuteman sprint racers were in the water and we were up next. When we were asked to step across the timing pad, I walked straight up and over and then into the water. At 70 degrees, the water felt fine once I got in. They counted down from 30 seconds and we were off! I put myself at the back of the pack and got my groove going pretty good. I kept my line straight along the buoys for a while and then got passed by the next wave about 6 or 8 minutes into the swim. When I looked up next I realized I was heading a bit to the right and had to swim left to get back in line. I reached the left turn buoy about 25 minutes into the swim. The rest of the swim went fine as I kept line pretty well up to the next left turn and then on into the finish. I got passed by LOTS of swimmers but never really freaked out at all even when people swam over top of me. Each time it happened, I simply put my hands over my face to make sure my goggles didn't get kicked off. It really was no big deal.
As I neared the shore I could hear the crowd and I kept going pretty strong right up the shore. I got out of the water at a time of 1:02:03 (500 out of 506) and got to my bike as quickly as I could. T1 went so-so in a time of 3:54. I wanted to make sure I had all I needed for the 56 mile ride.
The bike leg went quite well with no real problems. It was two times around a 29 mile circuit. That works out to 58 miles (instead of 56) for the ride. There were two bottle exchanges on each leg. I was sure to grab water 3 times and HEED once. I averaged about 15.4 mph for the first lap and then 14.9 mph for the total trip. As I came around to finish the first lap there were lots of Comp people cheering on the side of the road. I remember seeing and hearing Dan and Andrea for sure. I knew Andrea was going to call Sue and give her an update, so it was a bit of boost as I started the 2nd leg.
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| Taken by Deb Lewis |
My target speed was 14.5 mph for the entire leg, so things worked out well as far as I was concerned. I got passed by lots of riders but managed to pass a few as well. A number of Comp teammates passed me (Rich, Stu, and Denise) and we yelled encouragement to each other.
Nearing the end of the 2nd lap I had my one moment of frustration on the bike, but later that day I was ablt to laugh about it. A rider had passed me with about 2 miles to go and I remembering saying to her, "And now all we have to do is run 13 miles." To which she responded, "Not me, I'm doing the Aquabike". The aquabike is only the swim and bike portions of the race. For a moment, I wanted to say "**** you !", but of course I took a second and realized, you do what you can do. All the "props" to her for doing "her" race as I have done two aquabikes in the past.
The marshals and police really seemed to have things in control as I never had problems at any of the turns or intersections. Coming into T2 there were more Comp people around including those who had finished the Minuteman Sprint. Just as I pulled in, I saw Sue and Owen who had made it down by now. I was aiming for a time of about 4h 10 min and as I looked at my watch and realized I had done it in 3:56:47 (488 out of 506), I was feeling pretty good about the ride. Had I gone too fast?
I had no idea what I would feel like getting off the bike and then trying to run. Up to now, the hardest BRICK I had done was a 35 mile ride with a 7 mile run.
As soon as I dismounted, I could feel the stiffness in my legs. I got to the rack and placed my bike on it and then proceeded to get ready to "run" 13.1 miles. I drank a lot of water, put on my running shoes and visor and started to head out of T2. My time for transition was 4:32, which was a little slower than I would have liked, but not terrible.
I started to jog lightly towards the road when I saw Sue and Owen waiting for me. Owen gave me a "high -5" and then a much needed hug. Andrea was there with some encouragement as well. She asked if she could jog with me a bit and I (probably not in a nice voice) said I needed to do this myself. The more I think about it, the more I feel it was embarrassment that at this point as I did not feel like I was going to able to run at all.
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| Leaving T2 (by Andrea B.) |
The next 4-5 miles was the toughest thing to date I have done physically. I wanted to QUIT and pack it in. Doing the math in my head I knew if I did not start running, I would not make the 4pm (4:15 really, since the race had started late). I tried to run, but could not seem to do it. There were aid stations set up almost every mile and reaching the first one, I checked my time to see it was close to 20 minutes. I took some water, oranges and banana and carried on. At this rate it would take me almost 4.5 hours to complete the 13.1 miles. Since it was now about 12:40 or so, I would cross the line at about 4:50 or so. Well after the cut-off time. I immediately thought about Chaz Fairbrother, one of my Comp teammates. He has attempted IMLP twice and both times did not make the 12 midnight cut-off, but both times he did cross the line! Thanks Chaz! You helped me KEEP GOING! Each of the next two miles were about the same at 18 to 20 minutes each time. The toughest mile, was when I was coming up to the next marker, thinking it was mile 5 and it was only 4. How could I keep going?
Then I reached down and touched Katie's sock. Katie was an LP who died far too young. I never met her but connected with her parents through the 1/2 marathon I did last month. Her mom gave me a magenta sock to carry in that race and I sure needed it again today. I pulled on that sock and Katie told me "You can keep going". I had a bit of a muscle strain in my right calf that had surfaced the last week of training during a short morning run. I had done my best with ice and stretching and was hoping it would not re-surface. As soon as it started up again I knew if I did not deal with it, my run could be over. I pulled on the sock again and thought of a lot of inspirational people. Dick and Rick Hoyt as well as Jon Blais (ALS Blazeman Warrior) were there with me as well. I could hear them telling me "ONE MORE STEP". At the top of every hill (not really very many of them) I was able to see Sue and Owen cheering me on.
After mile 5, I realized I would not make the cut-off time. I was dealing with the heat OK, it was just the pain that was a challenge. What would be better? Stopping and trying another time or to keep going. I promised my mother, I would make sure that if God was there with me telling me to stop, I would listen. So I asked Him, "what do I do?" Immediately an image came to me of a man doing the Kona Ironman World Championships. He was on camera late into the night and the camera man asked, "how are you doing this?" His answer was simple. He was following the electrical poles and was alternatiing. Walk to one, then run to the next, then walk, them run. That was it. So I started to do that. Walk, then run, then walk, then run. It started to work. I got to the next aid station and my time was down to around 15 min per mile. I completed the rest of the race that way. I tried to make sure I was running in the shade so I did cross the road back and forth a number of times to try and stay cool.
Each aid station was SO helpful. The volunteers were great. Their words of encouragement helped a lot along with the ice bag one man held on my shoulders and head while I consumed some nutrition at one water stop. Thanks also to the athlete who suggested I put ice down my singlet to keep my core cool. That worked SO WELL. Around mile 8 I think, I was passed by my dear friend Jim Logan. We had a great chat and he continued on his way. Around mile 10 or so, a police cruiser pulled up and the officer asked if I was OK. I gave him the thumbs up and said all was great!
As I reached the last manned aid station, the enthusiasm of the volunteers still remained strong. They were all so happy to help. It was now after 4pm, so the last 2 aid stations had water to drink, but no one was there. I had to get back to Cathedral Camp all alone. Then I saw Mark, the RD, pulling up and thought he was going to tell me the race had ended. He rolled down the window and cheered me on! I asked if the finish line was still open and he said, "YES! And there's lots of people waiting for you."
Here I was now with about 1-1.5 miles to go. I tried to continue with my pattern of walking then running and I saw the volunteers near the entrance to the finish chute. They were actually cheering!! I started to run and then I looked at my watch and it read about 8:56. I had to run pretty hard if I was to make it over the line prior to the 9 hour mark. Then I heard someone yell from the finish line, "He's coming" Then the cowbells! I was going to do this. I was about to finish my FIRST 70.3 race. I turned the last corner of the path and could see the finish arch. There were Sue and Owen waiting for me. And what a surprise as well, to see SO MANY Team Comp still there to cheer me on! What a TEAM!!
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| "Almost there" by Andrea B. |
I crossed the line with a run time of 3:51:59 (484 out of 506) giving me a total time of 8:59:12. I was able to earn 2nd place in the Male Paratriathlete division. There were 3 of us racing but only 2 finished. Looking at the results, I finished ahead of 4 other competitors and there were 20 people listed as possible DNFers.
Again, I could have packed it in knowing I might not earn an official time, but I convinced myself that I entered the race knowing that might very well happen. I owed it to both Sue and Owen to FINISH the race. Both of them sacrificed a lot in allowing me the time to train and prepare. I could not let them down. I also kept saying to myself, this race was for all of us who at some time in our lives were told by someone else that we were not physically able to do something. I know I can do this again and I know I can finish under a time of 8:30. If I can do that, then maybe a 140.6 race is not out of the question. I am totally fine with that race possibly never happening. But I'll say this now, if you want to make sure I someday do a 140.6, then come up to me and tell me I can't physically handle a race that long.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Katie Lynch Heartbreak Hill 1/2 Marathon Race Report
Well, leading up to this very important race, to say the nerves were a little frazzled, would be an understatement. I've already talked a bit about the importance of this race for me, but I thought it might be a good idea to go over the background info again.
Katie Lynch was a LP (little person) who had a connection with the Boston Marathon about 10 years ago. She came up with something called the "Purple Shoes Challenge". Somehow getting connected with Dave McGillivary, she walked her own marathon of 26.2 feet prior to the Boston Marathon in 2001. Sadly, in 2002, Katie died and though we attended an LP National Convention years ago, I never met her personally. In honor of her life and the programs she started to make sure there are programs available for all who want to participate in physical activity, regardless of their different abilities, Katie's family and friends started this race, the Katie Lynch Heartbreak Hill 1/2 Marathon 2 years ago. Along with the race, is the "Purple Shoes Challenge" where dozens of differently-abled athletes participate in their own marathons.
Through a mutual friend, I heard about this race last season and thought seriously about racing then. Having never ran in a 1/2 marathon, I thought it best I try a more "friendly" course closer to home to test my endurance over 13.1 miles of running. In September of last year I raced in the Wicked 1/2 Marathon in Salem and finished in a time of 3:11, which was about 1 minute slower than I had planned. I was SO HAPPY.
Last Christmas I contaced Katie's mother Joan about my intentions to race both for myself and to honor Katie. She was excited and from that date onwards, I knew I had her support.
Now to the race weekend. Leading up to the Sunday, the weather was looking promising, but that all changed Friday evening. The forecast changed and was looking like rain all day Sunday. As Saturday evening grew near, I started to freak out and emailed my triathlon team, Comprehensive Racing, for some advice about running in the rain. Well, the support came in fast and furious. Most of it centered around lubing my feet, but most of my teammates simply said, control what you can control. Don't worry about the weather and get out there and do your best, but most importantly, ENJOY IT. The advice settled me down and I was ready Saturday night. Before Owen went to bed, he gladly did is usual pre-race ritual and put some "SPEED" in my shoes. What he does is put my shoes on and then walks around in them transfering his speed into them. Trust me, it's very necessary !!
I got up around 4:30AM and it was raining, HARD. Had my usual pre-race smoothie and bagel with PB. I loaded up the car, said good-bye to Sue and Owen and was on my way. It pretty much rained on and off all the way down and things for a rain free race were not looking good. I got down to Newton South HS without a problem, arriving at about 6:30AM for a 7:30AM start. I went inside and registered. I looked for Joan to say "HI" and then processed to keep hydrating and get ready.
I looked outside a number of times and then rain continued to fall. I lubed up my feet and after trying to find a place to carry extra socks, I decided to go with only the pair I would be wearing. For my last trip inside to finish up, I managed to meet and have a chat with Anjali Forber-Pratt who is an Paralympic Medalist. She was coming to do the 5K race.
As I headed outside for the race, the rain had stopped. Things were looking promising for a "dry" race. The skies never really cleared up, but NO RAIN was going to be a real bonus. After I found Joan to get one more hug before the race, I ran into a dear friend named Ruth Ricker. She is an LP and is also the friend on Katie's who told me about the race. It was SO GREAT seeing a friendly face at the start. I knew Sue and Owen were heading down and would see me at a water stop, but this was such a great final emotional boost.
Now as far as a target time for a finish, this is where I had some concern. I was told numerous times by one of the race organizers, that this was a hard course. He rated it as an 8 out of 10 in terms of difficulty. With my previous only 1/2 time of 3:11, I chose to shoot for a 3:00:00. Even though the Wicked 1/2 was a much flatter course, I convinced myself I had done A LOT of training. It included doing about 20 miles per week during the final two weeks of training prior to my taper week.
After the anthem we quickly started the race. I was expecting to be at the BACK of the pack and it sure happened quickly. After about 2-3 minutes into the race, I looked back and saw no one. I was to have my own race without having to worry about other runners. I ran-walked the first mile and was totally excited to get to the first mile marker at 12:50. I did not feel I was pushing hard, so this was a good sign. The course was clearly marked and I only missed 2 of the later markers on the way back in. The first water-stop came at a little after mile 2. There was a 5K race that started 20 minutes after us on part of the same course. The 2 wheelchair racers passed me before mile 2 and then a few of the faster 5K runners as well. The course split after the water stop with us going left and the 5K runners continuing on straight. After the water stop and turn, I was truly alone, but totally ready for it.
The course was well marked with police and marshals at all of the crucial corners. I never felt abondoned for the entire race. There was water and gatorade and plenty of volunteers at each stop. I also noticed a lot of people calling my name, so I figure Joan must have told a lot of them about me. It sure helped keep me strong.
At about mile 4 or so I started to see runners heading back to the start. By this point they had already ran a distance of about 9 miles. As time went on, the amount of people heading back in started to grow. Lots of "high-5's" and again, I got another boost. As the miles started to pass, my time was staying consistent around 12:50-13:10 min/mile.
As I turned onto Heartbreak Hill, it didn't seem like such a hill. Now of course, at this point I have ran about 5 miles or so. The Boston Marathoners hit this hill around mile 20. A big difference. The best part would be all I had to do now was get up the hill, run around a part of BC and then I was heading downhill most of the way back to the finish. Of course, besides taking care of weather, Katie, my guardian angel for this race, was making sure they were people all along the way to help. I looked over and who did I see, but Evangelyn Surette. She is the mother of one of my students at Pingree and is now working in our main office in place of Barbara Savarese who is off sick. She yelled me some encouragment as I neared the turn around.
The coach from the Wayland Tennis team met me right after the turn around and ran with me down to the water stop where her team was volunteering. We had a nice chat about racing and again, it helped keep my mind off of the pain starting to sneak into my knees. There waiting on the side of the road to cheer for me again was Evangelyn. I got a nice big hug and kiss, and proceeded to RUN the 6 miles or so back to the start.
Again, each mile I checked my time and I was still about 6 minutes ahead of my target time. I was truly alone now with only marshals, police officers and people at the water stops. I was so happy to see all of them remaining at their posts. As I turned the corner leading to the last water stop, I could see the table far in the distance. Not wearing my glasses I thought I could see a couple of familar figures in the distance. When I removed the head phones from my ears, I knew I was correct. The sound of the cowbell and Owen yelling "DADDY!" we unmistakeable. The final boost I needed to finish was there. I got to them and got a big hug and kiss from both and kept running. Funny thing, I saw them again a few turns later, as Sue got lost finding the finish and had to ask the police officer for directions. Her suggestion made me chuckle, as she simply said, "Follow him" as she pointed to me. I'm glad she didn't as I don't think I would have dealt well with the pressure of them behind me the whole way. I got to the last big turn before the school where the volunteer said there was only a little more than a 1/2 mile to go.
I continued to run and made it where I could see the school. I so glad when I noticed I only had to run up to a driveway and then turn to head to the finish about 30 yards away. In a few races I've been in, once you see the finish, they still make you run around the block. As I turned in, there were plenty of people there cheering and I saw the CLOCK. It read 2:55! Not only was I going to beat my target time by 5 minutes, I was about to beat my first 1/2 marathon time by more than 16 minutes. That was especially satisfying since the Wicked 1/2 course is much more forgiving. My official time was 2:55:41. What a great DAY. Lots of hugs with Sue and Owen and then a much appreciated BBQ lunch after with some of the volunteers and Purple Shoe Athletes.
A great day with race #1 of my 3 important races this summer now in the books. If only the 1/2 Iron race I am going to be doing on June 18th is as succesful. It will be the first race I do where there are cut-off times where I might be pulled from the course if I don't get out of the water or off of bike by a certain time.
Up next is the Team Hoyt 5K race on May 26th in Waltham.
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| After the race........... |
Through a mutual friend, I heard about this race last season and thought seriously about racing then. Having never ran in a 1/2 marathon, I thought it best I try a more "friendly" course closer to home to test my endurance over 13.1 miles of running. In September of last year I raced in the Wicked 1/2 Marathon in Salem and finished in a time of 3:11, which was about 1 minute slower than I had planned. I was SO HAPPY.
Last Christmas I contaced Katie's mother Joan about my intentions to race both for myself and to honor Katie. She was excited and from that date onwards, I knew I had her support.
Now to the race weekend. Leading up to the Sunday, the weather was looking promising, but that all changed Friday evening. The forecast changed and was looking like rain all day Sunday. As Saturday evening grew near, I started to freak out and emailed my triathlon team, Comprehensive Racing, for some advice about running in the rain. Well, the support came in fast and furious. Most of it centered around lubing my feet, but most of my teammates simply said, control what you can control. Don't worry about the weather and get out there and do your best, but most importantly, ENJOY IT. The advice settled me down and I was ready Saturday night. Before Owen went to bed, he gladly did is usual pre-race ritual and put some "SPEED" in my shoes. What he does is put my shoes on and then walks around in them transfering his speed into them. Trust me, it's very necessary !!
I got up around 4:30AM and it was raining, HARD. Had my usual pre-race smoothie and bagel with PB. I loaded up the car, said good-bye to Sue and Owen and was on my way. It pretty much rained on and off all the way down and things for a rain free race were not looking good. I got down to Newton South HS without a problem, arriving at about 6:30AM for a 7:30AM start. I went inside and registered. I looked for Joan to say "HI" and then processed to keep hydrating and get ready.
I looked outside a number of times and then rain continued to fall. I lubed up my feet and after trying to find a place to carry extra socks, I decided to go with only the pair I would be wearing. For my last trip inside to finish up, I managed to meet and have a chat with Anjali Forber-Pratt who is an Paralympic Medalist. She was coming to do the 5K race.
As I headed outside for the race, the rain had stopped. Things were looking promising for a "dry" race. The skies never really cleared up, but NO RAIN was going to be a real bonus. After I found Joan to get one more hug before the race, I ran into a dear friend named Ruth Ricker. She is an LP and is also the friend on Katie's who told me about the race. It was SO GREAT seeing a friendly face at the start. I knew Sue and Owen were heading down and would see me at a water stop, but this was such a great final emotional boost.
Now as far as a target time for a finish, this is where I had some concern. I was told numerous times by one of the race organizers, that this was a hard course. He rated it as an 8 out of 10 in terms of difficulty. With my previous only 1/2 time of 3:11, I chose to shoot for a 3:00:00. Even though the Wicked 1/2 was a much flatter course, I convinced myself I had done A LOT of training. It included doing about 20 miles per week during the final two weeks of training prior to my taper week.
After the anthem we quickly started the race. I was expecting to be at the BACK of the pack and it sure happened quickly. After about 2-3 minutes into the race, I looked back and saw no one. I was to have my own race without having to worry about other runners. I ran-walked the first mile and was totally excited to get to the first mile marker at 12:50. I did not feel I was pushing hard, so this was a good sign. The course was clearly marked and I only missed 2 of the later markers on the way back in. The first water-stop came at a little after mile 2. There was a 5K race that started 20 minutes after us on part of the same course. The 2 wheelchair racers passed me before mile 2 and then a few of the faster 5K runners as well. The course split after the water stop with us going left and the 5K runners continuing on straight. After the water stop and turn, I was truly alone, but totally ready for it.
The course was well marked with police and marshals at all of the crucial corners. I never felt abondoned for the entire race. There was water and gatorade and plenty of volunteers at each stop. I also noticed a lot of people calling my name, so I figure Joan must have told a lot of them about me. It sure helped keep me strong.
At about mile 4 or so I started to see runners heading back to the start. By this point they had already ran a distance of about 9 miles. As time went on, the amount of people heading back in started to grow. Lots of "high-5's" and again, I got another boost. As the miles started to pass, my time was staying consistent around 12:50-13:10 min/mile.
As I turned onto Heartbreak Hill, it didn't seem like such a hill. Now of course, at this point I have ran about 5 miles or so. The Boston Marathoners hit this hill around mile 20. A big difference. The best part would be all I had to do now was get up the hill, run around a part of BC and then I was heading downhill most of the way back to the finish. Of course, besides taking care of weather, Katie, my guardian angel for this race, was making sure they were people all along the way to help. I looked over and who did I see, but Evangelyn Surette. She is the mother of one of my students at Pingree and is now working in our main office in place of Barbara Savarese who is off sick. She yelled me some encouragment as I neared the turn around.
The coach from the Wayland Tennis team met me right after the turn around and ran with me down to the water stop where her team was volunteering. We had a nice chat about racing and again, it helped keep my mind off of the pain starting to sneak into my knees. There waiting on the side of the road to cheer for me again was Evangelyn. I got a nice big hug and kiss, and proceeded to RUN the 6 miles or so back to the start.
 |
| Cheering me on and ringing that COWBELL. |
Again, each mile I checked my time and I was still about 6 minutes ahead of my target time. I was truly alone now with only marshals, police officers and people at the water stops. I was so happy to see all of them remaining at their posts. As I turned the corner leading to the last water stop, I could see the table far in the distance. Not wearing my glasses I thought I could see a couple of familar figures in the distance. When I removed the head phones from my ears, I knew I was correct. The sound of the cowbell and Owen yelling "DADDY!" we unmistakeable. The final boost I needed to finish was there. I got to them and got a big hug and kiss from both and kept running. Funny thing, I saw them again a few turns later, as Sue got lost finding the finish and had to ask the police officer for directions. Her suggestion made me chuckle, as she simply said, "Follow him" as she pointed to me. I'm glad she didn't as I don't think I would have dealt well with the pressure of them behind me the whole way. I got to the last big turn before the school where the volunteer said there was only a little more than a 1/2 mile to go.
Listen for Owen at the end of the video.
I continued to run and made it where I could see the school. I so glad when I noticed I only had to run up to a driveway and then turn to head to the finish about 30 yards away. In a few races I've been in, once you see the finish, they still make you run around the block. As I turned in, there were plenty of people there cheering and I saw the CLOCK. It read 2:55! Not only was I going to beat my target time by 5 minutes, I was about to beat my first 1/2 marathon time by more than 16 minutes. That was especially satisfying since the Wicked 1/2 course is much more forgiving. My official time was 2:55:41. What a great DAY. Lots of hugs with Sue and Owen and then a much appreciated BBQ lunch after with some of the volunteers and Purple Shoe Athletes.
 |
| Owen and me after my finish. |
A great day with race #1 of my 3 important races this summer now in the books. If only the 1/2 Iron race I am going to be doing on June 18th is as succesful. It will be the first race I do where there are cut-off times where I might be pulled from the course if I don't get out of the water or off of bike by a certain time.
Up next is the Team Hoyt 5K race on May 26th in Waltham.
Friday, May 13, 2011
My First Inspirtational Quote
Okay, I find inspiration in this one. For the first time though, this is something I wrote.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Less than a week to go until the Katie Lynch Heartbreak Hill 1/2 Marathon
Well, as I promised, I will try and update a little more often. A lot has happened in the last few weeks since my previous post. Things at work are starting to lighten up a bit as my AP Calc class had their exam last week. The end of the year here is kind of chaotic, but the end is in sight.
I've done my best to put in the miles as I prepare for a very challenging race this coming weekend with a total of 22.3 miles in the last 9 days. I emailed Katie's mom and asked for something to bring on the race, and her mom gladly obliged. I will really need to draw on my emotional and mental strength this weekend and wanted to carry something from Katie with me as I ran. Her mom sent me a pin from "Katie's Purple Shoes Challenge" along with one of her magenta socks. I will either pin these to my shirt or my race number, as long as they are somewhere I can touch while running. I am confident Katie will be looking down at me cheering me on. I know I can do this race and finish STRONG.
To that end, I am tapering this week. I had an AWESOME run last Saturday as I was able to put in 8.7 strong miles in 1:49:15 around the roads of Salem and Beverly. This run averaged faster than 11.4 min/mile, which is quite a bit faster than I am planning to do on Sunday. I am hoping to run at 13 min/miles which would put me in at 2:50:18. That time is more than 20 minutes off of my 1/2 time from September on a much flatter course. I know it's an aggressive goal, but I know I have put the training and time into this. I need to be careful as I did not stretch enough after the run on Saturday, and my legs were sore Sunday and Monday.
They are still a little sore today but I was able to do an easy 2 mile jog/walk this morning. I am doing my best to stay hydrated all day and will continue to ice them at night. If the weather holds off, I will ride to work tomorrow and then go for a slightly more aggressive run on Thursday. Friday will be a swim and Saturday will be a day off of my feet as much as possible.
I've done my best to put in the miles as I prepare for a very challenging race this coming weekend with a total of 22.3 miles in the last 9 days. I emailed Katie's mom and asked for something to bring on the race, and her mom gladly obliged. I will really need to draw on my emotional and mental strength this weekend and wanted to carry something from Katie with me as I ran. Her mom sent me a pin from "Katie's Purple Shoes Challenge" along with one of her magenta socks. I will either pin these to my shirt or my race number, as long as they are somewhere I can touch while running. I am confident Katie will be looking down at me cheering me on. I know I can do this race and finish STRONG.
To that end, I am tapering this week. I had an AWESOME run last Saturday as I was able to put in 8.7 strong miles in 1:49:15 around the roads of Salem and Beverly. This run averaged faster than 11.4 min/mile, which is quite a bit faster than I am planning to do on Sunday. I am hoping to run at 13 min/miles which would put me in at 2:50:18. That time is more than 20 minutes off of my 1/2 time from September on a much flatter course. I know it's an aggressive goal, but I know I have put the training and time into this. I need to be careful as I did not stretch enough after the run on Saturday, and my legs were sore Sunday and Monday.
They are still a little sore today but I was able to do an easy 2 mile jog/walk this morning. I am doing my best to stay hydrated all day and will continue to ice them at night. If the weather holds off, I will ride to work tomorrow and then go for a slightly more aggressive run on Thursday. Friday will be a swim and Saturday will be a day off of my feet as much as possible.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Spring has Sprung!!
Okay, I know it's been a LONG while since my last post, but I promise as race season gets into full swing, I will keep a little more current with my posts. Training has been going quite well and now that I am 16 days away from a 1/2 Marathon, I thought I would post an update.
I started my official training for this season back at the beginning of January. Things have been going quite well, especially after my training plan was tweaked by my good friend, who is also our team captain, Kurt Maw.
I had my first race of the season back on April 10th. It was a 5K in Salem, called the Wellness 5K. Well, things must have been going well, as I finished the race in 39:59.51, which they rounded up to 40:00. It put me in at 294 out of 312. That time was a PR beating my previously best time by more than 2 minutes.
The race I am doing on May 15th is called the Katie Lynch Heartbreak Hill 1/2 Marathon. Katie was an LP I never had the chance to meet, but a number of my friends with District 1 of the LPA knew her quite well. She passed away in 2003 and this race is now run in honor of her life. She was an advocate for other LPs and physically challenged athletes as she was determined to make sure there were athletic opportunities for all, regardless of physical limitations.
I promise as the weeks progress into the race season, I will post more often.
I started my official training for this season back at the beginning of January. Things have been going quite well, especially after my training plan was tweaked by my good friend, who is also our team captain, Kurt Maw.
I had my first race of the season back on April 10th. It was a 5K in Salem, called the Wellness 5K. Well, things must have been going well, as I finished the race in 39:59.51, which they rounded up to 40:00. It put me in at 294 out of 312. That time was a PR beating my previously best time by more than 2 minutes.
The race I am doing on May 15th is called the Katie Lynch Heartbreak Hill 1/2 Marathon. Katie was an LP I never had the chance to meet, but a number of my friends with District 1 of the LPA knew her quite well. She passed away in 2003 and this race is now run in honor of her life. She was an advocate for other LPs and physically challenged athletes as she was determined to make sure there were athletic opportunities for all, regardless of physical limitations.
I promise as the weeks progress into the race season, I will post more often.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Training Started for 2011 Season
I started my training for the 2011 last Sunday and tomorrow is my first REST/RECOVERY day. I have hit all my numbers so far. Will be doing a lot of reading over the next few weeks on weight training and nutrition.
I decided I will seek some coaching help for some single sessions but don't think I will get a coach on a monthly basis. I kind of figured out, since no one has worked with a little person, most of what they suggest will be a lot of "guess work" on their part. I will seek some help on specific matters, but I think that's all I need at this point. That may change, but we'll see.
I worked out a plan using an IRONMAN distance training plane. The reason being, since I always finish races at about twice the time of the best finishers, it should make sense I use an IRONMAN plan. All plans I have seen are based on time, so since it takes me about twice as long, if I use a 1/2 Ironman training plan, I won't have put in enough time. That's what I think will work.
About 3 weeks before the event, I will be at my peak training time at about 16 hours per week. Right now I am at about 6 hours. I don't know where the time will come from, but we'll see.
On the trainer in the basement I've been enjoying catching up on SHOGUN. A mini-series I remember from the early 80's. SO RETRO.
Happy New Year !!
I decided I will seek some coaching help for some single sessions but don't think I will get a coach on a monthly basis. I kind of figured out, since no one has worked with a little person, most of what they suggest will be a lot of "guess work" on their part. I will seek some help on specific matters, but I think that's all I need at this point. That may change, but we'll see.
I worked out a plan using an IRONMAN distance training plane. The reason being, since I always finish races at about twice the time of the best finishers, it should make sense I use an IRONMAN plan. All plans I have seen are based on time, so since it takes me about twice as long, if I use a 1/2 Ironman training plan, I won't have put in enough time. That's what I think will work.
About 3 weeks before the event, I will be at my peak training time at about 16 hours per week. Right now I am at about 6 hours. I don't know where the time will come from, but we'll see.
On the trainer in the basement I've been enjoying catching up on SHOGUN. A mini-series I remember from the early 80's. SO RETRO.
Happy New Year !!
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