Rough Week

Taper is never easy.  After all the weeks of training - in the snow, cold, ice, rain, wind, sun, etc., etc. - you get at last a reprieve and your mind begins to tell you all the silly things about how running 26.2 miles is just plain crazy and why don't you take a car to cover that distance.  However, unlike previous tapers, this one has been fraught with all kinds of strange occurrences from the feeling a bit too good on one run, to not feeling sure on the next and from praying for the recovery of another friend from a serious car accident to the untimely and unexpected death of another.  Those random occurrences combined with the ongoing reliving of last years Boston Marathon events might actually be enough to put one over the edge.  But make it to the finish line, I am determined to do (kind of Yoda-esque would you not say?).  The Boston stories sprinkled all over TV and publications are fascinating and inspiring and although I was unable to finish last year and essentially right there in the middle of it all, it still has not really grasped me fully.  I watched some of the Anderson Cooper special with Adrienne Haslet-Davis, the dancer who has returned to dancing, and I was shocked by the video of things I had possibly witnessed but blocked out, but the video of the runners running backwards up Boylston St did bring back some vivid memories of the explosion, the fireball, the smoke and my thoughts of the side walk blowing up and injuring spectators.  In my own rational mind, I never thought there was a bomb, but more like an underground gas main or electrical explosion.  I ran back to the parking garage of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and borrowed some random spectators phone (can't believe he just gave it to me) to text my daughter and call my Mom to say I was ok.  Shannon could easily have been at the finish line with her BU friends, but I told her that it was always too crazy and to go the the "Fenway" bridge with the other members of the dog pound and wait for me there.  Things could be very different today.  (The arrow doesn't really represent anything just want comes up when I looked for an image on Google.  you can see where the hotel is, and I was just passed that to almost Ring Rd).  The 2nd explosion was actually much closer to me than I knew at the time).

My first week of taper was pretty good.  Tuesday's run seemed a bit harder than it should which is to be expected, but Wednesday's track session was excellent.  I felt strong and ran through the 3 x 1600m repeats easily in 7:18, 7:16, and 7:12.  Last fall, I could barely run 7:20 and had to enlist the help of Karyn to run close to 7 one evening. There was a nice headwind on one side of the track and of course, you never really felt the wind at your back on the other side.  Thursday's run was a joy in the beautiful 70F weather and Anne & I ran much too fast, but the humidity was low and we were simply celebrating the fact that there was no SNOW which had been very present the last time we ran those same 6 miles.  Yesterday,  I had a nice comfortable 12 mile run yesterday here in Ohio with Brenda and Amy, two other runners from the local 2nd Sole group who are running Boston.  We ran north from the Cottonwood Picnic Area in the park to almost the Marina, just so we could cover a couple of hills as well as some flat and some gradual climb and descent.
http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Resource.ashx?sn=RockyRiverReservationNorthTrailMap

It was perfect weather and a good, solid run, and it gave me enough confidence to believe that I will finish come next Monday, but who knows in what kind of time.  I'll be very happy with a repeat performance of my 2009 race where I ran fairly even splits and finished in a very respectable 3:59:29. Sub-4 is an ideal and commendable goal at this point, and anything else will simply be extra icing on the cake.   I just need to remember to let gravity take me down those first 3 miles, but not to expend more energy than that.  It is always crowded at the beginning of Boston and this year, I assume it will be even more so especially since the field is so much faster and larger than in the past.  Be smart has got to be my motto for those first few miles.  And although I know Coach Emily (@GloriaBee) would want me to run as close to even splits as possible, I still need to be very careful in those first miles and even more careful and cognizant of my miles through Natick (it's my hometown and everyone should know me right?) and Wellesley (1983 Wellesley, rah, 1983 Wellesley - Class of Yellow, Proud and mellow, 1983 Wellesley).  The training is there and like I have told every runner that I have ever worked with in Peachtree or Atlanta Half Training - trust it as that is why you did it!

As for the weird week, Charles is doing terrifically after his horrible car accident of a few weeks ago.  He is certainly a testament to how working out and preparing one's body and mind can truly help with the healing process.  He is home and out of the neck brace and although he is in pain, he is enduring and recovering and will be back walking and running in no time.  Jerry has been moved to a different rehab facility.  The chemo and radiation are taking there toll, but he is strong and still hanging in there.  I'm so glad that I got to visit him when I was in Atlanta as he continues to give me some strength.  We will all be sporting our "Jerry" bibs at Boston as another reminder of why we run and how running builds not only strong bodies and minds but strong friendships and bonds as well.   Prayers go out to my Mom's side of the family as my Great Aunt in Italy passed earlier this week.  She was well into her 90s and a fiesty old Italian lady till the end.  I only met Zia Maria once back in 1979 when I went to Italy with my cousin, Marie, and my grandfather and she was a delight.  Married to my great uncle, Renzo, who was my Grandfather's youngest brother by 20 yrs and who visited us in the states on several occasions, she was the steadfast matriarch of the family home in Gallarate.  I know she will be missed.  Not sure what the family will do with the homestead now and I'm glad that my daughter was able to meet her two Springs ago.

The strange thing that happened this week was the unexpected death of my crazy friend, Rich F. Scott.  Rich graced us with his wit, charm, character, and presence on a long ago but not forgotten running internet board.  It was on this running chat room that I met many of my virtual and then not so virtual running friends. Rich came to us as a beginning runner who had lost 90 lbs and like so many others had turned to running for his health.  His caustic wit and his ability to grace us with his exploits with a simple keystroke touched us all and we have lost a truly great guy.  I only met Rich once in person (although I cannot remember which race - Chicago? DWD?) but he was one of those people who would suddenly call or text (in more recent years) you out of nowhere with some crazy comment or memory.  The last time I exchanged text with him was over two years ago when my daughter graduated high school and he congratulated me on a job well done (my husband spent the last three years of her high school mostly in California while we stayed in Atlanta, so I guess I deserved it a little).  He also wanted to bust on me for turning 50.  Rich was kindly nicknamed "RuFuS" as it fit his persona wonderfully and we will all miss him terribly.  His untimely death was a sad reminder of the fragility of life and the fact that three amongst our little internet running group (Paula, Joe, and now Rich) have left our little family for a better place.  They are watching over us now, and I know that they will be blowing a little tailwind for me next week.

Until then.................8 more days.

And for fun, I'll leave you with a cute picture of my daughter being a student at BU.  Glad to see her having fun.  (Yup, she is 4'11" and they are 7').

RIP RuFuS.  We will miss you and thanks for touching so many of us.