Back to Ohio

Unlike Chrissie Hynde, I went back to Ohio and nothing was gone - well, maybe one thing - that being SNOW. Since I left two weeks ago (March 20th), it has snowed, but it has also rained and hopefully and finally, the snow is actually gone.  The lake is unfrozen and although it is a blustery, rainy day today (and a thankful day off from running), it might actually be that we are headed towards Spring.  My time in Atlanta was well spent as I ran more hills in two weeks there than I have run in 2 years here (maybe not counting Chautauqua in the summer, but I went there when I lived in Atlanta too), and I saw a great number of old friends both running and non-running alike.  I ran in warm weather and some humidity and I subjected myself to two killer massages.  

In addition to staying with my wonderful and old (god has it really been 20+ years) friends, I also had a fabulous dinner and birthday celebration (later in the week) with two of my bestest and oldest running buddies in Atlanta. Going back to having dinner with Karla and Sally Love is like old home week to me, and even though we have not seen each other since last march, the conversation simply picks up where it left off.  I met Karla back in the early 2000s when I moved from a more northern suburb of Atlanta (Alpharetta) to Dunwoody (just OTP) and we ran together for a few years.  We even trained and ran Boston back in 2003 and even if Karla thinks she is a "slow" runner today, she ran a way smarter race and beat my butt good that April day.  I then moved to Ohio the first time and remained for 2.5 years, but once I returned to Atlanta, she and I returned to running and we were joined by Sally Love (who was a former work colleague of Karla's).  Together, Karla and I trained Sally Love to her one and only Boston (2007 - the nor'easter year) and we ran together for the next 5 years.  As their lives got busier and mine got less, I even introduced them to some of my "newer" running buds and they do continue to run with them and together still.  Their birthdays are this week (well, Karla's was Saturday and Sally Love's is tomorrow), so we celebrated with our traditional coffee at the Dunwoody Starbucks and made sure to take this crazy "selfie" to capture the moment.

Yes, just three 50+ ladies trying to figure out the selfie thing.

For you readers (and I hope there are at least two not including my mother), I also had a series of good runs after last weeks disasterous long run on Thursday.  I managed an awesome 10 miler over a hilly course with one of my dearest friends Chris (who actually got me to run that marathon in Chicago of 2000 after a long 13 year lay off).  It was to be 10 miles with 6 at marathon pace, and although I have not really dialed in that pace - those 6 miles were easily run at 8:40-8:50 with the ups and downs of the course.  It felt good even though it did warm up over the course of the 1.5 hrs it took to complete. I then ran what felt like a real easy 5 miles on Wednesday over those same hills and in much warmer weather (since I did not go for my run until 11 am). The next day, I had a delightful run with Laurie and Sarah, who is also running Boston.  We ran some very technical and hilly trails that I had not run in a few years and it brought back memories of when I used to feel like I could fly up and down those hills with reckless abandon.  Well there is no reckless abandon anymore, but I didn't get hurt either :).  That is most definitely par for the course if you ask anyone.

Friday morning, Joe joined me for a 15 miler and it felt like old times.  Joe and I ran our long runs together for the last 4 yrs that I was in Atlanta, and we whipped ourselves into pretty good shape over that time frame.  Neither of us wanted to disappoint so we were always there - often joined by Jody and the aforementioned Sally Love who by the way is nicknamed "the rabbit".  Sally Love always had a time constraint (because she works like a crazy lady); therefore, those first few miles were always quick.  Joe's granddaughter met her once and even called her "the rabbit".  Neither Jody nor "the rabbit" joined us on Friday, but Joe & I finished up with a very solid run, and on the Saturday, I joined the Roswell group for the last time to have my final hurrah in Atlanta with a cool morning and good friends.  

Recap of the running week:

Mon - Day off
Tues - 10 miles with 6 at pace
Wed - 5 miles (70F, 77% humidity)
Thurs - 7.3 miles of trails (65F, 77% humidity)
Fri - 15.2 miles averaging just under 9 min miles (cooler, but very humid with a bit of rain at the end)
Sat - 6.2 miles in the cooler weather
Sun - Drive home

WTD: 44 miles  YTD: 550  (10 more miles than last year and a lot more quality).

Just picked up my "held" mail from the last two weeks, and there was my Boston Marathon packet.  It is getting very real now, and it is weird to me that I will be leaving for Boston in just a bit under 14 days.   I guess it is really going to happen and soon.  Maybe I should see if I can get myself into taper mode and get rid of all the lousy runs between then and now.

Glad I went back and spent those two weeks, glad I saw everyone and didn't stay too long, glad I saw Jerry, but I am glad (at least slightly) to be home.

For now - 14 days.......................

Half Way There

The title refers to the fact that we (anyone training) are half way through the plan for this year's Boston Marathon.  Week ended up as pretty successful.  Rain came in on Thursday night and washed away most of the snow and then we got a bit of a warming trend so that we were able to run outside this weekend.  There was some ice which made some of the spots interesting, but for the most part, the roads, sidewalks, and all-purpose trail in the park were clear.  I changed the date of my long run to accommodate another friend running Boston, so we did 18 together (and with her fiancé) on Sunday rather than Saturday.  It was definitely a better choice as there was less ice by Sunday.  Still some slick spots but as the sun came out, most of those turned to slush or simply puddles.  I did the 18 as calorie depleted in that I did not fuel at all during the 2:46 and relied only on water and Nuun.  It was the first time that I ran that long without eating before or during the run.  I felt good and we actually picked up the pace in the 2^nd half as again the ice had melted.

On Thursday, I did end up running a solid hill workout.  These hills were done as a steady effort up, then on to the flat and then a harder run down.  It was drizzling a little, but again, the hard rain from the day had cleared off the sidewalk on the hill, so we were in luck.  Good overall run that covered 7 solid miles. 

Here is the recap:

Mon – 4 miles in Arizona

Tues – Travel home.

Wed – Easy 6 miles in the sidewalks/roads at home.  Added in the Yacht Club hill.  A bit of slush in some areas but clear for the most part.

Thurs – 7 miles with 6 x hill – up and down

Fri –Day off

Sat – Easy 8 miles.  Icy in spots which was interesting in some cases.

Sun – 18 miles in 2:46.  So at the slower end of the zone, but the 2^nd half was much faster (closer to 9:15 average) as the slick spots were less and less.

WTD:  43 miles

Interestingly enough, I ran outside everyday this past week – no indoor or treadmill miles.  I am hoping that the snow we are seeing now is just flurries and nothing sticks so I can do tomorrow’s workout on the actual outdoor track.  It is supposed to get cold again (20s), but no snow accumulation.  This weekend will be the Millcreek Half marathon on Sunday and I am planning on running 2-3 warm up miles  (depends  on how early we get there as it is a 1.5 hr drive) and then 9-10 miles at MP with the last 3 hopefully faster.  It is a hilly course (15 hills) but that is the test.

I also bought a copy of Dr. Stan’s book on training Elite Minds.  I’ve only read the 1^st chapter and a half.  I was contacted by the director of the Boston Marathon film, so that might put a bit of pressure on me as well if he uses my story.  Let's hope Dr. Stan's book helps.

56 days.

Boston Bomber

Last year my life was affected in a way that I could not imagine would ever happen.  And although I'm pretty rational and nothing physically happened to me, I still think about that day and what could have been.  I am a runner, and I've run 45 marathons and soon (God willing) to be 46 in April and countless other races - half marathons, 10Ks, 5Ks, 15Ks, 10 milers - you name it.  I've run pretty consistently for over 30 years and it is a part of me.  I used to be "fast" back in the day but I can still hold my own in my age group.  Running defines me to some extent.  In fact, the title of this blog is taken from a joke that I have with my own daughter.  When we travel to a place where I have run a race, I will say to her, "Mom ran here", and it has become our own little inside laugh and bond over the years.  However, I was not prepared for the events of last April 15th.

You see today, I found out that the Boston Marathon Bomber is to be tried and if found guilty, the prosecutors will press for the death penalty.  I have very mixed emotions regarding this.  I was there, at mile 26, when the 2nd bomb went off.  I had heard the first, but kept going, but I saw the 2nd explosion.  I remember noise and fire and thinking that someone on the sidewalk got hurt.  I remember people running back at me and police telling us to get off the road.  I caught a singed twenty dollar bill that flew at me in the whirlwind,  and I remember hiding in a parking garage and using a strangers phone to check in with my parents (who live around mile 12) and my daughter whom I had just stopped to hug at mile 24.5.

I'm a rational being - an engineer by trade and not a super emotional person.  But I still think of the what ifs from that day?  What if I had been in better shape and run faster? What if I hadn't stopped? What if I hadn't old my daughter and her friends to go the the BU area rather than the finish? What if?

The death penalty is a tricky thing.  It is one thing to get the monster off the earth and another to think he may be martyred because of it.  He is guilty, there is no doubt in my mind.  Heck, my friend's son has a video of him walking away from the site.  And I would love to see him rot in prison with his legs amputated so that he has to learn to live the way many of his victims do.  But I also don't think that any good taxpayer should have to pay for him to rot there.  For him to get an education or for him to file a billion appeals to get an "out of jail free card" on some technicality.  We live in a great country.  One that allows us to express such thoughts and to remain innocent until proven without a doubt that you are guilty.  But it is this same country that he and his brother wished to denigrate and bring down.

I'll stop for now as I feel much better.  After all, it is time for me to go "run there".