Well, yesterday was certainly a weird day.  I just felt the vibe was completely different from last year.  The buses were quieter, the mood was not enthusiastic.  It felt like this was something people just wanted to get it over with.  I was foolishly optimistic, thinking that it wouldn’t be as bad as the BAA was letting on.  You can’t blame them hough – they don’t want a tragedy to deal with, and fortunately that was not the case.

0 to 5K: 21:23 (6:53/mile)

I felt that I started conservative enough with the downhill start.  I was thinking the over the weekend, “Just go out at 7:30 pace”, but then leaving from Hopkinton Center it just felt so easy.  I hit a 6:55 with no effort whatsoever, so it felt right.  Everyone was passing me, and I felt like it was where I should be.  I  found myself in Ashland feeling good not feeling like it was too hot.  I knew that would change, but I was still foolishly optimistic.

5K to 10K: 21:26 (6:54/mile) 

The challenge here was to not go so fast, and I felt like I was doing a good job with that.  I was just 3 seconds slower than the first 5K, so again, I was feeling good about holding back even though I said yesterday that 7:30 pace would be just fine today.  I hit the Framingham border in great shape and expected to feel that way for a while.

10K to 15K: 21:31 (6:56/mile)

Framingham is a real pain due to the lack of shade, but I still felt decent, alternating between water and gatorade at the water stations and doing a decent job of holding the pace.  The hill going into Natick felt a little more tough than it should have been, but I didn’t put much stock into that since I was fine on the subsequent flat part heading toward Lake Cochicuate.  It seemed like everything was still in place.

15K to 20K: 22:16 (7:10/mile)

Not again.  It’s funny.  When you practice the course, you never really notice the small up and downs that occur throughout the course.  There are a couple of those in Natick.  It was starting to really feel warm out.  I said to myself. “OK, just slow down now before it’s too late” and I settled on low 7s for a bit.  Wellesley College gave me a second wind into the 20K mark, but this stretch was the first sign that I was looking toward a brutal repeat of last year.

20K to 25K: 23:32 (7:35/mile)

This was the beginning of the end.  I wasn’t too bad hitting the halfway point, but heading toward mile 14 the negative thoughts came into my head.  What am I doing out here?  I am undertrained and I went out too fast again, even though I went out slower.  I don’t want to be running this race.  I just want to go home and forget it.  But my heart is too strong for that and I kept going just telling myself to slow down, which I did.  The little ups were bigger than they should have been.  I got a little back heading toward the Lower Falls, but I knew what was coming next…

25K to 30K: 24:49 (8:00/mile)

First hill heads up toward and over Route 128.  I saw my co-worker Scott at this point.  I knew I was toast with 4 Newton Hills to go, but I managed to joke to him that I didn’t take the ice-cream at mile 3 offered by a radio station to anyone who decided to call it a day early.  I proceeded slowly up the hill and then made my way past the Newton Wellesley Hospital.  I picked up a GU here and could soon see the turn onto Commonwealth Ave where I would encounter the second Newton Hill.  I knew I would see my mom on the hill so I got over to the left and said hi to her.  After that, I didn’t know if I’d see anyone I knew for the rest of the race.

30K to 35K: 24:47 (7:59/mile)

I was maintaining OK on the Newton Hills in comparison to how I had felt leaving Wellesley.  I thought that if I could just get to the top of Heartbreak in somewhat OK shape, I’d be able to get it out.  Considering how damn hot it was, I was doing a good job working my way up Commonwealth.  The third hill wasn’t awful.  At mile 19, I thought man 7 more to go before I said to myself, just get to 20.  I did get to 20, then I could start to see Heartbreak Hill.  I was gutting it out, fighting through it, but it just seemed to take forever.  Finally I got to the top, but it seemed like there was still a little uphill left, even though it was flat.  My quads were wrecked.  I managed to be strong past BC, but after the right on Chestnut Hill Ave, it was a nightmare just like last year…only worse.

35K to 40K: 41:28 (13:21/mile)

Toast.  I tried to run real slow, but since Heartbreak Hill, it just felt like I wasn’t there – I wasn’t in my body, almost like I was dreaming.  I was still able to think clearly, but the fan noise was so loud, and something was not quite right.  I ran about a mile in this condition, but at approximately 22.4 miles, I made the decision to walk to ensure that I did not do anything stupid in the heat.  This decision was made a lot easier because of the fact that my quads were shot.  After mile 23, I heard a voice to my right say “John, are you OK?” and I turned right while walking to see Julie.  It took me about 2 or 3 seconds before I realized who it was.  ”Oh, hi Julie!” I felt like I said this almost joyfully.  She was concerned for me, but I assured her I’d be fine but needed to walk because it was so hard.  It took so long to get to mile 24, and so long to get to mile 25, but I was checking with the Garmin to ensure I was walking faster than 4mph.  It was a walk, but it was not a lost, down-and-out walk.

40K to Finish: 15:46 (11:34/mile)

The dream-like feeling went away, but my quads were still destroyed.  I managed to jog for a little shortly after Kenmore, and again heading down under the overpass.  I walked up the hill after the overpass and then took the right on Hereford walking.  I saw Caitlyn on the right.  I was trying to just laugh and say something like “It’s just too hot”, but she was telling me to GO and trying to pump me up.  I got frustrated and turned my nonchalant attitude into a mad, “IT JUST SUCKS!”, but I guess it worked Caitlyn because after I passed you I ran to the finish, even able to push it a little to sneak under 3:37 for a 3:36:58 total.

Recap

I battled a knee problem for a good portion of this training.  I got healthy, and knew not to expect much from this race.  The heat reinforced that thought, so I have no problem running what I did the yesterday.  Safety does come first, and I had nothing to prove so I strongly feel that I made the right decision.  Yesterday, I was turned off from the marathon, especially Boston.  I am still turned off from Boston.  I was turned off from Boston last year and vowed I wouldn’t do it in 2012.  Then I did it again anyway, because there is something about the race.  I mean, you just gotta do it.  I think I’m done for a while.  I like early morning marathons and I like flat courses.  Maybe that makes me soft, but there really isn’t anything soft about running 26.2.  I’d like to do 26.2 a lot faster than I have been lately.

I am not disappointed about my effort one bit.  Getting to the finish really was an accomplishment for this one.  But I’m a sub-3 marathoner, and I know I can be sub-2:50, too.  But I think after recovery, the focus will be on a strong 10K in Freeport on the 4th of July with maybe a 5K PR on the way.  To be continued…

It is what it is

It is what it is.  An overused line that suggests not to stress what’s done or out of your control.  At this point, there is no doubt that the weather for the Boston Marathon will rival the 1976 edition when Jack Fultz won with a 2:20+, drenched not only from sweat but also from all the hoses he ran through.

The BAA has announced that runners may defer their entry to next year’s race (provided they pay another entry fee) in an attempt to discourage unprepared runners and avoid a repeat of the ’07 Chicago.  Reading running forums has shown a lot of people are upset that their training has been for nothing.

I feel the need to remind my panicking comrades of a few things.  First, when you sign up for any marathon, it needs to be in your mind that the weather could be less than ideal.  I have been very fortunate to never have the temperatures of a marathon I was in exceed 65.  Lucky seven?  Not so much.  You need to accept that it can happen, and if it does happen, you need to accept it.

Second, everyone else is trying to overcome the same challenge.  You may not be able to hit the time you want, but you may end up finishing in a good percentile for your age group.  It’s not all about the times, although it can be hard to realize that.  The best thing you can do is stay hydrated, be positive, and have a sense of humor, albeit a very sick one at that.

Most importantly, this is the Boston Marathon.  I would argue it’s the most prestigious road race in the world, and I’m blown away by being able to qualify and participate in it.  I dreamt about being in this race as a youngster, and now it will be my second.  It’s a race that means so much to so many, and there are a lot of people that would gladly trade places with a runner who is worried about their training going to waste.

Stay hydrated, change your goals, but don’t for a second worry about this affecting your time.  You will run slower.  Accept it, and go have the time of your life anyway.

My Thoughts on an Amazing Race

Every so often, I have a stretch of training that just doesn’t work out.  That has definitely been the case lately, but I’ve had a little bit of luck over the past few weeks.  My mileage is way down in the 40s, but that’s just the way it is.  On the plus side, I’m not beat up – just undertrained.  Fortunately, I got through a 20 mile run at 7:24 pace last week and I topped it off with a 16.8 mile run with Matt on the course at about 7:30 pace.

So here’s the thing.  I’m out there doing it, which I am learning to be very happy about.  I am so glad to be in Hopkinton again in 2 weeks.  Last year, it became way too much about just destroying the race and I destroyed my body instead.  I had no respect for a 115 year-old race that has broken the hearts of a-plenty.  Well, this time will be far different, and my lack of luck this past winter will hopefully prove to be a blessing in disguise.  You see, I am going out there to enjoy the Boston Marathon and to remember how much this means to me.  I’m not saying I’m going to be high-fiving spectators or stopping for a “break” at Wellesley, but I am going to go out at a pace that promotes a strong ending.

Along the way, I will see thousands of spectators and other runners who each have their own unique story.  I hope to thrive on the positive energy and try to help someone along the way.

New Bedford Half Marathon

So, I ran the New Bedford Half Marathon yesterday and finished a good 4 1/2 minutes slower than my half marathon PR, but it was definitely my best run of this mediocre training cycle.

Why would I be happy about running a 1:26:43?  I’ll show you…

2010 White Mountain Milers Half Marathon
Time: 1:26:59 (6:39)
Strategy: marathon pace first 10 miles, last 5K fast
Marathon Result: 2:56:39 (current PR)

2011 New Bedford Half Marathon
Time: 1:23:34 (6:23), then half-PR
Strategy: set a PR with slightly conservative start, slightly faster finish
Marathon Result: 3:19:20

2011 Harvest Half Marathon
Time: 1:22:09 (6:16), current PR
Strategy: set a PR with consistent 6:15 pace
Marathon Result: 3:02:44

2012 New Bedford Half Marathon
Time: 1:26:43 (6:37)
Strategy: conservative Start, consistent middle, slightly faster finish
Marathon Result: ?:??:??

The idea was, first of all I haven’t been training hard and I’ve battled some knee issues.  These issues sidelined me for what I hoped would be my first marathon in Hyannis in 2007.  Also, I figured that my fast half attempts in the last two marathon training cycles may have been detrimental to my recent marathon experiences.  It’s almost like the training was geared toward the halves and not the marathons.

I’m not sure if I would have learned my lesson if not for injury.  The mileage has been much lower and I think it has been a blessing in disguise.  It made me go into New Bedford feeling unprepared and worried that I am screwed for Boston, but it also forced me to go there to run a marathon pace workout instead of racing.  This is the way I should always approach half marathons when within a marathon training cycle.

Now for the race itself.  I warmed up only about a mile and a quarter, but that was plenty.  I made a last minute decision to use the knee brace as a precaution.  I had to sneak through the fence after the anthem as it was crowded as usual.  It took me 14 seconds to reach the start and I made sure to take advantage of the crowded start.  Roary found me and we ran the first two miles together, the first in 6:58.  Normally, I’d be very disappointed with that kind of split, but today I was so happy to go out conservative.  I made it my goal to run marathon pace (6:40) and clocked a 6:41.  I told Roary that we would be passing a good chunk of the runners out there, and that many of them would have no idea what to expect in between miles 2-4.

Sure enough, I made a chock full of passes on the hilly terrain on the north side of town.  Roary hung back a little but was still running strong.  The funny thing is I actually fell off my pace with a 6:44 and a 6:42, but I reminded myself that it was a good thing.  I quickly did the math in my head and figured I was 25 seconds in the hole for 6:40 pace, but I knew there was plenty of flat mileage to make it up.

Miles 5-8 seemed to go by relatively fast.  I started to really establish the groove during this stretch, and knowing the course really helped.  I was good about not obsessing and would pick landmarks way down the road to get to before checking my watch.  Usually it would take 3-4 minutes to reach those landmarks.  It helped make the race go by faster.  I ran a 6:31 on the gradually downhill fifth mile followed by 6:37, 6:34, and a 6:39.  At mile 8, I calculated that I was now only 6 seconds in the hole, solidifying my belief that there was no need to worry.

Mile 9 was the hardest mile in my opinion because there was a tough sea breeze right our faces.  I was surprised with the amount of people able to pass me during miles 7 and 8, but I was starting to do the passing at mile 9.  While most slowed down, I maintained the marathon pace.  I saw Caitlyn ahead and finally got to her at about mile 9.  I tried to see if I could get her to come along with me, but it was not her day.  I told her I was running high 6:30s, but after mile 9, the course turned left and suddenly it was a tailwind and I was down to a 6:29 for mile 10 followed by 6:32 for mile 11.  I’m convinced that the pavement is harder in New Bedford because it was the second year in a row that my feet were sore mid-race, and that just doesn’t happen to me anywhere else.

Another thing happened around mile 11, and that was an urge to poop.  Dammit!  I am usually good with that in long races, but it definitely bothered me.  I was hoping that I could get through it, and fortunately it wasn’t quite of a big deal after mile 12.  I was so nervous that it would make running unbearable, but I got to the bottom of the hill with a 6:34.  It was now time to do my damage as I did last year and I made several passes.  Sometimes runners would look over to me as I passed surprised that someone was running up the hill so fast, but in their defense I was not racing so I had more in the tank.  I ran 7:00 for the last 1.1 miles and did get passed once – during the final kick – but I was not sprinting to the finish.

Self-control was the name of the game.  Mission accomplished.

Back to the Blog

I stopped blogging for a while.  BOO!

I am growing increasingly excited about running Boston.  I just came off of a 77 mile week.  I’ve had two successful marathon pace runs of eight miles and ten miles so far.  My long run is up to 16 with an 18 miler coming up on Sunday.  I’ve had to battle an achy left leg and even took close to a week off in early January for it, but I’m doing well, at least a lot better than I thought I was.

The strategy is going to be a lot different this year.  There is no banking time.  Marathon goal pace is set at 6:40, and I plan on arriving at the Framingham border (Mile 5) slightly higher than that.  I plan on cruising through Framingham, Natick, and Wellesley no faster than 6:35s.  I will be careful running downhill to the Lower Newton Falls.  The hope is that I will have a lot in the tank at this point as I begin the ascent over 128, staying relaxed as I start to overtake the overzealous runners (AKA me last year).  Slightly over pace up the hills and slightly under pace down the hills.  The idea is to actually feel decent at Heartbreak and go into “gut-it-out” mode as late in the race as possible.

My best paced marathon ever was definitely the 2009 Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach when I ran only 1 minute slower on the second half (about 4.5 seconds per mile slower).  In that race it didn’t feel hard until mile 20 and it was probably 23 when I finally felt like I was gutting it out.  This “sounds” ridiculous for Boston, but I am making it a goal of mine to negative split on Patriots Day.

Ever since Cosmas Ndeti did it in 1993, negative splitting at Boston is not only possible for a fast time, it’s actually the best strategy.  I’ve read message board postings of people that have killed it on the last 10K by going out smart.  I plan to do the same, and maybe this time I’ll actually enjoy the sights along the way!

My All-Time Race Record

2005
4.9.05 | Chase the Gorilla Down Argilla | Ipswich, MA | 5K | 24:22 | 55/180
8.27.05 | Exeter Kiwanis/Exeter Hospital 5K| Exeter, NH | 24:55 | 65/184
8.30.05 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 25:20 | 47/74
9.24.05 | Run 4 Life | Littleton, NH | 10K | ??:?? | ??/??
10.2.05 | Kerouac 5K | Lowell, MA | 5K | 23:08 | 70/244
10.9.05 | Bobby Bell 5 Mile Road Race | Haverhill, MA | 37:59 | 71/157

2006
6.25.06 | New Charles River Run | Boston, MA | 5K | 24:12 | 58/352
6.27.o6 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 23:19 | 40/96
7.11.06 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 22:27 | 44/109
7.18.06 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 22:20 | 30/83
7.25.06 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 22:09 | 39/128
8.1.06 | Yankee Homecoming | Newburyport, MA | 5K | 26:10 | 217/1,031
8.8.06 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 21:24 | 24/114
8.15.06 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 21:15 | 26/111
8.22.06 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 20:52 | 32/121
8.29,06 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 21:30 | 24/88
9.25.06 | City of Worcester Mayor’s Run | Worcester, MA | 5K | 23:33 | 33/78
10.1.06 | Kerouac 5K | Lowell, MA | 5K | Lowell, MA | ??:?? | ??/??
11.23.06 | Feaster Five | Andover, MA | 8K | Andover, MA | 37:12 | 309/2,330

2007
1.1.07 | P’nut Butter Chip Chase | Temple, NH | 5K | Temple, NH | 26:04 | 38/84
6.19.07 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 24:20 | 37/97
6.26.07 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 23:54 | 43/104
7.10.07 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 22:23 | 38/133
7.17.07 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 22:51 | 49/133
7.24.07 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 22:48 | 51/146
8.7.07 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 22:29 | 41/144
8.14.07 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 21:38 | 37/136
8.21.07 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 21:19 | 34/138
8.28.07 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 22:40 | 50/152
10.7.07 | Bobby Bell 5 Mile Road Race | Haverhill, MA | 5M | Haverhill, MA | 41:25 | ??/??
11.11.07 | Larry Robinson 10 Miler | Andover, MA | 10M | 1:21:26 | 175/413
11.22.07 | Feaster Five | Andover, MA | 8K | 37:47 | 369/2496

2008
1.19.08 | Fudgcicle 5K | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 22:55 | 24/64
1.26.08 | Fudgcicle 5K | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 22:13 | 18/56
2.9.08 | Bradford Valentine Race | Haverhill, MA | 5M | 37:04 | 51/184
2.24.08 | Hyannis Marathon | Hyannis, MA | 26.2M | 3:56:56 | 206/396
3.17.08 | Shamrock Shuffle | Worcester, MA | 3M | 21:14 | 4/73
3.24.08 | An Cu Liath Run | Worcester, MA | 3.55M | 24:29 | 3/24
3.31.08 | An Cu Liath Run | Worcester, MA | 3.55M | 25:15 1/11
4.7.08 | An Cu Liath Run | Worcester, MA | 3.55M | 25:37 | 6/22
4.8.08 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 27:12 | 138/237
4.19.08 | Chase the Gorilla Down Argilla | Ipswich, MA | 5K | 20:23 | 23/308
4.22.08 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:56 | 13/118
5.4.08 | Spring Fever 5K | Newburyport, MA | 5K | 30:49 | 164/209
5.11.08 | Medical Center 6K | Nashua, NH | 6K | 24:43 | 185/615
5.25.08 | Baldi River Run | Haverhill, MA | 5M | 33:13 | 24/262
6.1.08 | Rhody 5K | Lincoln, RI | 5K | 21:15 | 201/427
6.17.08 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 20:12 | 14/156
6.24.08 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:49 | 12/135
6.28.08 | Appleton Farms 5K | Ipswich, MA | 5K | 19:48 | 11/182
7.4.08 | L.L. Bean 10K | Freeport, ME | 10K | 43:49 | 143/918
7.8.08 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 22:39 | 38/153
7.15.08 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 20:08 | 16/167
7.17.08 | Sapienza Road Race | Haverhill, MA | 4M | 25:52 | 26/172
7.22.08 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:49 | 14/157
7.29.08 | Yankee Homecoming | Newburyport, MA | 10M | 1:13:40 | 365/1,464
8.5.08 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:26 | 7/185
8.12.08 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 24:16 | 64/128
8.19.08 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:50 | 15/176
8.24.08 | Chamberas XC 6K | Carlisle, MA | 3.5M* | 23:33 | 46/113
9.15.08 | An Cu Liath Run | Worcester, MA | 5K | 21:30 | 5/16
10.5.08 | Topsfield XC Festival | Topsfield, MA | 8K | 36:45 | 49/54
10.12.08 | Wayland XC Festival | Wayland, MA | 5K | 20:34 | 55/158
10.19.08 | Groton Town Forest Trail Races | Groton, MA | 3.4M | 24:09 | 17/95
10.26.08 | Mayor’s Cup | Boston, MA | 8K | 32:57 | 165/167
11.3.08 | An Cu Liath Run | Worcester, MA | 3M | 19:44 | 2/16
11.9.08 | USATF-NE XC Championship | Boston, MA | 10K | 40:27 | 126/133
11.27.08 | Feaster Five | Andover, MA | 8K | 32:19 | 80/2,584
12.1.08 | An Cu Liath Run | Worcester, MA | 3M | 22:20 | 1/14

2009
1.1.09 | Hangover Classic | Salisbury, MA | 10K | 45:20 | 62/295
1.17.09 | Fudgcicle 5K Series | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 20:33 | 2/51
1.24.09 | Fudgcicle 5K Series | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 20:21 | 4/67
1.31.09 | Fudgcicle 5K Series | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 20:16 | 3/53
2.07.09 | Fudgcicle 5K Series | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 25:28 | 31/57
2.15.09 | Half at the Hamptons | Hampton, NH | 13.1M | 1:37:23 | 96/875
2.21.09 | Fudgcicle 5K Series | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 19:47 | 1/52
3.22.09 | Shamrock Marathon | Virginia Beach, VA | 13.1M | 3:21:15 | 210/2,584
4.18.09 | Chase the Gorilla Down Argilla | Ipswich, MA | 5K | 20:30 | 31/284
4.21.09 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:43 | 9/168
4.26.09 | Community 5K for Autism | Worcester, MA | 5K | 20:25 | 4/116
5.11.09 | Four Miles For Smiles | Raynham, MA | 3.9M | 26:15 | 6/40
5.16.09 | Bedford Rotary Memorial Road Race | Bedford, NH | 5K | 19:43 | 10/211
5.19.09 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:42 | 15/243
5.27.09 | CMS 52-Week 5K Series | Devens, MA | 5K | 19:34 | 4/23
6.7.09 | Rhody 5K | Lincoln, RI | 5K | 19:56 | 154/441
6.13.09 | Byfield Days 5K | Byfield, MA | 5K | 19:19 | ??/??
6.23.09 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:18 | 11/212
6.30.09 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:19 | 15/240
7.4.09 | L.L. Bean 10K | Freeport, ME | 10K | 41:53 | 71/880
7.7.09 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:33 | 13/194
7.14.09 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:42 | 12/269
7.21.09 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:26 | 19/203
7.28.09 | Yankee Homecoming | Newburyport, MA | 10M | 1:08:58 | 102/1,352
8.4.09 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 23:17 | 92/275
8.8.09 | Sandown Old Home Days 5 Miler | Sandown, NH | 5M | 33:20 | 15/109
8.23.09 | GMAA Scholarship 5K XC Run | South Burlington, VT | 5K | 19:44 | 35/117
8.29.09 | Chamberas XC 6K | Carlisle, MA | 3.5M* | 22:52 | 59/158
9.12.09 | Ollie Road Race | Boston, MA | 4.91M | 31:12 | 163/786
9.14.09 | An Cu Liath Run | Worcester, MA | 3M | 19:53 | 2/20
9.19.09 | Rowley Poker 5K | Rowley, MA | 5K | 18:51 | 15/150
9.21.09 | An Cu Liath Run | Worcester, MA | 4.66M | 31:58 | 2/26
9.26.09 | North Suburban YMCA 5K | Woburn, MA | 5K | 18:33 | 2/99
10.11.09 | Wayland XC Festival | Wayland, MA | 5K | 19:37 | 42/149
10.25.09 | Franklin Park 5K | Boston, MA | 5K | 20:23 | 110/356
11.8.09 | USATF-NE XC Championship | Boston, MA | 10K | 40:54 | 99/103
11.22.09 | Philadelphia Marathon | Philadelphia, MA | 26.2M | 3:07:49 | 382/7,494
11.26.09 | Feaster Five | Andover, MA | 5K | 38:07 | 3,055/4,972

2010
1.1.10 | Hangover Classic | Salisbury, MA | 10K | 42:07 | 70/427
1.9.10 | Fudgcicle 5K Series | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 20:28 | 6/64
1.16.10 | Fudgcicle 5K Series | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 20:27 | 5/74
1.23.10 | Fudgcicle 5K Series | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 20:34 | 5/65
2.13.10 | Bradford Valentine Race | Haverhill, MA | 5M | 34:05 | 40/311
2.21.10 | Freeze Your Buns 5K Series | Nashua, NH | 5K | 21:02 | 4/72
2.28.10 | Hyannis 10K | Hyannis, MA  6.35M | 42:02 | 12/607
3.21.10 | New Bedford Half Marathon | New Bedford, MA | 13.1M | 1:35:38 | 530/2,308
3.22.10 | An Cu Liath Run | Worcester, MA | 3M | 20:46 | 4/15
4.11.10 | Great Bay Half Marathon | Newmarket, NH | 13.1M | DNF
4.12.10 | An Cu Liath Run | Worcester, MA | 3M | 19:46 | 2/13
4.20.10 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 20:55 | 24/239
4.25.10 | Community 5K for Autism | Worcester, MA | 5K | 19:57 | 4/185
4.26.10 | Hampton Area Rotary Club 5K | Hampton, NH | 5K | 20:32 | 10/114
5.2.10 | Bentley School 5K | Salem, MA | 5K | 19:09 | 2/61
5.8.10 | NECC 5K for Autism | Southboro, MA | 5K | 20:30 | 8/237
5.29.10 | Lawrence Sons of Italy Memorial Rod Race | 5M | 32:43 | 7/73
6.1.10 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:27 | 15/119
6.6.10 | Rhody 5K | Lincoln, RI | 5K | 19:47 | 126/419
6.7.10 | An Cu Liath Run | Worcester, MA | 3M | 19:32 | 1/15
6.12.10 | St. Patrick’s 5K | Pelham, NH | 5K | 18:54 | 3/114
6.29.10 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:18 | 12/123
7.4.10 | L.L. Bean 10K | Freeport, ME | 10K | 40:37 | 49/1,132
7.9.10 | Hillsboro Balloon Festival 5K | Hillsboro, NH | 5K | 20:16 | 7/128
7.13.10 | River Rivals Track Meet | Amesbury, MA | 1M | 5:36 | ??/??
7.27.10 | Yankee Homecoming | Newburyport, MA | 10M | 1:46:36 | 1,250/1,398
8.1.10 | High Street Mile | Newburyport, MA | 1M | 5:29* | 53/88
8.3.10 | River Rivals Track Meet | Newburyport, MA | 1M | 5:53 | ??/??
8.3.10 | River Rivals Track Meet | Newburyport, MA | 2M | 12:24 | ??/??
8.7.10 | Sandown Old Home Days 5 Miler | Sandown, NH | 5M | 31:53 | 23/173
8.10.10 | River Rivals Track Meet | Newburyport, MA | 1M | 5:37 | ??/??
8.17.10| River Rivals Track Meet | Newburyport, MA | 1M | 5:47 | ??/??
8.19.10 | Saunders at Rye Harbor 10K | Rye, NH | 10K | 42:38 | 76/785
8.24.10 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 18:55 | 19/234
8.29.10 | GMAA Scholarship 5K XC Run | South Burlington, VT | 5K | 19:28 | 15/64
9.1.10 | CMS 52-Week 5K Series | Devens, MA | 5K | 20:28 | 4/34
9.8.10 | Roger Schonning 5K | Westerly, RI | 5K | 19:32 | 7/85
9.18.10 | Pelham Old Home Days 5K | Pelham, NH | 5K | 18:56 | 7/235
9.25.10 | Codfish Bowl | Boston, MA | 8K | 33:06 | 226/287
10.16.10 | Topsfield XC Festival | Topsfield, MA | 8K | 33:19 | 33/41
10.18.10 | An Cu Liath Run | Worcester, MA | 3M | 19:39 | 1/16
10.23.10 | Peabody Police Charity 5K | Peabody, MA | 5K | 18:14 | 3/51
10.31.10 | White Mountain Milers Half Marathon | N. Conway, NH | 13.1M | 1:25:59 | 13/405
11.6.10 | Winnekenni Trail Race | Haverhill, MA | 4M | 26:07 | 10/130
11.7.10 | USATF-NE XC Championship | Boston, MA | 10K | 39:34 | 101/102
11.21.10 | Philadelphia Marathon | Philadelphia, PA | 26.2M | 2:56:39* | 170/8,956
11.25.10 | Feaster Five | Andover, MA | 8K | 30:15 | 27/2,806
11.27.10 | Run Off That Turkey Trot | Altamont, NY | 5K | 19:12 | 6/164

2011
1.1.11 | Hangover Classic | Salisbury, MA | 10K | 39:27 | 31/641
1.8.11 | Fudgcicle 5K Series | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 18:53 | 5/87
1.15.11 | Fudgcicle 5K Series | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 19:02 | 6/89
1.22.11 | Fudgcicle 5K Series | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 19:22 | 3/59
1.29.11 | Fudgcicle 5K Series | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 18:41 | 3/88
2.6.11 | Super 5K | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:13 | 18/332
2.12.11 | Bradford Valentine Race | Haverhill, MA | 5M | 31:16 | 15/295
2.19.11 | Washington’s Birthday 10K | Alexandria, VA | 10K | 39:12 | 25/590
3.20.11 | New Bedford Half Marathon | New Bedford, MA | 13.1M | 1:23:34 | 193/2,373
4.18.11 | Boston Marathon | Boston, MA | 26.2M | 3:19:20 | 4,873/23,913
4.23.11 | Out of Hibernation 5K | Portsmouth, NH | 3.03M | 17:51 | 10/193
5.8.11 | Medical Center 6K | Nashua, NH | 6K | 23:05 | 110/714
5.14.11 | Seacoast Family YMCA 5K | Portsmouth, NH | 3.27M | 19:54 | 4/100
5.31.11 | Good Times 5K Series | Lowell, MA | 5K | 19:03 | 9/142
6.12.11 | Windham Rail Trail Flat ‘n Fast 5K | Windham, NH | 5K | 19:57 | 9/216
6.25.11 | Plaistow Old Home Days | Plaistow, NH | 19:45 | 13/188
7.18.11 | Mine Falls Summer Trail Series | Nashua, NH | 36:21 | 6/21
7.25.11 | Mine Falls Summer Trail Series | Nashua, NH | 35:22 | 6/22
7.26.11 | River Rivals Track Meet | Amesbury, MA | 1M | 5:48 | ??/??
8.2.11 | Yankee Homecoming | Newburyport, MA | 10M | 1:09:03 | 126/1,255
8.8.11 | Mine Falls Summer Trail Series | Nashua, NH | 5M | 34:37 | 5/50
8.9.11 | River Rivals Track Meet | Newburyport, MA | 1M | 5:30 | ??/??
8.21.11 | Run Gloucester! | Gloucester, MA | 7M | 45:28 | 25/761
8.27.11 | Thomas Chamberas XC 6K | Carlisle, MA | 3.5M | 23:04 | 38/153
9.1.11 | Atkinson Road Race | Atkinson, NH | 5K | 21:13 | 40/321
9.24.11 | Codfish Bowl | Boston, MA | 8K | 31:09 | 194/286
10.2.11 | Apple Harvest 5 Miler  | West Newbury, MA | 5M | 29:33 | 3/180
10.16.11 | Harvest Half Marathon | Biddeford, ME | 13.1M | 1:22:08* | 4/121
11.5.11 | AGN Turkey Tune Up 5K | Ipswich, MA | 5K | 17:40* | 1/53
11.20.11 | Philadelphia Marathon | Philadelphia, PA | 26.2M | 3:02:44 | 346/10,309
11.24.11 | Feaster Five | Andover, MA | 8K | 29:21* | 25/2,729
11.27.11 | Pentucket Pride 5K | West Newbury, MA | 5K | 18:06 | 7/223

2012
1.1.12 | 1st Run | Lowell, MA | 10K | 38:40* | 10/568
1.14.12 | Fudgcicle 5K Series | Tewksbury, MA | 5K | 18:00 | 3/63

*denotes PR

Personal Records
1 Mile – 5:29
5K – 17:40
8K – 29:21
10K – 38:40
10M – 1:03:04
Half Marathon – 1:22:08
Marathon – 2:56:39

Goals for 2012

Every New Year’s Eve, the Sisu Project hold an event called the Goal Summit where we gather and people share their goals for the new year as well as review what they accomplished in the previous year.  I’ll start this entry by posting the latter.

Running accomplishments in 2011:

1/1/11 – PR’d in the 10K at the Hangover Classic (39:28)
2/19/11 – PR’d in the 10K at the Washington’s Birthday 10K in Alexandria, VA (39:12)
3/20/11 – PR’d in the half at the New Bedford Half Marathon (1:23:34)
4/18/11 – Ran my first Boston Marathon, a dream come true.
5/8/11 – PR’d in the 6K at the Medical Center 5K (23:05)
10/2/11 – PR’d in the 5 Mile at the Apple Harvest 5 Mile Road Race (29:33)
10/16/11 – PR’d in the 10 Mile (63:04) and the half at the Harvest Half Marathon in Biddeford (1:22:08).
11/5/11 – PR’d in the 5K at the AGN Turkey Trot (17:40)
11/20/11 – Ran my 2nd fastest marathon at the Philadelphia Marathon (3:02:44)
11/24/11 – PR’d in the 8K at the Feaster Five (29:21 [29:31 5 mile equivalent])

Non-running Accomplishments in 2011:

- Ventured out west on a 21-state road trip, seeing the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Devils Tower, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Colorado Rockies, Denver & Boulder, Chicago, Shenandoah, Delaware Water Gap, and much more.
- I feel as if I have grown in terms of taking care of myself better both physically and mentally.
- I organized my debt and finances into a much more manageable system.
- I feel that I set myself up for a very stable 2012 despite at times a very tumultuous 2011.
- I made great changes to my nutritional intake and ended the year lighter than I started it.

Goals for 2012 and beyond:

- Keep eating well and keep losing weight.
- Continue progress into being a locally competitive runner.
- Be better about accepting myself for who I am.
- Thank someone when given a compliment everytime.
- Give a compliment more often.
- Reduce my carbon footprint.
- Put aside $5,000 in 2012.
- Be a wonderful significant other, family member, and teammate.
- Make more contributions to the Sisu Project.
- Volunteer at at least 3 road races.

Running Specific Goals for 2012:

- Break 17 minutes in the 5K, 28 minutes in the 8K, 36 minutes in the 10K, one hour in the 10M, 1:20 in the half, 2:50 in the full.
- Win (an) additional road race(s)
- Average at least 60 MPW or at least over 3,000 miles total for 2012.