Born To Run and Raise

New York City #3

2011-11-20T16:17:00.000-08:00

I realized it has been a very long time since I have blogged about running or anything else.

This fall saw a bunch of mixed results for me. Overall I felt my training for NYC was pretty good. In fact, I felt ran more quality miles training for NYC #3. Most of mid-range, mid week runs were strong and felt there was a lot of quality in my new plan: more miles but less speed. I felt by building endurance. Even though my race did not turn out the way I wanted it too, I still whole heartedly believe that more miles at less speed equal a better overall result!

Back to the training, most of my long runs were met by struggle at the end of the long run. I believe there were two things that contributed to the struggles on the long runs. First, I was running them too fast from the start - rather than focusing in on the distance. The other was that every time I ran - it was very humid. I also did not plan my hydration as well as usually do. Thus some really poor long runs. That being said there were some good experiences along the way - a reach the Beach relay that saw me run four quality legs and I had a very good 21 miler with a new friend, Danielle.

So going into NYC #3, I thought I had a good shot at a good race. I thought it would at least equal Providence at 4:26 and maybe even closer to my 2008 Philly time or my 2009 Boston PR of 4:17. The week going into NY was pretty routine and the night before I had a wonderful pre-race dinner in midtown NY with Beth and two of my closest friends, John and Dina. I went back to the hotel and did not sleep very well. I got maybe 4 hours of sleep -- not the best thing before a marathon.

I get up for the race and it is perfect conditions - the weather could not have been any better. However I was already bugged out about not having slept that well. So the one thing that anyone will tell you about the NYC marathon is that it is always cold waiting on Staten Island. This year was no different - however, I bundled up with the appropriate clothing to discard before the race. The only issue was that we were on 20 minute bus ride from Staten Island Ferry to the start line on a bus that was way too hot. I was perspiring on the bus.

Ok - I get off the bus and I am going to set up my watch (which had been tempermental for weeks). The band broke and then on top of that the battery did not hold its charge. So I decided I am going to use Adam's iTouch stop watch for my timing. However, I turn it on at the start and it says low battery - 20% left. For some runners, not having a watch is not the biggest thing. To me, it is huge part of my strategy and rhythm out there. Doing the run / walk - you need a time piece.

I think no problem - I will use the iTouch and then have Adam give me his watch when I get to mile 14 - the first place I was supposed to see Adam and Beth. So I get to the start and I am in the third wave at the front of the Bridge - so much for a slow first mile. I will tell you the view was breath taking and spectacular. I will always remember that start like no other I have experienced. However, I still was not in the right place for a marathon I truly love.

Well the iTouch lasted to mile 9. So I started estimating what 60 seconds was like to walk. I get to the halfway point and I see the overall clock for me at 2:04 - I knew there that I was going to have a tough race. 2:04 was about 4 minutes ahead of pace. For some they would say, oh that is great Glen is going to have a spectacular race. Knowing that the best times are made when you run a negative split - I knew that I had run too hard. I get to mile 14 and there is no Adam or Beth. I am thinking I will get the watch at mile 18 - the next spot that I was supposed to see them.

The four miles from 14 to 18 were not good. Usually my favorite part of NYC is coming off the Queensboro bridge and going up first Avenue. I found out after the race that Beth and Adam saw me at 16 but I did not realize it. I get to 18 - there are my parents and it was one of the best moments of the race for me - but somehow I knew the race was not what I thought I had trained for 19 weeks. Again, no Beth or Adam or a watch. The run/walk had all but disappeared I would walk a 1/2 block every 10 but it was not working. I got to mile 19 and I started to feel my calf muscles starting to cramp.

I am starting to think how am I going to finish. I had severe leg cramps in Arizona but that was mile 23 - not mile 19. I basically found the spirit that my legacy of this race was that I was going to persevere with the true spirit of a marathoner. I started to think of my friends Kevin, Paul, Sue and Dave who have endured Cancer and the endless hours of treatments. I said to myself if they could do those chemo treatments for weeks on end - I had to "suck it up" and persevere through the last 7 miles - even if it meant walking and being last in the race. I walked for about 1/2 mile and then tried to start running again. Every time I started to run - the cramp would return in 200 - 300 yards - so I decided I would just try to walk as fast I could. I got to mile 23 by the Guggenheim and my left leg totally seized up. I am standing on the railing in agony and just hoping that my leg would finally be pain free so I could at least move forward. A guy finally leaned over and handed me a banana and some gatorade. It helped.

Now I am finally in the park! I am saying just try to keep going forward. I had walked so much by this time that I felt refreshed. I got to mile 24 and there was a welcome site- BETH and ADAM. They were concerned knowing that I had such a good start and they had seen me at mile 16. What was taking him so long? Anyway, they were relieved and I got a shot of energy to run the last two miles (about 10:30 minute pace). I got to the finish line in 4:44.

Considering everything that went on the last 7 miles, I will take the 4:44 and say I am proud of my effort. Others would have DNF. It is easy to quit - it is far harder to work through it and said I did it! I did it and I am glad that I made it.

Next up is my 14th state - Kiawah Island, South Carolina. I know I will have a watch as well as a strategy that will not be a repeat of NYC. I also know that 2012 will be a spectacular year filled with helping DFMC runners as well knocking off a few more states.

Boston Marathon Monday - April 18, 2011

2011-04-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

This past Monday was the 115th marathon running of the Boston Marathon. Previously, I have run the Boston Marathon in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009. If you have been following my blog, then you know that I presently trying to run a marathon in all 50 states in my lifetime. On the one hand being a Hopkinton resident for the last 10 years and avid runner, there is a certain part of me that would like to run from Hopkinton to Boyleston Street. However, it is very counterproductive to the overall goal of running every state. I would be lying if I told you that there was not a certain part of me that wanted to be with my fellow 550 teamates on the course this past Monday. With that being said, I still had a wonderful day with my daughter, Rachel and my son, Adam volunteering and cheering for the DFMC marathon team.

Our day started bright and early at 5:30 am at the St. Johns church where we helped the DFMC team at their refuge before the race. When we arrived, it was about 40 degrees with a 25 mph westerly wind. It was outright cold and the runners were lucky to be inside until the race started.

Having been an assistant coach as well as a mentor to the DFMC team, I knew plenty of runners this year. At the church, I was just trying to let everyone be in their pre-race zone and be comfortable. A few asked me for advice, but mostly I just wanted to re-assure people before they headed out.

After we finished at the church, Rachel, Adam and Iheaded out to our typical spot on Commonwealth Ave at mile 18 (just beyond the firehouse and up the hill). We got their in record time and we were able to see some of the faster DFMC runners (Colleen, Brian, Gordon, Alexa and Sarah). On top of that I saw my fellow running partner, Betty (she ran Flying Pig with me last year). Betty teased me last year that we didn't see her but she saw us. Well, we saw her this time with her big grin and fast feet. After, some of these faster runners flew by us - we were treated to see a lot of the DFMC team stream by us. At this point I was glad I was watching rather than running. Since I had been a supporting role for most of the year, I felt the day belong to the people I mentored rather than me. Seeing Lindsey W pass me (pictured) was particularly heartwarming to me; a few weeks earlier she had not had the best run. One by one, so many of them came running by us - Lindsey B, Kim C, Kerry, Kristie, Shifter, Angela, Christy as well as Lynda and Hilary (simply put Living Proof).

Subsequently, we got in the car and drove to mile 25 - Kenmore Square to the DFMC cheering area. We were lucky to fly down there and get a parking spot - right by Fenway. When we arrived, we saw Big Mike and Kristan cheering people so we hung with them. Again, we saw many of the runners I mentioned earlier. The only difference was that they knew they only had 1.2 miles to go and were starting to realize that their dream had come true. What was the satisfying moment of the day was to see so many people that I had helped have consistent marathon marked by some great times. Knowing that I had made a difference by sharing my knowledge and experience was even more satisfying than crossing the finishing line. I felt that I was a part of each of these persons races.

In closing, to know that I was part of something much bigger - the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge was more than one could ask for. The night before, Beth, Adam, Rachel and I had gone to the pasta dinner. It is an uplifting moment to know that - we can truly make a difference in our friends lives Kevin and Tina as well as be part of something much larger - raising $4.5 million dollars for Cancer Research.

Please support my run in Providence on May 1 - http://www.rundfmc.org/2011/gleng

Reminded Why I Run, Raise and Coach

2011-04-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

Each week before our long run, we are presented with the Barr Impact Statement. One of the Barr Program Impact Statements this year was the following: Controlling Cancer Growth: William Seller, MD and his colleagues identified genetic abnormalities in proteins that controll cell growth in cangers. These major discoveries led directly to the development of targeted drugs used by patients worldwide for the treatment of multiple cancers, including lung cancer, leukemia, and melanoma. This work has become the model for personalized medicine in cancer treatment and is widely credited for helping transform the approach that pharmaceutical companies use for drug development. Key impact areas: colon, leukemia, melanoma and prostate cancers: new drug development, personalize medicine Well, as I have discussed in other blogs this year - I am running this race in honor of Kevin, who has colon cancer. Like many people, Kevin was enjoying life playing golf and going to Italy with his wife, Tina - and one day he wakes up and he has to battle cancer. Life totally changes from paying bills, worrying what movie to go see to dealing with this dreaded disease. Similarly, one of the people I have been helping with training this year is Hilary. Hilary is 15 years cancer free after fighting off childhood leukemia. As you will see in the attached video, http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/04/05/cancer-survivor-running-marathon-for-dana-farber/ Hilary has fought a successful bout with the disease and is going to run in the Boston Marathon next Monday. Both Kevin and Hilary are winning their battles in large part to the funds that we have raised as well as the Doctors and Researchers that have made this possible. Like my friends before (prior years I have ran for these people -Paul, Dave and Sue), Kevin and Hilary are going to hopefully long, successful happy lives. Please take a moment to support them as well as me (If you haven't read I am doing my 13th state - Rhode Island on May 1, 2011) by going to my sight : http://www.rundfmc.org/2011/gleng

A Cold Crossroads Run - March 31, 2011

2011-04-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I am pretty regular runner at Crossroads on Thursday nights. For those of you who do not know what Crossroads is - it is a bar in Boston (Beacon and Mass Ave) where the charity teams meet on Thursday night and run the last 9 miles of the Boston Marathon Course. We come back to the bar and they treat us to pizza as we partake in beer and wine.

Well, last night we were greeted with some frozen precipitation for the run. As I entered the bar, I noticed some of my friends wearing shorts for this run - most notably Bob and Eric. This season I have been running with three charming women - Lindsey, Kristie and Kerry (see pictures). Most Thursdays, they have been very talkative and cheery on the runs. I will tell you they were pretty quiet for most of the run. I for one am not very chipper to run in the rain, the snow or the cold. Give me an 80 degree sunny day over the crappola! I knew I had to get them through this experience as this will hopefully lead to some success on marathon day. On the one hand, they did not complain, but I knew very well they just wanted the run to be over. Through a combination of trying to show them that they would not be running some of the hills that are on the carriage road in Brookline and reminding them that this is the worst that it could be compared to Marathon Monday - we made it back to Crossroads. Another key component we discussed was where we were with fundraising and why we were doing it for Dana Farber.

One of the two main reasons why I run for Dana Farber is to be partnered with great people like Lindsey, Kristie and Kerry who are continually raising money for Cancer research. As I have learned through my years of involvement with Dana Farber - the marathons are mentally and physically challenging. But, this effort is nothing compared to what cancer patients and their families go through on a daily basis.

Everything changes with a diagnosis of cancer,: routines are disrupted, schedules revolve around treatment appointments, and the fear of an uncertain future holds a grip on the patient and their entire family. One of the many goals of the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge is to raise monies for research to eradicate Cancer in our lifetime.

The Dana Farber Marathon Challenge is especially meaningful to me this year. My friend, Kevin, has endured countless hours of treatment in his battle against colon cancer. Through the support of his wife, Tina, and his caring family - he is winning this battle against this disease. Without the vital research provided by Dana Farber and other institutions, we would not have progressed to the point where Kevin would even have this fighting chance. It is my sincere hope that the money we raise in support of research assists people like my friends, Kevin and Tina to live long, healthy lives. Please support the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge. Thank you!

http://www.rundfmc.org/2011/gleng

Charity Run - March 26, 2011

2011-03-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

Since my last entry, I have run my first race since my accident last year. I ran in the Quincy half marathon put on by my friend, J.J. Larner. I ran a 1:58 on a somewhat fast course. I was happy with the result mostly due to the fact that I had no idea what to expect of myself after such a long layoff from racing.

This past week I did the annual 22 miler with all of the charity groups. Most of the charity groups start off in Hopkinton and finish up at Boston College. You would think I would start in Hopkinton. No, I met my Dana Farber teamates and we did an out and back from BC to Wellesley - including Grossman's hill along with the four hills on the Boston course. The main reason that we do an out and back is to promote safety. As many of you know, the roads in Hopkinton and Ashland are quite narrow. I am living testament to that. As a result, we do not feel it is fair to put 150 runners on top of all the other runners without the course being closed.

Anyway what I love about this run is that the weather is usually the first sign of Spring and you see all of your friends from the other groups. Most notably, I saw Betty (my running buddy who did Flying Pig with me last year) as well as Dawn and Greg. I ran with Hilary with a fairly strong 4:1 run / walk regiment the whole 22 miles. I am so proud of what Hilary has accomplished with her running. Being a former Leukemia patient (15 years Cancer Free), she has grown to the distance and I am confident that she will have a great marathon. Also of note, big kudos to Lindsey H, Kristie and Kerry. This was there first time doing this sort of distance and they all did it with big smiles in the end. These are great new friends of have made through RunDFMC.org. One last person I have to mention is Lindsey W! Although not having her best day, she was a trooper and finished the run like the true veteran marathoner she is!

On the fundraising front, I am up to $2,000 but still need everyones help to support my run for Kevin. Kevin is currently fighting the brave fight against colon cancer. It is with the money that we raise for cancer research that allows and gives brave men like Kevin a fighting chance against the disease. Please support DFMC by going to my site: http://www.rundfmc.org/2011/gleng.

Lexington Long Run

2011-03-12T12:52:00.001-08:00

Today was another 16 mile run along the Minute Man Trail in Lexington. We had a decent turnout with about 90 runners today. In this picture you will see some new friends that I have made this year Allison (the DFMC Jacket woman - have to give her the plug for the wonderful jacket and the money that is going to raise for DFMC), Kristi and Lindsey. I love the picture becasue it captures how we feel on these runs - as athletes ready to not only to tackle the feat of a marathon but ready to take on the great cause of eliminating Cancer in our lifetimes.

I am finding the running invigorating this time around. I don't know if it was that I just missed the dynamic of the group runs or Dana Farber as a whole. It will probably be a lot harder to do the three other marathons this year without the group dynamic.

Today was definitely the first sign that Spring was around the corner. With some of our runners showing up in shorts for the first time to the almost 50 degree temp (although it was windy out there so it felt colder) it definitely was not reminiscent of the bad weather that we have had all winter long. This time around in Lexington we actually ran on the bike trail as opposed to the road. I am sure this makes my family and friends happier as I am not trying to take on the steel automobiles (remember I lost the last time around).

One of the great things about running that I keep on reiterating in other blogs are the fantastic people you meet along the way. This year as in others we are blessed with really nice people on the DFMC team.

Running Again

2011-03-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I wrote on my blog! After having had a long recuperation from my accident, I am once again on the road to all 50 states as well as raising money for the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge - http://www.rundfmc.org/2011/gleng .

As you know 2010 was a wild year for me. It was a year I truly learned the value of my life as well as how much my family truly meants to me. Later in the year, one of my friends, Tina, learned that her husband, Kevin has colon cancer. This really struck a nerve with me. As a result, I realized my endeavors the DANA FARBER MARATHON CHALLENGE was not completed. Will you please help me in this goal. 100% of the funds from the DANA FARBER MARATHON CHALLENGE go right back into researching for cures to Colon, Breast, Skin, Pancreatic and other cancers.

First, I have decided to re-start my quest to run a marathon in all 50 states , with the next four of these marathons dedicated in honor of Kevin and Tina. The thing that keeps on coming back to me is that I want to live a long, healthy life for my family. Similarly, I want all of my friends and family to have the same opportunity.

To date, I have run 15 marathons in 11 different states. I will be running my 12 state - Rhode Island, the Providence Marathon on May 1, 2011. I am actively looking into doing two more states before the end of the year as well as the New York City marathon in November. I want to make a difference not only in the full recovery of Kevin but eradicating Cancer from this world - once and for all.

Second, my support for Dana Farber goes byond running these marathons. I am giving my time assisting with coaching duties with Jack Fultz, the 1976 Boston Marathon Champion in training the Danan Farber Marathon Challenge team. Along with them, I also training several of my friends for half marathons this Spring.

With that being said, this morning was a speed workout for Maria, Amy and myself. This was Maria and Amy's first venture into speed workouts. What they did not know was that it was really an endurance workout - this is how I design all of my training - towards the goal of improving endurance on the road. Anyway it was a great run this morning - even if it was cold by my standards.

In closing, I will be posting regularly again and update you on Kevin as well.

Quite A Month

2010-06-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a month to say the least. I know I have not written in quite some time but the circumstances of the last month have precluded me from writing. To say the least, I have seen the Good, Bad and the ugly (very ugly). On top of that I am one of the luckiest people alive on this Earth.

The month started out like most others - with me preparing for another marathon. The Flying Pig Marathon in Ohio was my 11th state on my quest to do all 50 states. My training had been up and down for this marathon so I was not sure how I was going to fare. The only thing I knew for sure was that I was going into the race far healthier than the last state - Arizona last January. I had trained most of the winter with the Dana Farber Boston Marathon team. I had some really good runs with Amanda, Julie, Laura and Betty. I also had some runs that were far from beautiful - having to bail on one of the training runs because I was underfueled and not rested as well as one in 40 degree pouring rain. Uggh I hate the rain.

Well, Ohio - specifically Cincinatti was interesting. After watching Adam in Oklahoma on Friday Night (he was great by the way), I caught a very early flight to Cincinatti with one of my favorite people in the world and one of my running buddies - Betty. Betty was running her second marathon in two weeks. She is quite the running dynamo!

We stayed and toured all over Cincinatti and Kentucky (we actually stayed in KY). To know the Flying Pig marathon is to know that is that it is all about the marketing of the Pig. Cincinatti is the largest pig processing center in the US and thus the name the Flying Pig Marathon. Our trip was marred by rain and lots of it. It rained the day before the race as well as during the race.

When we got to the start of the race, it was still dark out with thunder, lightening and moderate to steady rain. Right before the race, I was standing under this umbrella with a couple trying to stay relatively dry to no avail. The lights went out right before the start of the race and when the gun went off for the start - we stood still for 10 minutes. I was stuck in the back and had a very slow first mile. When I got to the first drink stop at mile 1, there were no volunteers and it was serve yourself. I thought to myself that this race was going to be an absolute disaster. Fortunately, the volunteers showed up for the rest of drink stops and this fear dissiapated.

After weaving an extra 3/4 of a mile for the first three miles, I just got into my head that this was not going to affect my race and I was going to stick to my 4:1 run walk strategy and use this to my advantage. With the 70 degree temps and a baseball hat on, I never got chilled. I had some really good miles at 16-19 but slowed in the 20's. While the thunder did abate, the rain was moderate to heavy throughtout the race.

With everything described above, I was very content with my 4:39 and not being hurt. Seeing Betty at the finish with her medal and her 3:45 - I was very impressed. We went out that night to celebrate with ribs at the Montgomery Inn. The following night we went to see the Reds and Mets play. They had all of the race finishers on the field before the race. As part of my fifty state marathon journey, I am also visiting as many of the baseball stadia as possible. Baseball is truly my other passion after running.

With the marathon behind me, my month took a wrong turn. In my first post long run after Cincinnati, I went out for what I thought was going to be a nice leisurely 12 mile run on a beautiful Saturday morning. It did not quite turn out the way I thought. Seven miles into my run, I was struck by a car from behind.

I wound up being med vac to UMASS Memorial Hospital in Worcester. I wound up with three broken bones in my head, lacerations, stitches, a bruised calf, a concussion and cerebral fluid leak (the most serious of my injuries). I had to stay in the hospital almost two weeks flat on my back to recover. I will make a full recovery!

Now that I am home with my wonderful wife and family, I can tell you that I am the luckiest person alive. Some people are lucky enough to win the lottery, I am lucky to be alive and not permanently hurt or damaged from this accident. I will tell you I landed the right way and was lucky that the car was not going any faster. I am strong but I will tell you - humans are no match for 2000 lbs of steel.

In closing, I am happy that I am on the road to recovery. While my quest for 50 is being slowed, I will tell you that I am determined more than ever to make my dreams come true!

The Rites of Spring

2010-03-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

Today is one of those days a runner longs for! The first day where the temperature is somewhat bearable to not be bundle up like sausage for a long run. On top of that, the sun made its re-emergence from its winter hibernation. I am convinced that New England has two seasons - Gray and non-gray. Today was the start of where the clouds don't dominate the landscape and the psyche. In short, today was glorious for the first 20 miler in preparation for the Flying Pig Marathon.

I ran with Julie and Laura. Laura is my veteran partner from the last two years and I have ran with Julie for the last five years on and off. Julie has a beautiful daughter, Stella that she had in August. So she is sort of on the combeack trail - mostly learning how to juggle the duties of parent, the endeavors of working full time and training for a marathon. Knowing that Julie needed to start getting some miles under her belt - so I broke out the run-walk for today's run. We did the 9 minute run - 1 minute walk version of the Galloway method. Julie wound up running 15 miles and Laura did 18! I think they liked it.

I finished the last five miles but I could not help but think of my wife who is training for her third marathon and her first Boston. I think since we moved to Hopkinton - nine years ago - this has been something she has wanted to do. While she has shown the dedication as well as the tenacity to do the training; her body is not cooperating. She is battling every ailment that you can imagine but she keeps on pluggling along. I am excited she is doing it and showing the courage to battle through the aches and pains of long distance training. Hopefully the beautiful weather will inspire her to new drive to have a good race on April19th.

Ground Hog Day

2010-02-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

My wife sometimes feels like she is stuck in the movie, "Ground Hog Day". She gets this feeling when life becomes a rote memory routine - day in, day out: get up to go to work, clean the house, make the meals and do the carpools. I however, don't look at the routine as rote memory routine; rather as I see it as an opportunity to be consistent in my routines specifically running. Running and experiencing what I happened in Phoenix made me realize that this journey to all 50 states is going to be more about staying healthy and having good routines and practices.

One of the many things that I have espoused to my friends and people that I have helped is to take it slowly when you start training. Rather than saying to people, "do as I say, not as I do", I am listening to my inner coach and taking it much slower as I heal my piriformis and hamstrings for the task of the many races ahead of me.

So today as Puxtauney Phil was about to try to tell us whether we would have another 6 weeks of winter, I ventured out into the 15 degree darkness of 5AM to do my first run for the Ohio marathon in May. While the urge was not to have my watch say that I was running 10 minute miles, I let my inner coach say to me this is the first of many runs and to take it slow.

The other thing that I am incorporating this time around is many more stability exercises for my hips and ankles. I am convinced the root of my issues all stems from weak hips and ankles. I am also starting a new regimen of core exercises designed towards muscle confusion. Coupled with focusing in on my diet, I am hopeful to put the Phoenix experience behind me and see another healthy race in May.

Starting From Mile One

2010-01-23T11:56:00.000-08:00

With each new year, I have raised the bar to the challenges of my running. Last year, I committed to starting the quest towards running a marathon in each state. During 2009, I ran Boston again (something I probably will not tackle again for a while), Vermont (with Beth - her first marathon) and Maine. Boston saw me run a personal best at 4:17 and raise nearly $8,500 for Dana Farber. The other two races were successes in that I enjoyed the uniqueness of these courses and shared them with family as well as friends.

This brings me to my 10th state and the first marathon in 2010 - the Arizona Marathon. It was not my best performance in running. However, there were many positives to be taken from the weekend. While completing this race, I stayed with an old friend of mine in Chandler, Arizona. Maggie was originally my boss in New York City but has become a very dear and close friend over the years and distance. Maggie, and her two girls, Olivia and Tiffanie, accompanied me to the expo and the race. Having gone to all of the expos recently and been disappointed, I must say this one PF Chang did an excellent job. It was great to have my own personal cheering squad in a western state (however, I did miss them at the end).

Now to the race. Expecting it to be warmer than 50 degrees, I wore a sweatshirt over my tank top and shorts. I thought for sure that this was going to be discarded long before the 4 mile marker. I was feeling strong during the first half of the race and knew the decision to see Dr. Grace Steinley (and friend) before the race helped. My piriformis, which has nagged me, for the better part of the last 4 months was only a minor nuisance. The real issue had come in with my lack of preparation and doing the bare minimum in preparation for this race. As some of my friends will attest, I am a baby about training in the cold and do everything to avoid it. I paid for it dearly on the last 8 miles. I could feel my lack of training catching up to me. Coupled with the fact that I did not take my magnesium supplements, I would say the back half of the race was a disaster. I wound up having severe calf cramps from mile 23 on. Every time I tried to run again, my calf would tighten up on me and remind me that you are not going to make it to the finish the race - so I basically walked the last 2.5 miles.

With this 50 state goal, there is only one accomplishment to these races - finishing it. Having suffered the cramps, it reminded me of the marathon is not just about running. The race has a lot to do with the perseverance of your soul over the anguish of the miles. The marathon will and can humble you. Looking back at this race, I have learned a ton for the next 40 states and for that I am grateful - because last Sunday could have easily been a lot worse!

What is next? I will be doing a marathon in Ohio - either the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati or Cleveland in May. I will be running this race as a fund raiser for the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge. As you can see on this blog, I have reset the training and fundraising count. Please feel free to Donate to www.rundfmc.org/2010/gleng. As I journey towards my goal, I am hopeful that we will win the fight to end Cancer in our lifetime. See you further down the road!

A Marathon of a Different Sort

2009-10-17T02:51:00.000-07:00

My biggest fan and supporter, my son, Adam has done his own marathon in the last 10 months. As I have been doing my training for several races, Adam has been preparing for his own marathon - his Bar Mitzvah. Like his sister, Rachel - Adam has been learning his prayers, doing community service and becoming a member of the Jewish Community. This involved many months of studying coupled with doing good deeds around the town. He has taken it very seriously and he has made his mother, Beth and I very proud! Some of my best days in life have revolved around running; however, I'm sure this day like my daughter's special day three years ago will stand above my individual achievements.

The Maine Marathon

2009-10-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

In a lot of ways, this marathon was similar to the last one: Vermont in May. Once again, Beth was running in the race and it was in a small town in New England. Similar to Vermont, the weather was looking to be a factor as it poured and poured the night before and it is a much smaller race than the biggies like Boston and New York.

When discussing any marathon, it all starts with the training. My training was adequate but far from routine. First, I did not know this was going to be the race I was doing until about a month ago. When I started on this venture of completing my 13th marathon and my 9th state, I thought it was going to be in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Due to a scheduling conflict on November 8th as well as other weekends being occupied - this one made the most sense.

So, I began my training without knowing where the race was going to be. Having come off a month of physical therapy in June for weak hips and my constant hamstring issues, I began in earnest in mid July. The first few long runs were tough because I was still having tenderness in my hamstrings. In addition, I was not running particularly fast for me.

When August rolled around, I found some new energy for this marathon. The energy came from new and old friends that I ran the 100 on 100 with (see prior post). Aside from a great time, it is great to have friends that are urging you on to new achievements and goals: Thank you Emily, Bob, Aimee, Katie and Betsy. In August, I also did a 15 mile long run with my wife Beth. On this particularly hot Saturday along the Charles, Beth and I ran for the first time in 12 years. At the end of the month, I got to run with a new friend, Tina in NJ. We ran around Ridgewood park for 18 miles in the rain. While I wished the conditions had been better on both of these runs, the company was fantastic.

After the run with Tina, I felt like I was finally rounding into better shape. As the month continued, my long runs were getting more consistent until the last 21 miler. I was supposed to do this run on Saturday, Sept. 12th. When I woke up to a torrent of rain, I thought I will wait it out til it slows down. When I found the window I proceeded to do the run as an out and back on the Boston Marathon course. When I got to mile 13, it just didn't feel right. I knew that this was going to be a lousy run in the rain and I was going to cut it short at 19 miles. When I stopped, my right leg cramped up and I thought I had pulled my calf and hamstring in that leg. A couple of days later, it felt better and I had my best speed workout of the season - thanks Aimee and Laurie. Then that Thursday, I twisted my ankle in a pothole.

So going to Maine, I did not know what to expect. I knew it was not going to be a PR and it was not going to be awful either. The course was particularly scenic - especially the second half of it. Well, I ran a 4:33 and came out very healthy. My legs recovered in less than two days and I am running the B.A.A. Half Marathon on Sunday.

Further down the Road: Phoenix in January, Cleveland for Dana Farber in May and hopefully Chicago next fall.

100 on 100

2009-08-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I have had a week to reflect on a wonderful weekend in Vermont. As I was running along the Charles this morning with my wife, Beth, I had the pleasure of bumping into one of my teammates who was doing her training for the marathon and another called us out from the road. Twice on the same run, I had to share with Beth - the unique quality of the weekend we shared in Vermont.

What made it great can be described in one word - CHEMISTRY! This team flowed from the minute I put the buzz out that I was thinking of putting together this team. Some of us knew each other for a few years like Emily, Bob and myself but others just met at the van on Commonwealth Avenue for the first time.

I would be remiss in not telling you that one of my good friends, Rich (aka Shifter), could not participate in the race. Yet he was a big part of the team. He was big part of the connection (or as I would put it the Six Degrees of Shifter (yes Kevin Bacon you have competition)). Rich helped us coordinate our accommodations both nights. Having done several of these relays with Rich, I have to tell you that he was missed and we hope very much he will be a big part of the 2010 team.

Well, we all met on Commonwealth Ave on time! However, our good departure was hastened by us getting stuck in some major traffic. After getting out of the Boston metro area, we arrived at Okemo to pick up our sixth member of our team, Katie. Katie has just started medical school at UVM and was the machine on the course. For those of you who do not know her, she just can run like no ones business. She simply makes it look easy. Do I wish I had her gait!!!

Anyway, after picking up Katie, we decided we needed some food so we got off the Killington access road. I was hoping to go to the Pickle Barrel (well it was not there - and I think for quite some time). We wound up in a pub. What was I thinking with four sophisticated woman as well as Bob and myself. The food was adequate but my female friends were the only women in this bar. It seemed as though there was some kind of bachelor party going on! Oh well!!

After a good night of sleep at Town & Country in Stowe, we ventured down the road to start line at Stowe. When we woke up, it was overcast, but that was short lived. When we arrived at the start line, we were above the cloud line. Bob ventured out for the first leg at 8:15 am. Completing the relatively easy loop of 2.5 miles, he handed off to Katie. Katie just simply ran nice and easy down the road and handed off to me for the first of my three legs - 7 miles. As I was waiting, the sun had come out in full force. It was roughly 10AM and it was close to 80 degrees when I started. As many of my friends know, I run rather early and I beat the heat most days - not this weekend. When I handed off to Aimee on my first leg, all I could tell her is that it is hot, hot, hot!!! Aimee powered through her legs and made it look easy. She handed off to Emily. As I have run with Emily many times in the last two years, I knew she was up to the challenge of the day. When she passed off to Betsy for the completion of the first set of legs, I knew we were going to need more water and more ice. Mind you, the case of water that organizers gave us as well as the two cases we brought along with the gatorade should have been enough. Not on this day!!!

Betsy was the real wild card in this whole race. If you read her blog, you know she has been fighting knee issues most of the Spring and Summer. Betsy ran a very conservative first leg to test out the waters of running on the hills of Vermont. I am happy to report that she was fully prepared and recovered for the race. She did fabulously the whole day and night.

The second set of legs can be summed up in one word: HOT! It was brutal - close to 90. This is where the chemistry of support and friendship came in. We were prepared to keep our runners hydrated and moving down the road! After Bob completed this leg, he went into the brook that meandered next to Route 100. I think we were all wanting to do the same thing or at the very least hoping that we could go in after our second leg.

The last set of legs were interesting in that the heat broke a little bit but the legs very different. We had Katie's 800 feet of vertical that she had to climb on the Killington Access road to my last leg where I went down a 1000 vertical foot hill over the last two miles. I think the hill allowed me to run faster than I thought I could. I think everyone at the transition area thought what kind of loon is coming down this hill doing fist pumps. My fellow relay mates from RTB and now the 100 on 100 know - this is my homage to my favorite athlete - Tiger Woods. It certainly gets my team fired up and it keeps me going. As I fist pumped my hand off to Aimee, I noticed she was sporting the night gear that the last three legs were going to use. I think Aimee, Emily and Betsy looked like they were preparing to do battle with the headlamps. And that they did! After testing her rehabilitated knee, we were ready to see Betsy kick some butt. She flashed her 7 minute/mile speed over the last leg with confidence. She picked off 12 runners on that last leg - simply amazing.

We finished the race in 13 hours and 57 minutes. We all contributed to the success but it was the new friendships and bonds that I will always remember. I was telling Aimee a couple of days before the race, I do races with new people in new places for great experiences! Meeting and becoming friends with so many different people over the years has made each of these adventures special. To sum up the weekend, I now have memories and friendships from my six teammates (yes I count Rich too) that will last me for the rest of my life.

See ya Further Down the road.

Redemption Run

2009-06-30T14:14:00.001-07:00

Today, was my third run since Vermont. At the urging of my son ( a much better blogger than myself), he told me to start my blog again. It was a good run for both of us. What I love most is running with either Adam or Rachel. I feel that when I run with them I share my love of running with them and get to spend valuable time.

This morning was perfect for a summer run. About 60 degrees with a light mist. Keeps you cool but you do not get too wet. While I am gingerly trying out my hamstring (after 5 weeks of physical therapy), I am not convinced yet - it is 100 percent healed.

I have now added stretching - after many years of being lazy about it. I still need to be better at it but hope it will work out for the best.

I am hoping to do some summer races - some tried and true ones like Marathon Sports 5 miler, and the BAA half marathon in October. I would like to revisit one that I did in 2005 - Blessing of the Fleet race in Narragansett, RI. The new race that is being added is the 100 on 100. I will write more about this relay in later blogs.

Vermont Marathon - May 24, 2009

2009-06-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I last blogged. Maybe because the Vermont Marathon was a bittersweet marathon at best for me. Maybe because it has taken about five weeks to get over the injuries from Boston and Vermont. Maybe I needed to be in writing mode. There are lots of good memories from this weekend but I just wish the race had gone better.

To recap, Boston was one of my best races ever. From a time standpoint it definitely was the best for me. I also enjoyed the race and how I raised a significant amount of money for Dana Farber. After the race, I went to my friend, Rich's post marathon party - it was a blast. Feeling good after the race, I decided that it was probably in my best interest to not to run 3 marathons but rather two good ones in five weeks. Hence, I decided to run a 12 mile training run 12 days after the Boston Marathon. I realized during this long run that something was not right with my left hamstring. It was the same injury that reared its uglyness for Baltimore and Philadelphia. After watching my wife in the Providence 1/2 marathon the next day, I decided that I needed to start my alternate training for Vermont.

The alternate training entails doing the Arc Trainer intensely for one hour. For a longer duration for endurance, I add a spin class on top of it. It worked wonderfully for Philadelphia but I had less time between long runs before that race. Anyway, I got my hamstring to almost feeling good before the race.

Now, the fun part of the race. It was my birthday weekend. Rachel, Adam and Beth came along to scenic Burlington and it was the perfect weekend away from everything with my favorite people in the whole world. Except there was a new wrinkle to this race. My wife had decided that she was going to run her first marathon. She had been wanting to do one for quite some time. Unlike myself, she looked at the marathon (mostly health reasons from her incredibly bad knees courtesy of a car accident) as a bucket list sort of thing to do. She did quite well for the amount of training she did.

When Beth and I woke up on Sunday morning, we were greeted with rain in the forecast. All week long the long range forecast said Sunny and 70. Well, they got it wrong. It was raining and about 60 to start the race. Not really coming down hard enough to say that you were getting soaked but wet enough to create puddles. It rained for the first half of the race. My plan was to run the first half of the race between 2:04 and 2:08. Well, I did accomplish that but I knew I did not feel right at the half way point of the race. I could feel the soreness developing in my right hamstring and if I pushed too hard - I was going to DNF (which I can say I have been blessed not to happen to me yet). Also at the halfway point, the sun decided to show up. The temperature was now heading towards 80 degrees for the rest of the race. Knowing that I was not going to beat my 4:17, I just concerned myself with adding another state to the seven others that I had completed towards my goal of 50!

I got to the finish line in 4:35 but the hamstring was sore once again. When I saw Beth finished I was relieved to see her. Mostly, I wanted her to have this accomplishment! Looking back on the race, I wish I was in tip top shape for this race. I realized after I finished that my lack of training between Boston and Vermont is what had cost me nearly 18 minutes. It was a beautiful course in which I should have ran a better time. After the race, we had a great time at the Vermont Brewery and the Ben & Jerry's! It was a great 46th birthday.

What's next - probably the Outer Banks in NC for me. Beth got into NYC - so we will be venturing down to Manhattan on 11/1 for her second marathon. Hopefully, we will have two more great stories to share down the road.

Marathon - the Big Day

2009-04-23T05:36:00.000-07:00

After running the race, my family asked me a lot of questions about the race – was this your best race, how did you feel, Is the Boston Marathon better than the other races and lots of other questions. I will be the first person to tell you that every marathon is unique in its own right. It was without a doubt my favorite Boston – for lots of reasons!

Starting with the charity I chose to run for this year – the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge. As you read in my letter asking for support of my marathon run, this cause was deeply personal for me and I definitely felt that WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. I had a great experience training with lots of old friends (Emily, Rich and Laura) and new ones (Betsy, Mike, Katie, Kristan, Laurie, Aimee and Zach). Unfortunately, I could not make the pasta dinner before the race due to going to my mother being honored by her Temple.

I WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO THANK EACH AND EVERY PERSON THAT DONATED ON MY BEHALF - WE TRULY MADE A DIFFERENCE! I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE SUCH GREAT AND SUPPORTING FRIENDS!

Race morning came – I started to have my typical pre-race jitters – is this going to be a good day. Having fought a cold for the better part of the last 10 days, I was not sure how that was going to affect me. I was not sure how the wind and the cold temperature was going to do for me on this day. The day started with Gregg and Emily showing up at 7:30 am. If you are going to be at someone’s house in Hopkinton – they have to be there by that time as the road close off. Emily almost did not make it. Emily and I left for the church at 9AM. We had our group picture and then we relaxed for another hour. In that hour, I had to go to the bathroom no less than 3 times. My nervous bladder did not quit – ten minutes before the start – I ran into line for the portopotty. I made it with a minute to go.

Anyway, as I approached the starting line – I saw Beth, Adam and Rachel one last time. They were with my neighbors Dave and Rhonda. After I started running, I could tell that breathing was going to be an issue for the whole race but I was simply not going to give into it. I knew I had my ace in the hole – the Run-walk-Run method. I have used this method in my last four marathons with great success. Simply I run 4 minutes, then walk a minute – repeat approximately 52 times! It really works wonders on prolonging the fatigue from setting in. As I ran through Hopkinton – I saw Amanda, Sammy, Kyle and Renee. It is always great to see people you know from your town supporting you as well as 26,000 other runners.

During the first half of the race, I never felt that I was in a groove (this was very different than Philadelphia). I was perspiring more than I usually do and I just did not feel as good as I did on my long runs from the training. When I got to Wellesley and looked at my watch at the halfway point, I realized that I ran a 2:01 first half. Certainly one of my best half marathons (during a full race – I have run a 1:53 in actual half marathons several times). Was I running too fast for the first half of the race. This is a huge concern because the 2nd half of Boston will make you pay if you go out too fast!

Actually this gave me some confidence that was lacking from the time I woke up this morning. I kept on saying I have a good race going – keep your mind strong! Guess what this mental game I played during the second of the race paid off big time. I got through the big down hill in Newton by Grossmans and was starting to find a little bit of a groove! When I passed the Dana Farber cheering section by Newton-Wellesley Hospital that gave me a lift to see all of them cheering us on! As I made the turn at the firehouse, I saw Beth, Adam, Rachel, Mike and Julie. This really fired me up to go up the second hill.

As I climbed the 2nd hill, I saw another bunch of my friends - Anita, Mary, Tracy, Liz, Debbie and Teal. That really got me up the hill. It must have been the high five from Anita and Liz getting off of her comfy chair to cheer me on. As I approached the 3rd hill, I realized I was starting to pass a lot of people. I also got lucky on the third hill because I had a walk on the 2nd half of it – perfect timing. Next was the infamous Heartbreak Hill. Having run on the Newton Hills many times – I thought to myself one more hill and then 6 more miles. The hill was harder than usual because the headwind had picked up now for the rest of the race.

After finishing the hills, I realized that the first part of the race was catching up to me. This was very apparent when Emily passed me. Mind you, Emily is a very good runner but I was not expecting her to cruise by me with ease. When I went through Cleveland Circle, I told myself suck it up and just be strong for the last five miles. Along with the fantastic crowds that were out on Beacon and Boyleston, I got the energy to put together some strong miles at the end of the Boston Marathon.

Even though I had been able to produce strong times in Philly and California last year, I had never felt this strong where I could pull out an extra gear for the last charge to Boyleston. Before I got to Boyleston, I saw Gregg and Dawn right after the tunnel on Beacon by Hereford. I gave them my patented Tiger fist pump and looked down at my watch and knew my PR was well in hand. As I turned onto Boyleston (which seems interminably long), I saw Julie one last time (Beth, Rachel and Adam were with them but I did not see or hear them). As I passed through the finish line, I lifted my arms in celebration and realized I ran a 4:17! Five minutes better than Philly and 33 minutes better than my first Boston.

It was really cold after the finish line. I proceeded to get my bag and saw my friends Karen and Kristan. They had both run their first marathons and I realized had the similar feeling of accomplishment as they had – beating the course rather than it beating me. After going to the Dana Farber recovery area, Beth, Rachel, Adam and I went to PF Changs for a well deserved meal. We took the train back to Southboro. After returning home and showering, I went back to Boston to go to Shifter’s party.

I had to go to the party because I had never made it before to his party. I was always too tired or sore. It was well worth going to the party. In closing this recap, I will just say the whole experience was fabulous and was as memorable as any of my other 10 marathons.

What’s next? As some of you know, I am now working on trying to do a marathon in all 50 states in my lifetime. I am signed up for the Vermont City marathon on my birthday – May 24th. I am also seriously considering doing Providence on May 3rd. I just want to see how the rest of my recovery goes and hopefully this cold leaves my body once and for all. See you at the next finish line.

One Day and Counting

2009-04-19T06:24:00.000-07:00

The day before a marathon is an interesting day. It is one met with some anxiety and yet some reflection. First, the reflection back on the training.

When I got started with Dana Farber in the fall, I thought this was going to be like my three other Boston Marathons that I ran for the Greater Boston Food Bank. Wrong. Don't get me wrong, the Greater Boston Food Bank is a great organization with wonderful people. However, the whole DFMC experience has brought me closer to wanting do something that is making a difference in many peoples lives. Dana Farber was great at letting us know how the money we raised is being translated into research that is saving lives today! I felt like a small cog in an operation that is truly transforming a theory into reality.

On top of making a difference, I feel that I have made new friends and have gotten closer with people I already knew. Unlike my other races that I have trained for, this race I did not have one exclusive training partner. Yes I ran with Laura and Emily a few times, but I also ran with some new people like Mike, Kristan, Lauren and yes Shifter. After each run, I got to spend time with some of my speedier friends like Betsy, Mike M, Katie, Tyler, Lyndsey, and Marisa. All in all, this was a wonderful experience that I am looking to do again next year.

With race day, you feel sometimes is this going to be a good race or bad one. A lot of things go into it - some are in our control and others are not. I can control the amount of rest and my diet, but the weather is one I have no influence over. The only thing I can do about the weather is not let it psych me out. Two years ago, there was a Noreaster bearing down for marathon day. When I looked out the window a few hours before the race - the rain was going sideways and the wind was blowing at over 40 mph. Lucky for us it calmed down for the race. While we are not going to have a Noreaster on Monday, the weather is bit forboding. Possible showers with a 15 mph wind into our faces. Not good, but what are we to do. Just hope that it will not be that bad and hope that it turns out for the best.

In closing this particular blog, I want to extend best wishes to all of my fellow runners - in particular my DFMC teamates - truly MAKING A DIFFERENCE with this effort.

The Last Week

2009-04-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I began the taper for the big race. Within a week, I will be running at this time my fourth (4th) Boston Marathon. In preparation for the race, runners typically reduce their mileage over the last three weeks. We do this in large part to give the muscle fibers time to heal and rejuvenate themselves. There is nothing like running a race on a fresh set of wheels.

My long run this past week was a beautiful, scenic 10 miler in Hopkinton. I ran with a new friend who is also new to running - Maria. Maria is prepping for her first half marathon in Providence. People have asked me many times - how can I run all of these miles. I usually tell them that I keep the routes fresh and I am always running with new people. This was particularly true on this Sunday morning. Mostly, because it was a great route and I was able to share what I have learned about long distance running with someone who wanted to grow with this sport.

The rest of the week will see two simple four mile runs on Tuesday and Thursday - hopefully with Adam in the mornings. I truly love running with him in the morning.

On the fundraising front, we surpassed the $6,000 mark! I have 96 donors which is truly the greater feat - to have so many wonderful and giving friends to this great cause - the DANA FARBER MARATHON CHALLENGE! Hopefully, all of efforts as well as my team mates will help us rid the world of Cancer in our lifetime.

A Great Weekend

2009-04-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was fantastic. On Friday night, Emily and I had our fundraising event at Game On - Fire Up for the Local Marathon. I had two goals for this event - for my guests to have fun and to raise a significant amount of money for Dana Farber. Both goals were met and two of my guests walked away with tickets to Red Sox games - congratulations to Jack and Mary! Along the way, most of our other guests came away with some prizes as well.

Saturday was my friend, Rich - aka Shifter - race at the Local in Newton. What a great event. A fun race, good food and Harpoon beer. How could you go wrong! This year I have my son, Adam and my wife, Beth run the race as well. We also had our good friends, Devin, Amy and Tony run the race too. The race was interesting - mostly because my son is a character of the highest order. Mind you - I did my 10 mile training run earlier in the morning so I could get 13 miles in for the day.

Adam and I went out in a 9 minute pace. When we were well into mile 2, Adam was asking that we take it easier. So I slowed us up a little with about a half mile to go. When we turned the corner for the finish line - Adam turned on his after burners. I caught up to him with about 100 yards to go and he turned on the speed one more time on me. He beat me fair and square! Well, I guess I am getting to the age that my son is going to start doing things better than his old man!

The Big Charity Run

2009-03-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

Three weeks out from the marathon is the annual charity run from Hopkinton to BC. This informal fun run has gone from about 20-30 people to well over 500 people running on the course. I ran as a guest of Joints of Motion but they welcomed probably a dozen of the Dana Farber team as their guests. In addition to these two groups, there was the Dream Far, Children's Hospital, Team in Training, MS Society and the Greater Boston Food Bank. The day started with us taking a picture in the common with JIM team.

This was no ordinary run for me. I had one special friend and one other person that ran today with us. First, my friend, Liz decided that she wanted to experience this long run. Mind you she is not presently training for a marathon, but has always secretly wanted to do one. She ran with Gregg (another friend of mine) and I for the first 9 miles. She wound up completing the entire 20 miles in great shape.

The next person is even closer than Liz to me. It is my very special wife, Beth. Beth is running her first half marathon on May 3rd in Providence. This run was a number of firsts for her. This was her first time joining with one of my many groups for a run. It was also supposed to be her first time running 12 miles to Wellesley. Well - I think she had something else in mind the whole time. I will come back to her story later in this blog.

During this long run, I concentrated on several things in preparation for April 20th. First, I was doing my tried and true run-walk-run (aka Galloway) at a 4 minute to one ratio. The next was to not run hard especially on the first part of the run. As I described earlier, I did this method with Liz and Gregg for the first 9 miles. Feeling good in Natick, I took off my long sleeve shirt on this glorious Saturday morning (it was overcast for the first five miles then the sun came out). I felt good when I started the hills and even better when I completed them. I remembered the 2005, 2006, and 2007 charity runs being thoroughly exhausted at BC - not Saturday!

After completing the run, I had my next challenge finding Liz and Beth. Liz came in about 15 minutes later with a real sense of accomplishment on her face. I truly wish I had a camera for this moment. However, the smile will always be in my memory. The original plan was for Beth to run the first 12 miles and then catch a ride with the JIM rest station to 21. I was calling her on Liz cell phone (because ours was in the car that she was supposed to catch). Well, needless to say I was starting to worry. For one, Beth has two bad knees and ankles from a car accident she had in her teens. Running any kind of distance is not supposed to be in her repertoire.

Finally, Victor told me that she saw her at mile 19 still running. She finished 20 miles. I still can not believe it. Here I train hard every year for these marathons and she bangs out 20 miles on her first try and no soreness (so to speak). I can not begingto describe how proud I was of her to accomplish this today! I think it was her plan all along but she will never fess that up to me.

The day was not over. We went home and showered to start going to three parties in Boston. We went to my fellow team mate Mike's 30 birthday party at Game On, Kristina and Christie's Hawaian and Betsy (a fellow blogger and team mate as well). At Mike's party, I decided to go in the batting cage. Mind you, I have not swung a bat in a few years but I was ready to do it because back in the day I was not too shabby a ball player. I will start by saying for having ran 21 miles my legs felt pretty good - until I got up to bat. After the first two swings, my quads and hips reminded me all to well that I ran 21 miles. Anyway, I did make decent contact on 80% of the pitches - so it was a good feeling. Kristina and Christie's party was fun to see some of the JIM runners that I had ran earlier in the day. Last but not least, we went to Betsy's Dance for the Cure. I will tell you it was great to see Katie and Betsy and some of the DFMC team mates. Being a part of DFMC has been a great experience and it has been wonderful to make new friends like Katie and Betsy this year.

Last but not least, I would be remorse in not giving an update on my fundraising efforts. I am closing in on the $5,000 mark with our fundraising event coming up this Friday. Emily and I are really enthused by the good response that we are getting and getting psyched at the prospect that our friends may win some tickets to a great event!

An Interesting Week

2009-03-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

After weeks wonderful 20 miler, I thought maybe I was due for a less than stellar week of running. It certainly started that way on Tuesday morning when I woke up an blew off my 6-7 mile morning run. It was partly a few things - for starters it was below 20 degrees. My running friends will tell you that I love to bundle up in too many layers - which is true. Next, I was still a little sore from Sunday. Last, but not least, I was tired. I do get tired and people will tell you that I never sleep (which is only partially true - I just sleep when others are wide awake and vice versa).

So I decided to run on Wednesday morning with one of my new running buds - Hillary. Hillary is doing her first half marathon in Providence along with Holly, Maria, Karen, Paul (bull rider), Mike, Katie as well as my wife, Beth. I am confident that they are all going to do great that day in May. Back to my run, I was again feeling tired and sluggish but we did a 9 minute pace when I definitely did not feel like running.

So Thursday rolled around and it was Crossroads night. I REALLY DON'T LIKE RUNNING BACK TO BACK DAYS! I can not stress that enough and my nearly 46 year old body reminds me everytime I do it. Well Laura and I did the 8.8 mile trek in 8:45 pace which is fabulous for the two of us. We really did the 2nd half of the run in good time and pace. I also saw my good friend Roger and his fiance, Julie at the bar afterwards which was a bonus as well as the Guinness. When I woke Friday and went to boxing, my hamstring reminded me that I should not have ran back to back days!

After deciding the foam roller was the way to get the sore hamstring straightened out, I was still apprehensive of today's 15 miler. Needless to say it was another good run with Laura and Emily. We had good pace and conversation and I felt great that I was out with my running partner of this year and my 2008 running partner. Emily and I trained together quite a bit last year and both decided to do the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge this year. It was great to push each other through the hilly course of Waltham.

Speaking of Emily, we are doing our fundraising event at Game On on April 3rd at 7PM. This fun packed happy hour will feature an opportunity drawing with over 15 pairs of tickets to sporting events and concerts. The sporting events will include Red Sox opening day, monster seats, Celtic as well as Bruin playoff tickets. Please feel free to join us for the fun and bring your friends too!

Another 20 Miles down the road

2009-03-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I did my 3rd 20 miler of this training session. It was a beautiful run shared with Laura and the rest of my Dana Farber teamates on this 50 degree Sunday morning.

The day before saw me eat way too much food with my son Adam and I went into not one but two food comas. So I woke up Sunday morning anticipating that the run was not going to be one of the ones that I would look back and have good thoughts about. Well, it started out that way - I was running fast on the first 6 miles (too fast) but I was certainly not into a groove. We slowed up on the middle part which I guess was good going over what we travelled. When we got to the rest station at mile 13.5 - they were playing Bruce. Need less to say, I found the last 6.5 miles to be in a zone - it was the good weather, the great course and having Laura push me (she did it earlier in the run when she said to me that we should only be able to run that fast at the end).

After I was finished, I set out on my next mission - keeping the little surprise party that I planned for Beth still a surprise. Well we pulled it off- Rachel, Adam and I. I love my wife - very much. One of her best qualities is that she has always let me be me. I am very proud that she is now venturing to do her first half marathon in Providence in May. Run, Beth, Run!!!

Challenging Yourself

2009-03-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

My last blog I talked about how I was pushing boundaries with my speed. Sometimes it is not the speed, but just getting up to go out in the morning. This morning being the case and point. It was not particularly cold and it wasn't wet, but it was dark once again for the morning run. Fortunately, there was the full moon and the new snow which brightened it up quite a bit.

Why am I talking about challenging yourself? Simple, when raising money for a worthy cause such as Dana Farber or the Food Bank - I am always challenging myself how I can raise more funds for them and how I can people to buy into supporting these charities.

This year's fundraising efforts have been interesting to date. People have asked me if the economy is challenging my efforts. My answer is that I have stepped up my efforts to find new donors as well as getting my 'tried and true' donors to commit to my goal of $10,000. For those of you on my email list, I never stop asking and I will not stop until Cancer is eradicated from this world.

Last, but not least, one of my running partners, Emily, and I are hosting a happy hour at Game On on April 3rd. This is the first time I have ever put together a fundraising event. It is far more work than I envisioned. We have been fortunate enough to get some great items to raffle off - like all kinds of tickets - so I am hoping we have a great turnout for this event!

Pushing Boundaries

2009-03-07T14:07:00.000-08:00

As I continue my training, I have been venturing into some unchartered waters. I have been pushing myself on the Crossroads and long runs. Last weekend, when Kristan, Laura and I did the 20 mile run in 3:04 or 9:12/mile pace - I though we were cruising! However, my last two runs have really pushed the limit for me.

I ran Crossroads on Thursday night with Bob, Christina, Rob, Katie, Karen and Jenny. Except for Bob, I have never run with any of these young whipper snappers. Bob is a very capable 8-8:30/mile runner but he will not push me if it is just the two of us. However, being with this new crowd - I think he was quite content to push us a little. We did the hills (which is the first four miles of this run) in an 8:30 pace. I thought wow - maybe they will feel tired and give the old man a break over the last 4.87 miles. Wrong! We continued to mile six with two sub 8:30 miles. Bob looked over at me at about mile 7 and said you are keeping up with us - wow. I said yeah but I am on my last legs. We finished the 8.87 mile trek in 1:16 which is my new Crossroads PR ( I think I did do it once in 1:18 with Betty but that was several years ago). I will tell you the beer never went down so easily as Thursday night - just wish there had been more than a slice a pizza!

Yesterday, I woke up and I had no voice. I say it isn't a cold but my dear wife, Beth says it is. I guess no one has to hear me other than what I write. Anyway, today I ran with the third group that I try to intersperse in runs - the Hopkinton Running Club. I usually run shorter runs with them so today was sort of a treat to do a long run with them. I ran with about 10 runners for the first 7 miles. We were doing consistent 8:30's which is faster than my pace. After the turn onto Parkerville road in Southborough - there were just 6 of us doing the full 15 miles lead by Lisa and Karen. Lisa is a very accomplished marathoner and ironwoman. I have a lot of admiration for her ability and drive to lead others. Anyway, she explained to me at the beginning of the run she was going to push for this to be a faster run for her. I was fine with it except I was not sure of the route. I continued with the full group until mile 13 when I looked down at my watch and it said 1:55. Mind you I have ran two 1:53 1/2 marathons but I was not racing today. When we finished going up the 135 hill back to Hopkinton - I looked at my pace and it said 8:59/ mile pace.

I am wondering now where have you gone Kristan and Laura when I need you. Hopefully, all of these hard runs will translate into success on April 20th!

2nd Twenty Miler

2009-02-28T13:02:00.001-08:00

Today saw my second 20 mile run of the Boston Marathon Training Season. In all I will either do 3 or 4 20 milers before the big race. My friends at Joints in Motion, lead by Victor and Duncan had us running on the marathon course this morning. They treated us to drinks and chocolates every two miles.

I ran with two of my fellow Dana Farber teamates - Laura and Kristan. I have done several long runs as well as some crossroads runs with Laura. Like some of my other training partners, Laura is fun to be with during the travels of a long run. She knows when we want to talk and also knows when we are just in a zone. Being with Kristan has been a good experience as well. Kristan is a very good runner - participating in her first marathon. I must admit I enjoy running with first time runners and sharing helpful tidbits on what to expect and how to survive the training as well as the race. Hopefully, I have not overwhelmed her with my experiences.

Remember two weeks ago, I ran the Martha's Vineyard race in 3:17 - which is about a 9:40/mile pace. Today, we had a great run in 3:04 -13 minutes better than the race. We were not racing too. The 3:04 pace is 9:12/mile. It was a great run shared with two good friends.

The 2nd Half of Training

2009-02-21T13:22:00.000-08:00

The first half of training is spent getting up to 20 miles. For a first time marathoner, this culminates three weeks before the marathon. Being an experienced marathoner (yes I think the 10th marathon gave me the right to use that self proclamation), I try to do 2-3 20 milers during a training season.

The second half also means honing skills such as doing quality tempo runs as well as long runs with some speed component to them. On Wednesday, prior to my mini ski trip (more on that in a moment), I had a real good quality 6 miler. Both Monday and Wednesday, I was treated to great sunrises. There is nothing more spectacular to me than seeing the sunrise on a morning run. Today, I had a really good quality 14 mile run in the Waltham Reservoir area. It was good because Laura and I really pushed up some "rolling" hills - strongly. We finished with a 9:22 pace which felt like a strong run despite tired quads and calf muscles from skiing the last two days.

On a social note, I spent the last two days in Stratton, Vermont with my two favorite skiers - Rachel and Adam. Adam is new to the sport but was a trooper in the blizzard on top of the mountain. He gave new meaning to one of the things that I always talk about with him - not quitting when it gets tough (something us marathoners have instilled in us in miles 20-26). I was impressed that my daughter, Rachel, has developed a natural ability to ski. It is just a shame the sport is so expensive!

With the first half of training completed, I also passed the $3,000 fundraising plateau with generous donations from Hal, Cheryl and Mike. Heading towards $10,000 is not going to be easy but I think Adam has inspired me to not to quit until I reach my goal.

Martha's Vineyard 20 Miler

2009-02-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

This is the race with the slogan - No Weenies! It is not the most difficult race but where it falls on the calendar and training make it challenging. The weather was about 10 degrees warmer than last years 23 degrees. The race still had a fair amount of wind which is always a barrier to a superior performance.

It is one of those all day events. Waking up at 6 am to drive down to the 8:15 ferry, I met my friends Bob, April (kudos for winning your age group), Christina and Rob at the boat. An added bonus was that our friend, Erin (who used to live in Newton) came up from Virginia for this race. What makes this event fun is that everyone that does this race is either fairly serious about running or they are preparing for a marathon. Whenever you doing a race at this level, you need to be prepared mentally as well as physically.

The course is one of the best in New England. The first 10 miles hug the coast from Vineyard Haven to Oak Bluffs to Edgartown. After being along shoreline, you turn into the bike trail for the last 10. It is sort of serene running on the bike trail but I am sure the course is far more scenic in the fall with leaves on the tree.

After fighting the wind for the middle portion of the course, we were able to all cruise into the finish line feeling satisfied that we completed a 20 mile race with two months of training for Boston to go. After sipping down some chowda, we ventured out for some beers at Microbrewry in Oak Bluffs. I think the thing I like most about the MV 20 is the comraderie of sharing the race and the brews afterwards.

Rediscovering Running

2009-02-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

A few of you know that my running career began in 1992 on a whim. I was sitting in my brother - in - law's apartment watching the NYC marathon drinking a beer in one hand and stuffing my face with chips with the other hand. As we were watching the race, I opened my big mouth (and I weighed close to 210 pounds at the time) and said I was going to run the race the very next year. After losing nearly 50 pounds and Beth giving birth to our daughter Rachel, I finished the 1993 NYC marathon. I subsequently ran the 1996 NYC marathon - the year Adam was born. After developing Plantar Fascitis in 1998, I took almost 6.5 years off from running.

Living in Hopkinton, we would watch the Boston Marathon start every year from 2001 -2004. It is very hard to stand at that start line and not run - even for someone who was semi-retired from all running at the time. In 2003 and 2004, I watched my friend, Joe start the race. He was eagerly urging me to re-start running but I was being stubborn. Mostly, I did not think the Plantar thing had healed. What I was really feeling was the scar tissue in the muscle rather the actual injury (which probably healed in 1998).

Joe does not know this but he was probably the biggest coaxer of me starting to run again. I joined a gym in the fall of 2004 and started to run again with virtually no pain. I decided to run the 2005 Boston Marathon for the Food Bank. I wound up re-discovering my joy of running.

Why did I write this today? Mostly, as I was running this morning (the first 2.5 miles with Adam and then the remaining 4.2 on my own in the cold), I was thinking of all the friends that have made through running in the last five years and that probably would not have happened if Joe did not prod me as he did in 2004. The funny thing is that Joe and I have never been in a race together.

Crossroads and the Cold

2009-02-06T06:34:00.000-08:00

Most Thursdays during preparation for the marathon season, I train from an Irish pub in the Back Bay - Crossroads Bar. Many of the runners that come for this weekly run are from the various charities that run for the Boston Marathon. The charities include Dana Farber Cancer Institute (the one I am running for), Joints in Motion, The Greater Boston Food Bank, the Liver Foundation (Run for Research), First Giving, and Childrens Hospital (miles for Miracles).

We typically arrive between 5:30 and 6PM at the bar. Upstairs we leave our bags of clothes, and then we trek out to the T to travel out to Woodland (Newton). We run the last 8.7 miles of the marathon course to Kenmore square (we turn down Beacon Street to the big green sign that awaits us). Once we are back, a lot of us hang out have beer and pizza.

Last night, there was a good showing despite the frigid temperatures. Fortunately, the wind was on our backs. When we got to the T, Kristan and I managed to get on the first train out to Woodland. Everyone else waited for the next one which took almost 40 minutes to arrive.

I have known Kristan (affectionately nickname Stan by her friends that run) since the fall. She is running her first marathon for Dana Farber as well. Being new to marathons, I was trying to share what works and what doesn't. I think I might have overwhelmed her with what goes into race day but it sure made the time pass and we got back to the bar in a 9:35/mile pace which is not bad for me in the cold. Aside from Kristan having her life flash before her eyes (due to us jumping onto the road where there was ice), we had a good run.

When we got back to the warmth of Crossroads, there were about 30 of us who managed to brave the cold. Hopefully, the thaw will come this weekend. I can safely say that most of us are tired of the winter chill and snow. In my five winters training for the Boston Marathon, this one has been the coldest and snowiest one by far.

2009-02-01T02:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday saw another long run on the way to the big day on April 20th. For most of my regular friends, they look at me as crazy for looking forward to the weekly long run. Even my kids who have seen me do this for the last five years think it is ludicrous that someone wants to go out for a 16 -20 mile run. To me, it is my time to relax and be with myself.

After having had that horrendous icy run the other night, I was looking forward to a run without the treachery of the icy bike path that I experienced. Today was a scheduled 15-17 mile run on the Newton Hills heading toward Wellesley (the Grossmans Hill). As usual, Dana Farber had its support as well as the wonderful spread after the run at the Mount Auburn Club.

When I got to the locker room, I could not find my running pack (which I found after the run) in my bag. It had my ipod (sometimes I like to run with music - other times I am content to just run or enjoy someones company). So I ran with out my shot blocks and the ipod. Going to the pre-run meeting, I saw a variety of people who had thoughts as to whether they should do 15, 16 or 17 miles today. Usually the week after a race, I would take it easier but that would have meant forgoing the Grossmans hill. Many people would have said no hill. I embraced it.

I went out the first three miles with Laura and Kristan. Kristan left us after the first drink stop. So Laura and I proceeded to do the last 14.66 miles together. In other years I have had other long run partners - Debbie, Laura B, Emily and now Laura. Laura and I have known each other about 5 years but never really ran together before this year. It is kind of strange because we run about the same pace. It was really nice to run with her because she would push me when I needed a push and vice versa. Like my other fantastic running partners, Laura is content to talk a bit and at other times just happy to be with someone on the route w/o having to utter a word to know that you are enjoying someones company.

We ran out the first 8 miles and the breeze was in our face (but it was not bad). The return to MT Auburn saw us with no more wind until the last mile. The last mile was brutal and the run turned out to be a 17.66 pleasant run. This is the part of the training that makes the marathoner strong for the big day. In closing, this long run, while typical, is why I love endurance training!

Difficult Conditions

2009-01-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

Last night presented a dilemna - where and how to run? Usually, Thursday night means Crossroads and running the hills of Newton back to the bar at Beacon and Mass Ave. Running late, most of my friends had already hopped on the T to Woodland to start their 8.7 mile adventure. My choices were to either get on the T and run the 8.7 by myself, run out and back to Cleveland Circle (through Kenmore Square) or run the esplanade.

I chose to run along the river for 6 miles. Big, Big mistake. When I got down to the running trail - it appeared to be clear. Well, that lasted a whole 1/4 of a mile. I will be the first to tell you it was a very cruddy, crunchy run on very icy terrain. I kept on going - hoping that it was going to get better. It never really got better and a few spots it got more treacherous.

I ran at about 10 minute miles for most of this challenging adventure. It turned out to be much more of a workout than I expected in that I was concentrating hard to not fall on the ice or twist an ankle. Applying the brakes (not that I go much, much faster) made this a very difficult 6 miles that made me feel like I actually ran closer to 9 miles.

When I got back to Crossroads, I was pleased to see some of my friends their that had braved the hills. Most notably, I saw two people that I did not expect to see - Greg G and Sarah. This was a pleasant surprise and made the run worth it - rather than going home or ditching the run altogether. Would I do that route or a surface like that ever again - no way, but I learned a lot from the experience.

The Power of Facebook

2009-01-27T14:43:00.000-08:00

Today, I ran once again with Adam in the morning. Adam joined me for the first part of my run in the five degree chill. I proceeded to do the remaining part of the 6.3 mile run on some rolling hills. I enjoyed the camraderie of my son on this run.

However, I was sauntering around the hills of Hopkinton - I was deep in thought. As some of you know from running, some of the best thinking is done while you are out by yourself. Today, I was pondering the power of Facebook.

Initially, when I signed up for Facebook - it was at the urging of my sister, Dina so we could play scrabble and boggle on line. Well, it has turned into a whole lot more. I have reconnected with people that I have not spoken too in over 30 years. I have also made friends with people that I was too shy too even talk too in junior and senior high. Last but not least, I have made friends with people that I have never met - one example is probably a relative that lives in Providence.

This morning before I went for a run, an old friend Will contacted me. I know Will from college but had not spoken to him in 25 years. He was asking me about how I got back into running. I explained to him that it gave me an avenue to make friends and be involved in the community. Through my children, I re-learned how important is to be a contributing member to the community and to give back - either through time and/or donations to great causes like Dana Farber and the Greater Boston Food Bank. I look at this blog as an extension of my effort to raise over $10,000 for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Thankfully Facebook and blogspot have made this effort that much easier.

The Derry Race

2009-01-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

There is a big difference between preparing for a Spring marathon and a fall marathon. Aside from the obvious weather differences, there are many more "prep" races during the winter months. One reason is that there is much more demand with 20,000 plus racers getting ready for the Boston marathon in April. Another is there is lot less possibility of heat exhaustion in a winter prep race.

After enjoying a steak dinner with my wonderful wife, Beth at Abe & Louis, we went to my friend Rich's Dana Farber fundraising party. While we were at the party, the many fellow runners were questioning me why I was doing the Derry 16 miler. They question it for two big reasons: weather and hills.

While most of us have to deal with a fair amount of weather in our training for Boston, this race always has some kind of weather issue. Last year, it was snowing most of the race. This year it was cold but not terribly windy (just a little at the end of the race). Today it was about 10 degrees at the beginning of the race but you really felt it at the end when you just want to finish.

As far the course - it is truly rolling hills. Being a veteran of the Big Sur race last year, I had my share of hills and then some ( there is a 2.5 mile hill at mile 9 in that race that climbs 700 feet during that part). The other big part of Big sur is that it has 12 'ROLLING' hills over the last 12 miles. Well, Derry has two huge hills: one at mile 9 and another mile 11.5 with lots of rollers in between. Truly a test!

As some of my friends know, I have been experimenting with the Run-walk- run method (Jeff Galloway method). My last three marathons I have done 4 minutes running to one minute walking. One of the big reasons why this works is that it prevents fatigue from setting in until later in the race. For Boston and for Derry, I am trying 9 minutes running and one minute walking. The jury is still out as to which one I like better. I will be trying 9:1 again for the Martha's Vineyard 20 miler in February. I will keep you posted.

So you are wondering how I did in the race. I did it in 2:36 - 4 minutes better than last year. I am always happy with new "PRs"; however I was very tired at the end. I was very relieved when I got inside and I saw my friends: Judith, Laura, Kate and Betsy (one of my fellow blogsters http://runbetsyrun.blogspot.com/). I was also very happy with the feeling that I once again had done a very difficult race on a cold day.

Prepping for Boston

2009-01-24T03:08:00.000-08:00

On thursday, I went out for my leisurely 6.3 mile run. Once again it was a chilly morning of 5 degrees and no light. There will be probably will not be any light for another three - 4 weeks at 5am, so you bundle up and you have reflective gear on (a must by all means for any evening running).

This weekend brings me to first of several preparation races. On Sunday, I will be running in the Derry 16 miler. Last year was my first time doing this race. First, every year there is some kind of weather issue with this race. For 2008, it was an inch of snow that felt like 10 inches of snow. The picture was taken at mile 15.5 - right before the end of the race. It is a little tougher race because the middle part has some rolling hills and one steep one at mile 9. My thought is that these cold hilly races get you ready for the Boston Marathon as well as the long runs on the actual marathon course. Tomorrow, I will report on my race and how it went.

As far as my fundraising efforts for the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge, I am proud to say that we are off to a good start in efforts to raise $10,000 for this fantastic cause. This past week we surpassed the $2,000 mark. I am very grateful for the many contributors so far; but if you have any suggestions on how we can get more donations - I welcome it. Again, thank you!

Running with one of My Favorite Runners

2009-01-20T09:45:00.000-08:00

This morning I ran with one of my favorite runners, my son, Adam. Although we have run a couple of times during this training for the marathon, today Adam joined me for the first three (3) miles of my 5.55 mile easy run. Like many of you, I'm sure you have people in your life that you don't have to say anything, but you just know being with them makes you feel good.

My son, Adam, is usually very knowledgeable and talkative on a run. Today, I was just happy to be with him and know what a special father/son bond we share. He was quiet but I knew he was happy to be with me as I was with him. When I see him doing races or doing five miles at five as he puts it - I realize he is so much further along than I was at that age. I could barely run a .25 mile without being out of breath at 12, but Adam is a gamer and can run up to 5 miles.

Besides our fondness for running and other Sports, Adam shares a lot of the same world views as I do. I can confidently say we are both looking at today as new start for America as well as the world. We are very proud to be Americans in this proud nation where freedom will reign for all in this country.

The cold of It - Part II

2009-01-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

Well today I finally braved the elements for my long run. Yesterday, I received an email from Coach Victor who was saying that it was going to be a balmy 25 degrees. Well it was a total of 5 degrees at 8AM when we started our long run today from Forever Fit.

For the last few years, I have ran as a friend of the Joints in Motion (the arthritis foundation) charity group. They are a very welcoming group who support runners on their long runs with drinks and goodies on Saturdays. Today, I decided that I was going to do a 14 mile run in preparation for next weeks Derry 16 miler. I did not want to stretch from 12 miles to 16 miles in one week.

It actually turned out to be a good run for me. After having had several mediocre to poor runs, it was nice to have a run that was strong particularly at the end when my friend Laura pushed me a little. I am hoping that the cold is done for a while now. Next long run is next Sunday in Derry with the 16 mile race.

The Cold of It

2009-01-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

The question arose last night whether to run inside or outside. Usually, the answer is simple - outside. There are about four occasions that I will choose the dreaded treadmill over outdoor running - thunderstorms, cold raw/rainy fall weather, more than inch of snow on the ground and extreme cold.

Being a warm weather runner (the warmer the better), I usually bundle up in one layer more than most of my friends. My friend, Emily, always teases me as to where my extra layer is in the middle of June. With that being said, I was thinking on Tuesday night that I would run outside and brave it.

After receiving an email from my friend, Kate, who basically implored me to use my better judgment - I decided it will be indoors for this Thursday. Knowing that I would not be able to run with my Crossroads buddies the next two weeks, I chose to run at BSC on Newbury Street. When I saw a fellow friend and Dana Farber runner (Tyler) at BSC, I knew that maybe I was not the only one that wimped out of the outdoor run.

Well, I did 7 miles on the treadmill. I am not a big fan of the machine because I feel it promotes overuse injuries. All of my overuse injuries have been a result of this device. You think that you can go faster or up a steeper hill so you push yourself beyond what you are supposed to do. Nonetheless, I got the run in and I was glad I did not have to brave the elements.

When I got to Crossroads, I saw some of the usual crew. After having a few brews, I noticed that each one of the runners who ran outside in the 5 degree weather were chilled to the core. I saw my new friend, Betsy putting on additional layers of clothing on in a 70 degree room - I just knew that her core was frozen from braving the 8.7 mile trek back to Crossroads. I must say bravo to all of you who did the run because I myself wimped out on this occasion.

Hopefully it will not be too cold for the long run on Saturday at Forever Fit where I will see some of my Joints in Motion friends who I have not seen in about four months.

Cool Friends you meet through Working Out

2009-01-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had my daily run of 5 miles at 5AM with Adam. Nothing eventful other than it being rather cold at 5:00. Today saw me going back to Boston Sports Club in Westborough with my regular crew of friends. After four years of being a member at Golds, a bunch of us moved over to BSC in Westborough. One of my regular friends showing up in the early AM is none other than our beloved Paul our famed cowboy star (as witnessed in the accompany picture).

I have been fortunate enough to run as well as doing a boxing class with Paul as well as get to know him. Paul is beloved by everyone in the gym. The reason is simple - he treats everyone with genuine interest and knows everyone. He has been called the "Ambassador" or the "Mayor" of the gym. I will just call him Cowboy Paul!!

What is great about our group of friends in the AM at this gym is that we all support each other in our quest to be fitter as well as have some fun at doing it.

Paul always inquires to me what is my next race. He is always amazed that I continue to train for the marathons but I am always amazed that Paul gets the fortitude to train every day at 5 am - whether it is a spin class, Boxing with Russ or going for a six mile run.

In closing today's blog, I must say I have been blessed to meet and get to know really great people like Paul in my gym.

Off Days

2009-01-12T12:12:00.000-08:00

As you might guess, I do not run every single day. I have a variety of different workouts including interval training on the Arc trainer, weight training as well killer ab routines. Today, I am going to focus on my interval training which I have shared with my friend Anita. She calls it Glen's Kick Ass Interval Training (GKIT).

The following is the routine: you set the time on the arc trainer - in my case it is 45 minutes. I set it at level 3. On the down interval (or resting interval), I do it at 150 strides/minute. On the up interval, I go at 180 strides / minute. The workout takes you into the anaerobic zone by the end of the workout.

I have also done variations of this workout by adding the air rower as well as stairs or treadmill. If you are doing this more advanced routine like my friend Anita - you will set the air rower at 15 minutes or 5,000 meters. The goal is to do this at least 35 strokes for minutes. If you have never used this piece of equipment - just try five minutes to start. It will kick your butt otherwise.

The other part of this killer cardio workout is the walking treadmill for 25 minutes. The goal here is to walk at the treadmill at 4 mph. The catch is to raise the incline by a factor of one each minute until you get to the 15th minute. At the 15th minute, you hold the full incline for 5 minutes. At the 20th minute bring the incline down in increments of 3 (12, 9, 6,3 and 0) until you are done. If you feel the need to hold on to the rails back the speed off to as low 3 mph. The other variation has you on the stair master (the old fashion one) for straight forward 15 minutes.

The goal here is to do cardio that resembles running but does not have the pounding of the road. I want to thank Anita for keeping me honest on this routine and true to it. Anita works hard every day at the gym and she is an inspiration for me as well to work harder. Anita is also one of several donors who have given to my Dana Farber Cancer site. She wants me to run in honor of Chloe and it is with great honor that I be doing the 113th Boston Marathon on April 20th for her.
See you at the finish line!

Final Word on Betty

2009-01-11T09:16:00.000-08:00

Congrats on 3:41 after a great half marathon. Not a PR but nonetheless a great time. Looking forward to seeing the three medals. For those of you who do not know, you get an individual medal for the half (minnie mouse) an individual medal for the whole (Mickey) and when you do both you get this big medal of GOOFY! Well Betty you earned it.

Changing my Long Run Plans

2009-01-11T02:56:00.000-08:00

As followup to my entry from yestereday, my friend Betty completed the first half of Goofy in 1:55. I am glad she took it easy yesterday because this morning is the real challenge doing the full marathon - one day after a half. She will do great because she is loyal disciple of Dean Karnazes. Go Betty!

As for me, yesterday was a day when you had to re-think your training due to the weather. True to form - the weather materialized at least six inch snowstorm. So my choices were to either try to fit a run in yesterday or do treadmill running which I can not stand. I opted to get the 12 mile long run in yesterday. It was a very pedestrian 2 hour 12 miler in cold conditions. My legs felt like cement and I must admit I was cold in the end. When I do solo long runs my thoughts are usually rampant and all over the place.

While listening to music, I was thinking a lot about the last time I did what I call the North Mill to South Mill route. It was last fall and I was doing the route with my friends Judith and Jen in preparation for the Baltimore Marathon. That was the day when I first pulled my hamstring in preparation for Baltimore. Sadly it was also the last time my friend Jen will run for a while. While she ran nicely that day, it turned out that she had discs in her lower back that needed surgery in November. All kept on thinking yesterday is that I hope that she will be able to run again one day and enjoy this wonderful route with me!

I also often think about different people when different songs come on. To me the music used to get me through the run. Now it only enhances the run.

Gotta go but I will post more tomorrow about how Betty made out with Goofy!

Betty doing the Goofy

2009-01-10T08:10:00.000-08:00

One of my first posts will be dedicated to my dear friend Betty. Today she is running the first half of the Goofy Challenge. The Goofy challenge is the Half Marathon on Saturday and Sunday you do the full 26.2 marathon through the Magic Kingdom. I believe this will be Betty's 12 marathon.

I have known Betty since I restarted running in 2005. I met her through my friend Anita and Avril. I met her at a half marathon in the snow and never imagined that I would become great friends as well as training partners. As Betty is 20 years my junior and a much faster runner than me I truly appreciate her patience with my training with her.

Betty and I have run relays and races together but we have only participated in one marathon at the same time - the 2005 marathon. We have travelled the hills of the famed Reach the Beach Relay as well as trained on the infamous Thurday night Crossroads runs (more about these in a later post).

Most of all, Betty is a friend who supports my runs - by coming to DC to try to see me in the 2006 Marine Corps Marathon to sending me gloves on my latest conquest in the Philadelphia Marathon. We support each other and discuss what works and does not work. We share woes of overuse injuries, but most of all we are good friends. So today as she starts on the Goofy Challenge - I find it fitting to write something on my new blog.

In closing, I hope she has a good strong run today but saves something for the full marathon tomorrow. I will post a result tomorrow. See you at the finish line.

Start of the Blog

2009-01-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

I am an avid runner who has completed 10 marathons. This year I will be running the 113th Boston Marathon on April 20, 2009. I decided that this site would be dedicated to sharing my experiences both running and fundraising for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=283893&supid=231594500

During the last four years, I have run 8 marathons. Some marathons, I run for the experience of the race and others I run raise money for a vital cause. The 2005, 2006, and 2007 Boston Marathons, I ran the race for The Greater Boston Food Bank. During those years, we collectively raised over $20,000 for this much needed cause. I have decided to run for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute to honor several of my friends who have fought and won the brave fight against this disease and to further the research for cures to this disease.

Without the research of Institutes like Dana Farber, three of my friends, Dave, Paul and Sue would still be suffering from the cancers that have become a part of their lives. Dave, one of my close college buddies, has survived non-hodgkins Lymphoma for the last 6 years. Paul, one of my first mentors in business and one of my dearest friends in life, is in remission from the Colon Cancer that struck him in March of this year. Sue, the wife of my best man- Hal, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and is well on her way to recovery. Fortunately, my friends are presently in remission and getting better with every day.

Through the last four years of being an active runner, I have made and experienced many new friends and groups through my travels. I envision sharing some of the great people I have met over the years, my training, my races, my great family as well as the contributions from my donors. I hope you will post and share on this site as well.