BAYSTATE - who is running? (Read 1234 times)

I just thought I'd drop in to say good luck to all those running BayState tomorrow. I've been hearing about the preparation at work all week, let's hope I get to hear about some great races for the next couple weeks.

3:05:47 (watch time) Going to Boston! I had a great race. No wall, very steady splits. This just proves to me that long-term consistency matters more than any particular training program -- I took three weeks off at what would have been peak training, and my longest training run was 16 miles. Looking for sub-3 in Boston on Patriot's day.

Mike, that is awesome. Yes, many beers.

Congrats, Ed! See you in Hopkinton in April. 2:49:19. Today I ran the race of my life. That's about all I can say. Half splits of 1:24:40 / 1:24:39. I shit you not. Hope everyone had a good one. Great day, a bit windy but hey. Great day. Many beers now.

Nice job Mikey. You were flying when I saw you at mile 24.

Great runs Mike, Nat and Ed. What great weather for a marathon! A little chilly at the start but very comfortable after warming up. Well I ran my first HM. I did better the expected. I was thinking I could do 2:15 - 2:20. I ended up doing 2:08. My foot pod shit the bed at mile 10 so I think I could have pushed my self more at the end if I knew my pace... I think I did pretty good for a 42 year old who has only been running for 5 months.

Well, I did it! I'm no longer a race virgin. Today was my first race of any variety so it was a much bigger deal to me than I would have let on to anyone. My goal was a < 2:00 finish and i did it. my official time was... 1:59:58. i can honestly say that this ranks up there as one of the top days of my life. i learned a slew of lessons today that i'll chew over in the days ahead - not the least of which is a slow start saves races and i'm proof of that. i was so concerned about going out too fast that i under-ran (if that's a word) fearing the worst. when i do my training runs daily i usually run a 8 - 8:30 mile. as a novice runner, i had heard so many horror stories about finding yourself at mile 8 or 10 or 12 feeling like death and i was desperate to finish at all cost. i can honestly say that i never ever felt fatigued or crappy in anyway. at the halfway point, i was at 1:01:40 or something and i knew that i could increase my speed because i still felt amazing - way better than i have ever felt having just run 6.5 miles. though i will admit my hope of reaching my goal was shot. even with that realization, though i never increased it much just waiting for something yucky to happen which never did, and the last 3 miles - i kicked it. when we hit the arena and the guy said over the loudspeaker, "if you plan on an under 2:00 finish - you have 30 seconds...", i bolted like never before. when i crossed the finish line and saw my time i hope to christ no one got a picture of me because i just know that i look profoundly "special" as in a blackmail opportunity just ripe for the pickin'. my one big lesson learned of many is if you are a mother and a novice runner, leave your ^&*&&$@ apron at home. there is a girl wearing black tights & a red shirt who is drenched and likely very pissed & even more cold because of me. yeah, i know (now) - when at a water station throw your cups to the right... well, what if you are a mother and used to picking up after people in your house and you are sure you see a garbage can just up ahead on the left and your equally sure you can hit it? well, then you hold on to the gatorade that you thought was water that you did not drink because you hate gatorade and didn't train with it... and you peg it at said can and miss by a mile and soak the previously-mentioned 20-something pretty girl in red & black. i'm sorry young girl. i'm even sorrier for apologizing profusely and then speaking to the advantages of not procreating & creating the very progeny that makes you feel the need to throw cup in can instead of on the ground like they do just knowing that you will pick up after them. i may well be one of the happiest humans on the planet today... or least my little plot. :) dari 2:00="" finish="" and="" i="" did="" it.="" my="" official="" time="" was...="" 1:59:58.="" i="" can="" honestly="" say="" that="" this="" ranks="" up="" there="" as="" one="" of="" the="" top="" days="" of="" my="" life.="" i="" learned="" a="" slew="" of="" lessons="" today="" that="" i'll="" chew="" over="" in="" the="" days="" ahead="" -="" not="" the="" least="" of="" which="" is="" a="" slow="" start="" saves="" races="" and="" i'm="" proof="" of="" that.="" i="" was="" so="" concerned="" about="" going="" out="" too="" fast="" that="" i="" under-ran="" (if="" that's="" a="" word)="" fearing="" the="" worst.="" when="" i="" do="" my="" training="" runs="" daily="" i="" usually="" run="" a="" 8="" -="" 8:30="" mile.="" as="" a="" novice="" runner,="" i="" had="" heard="" so="" many="" horror="" stories="" about="" finding="" yourself="" at="" mile="" 8="" or="" 10="" or="" 12="" feeling="" like="" death="" and="" i="" was="" desperate="" to="" finish="" at="" all="" cost.="" i="" can="" honestly="" say="" that="" i="" never="" ever="" felt="" fatigued="" or="" crappy="" in="" anyway.="" at="" the="" halfway="" point,="" i="" was="" at="" 1:01:40="" or="" something="" and="" i="" knew="" that="" i="" could="" increase="" my="" speed="" because="" i="" still="" felt="" amazing="" -="" way="" better="" than="" i="" have="" ever="" felt="" having="" just="" run="" 6.5="" miles.="" though="" i="" will="" admit="" my="" hope="" of="" reaching="" my="" goal="" was="" shot.="" even="" with="" that="" realization,="" though="" i="" never="" increased="" it="" much="" just="" waiting="" for="" something="" yucky="" to="" happen="" which="" never="" did,="" and="" the="" last="" 3="" miles="" -="" i="" kicked="" it.="" when="" we="" hit="" the="" arena="" and="" the="" guy="" said="" over="" the="" loudspeaker,="" "if="" you="" plan="" on="" an="" under="" 2:00="" finish="" -="" you="" have="" 30="" seconds...",="" i="" bolted="" like="" never="" before.="" when="" i="" crossed="" the="" finish="" line="" and="" saw="" my="" time="" i="" hope="" to="" christ="" no="" one="" got="" a="" picture="" of="" me="" because="" i="" just="" know="" that="" i="" look="" profoundly="" "special"="" as="" in="" a="" blackmail="" opportunity="" just="" ripe="" for="" the="" pickin'.="" my="" one="" big="" lesson="" learned="" of="" many="" is="" if="" you="" are="" a="" mother="" and="" a="" novice="" runner,="" leave="" your="" ^&*&&$@="" apron="" at="" home.="" there="" is="" a="" girl="" wearing="" black="" tights="" &="" a="" red="" shirt="" who="" is="" drenched="" and="" likely="" very="" pissed="" &="" even="" more="" cold="" because="" of="" me.="" yeah,="" i="" know="" (now)="" -="" when="" at="" a="" water="" station="" throw="" your="" cups="" to="" the="" right...="" well,="" what="" if="" you="" are="" a="" mother="" and="" used="" to="" picking="" up="" after="" people="" in="" your="" house="" and="" you="" are="" sure="" you="" see="" a="" garbage="" can="" just="" up="" ahead="" on="" the="" left="" and="" your="" equally="" sure="" you="" can="" hit="" it?="" well,="" then="" you="" hold="" on="" to="" the="" gatorade="" that="" you="" thought="" was="" water="" that="" you="" did="" not="" drink="" because="" you="" hate="" gatorade="" and="" didn't="" train="" with="" it...="" and="" you="" peg="" it="" at="" said="" can="" and="" miss="" by="" a="" mile="" and="" soak="" the="" previously-mentioned="" 20-something="" pretty="" girl="" in="" red="" &="" black.="" i'm="" sorry="" young="" girl.="" i'm="" even="" sorrier="" for="" apologizing="" profusely="" and="" then="" speaking="" to="" the="" advantages="" of="" not="" procreating="" &="" creating="" the="" very="" progeny="" that="" makes="" you="" feel="" the="" need="" to="" throw="" cup="" in="" can="" instead="" of="" on="" the="" ground="" like="" they="" do="" just="" knowing="" that="" you="" will="" pick="" up="" after="" them.="" i="" may="" well="" be="" one="" of="" the="" happiest="" humans="" on="" the="" planet="" today...="" or="" least="" my="" little="" plot.="" :)=""></ 2:00 finish and i did it. my official time was... 1:59:58. i can honestly say that this ranks up there as one of the top days of my life. i learned a slew of lessons today that i'll chew over in the days ahead - not the least of which is a slow start saves races and i'm proof of that. i was so concerned about going out too fast that i under-ran (if that's a word) fearing the worst. when i do my training runs daily i usually run a 8 - 8:30 mile. as a novice runner, i had heard so many horror stories about finding yourself at mile 8 or 10 or 12 feeling like death and i was desperate to finish at all cost. i can honestly say that i never ever felt fatigued or crappy in anyway. at the halfway point, i was at 1:01:40 or something and i knew that i could increase my speed because i still felt amazing - way better than i have ever felt having just run 6.5 miles. though i will admit my hope of reaching my goal was shot. even with that realization, though i never increased it much just waiting for something yucky to happen which never did, and the last 3 miles - i kicked it. when we hit the arena and the guy said over the loudspeaker, "if you plan on an under 2:00 finish - you have 30 seconds...", i bolted like never before. when i crossed the finish line and saw my time i hope to christ no one got a picture of me because i just know that i look profoundly "special" as in a blackmail opportunity just ripe for the pickin'. my one big lesson learned of many is if you are a mother and a novice runner, leave your ^&*&&$@ apron at home. there is a girl wearing black tights & a red shirt who is drenched and likely very pissed & even more cold because of me. yeah, i know (now) - when at a water station throw your cups to the right... well, what if you are a mother and used to picking up after people in your house and you are sure you see a garbage can just up ahead on the left and your equally sure you can hit it? well, then you hold on to the gatorade that you thought was water that you did not drink because you hate gatorade and didn't train with it... and you peg it at said can and miss by a mile and soak the previously-mentioned 20-something pretty girl in red & black. i'm sorry young girl. i'm even sorrier for apologizing profusely and then speaking to the advantages of not procreating & creating the very progeny that makes you feel the need to throw cup in can instead of on the ground like they do just knowing that you will pick up after them. i may well be one of the happiest humans on the planet today... or least my little plot. :) dari>

yeah... well... you should have seen me after midnight at the Doubletree-Lowell last night (or early this morning) when I couldn't sleep and finally got out of bed and had key-lime pie! I have a problem that probably warrants 12-steps and tons of running!