huh?

So what happened to February...and March...and the first week of April?

Fortunately I have still been able to fit in my core training runs (or at least approximations thereof) these past few weeks but if the weather stays like it has been the past few days, and it is predicted to do so for much of the next week, I may have to dial back my race expectations.  But I will be honest with you, pace leading in Little Rock and Race Directing (even as part of a committee) for the 24-Hour Around the Lake have really gotten me off track with training.  Oh sure, the joy of running is still there...buried somewhere in with all of the meetings and letters and phone calls and emails and unreturned correspondence and....

Let's just say that there is a reason why I don't have ANYTHING officially scheduled following the Boston Marathon, though I have been kicking around the idea of a couple different possibilities for early October and hopefully running in my own race in July, but really I am just looking forward to going out for a nice trail run or seven without concern for distance, pace, hydration rate, etc.  Because truly, what does it say when you find work to be a nice distraction from your hobby / outside interest?

That said, time to go change and warm up for my interval workout tonight in 20 minutes.

Well what do you know, another day of freezing rain/sleet/ice to make my life more interesting.  Currently things are just wet so hopefully tonight's run won't have to be canceled or abreviated because I really need to get myself back into race condition before my next 5K (16 days) and marathon (17 days).  But that future stuff can wait...

Now is the time for a little reflection on the recently concluded year; a year of unprecedented (for me at least) performance.  Yes, somehow I managed to make it through 2008 in better condition than I could have even imagined at this time last year.  I not only survived my "ambitious" personal challenge, that saw me race more than 350 miles in 16 races over the course of the year, including 12 as part of "RunningBull's Run to Honor America's Veterans", but I also managed to finish in the top 10% for each event (that I was not participating in as a pace leader) including 8 finishes in the top 5 of my age group.

I ran a grand total of 2094 miles for the year. Unfortunately the local weather conditions did not permit me to run on New Years Eve, sort of like the LSU defense did to Georgia Tech in the Peach Bowl (again ), so I did not reach 2112 and thus could not find the Passage to Bangkok or the Temples of Syrinx before passing into the new year.  But still, that is more than I ran in 2007, 2006, 2005, on back to at least 1993 combined and am therefor not all that disappointed in having to wait until New Years Day to knock off those remaining miles.

My efforts to help support the New England Shelter (now Center) for Homeless Veterans in 2008 were mostly successful.  I came up about $3000 short of my fundraising goal BUT I did generate some additional publicity for the Center, generated some good will and feelings of appreciation for our veterans and active duty personnel, made my father proud and gave him something to talk about at the VA hospital where he lives.  For all of those reasons, and more, I have decided to continue my efforts into 2009.

However, this year I will not be focusing my schedule around participating in the Thematically linked events that I had in 2008, which dictated my travel, training, and race availability.  I will instead focus on completing one or two dramatic ultra-endurance level events while also expanding my role of service to the sport in honor of the service of our soldiers.

I will be continuing my new found role as a Marathon Pace Leader: currently scheduled to lead the 3:20 group in Miami and either the 3:30 or 3:15 group in Little Rock.

I am the Volunteer Coordinator for the 2nd annual Marathon Sports Super Sunday 5k/10k on Feb 1 in S. Boston.  I was the Course Director last year.  Volunteers are still welcome to sign up for on course support during the race (water table, course monitor, timing chip collection).

I joined the newly formed Race Director Committee for the 13th annual 24-hour Around the Lake Team Relay, Ultra-marathon, and Marathon presented by the Somerville Road Runners in Wakefield, MA on July 24-25.  I am currently operating as the Director of Sponsor Relations undertaking great efforts to keep this event fun, exciting, and affordable to all participants.  I hope to be able to find a way to actually participate in this event and enjoy the fruits of my labors, but odds are I will too many duties that will need my attention that weekend and will have to sign up for someone else's Ultra.

Speaking of sponsors, I feel that it is time for me to pass the torch and will be stepping down from Team Aquaphor after my 3 years of representing their Endurance Athlete Team.  I had a great time, met some wonderful people, and enjoyed some excellent benefits but feel that it is good to spread the wealth and will not stand in the way of some other deserving up-and-coming athlete.

And of course, I am registered to both volunteer for and compete in the Boston Marathon in April.

Have a great year everybody.

Though I have to admit that there were times out on the seemingly never-ending Tow-path segment, run into an 18mph headwind, when I didn't know how I was going to do it. The temperature at the 7:00am start was 19^oF and with the wind chill I don't think that the ambient temperature ever crept above freezing.

I am so thankful that I had packed an entire second outfit for my mid-course (mile 38) gear bag because I needed the dry gloves, the change of socks and shoes without frozen cushioning foam, the wind jacket (duh!), and the second pair of tights which actually covered my ankles. I don't want to even think about the amount of energy my body was expending just trying to keep warm during those first 6 hours. But at least we didn't have to deal with snow, or worse yet, rain.

The volunteers (and general spectators) at the aid stations were so incredibly helpful and supportive. I want to thank them all for braving the cold to come out and support us runners as they did. The tepid soup, frozen m&m's, and pb&j sandwiches kept me moving out there and I am so very grateful for them all.

The final 8-miles of rolling hills climbing up from the river to the finish, though a welcome change mentally from the constant level terrain of the tow path, were brutal on my body.  I felt like I could walk faster uphill than I could run at that point and the few brief downhill sections vibrantly announced their presence to my quads and my knee ligaments.  And yet still I was able to finish this race on the run with my final mile at 8:26 pace (comparable to the initial 3 miles of the day). 

It felt so good to stop and savor the sunset before enjoying a couple slices of pizza and a quick shower before the awards ceremony.  No, I didn't earn any special award for my performance beyond the Hostess cupcake and cup of hot chocolate..

Though one of my local newspapers (The Somerville Journal) did provide a brief write-up on my efforts to support the NESHV and honor our fallen soldiers through my running, which hopefully will remind its readers of some additional things to be thanful for this holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody.

It was just 14 months ago, while reading the weblog of Robert Jordan (aka James O. Rigney, Jr.), that "RunningBull's Run" was conceived of in its present scope and scale. Up until that time I had been searching for some reason, for some cause, for something bigger than myself to dedicate my running efforts towards since I had at that point achieved my original running goal: to qualify for and compete in the 111th Boston Marathon (2007). I knew that I wanted to align myself with a charitable group to make a difference in the lives of others with the financial resources that I collected as well as motivate and inspire others through the actual act of running.

Reading about Robert's (he will always be Robert to me, since that is the name he used during the half dozen occasions on which we interacted) battle against Amyloidosis, about his family, about his time in Vietnam, about the simple things in life and all of his plans for the future, brought my conceptual thoughts into focus and aligned me with a cause that already had meaning to my life and for which there exists a continuing unmet need.

At this point many people assume that I signed on to assist the Mayo Clinic or the Amyloidosis Foundation but I chose instead to dedicate my efforts to battle against a more insidious and pervasive disease; Apathy for the plight of our war veterans. I chose to align myself with the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans located in downtown Boston to help raise awareness of their proven and effective programs and services that help rehabilitate and reintegrate our homeless veterans. I wish that there was a simple and direct link associated with this choice or with my decision to undertake such a (relatively) ambitious endeavor. Nobody even blinks twice when a cancer survivor or family member of a cancer victim signs up to raise money for cancer research by running a 10k or Marathon. But when a 32 year old civilian employee of the Federal government announces that he is going to run in a series of races over the course of a year for a combined distance (350+ miles) that exceeds the sum total of his lifetime running career in support of homeless veterans...that gets a bit complicated.

And since I am not a professional writer who can tie this all together nice and neatly I am just going to lay out the key points that when taken as a whole come together, mesh, meld, and result in THIS, this ongoing experience to which I have dedicated 1 year of my life.

• My father is a disabled Vietnam veteran who now resides in the VA Medical Center located in Bedford, MA.

• My favorite author (Robert Jordan) was also a Vietnam veteran, but one who was able to effectively manage the after effects of his war experiences by channeling them through his writings.

• My best friend in high school, my college roommate, 3 of my co-workers, my cousin, my grandfather, my father-in-law, and about a dozen other people who are meaningful in my life are veterans.

• Our nation has been at war against a Terrorist organization since September 11, 2001; though you wouldn't know it based upon the coverage in the media, the urgency in Congress, or the focus of our economy and the output of our manufacturing sector.

• My middle brother celebrated his 20th birthday on September 11, 2001; while I watched on live television from the fitness center of the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, Alaska as a plane crashed into the North Tower.

• Over 4000 American soldiers, many of whom enlisted in response to that attack, had been killed fighting the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq (now over 4730).

• My wife and I attended the NESHV Leave No One Behind Dinner & Auction while she was employed by PWC in November of 2006

• I had met and run with Dean Karnasas in Boston and Chicago during his 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days challenge, after reading his Ultramarathon Man book, and witnessed first-hand the human body's ability to overcome normally recognized limits.

• I wanted to help, not ignore, not pick and choose, and not "pay off" the homeless and the hungry people living on the streets of my city in one of the wealthiest nation's in the world. Especially those who served that nation but somehow slipped through the cracks after returning "home".

• I wanted to give back to other runners; to help them to achieve their goals while I continue to pursue my next goal.

I have learned from this experience that our limits are self imposed. We can go so far beyond what we could ever imagine if we are only willing to focus ourselves and dedicate our time and effort to achieving the goals that we establish. The keys to remember are patience, perspective, perseverance, and positive attitude.

This photo was taken the last time I saw and talked with Robert Jordan. We discussed running, languages, dining in Cambridge, and the joys of travel before he signed my German language editions of The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt. I obtained these books, and three other later volumes, to help keep me motivated on my path to self improvement through learning an additional language since I want to read my favorite stories and experience my souvenirs from Salzburg. However, my language study has taken a back-seat while I have focused on maintaining my physical condition to undertake the challenge of completing the component events of "RunningBull's Run to Honor America's Veterans".

And so now I must run, off to my track workout in preparation for this weekend's Marathon where I will continue my efforts to thank our Armed Forces personnel who continue to risk their lives in defense of an ideal, I will continue my efforts to motivate and inspire the runners who have elected to follow my guidance to achieve their own goals, and I will continue to show our veterans that they have not been forgotten.

Thank you Robert/Jim

You may be one year gone, but you are not (nor will be) forgotten.

May you always find shelter in the Memory of Light.

Welcome to October. Let the racing begin.

I decided to skip the track workout last night in favor of a long overdue Yoga session to help prepare myself for the next round of races. Probably not quite as effective as a good theraputic massage, but I don't have time or $ for that right now (I know, famous last words). My medium-long runs over the weekend felt much harder than they should have.

Even accounting for the temperature, rain, and terrain my Saturday morning run through the Middlesex Fells felt like more than 12 miles. And holding myself to an 8:00/mile pace for Sunday morning's 15 mile run in the rain was also harder than I expected...and not because I had to hold myself back from going too fast either. So I squeezed in a nap on Sunday afternoon before work at Karma, rested on Monday, and kept my pace slow and easy running from work to yoga and yoga to home last night. I just need to keep tonight's NikeTown run nice and easy, make sure that I sleep well tomorrow, and I should be good to go for Sunday's 10-miler. Besides, I still need to break in my new Nike Vomero 3+ shoes before the Chicago Marathon so I don't want to push things too hard on their maiden run.

My primary goal is to finish no further back than my bib number (#985), but I would also like to see if I can manage a steady 6:12 pace through the first 9 miles and then let the final mile determine how far under 62 minutes I can get. Thinking positive thoughts and dwelling on the fact that I have never raced 10 miles before. I know that I can do this.

Just like I know that I can manage running 3 marathons in 36 days, because I did that just this past spring. But unlike this time my hardest runs came early in that series while now I am almost "tapering" my way into the Marine Corps. Marathon.

Now that I have finished telling the recap of my entire day for the 23rd time to my coworkers and immediate family I can write a quick and simple little update for everyone else...Yes, I finished the Marathon on Monday.

I finished it in style too, setting a new personal record (PR) of 3:10:36 which bested my previous PR by 39 seconds and was a 22 minute improvement over my previous best time for the Boston Marathon course. The weather was near perfect for running and the crowds were thick and extremely supportive. The only things that could have made it better would have been to have a tailwind and some cloud cover. But at least my sunburn is mild and only on one side of my body, the benefit of a point-to-point course.

I had one minor muscle cramp episode that did of course impact my ultimate finishing time, but not by too much and fortunately wasn't enough to keep me from qualifying to compete again next year. It happened just after cresting the infamous Heartbreak Hill as I entered the water stop in front of Boston College. I pulled off to the right hand side of the road, reached out for the cup of Gatorade, and quickly pulled up short in a staggering hop between two of the volunteers who were very concerned with my well being (Thank you for that). Fortunately, I was able to quickly massage my left hamstring into a more user-friendly condition and carry on with my down hill journey through Brookline to Boston and the finish line. However, other than that setback, everything went according to plan and my even effort pacing remained right on target from start to finish. I even accounted for enough time to stop and give thanks to the Wellesley Scream Tunnel prior to the mid-point of the race.

I brought a disposable camera with me on the run and hope that at least one or two shots come out useable. I guess we won't know until they come back from being developed.  However, I now have these two photos from the weekend of events to share.  The first is me working at the Expo on Friday evening distributing Runner's bags (with T-shirts).  The second is of me preparing to depart the Athletes' Village for my starting corral at the Hopkinton Common.

Oh sure, my legs hurt, my sunburn hurts, and I have remained tired and worn out for the past 49 hours, but in a good way! I will still be running at NikeTown tonight and giving thanks for the post race massages and Ben & Jerry's they had for us yesterday.

Not so surprising is that I was unable to find 10 minutes this weekend to post this update, but I am getting ahead of myself.

I have to believe that my Tempo Hill run described in my previous posting helped make a difference for the Bataan Death March Memorial Marathon because after months of training in Boston, 65-degree (and rising) temperatures, 5000 foot elevation (see attached course profile), and over 20 miles of loose rocky/sandy trails should have destroyed me. Instead, I was not only able to finish in a time just 4 seconds slower than my Boston Marathon finish from last year, but I finished 1st in my Division and in 5th place overall.

Granted, I will be lucky to finish 5,000th in my next marathon, the Boston Marathon, in just 11 days.

However, I am not going to live too far in the future when I can still savor my recent success and remember the inspirations and motivations that helped buoy me on through the incredible challenges of the course. Did I mention the near constant winds that were in our faces on the inclines? The send off we received from the former POWs who survived the Death March, the camps, the transport ships, and all of the horors that came with each and the knowledge that whatever discomfort, pain, injury, case of dehydration, or other ailment that I might suffer over the course of those 26.2 miles, it would be only a drop in the bucket compared to what they overcame. Putting things into perspective like that helped me to appreciate my accomplishment, but made me give even more credit to the teams that completed this endeavor together and those individuals who finished the event wearing full military uniforms, complete with boots and 35lb packs. Those "heavy" division participants were the reason that I went back out on the course in the full mid-day sun for 3 hours after I finished, rinsed off the sweat and grime, and ate before I finally had to drive back to El Paso for my return flight to Boston.

I am now providing links to my events and results from my campaign pledge page for those who want to follow along with my progress.

There, that wasn't too bad...it just took about twice as long as I expected it would. Now I have to run to catch up with my weekly Nike Run Club.

I didn't realize it until I was filling out my running log after today's long run around the Charles River and through the Back Bay Fens out to Jamaica Pond but I not only surpassed 55 miles in one week, but also passed 60 for the first time.  I ran just over 25 miles today which, when combined with my other runs through the rain, sleet, snow, wind, and just general February in New England of this past week bumped me out to greater than 50% more weekly mileage than I had run all of last year.  And my muscles and joints are not protesting in the least.

Oh sure, I can feel that I should probably rest tomorrow by just focussing on some weight training instead of running, but my body is actually accepting this increased mileage.  Which of course makes me a lot more confident going into the first of my 3 marathons in a five week period, before the real test of my new fitness and ability at the Western States Endurance Run Training Camp over Memorial Day weekend.  Running hills through the snow today and Friday has at least given me some idea of what to expect from the New Mexico sands at the end of March, though there isn't much more I can do about preparing for the altitude, heat, and sun in my neighborhood.