Movie Tonight?

Short notice, but if you like running and you don't have plans tonight, see if the Boston movie is showing near you!  It's in theaters for tonight only.  I'm going with a group of about 20 running friends and am so excited.  To add to the excitement, our office lets us buy a one-day jeans pass in exchange for a $100 contribution to a particular charity, and I bought one for today (since taxes and deductions are on my mind anyway!).  This way I get to wear jeans at the office today (which seriously feels like a huge treat), along with my Boston t-shirt!  And I'm hoping it will be super air-conditioned in the theater so I can wear my jacket too!  Haha.


Anyway, if you're interested in the movie, here's the blurb from AMC's website:

BOSTON: An American Running Story

2 hr 20 min

NR

Fathom Events, in partnership with Runner’s World, bring the first ever feature-length documentary about the world’s most legendary running race, the Boston Marathon, to select cinemas nationwide on Wednesday, April 19 only. BOSTON: An American Running Story tells the story of the oldest annually contested marathon in the world from its humble origins starting with only 15 runners to the present day. Following the tragic events of 2013, BOSTON records the preparations and eventual running of the 118th Boston Marathon one year later, when runners and community gather in support of one another for what will be the most meaningful race of all. BOSTON is more than a running documentary, it is a timeless story about triumph over adversity for runner and non-runner alike. This special one-night event will also feature footage of the Boston Symphony Orchestra recording an original score composed by 4X Emmy Award®-winner Jeff Beal (House of Cards).

Fake Working

As is my usual Marathon Monday tradition, I will be "fake working" pretty much all morning and early afternoon today.  I will be sitting at my desk, watching the live coverage of the race and tracking all my friends, same as I do pretty much every year.  In 2014, when Meb won, multiple people came to my office because I was ... ummm, not quiet.  I was so excited when I realized he was really going to do it. 


The first time I got a BQ was probably the proudest moment of my running career.  Happened at Twin Cities in 2010, and I promptly registered to run Boston in 2011.


It was my favorite marathon by leaps and bounds -- the history, the involvement of the entire city, the runners in town wearing their jackets, and the race itself.  Totally amazing.  I think I've qualified a total of three times (?), but I only ran it once, primarily I think because that day was so perfect that I don't really want another Boston memory.  I don't think it could ever be topped for me. 

Good luck and Godspeed to all the runners today.  May the wind be at your back and the memories among your favorite of all time.  I'll be at my desk and not working. 

5 years later

Back in December 2010, one of the bloggers I've read the longest, Bella, got me into doing a series of prompts in December that were on such interesting topics. 

One of the prompts in December 2010 was to write a letter to yourself going into 2011 from the year 2015.  And I did it!  And now, 5 years later, I'm still blogging, and it's going to be 2016 soon.

Here's my original post (and here was Bella's), I thought it would be fun to see where things stand now.

The prompt was awkwardly phrased, telling you to imagine yourself 5 years from now (in Dec. 2010) and give advice to your current self for the year ahead.  I kind of blew that off, saying that I didn't really see any big changes in 2011 (other than knowing my 2 youngest brothers were getting married that year), and I was kind of hoping my life would be basically the same at the end of 2011 as it was at the end of 2010.  The biggest struggle for me at the end of 2010 was that I didn't really like my job, but the rest of my life was pretty much just as I wanted it. 


I chose to look at the question based on the main categories of how I define myself set out on my About Me page. 




Runner.  In late 2010 (almost 3 months after my first BQ), I figured that by late 2015, "I hopefully will have run Boston and requalified several times" and I'd have run several other marathons that were of interest, as well as a trail race and an ultra.  And I'd still run with the same crew, and hoped 2 friends who had left our crew would be back. 
Status:  Well, I've run Boston and I have requalified on more than one occasion, but I'm not presently qualified, and I'm a long way from it!  But running Boston and having the option to do so again was the real goal in 2010 looking toward 2015, and I've accomplished that.  As to the other aspects of my 2010 running goals/predictions for 2015, I've made some progress.  I have done a couple of the other marathons on my list, as well as a bunch of other marathons.  But I didn't really run a trail race or an ultra -- I did a marathon that was partially on trails (the Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon) and in training for that, I did 27 miles of walking while wearing the extra 40 pounds I carried on my back for that marathon.  But neither of those are really what I envisioned 5 years ago as "doing a trail race" and "running an ultra."  But as predicted in 2010, I still run with the same group of people.  But sadly, my 2010 dream was that two of my favorite running buddies who both moved to Cali would move back to Dallas, and neither of them has (but I'm still in touch with both, just visited the So-Cal one (and his wife and son) this past summer!).  But I've met some new running friends over the last half decade and those have been great experiences too.



Wife.  In late 2010, I wanted 2015 to have us as a settled and secure married couple, who know each other well and think of each other first.  I knew that would be tough (not just because I'd been unmarried for the first 30+ years of life), but I wanted to always think before speaking, to make more of an effort to let the little things go and to have the word "squadra" (Italian theme for our goal marriage) at the forefront of my actions. 
Status:  Going stronger than ever!  Feel very secure and settled, but there are definitely times we each think of ourselves first, and less like a team.  But I'm better about not sweating the small stuff, and we work on being a "squadra." 



Vegetarian.  Five years ago, it was easy to predict that I'd still be a vegetarian. I also predicted that I'd have even gone vegan on many days.  In 2015, I wanted to be an adventurous cook, always trying new recipes and relying more frequently on homemade leftovers for lunch instead of frozen meals or restaurants. 
Status:  Definitely still a vegetarian.  More vegan days since November 1, 2015 than probably in the last 5 years combined, but still far from being a real vegan.  I'd say I'm a pretty adventurous cook, but I still don't cook enough.  I work a lot and we go to bed usually not too long after I get home from work, so almost all weeknights it's something in the microwave (usually something from the in-store prepared meals section from the grocery).  And it's leftovers for lunch maaaaybe once a month.  When I cook on the weekend, there are usually leftovers, but I use those for other dinners and still eat Amy's frozen meals for lunch most days (though now vegan meals more often). 



Dallas-dweller.  In 2010, I wasn't certain where we'd be living today.  I knew it was most likely the same place we lived in 2010, but there were thoughts of moving back near my parents or near my in-laws, or maybe even to near my husband's family in Italy.  In 2010, my husband had said he really didn't want to move until 2016 or ideally after 2020.  In 2010, my immediate hope was to make progress hammering down the mortgage in 2011.
Status:  Same, same!  Happily living in the same condo and no plans to move on the horizon.  Earlier this year, I had a strong bug to move to San Fran, and I'd still love to do that, but my husband still isn't ready to change jobs and it's not really on the radar anymore.  I did refinance the mortgage at least once, maybe even twice, and I'm working on paying it off ahead of schedule. 



Attorney.  In 2010, I expected that right now I'd still be a a practicing attorney and that I'd love my job.  In late 2010, I knew the 2015 plan was likely going to require change from where I was in 2010, either by making some changes to how my 2010 job worked, or changing jobs.  I also expected that in 2015 I'd be a zealous advocate for a pro bono cause dear to my heart, and doing what I can to help children who encounter worse circumstances in their living arrangement than most people can imagine or would ever want to consider. 
Status:  Success!  Crazily enough, I changed jobs within about 3 months of writing out these predictions in 2010 and I'm still at that job.  Up until a few weeks ago, I loved it more than I thought it was possible to love a job.  The last couple months have been exceptionally stressful and yielded an unmanageable caseload, but that is presently slowly resolving.  The last few weeks have also added some very stressful salary negotiations, but as of last week (a call with the president of the sub for which I work, after multiple conversations with my boss, and with the president of my division), it seems like the negotiations are going well and I'm optimistic it will get worked out within the next couple weeks.  If it doesn't that will leave me in an awkward spot -- I don't want to change jobs, but I also don't want to be paid less than I believe (and apparently my boss, the president of my division, and the president of our sub) I deserve, it's just a matter of working out when and how that will happen.  If they don't make it happen, I don't want to leave, but I might try to make myself look.  It would all just be so much easier if they could just give me what I ask for immediately, sigh! 



Traveler.  In 2010, I was hoping that in 2015 I'd still go overseas every year, and roughly every other one of those trips would include Italy.  I wanted to get better at speaking Italian and even learn some dialect.  I planned on speaking Italian at home more and going back to an Italian conversation group, but adding some actual studying outside of class.  I hoped that by 2015, I'd have "been to Egypt, India and/or China."  I wanted to manage my work schedule and finances as needed to allow for an overseas trip each year, knowing that big trips overseas tend to strengthen our marriage, my perspective, and my sanity. 
Status:  I'd say success!  We have gone overseas every year for the last five years (including trips to many places I've long dreamed of going), and there's nothing like planning a wedding in an isolated non-touristy part of Italy where you pretty much can't find a wedding planner to force your Italian language skills to improve!  Unfortunately, even though I was able to communicate pretty easily a couple months ago in Italy, I don't work on my Italian as much as I should.  I really would like to use it more at home (though prioritizing open and clear communication is certainly more important), I really should go back to conversation group (my husband still goes weekly), and I really should study on my own.  I'd say I've met my actual travel goal -- I've been to India AND China (and I would have gone to Egypt, but for that political stuff...).  And, to excuse my lack of Italian studying, in my defense, I've taken Chinese class for a pretty long time (though you wouldn't really know that to hear me speak).  Honestly though, "learning" is something I should put more effort into going forward.  Italian, Chinese, French or something new, I should just buckle down and spend at least an hour a week on it.  I usually like trying to unplug on the weekends, but it's turned into lazily watching TV lately instead of even just pulling out a language book and working on it.  Guess now's the perfect time to make some kind of resolution...


There was also a bonus question in December 2010, looking back at where I was 10 years earlier (December 2000) and thinking what advice I wished I'd had then.  In December 2000, I had just found out I passed the bar and was settling into my first few months of work.  The main thing lacking from my life then was work-life balance, and there were lots of dinners at work that were bad for my social life and my waistline.  But in December 2010, I recognized that I was quite content, and everything in December 2000 worked out just right to lead me to where I was in December 2010. 
I feel that same way now, looking back at December 2010.  It all worked out just right.  There were lots of changes between December 2000 and December 2010 (job change, starting running, dating, meeting and marrying my husband, etc.), but there have been very few changes between December 2010 and today (the primary one being my job), and I don't really expect much to change in the next 5 years.  I'm actually hoping very little will change -- I'd be very content to still be running the same mileage, still traveling, still at the same job and in the same condo with the same guy, going to visit the same relatives...


If I get motivated, maybe I should now try to look ahead to December 2020...  But that would be three posts within a week, and yow, that's just unsustainable these days! 

Boston pacing amusement

There's a guy who is best described as my ex-running-husband.  After years together, he left me for significantly faster women.  We "separated" temporarily when I was training for the Bataan Memorial Death March marathon in 2012, since I was doing all my training while wearing a 40 pound weight vest.  And I clearly remember my first "unweighted" run after that marathon, meeting my former running husband at the lake for an easy run together.  Thinking we'd pick up right where we left off about 5 months ago, and go back to running together happily ever after.  On that day at the lake, it was just the two of us running.  I felt like I was flying without that weight vest.  He was appalled (in the friendliest way) at how slow I had gotten.  We ran together on and off that year, but by 2013, we were both improving a lot, but he was doing so on a whole other level and we pretty much could never run together, unless he was just running easy and pacing me in a race or something, which he still does with some regularity.  Once he was out cheering for me at an after work race, a 10k, and he saw me at mile 5 and jumped in the race with me to encourage me -- in his dress shirt, khakis, and dress shoes!  A true friend indeed! 

It's fun to see him at races now, and see his times, and be able to say "I knew him when."  We're still friends of course, we sometimes go out for breakfast with a group after doing our separate runs.  He still invites me to run with his new fast group, but I know I can't hang.

Anyway, too much background there. 

So he ran Boston this past week.  He was planning on just running easy, targeting an exact re-Q for his age, probably close to 45-60 seconds per mile slower than what he would be racing for a full marathon.

Well, the weather in Boston started off good (cold, not too windy) and he knew it was forecast to get rainier and windier, so he instead decided to run a bit harder, but still not racing.  That meant instead going about 30 seconds slower per mile than race pace. 

He ended up with his BQ minus about 8.  Nice job, very impressive, and again, fun to say "I ran with him when." 

We're connected on Garmin Connect, so we see all of each other's runs. 

I had some free time and I looked at his Boston data.  He had a 6:53 overall average pace (totally inconceivable to me, that would actually be a 5k PR pace for me!). 

I could see the biggest pace changes immediately in the data.

It was clear he'd stopped for a little bit after about 30 minutes (shoe retie).  And it was clear that he sprinted for the last few minutes on Boylston -- his heart rate and pace were on fire!  He said he was basically racing one other guy at that point and it was an awesome push.  Paces well under 5:30.  Insane. 

But as I was going through his data, it was steady and pretty unremarkable except for the shoe retie and the couple minutes of sprinting at the very end.  Over the first 3 hours, he had instant paces fluctuating between 7:30 and about 6:20.  Usually clustered between 6:45 and 7:00. 

But then I saw a little spike.  The ONLY little spike in his first 3 hours of running.  The only sub-6:10 pace I saw in the first 3 hours.

Where?

Wellesley!  Haha.  Putting on a show for the ladies!  I love it.  He joked that it was better than the alternative -- having his pace slow down drastically, which probably would have meant explaining some kisses to his (real life) wife!  Haha.  Such a fun race!  Just seeing that and laughing about it with him makes me think I really need to run it again one day. 

Running with the Elites

For anyone watching the Boston marathon this week, you surely noticed the one runner who didn't belong. 

Sometime before the10k mark, right up there with Desisa, Meb, and the other top contenders, there was a runner with his bib number on his front.  The elites wear their names on the front and their numbers on the back, but everyone who does not get assigned a name bib wears the bib number on the front.  A simple way to see who has been invited to race.  His was the only "front" number in the lead pack. 

This guy was wearing number 162 (thanks Jennifer for noting it, I'd missed it, and I was dying to be able to look him up!).  Since the race is roughly 30,000 runners seeded by time, I knew the number 162 meant business.  I have a couple friends who are very fast, and they got 3 digit numbers, but even they weren't in the 100s.  I suppose the fact that number 162 was hanging with the leaders after 6 miles was another clue that he wasn't fooling around.  If it had been a number in the thousands, I would have assumed he cut the course somehow or jumped in late, but with a low number, it was pretty clear that he'd been hanging near the pack. 

The commentators kind of made fun of him.  He was up there at the front for long enough that they went to the trouble of pulling up his name, but they were clear in saying that he didn't belong. 

I have mixed feelings about it.  I'll note at the outset that his info says he is from Fort Worth, but I don't know him, and as far as I know, no one I know knows him (or else I bet it would have been all over FB!). 

For the record, the commentators were right, he set himself up for a crash and burn.  He had a massive positive split. 

Some positive split is normal at Boston, but that's a big positive split.  That's no good. 

Basically his paces went from a 5:14average for the first 5k, to an overall average of 5:30 over 10k, to 5:52 over 15, to 6:07 over 20k, which is the first 4 markers.  That meant that his actual pace on each 5k was even slower than that since I was just looking at overall pace to date.  He hit the half at 1:20, which would have put him on track for a 2:41 if he held steady, but he ended with a 3:04:57.  His overall pace was 6:08 on the first half, and a 7:57 average for the second half.  Yow.  Note that I'm not claiming he's slow.  I can't run a 3:04:57 full to save my life.  Massively impressive.  But I can guess that it hurt a lot to go from a 5:14 pace in the first 5k to the 8:46 pace he ran from 30k to 35k. 

I've never been there at the 5:14 pace, but I'm sure I have slowed down by 3.5 minutes per mile in a race before, and I'm sure it was not pretty or fun.  I recognize I'm making assumptions -- maybe he really wanted to get the experience of running with the winners and thrilling his friends and family who saw him on camera, and then just chilling out and having fun, soaking up the course.  But maybe he wanted to hang and at least get the 2:40 overall.  Maybe (probably?) the positive split hurt. 

So I get what the commentators were saying about him not belonging there up there with the leaders around mile 5 or wherever it was. 

But at the same time, as the commentators acknowledged, it's part of the beauty of this sport, particularly the marathon.  It's one of the only sports (the only?) in the world where us mortals can be out there at the same time and on the same course, competing with the best in the world.  Anyone who is in that race, or pretty much any other race, can go for the win.  Sure, you have to qualify for some races, like Boston, the Olympic Trials, or the Olympics, but if you've made that cut, then you're game to win it.  Of course at something like Boston, there is a huge seeding process that means even if one of my friends had run the race in two hours flat, the fastest marathon ever, he or she wouldn't have been up with the leaders since they all started at least 4 minutes later (and it was my friends with the 3 digit numbers that started 4-5 minutes back; most people are 10, 15, 20, 30 or more minutes behind the elites, depending on their wave and corral assignments).  But in Boston, if you've earned a bib number in the 100s, you're starting very close in time to the elites, and if you're fast enough to hang with them, you can do it.  And if you're fast enough to beat them, then you get all that glory.

So while part of me thinks bib 162 was just going for his 5 minutes of fame, and there's almost always someone who does!, part of me thinks, hey, more power to him, that must have been fun!  Though yeah, I bet the next couple hours weren't quite as much fun if he really was crashing and burning.

He managed to get his re-Q by just a couple seconds, so he gets to go back next year and try again.   Though if he doesn't get a faster re-Q, he won't have a bib number in the 100s again. 

EDITED:  Wait!  162 and I do have a mutual friend!  There's a very popular runner in Dallas that some call Mr. O.  I think everybody who runs in Dallas seems to know him.  He's fast on the roads and on the trails, a recent cancer survivor, a teacher, a tattoo-buddy for those who want company, older than anyone would ever guess, pretty much the nicest guy you could ever meet, and a friend to all.  Anyway, Mr. O just shared a story on FB, an article about our friend 162, and congratulated him on his minutes of fame.  Apparently 162 was so happy his daughters got to see him on TV!  It was his one and only Boston, and he wanted to run with the elites, regardless of whether that meant he'd be "carrying a piano later" as one of the commentators said.  He's a professional triathlete and he's got a sub-30 10k PR -- he indeed earned that bib number in the 100s!  His goal was to lead the race for about 3 miles.  He thought he could do that based on past elite paces, but the elites this year started with a 4:37 mile, which is apparently just on the edge for 162, and he had to run a 4:27 to catch the elites, but he went for it and succeeded in his goal!  He apparently led the race for less than 2 miles he thinks, but what a cool memory for him.  I'm happy.  Yow -- a 4:27 mile to start the marathon.  No wonder there was an 8:47 average 5k later!  Hope he was just enjoying the course and soaking it all in.  As Kris Lawrence said in her Boston recap, "the memories are sometimes (most times) more important than the time on the clock."

Here's the article Mr. O shared:  http://trstriathlon.com/pro-triathlete-led-early-moments-of-boston-marathon/

Re-Qs abound

Yesterday at Boston, I was tracking three bloggers I don't know in real life, as well as 9 friends with whom I have shared miles over the years.  On the whole, this was a smaller group than I usually track, which was odd.  It seems like usually I have at least 15 friends running.  But it was just the lucky dozen this year. 

Anyway, I am happy to report that all but one of them (including the bloggers) managed to re-Q there, a few of them by more than 30 minutes, many of them by more than 10, and a few were within the 5 minute squeeker window.  The one who missed the re-Q missed by less than 100 seconds, so she was close. 

The general report was that it was cold.  The rain really made things wet and it was hard to warm up.  Multiple people mentioned how cold it was after the Newton hills, when you're usually at your warmest and getting into the last 10k.  The wind also got worse in the last hour or so of most races, but fortunately it wasn't as bad as it had been feared. 

I'm so proud of all of them, and currently feeling very bummed that I didn't do the race (though I'm certainly not in shape for it now, if I'd committed when I was considering it, maybe I could have been).  And I'm even more bummed that I don't (and won't) have a qualifying time for 2016, so I couldn't run it if I wanted to. 

:(

Guess I need to get back into the swing of things and do the work if I want to get there again. 

Seeing all their soaking wet but smiling faces made me feel so inspired and impressed. 

Marathon thoughts

Since I'm not into "the twitter," and since I loved seeing my play-by-play texts of the Boston elite race last year, I figured I'd do a similar post this year.  Heck, it's not like I'm working this morning anyway!!

As I was watching the lead packs form and pass the first few miles, I set up my athlete tracker for my local running friends, plus 3 bloggers I read.



At mile 8, Deba took water from a non-elite water stop.  That was the first thing that made me count her out.  Desi is leading the women's pack at mile 8.

At 90 minutes into the race, all three American women were still in the mix heading into the Newton hills. 

At about 1:07, American Dathan pulled into the lead on the men's side.  Big surprise!  His first Boston. 

And at 1:36, American Desi was leading, and within about 5 minutes, Shalene was out of the lead pack, running 7 seconds back.  And Amy Hastings fell out near here as well, so down to one American woman. 

At 1:30 in the men's race, Meb and Dathan were both still in the lead pack. 

At 2:00 on the women's side, the crowd noise was incredible and Desi is still in the lead pack toward the very front. 

The big move in the women's race came at about 2:04 when Dibaba dropped the hammer.  3 women made the move with her, but then they eased up and back into a single pack.  And Desi was back into the front. 

And for the record, at 1:39 in the men's race, Meb was leading the pack.  He's so awesome.  Nearly double the age of some of the guys he's running with.  At 1:41, Tsegay took a gu, which was kind of fun to watch since the camera was in tight.  At this point, it's a men's pack of 10 with Dathan and Meb in there. 

At 2:09, there was another surge in the women's race.  Again, Dibaba and this time 2 women chasing her, and Desi just a few seconds back from them.  And then that move became the definitive one.  It developed into a women's lead pack of 3 (Dibaba, Deba and Rotich), and the chasers, led by Desi. 

At 1:45, after the hills, the men's race got a lot more intense.  Meb stayed in it, but Dathan was about 50 yards back within a minute.  The move was huge.  It looks like the pack is down to 7 or so.  5:24 pace for the mile with Heartbreak. 

At 2:16, Deba is leading the women's race, and the other two are right there with her. 

Then, at 1:50, Desisa made another surge for the men, separating it into a pack of 3, with Chebet just off their shoulders. 

At 1:51, they said Meb stopped.  He dropped off the back, bent over, maybe grabbed his hamstring or knee, and then started running again. 

At 2:20 in the women's race, it's still the pack of 3. 

Chebet worked his way back to the lead group of 3 at 1:53. 

2:21, the women are still a tight group of three. 

Eeeee, it's getting good!!!  These are tight packs so it's going to be a very exciting 5-10 minutes in each race. 

From 2008 through 2012, the women's margin was always 3 seconds or less.  Might be the same thing this year! 

At 2:23, the women started to spread out, Rotich is leading, Dibaba is on her heels, and Deba is back.  Then Dibaba makes the surge, both in sight of the finish line. 

Coming down the stretch, Deba was to the far right of the screen.

2:24:30 Rotich was SMILING!  That was it.  The moment everyone watching just knew.



The grin, then the surge, Rotich did it 2:24:55.  Dibaba second.  Deba third.  Desi Davila/Linden fourth!!!!!!  WOOOOO-HOOOO AMERICA!!!!!

Yow, somehow, tears.  I love seeing the winners get hugs from family and coaches.

During the women's finish, we missed the action in the men's race.  Desisa made his move and no one responded.  He opened it up to 15 meters and we didn't get to see it.  Tsegay stayed close, holding on to a secure second.  Then a bigger window to third, who seems to be Chebet.

Around this time Shalene Flanagan finished sixth. EDITED:  ninth.

2:01, Desisa and Tsegay are close still.  Desisa is looking a lot, so I don't think we can count on this order holding. 



The last few miles all 4:48 down to 4:37.  Yeah, that will spread out the pack! 

 

But that's it, at 2:03, Desisa surged again and Tsegay did not hold on.  He dropped a few seconds back.  Mile 25 just crossed.  2:04.  Desisa is holding his lead.  But he's turning around and looking over his shoulder, but he's got a lead of 7 seconds after a 4:55 last mile.  It could still get shaken up, but I think Desisa might be able to do this.  He just has to hold it together for a few more minutes. 

Yeah!  I hope he keeps this marathon medal.  I loved that he gave his 2013 medal back to Boston, it was such a nice gesture that year with all the pain.  But he deserves a Boston medal and win to keep for himself. 

2:06:30, Desisa seems to be alone.  2:07, took off his hat/headband.  Right on Hereford.  All alone.  Making the left onto Boylston!  He looks amazingly strong!  A surge on his own, no one chasing, but a surge.  2:08:15 and he's waving to the crowd.  Finally, a wide camera angle, he's definitely got it.  But it's going to be slower than Meb's time from last year.  Blowing kisses to the crowd!  He's so happy, I love it!!!  What an amazing athlete.  Wow! 

Crosses the line 2:09:17 it looked like.  Desisa wins!  Tsegay, another Ethiopian second.  Chebet third.  Dathan Ritzenheim not far back, definitely top 10.  Very impressive!  If he qualifies in Feb., I think this will be his fourth Olympics?  There's Meb.  Waving, blowing kisses, I love it!!!  He's my favorite by so much! 

EEEEEEeeeee!  Meb was right at the line with Dionne, female number 21, grabbed her hand as they crossed the line! 

There's Dibaba, celebrating her finish.

Official women's final results.

The winners (before Desisa was crowned).

Crowning Desisa with the laurel wreath. 

And then, the masses start coming through. 

 

I've got nearly two more hours of runner tracking to do.  Right now, my slowest friend at the race has a 3:54 predicted finish time, so I won't be getting up from the computer anytime soon! 

 

Such a wonderful marathon Monday! 

Boston Predictions: Elite Women

Here are my thoughts on the 2015 Boston Women's Elite field.  Last year, I made the big Jeptoo prediction, which is now marred by her more recent failed drug test.  So disappointing.  Anyway, there are only 14 elite women this year, 4 of them Americans.  I think there's a pretty low chance for a course record.  Headwind today.

On the American front, all the money seems to be on Shalene.  How cool would it be to have a victory for the American men in 2014, and then the American women in 2015?  Among the elite women's field, Deba and Dibaba, both from Ethiopia, are the likely favorites.  But while the elite field is fast, not a lot of them had strong marathons in 2014.  Even more so than with the men's field, a lot of the fastest of the fast women are in London next week.  I feel like part of that sets up Shalene nicely.  And if the Americans can't win Boston this year, then we have to wait two years since I don't think there's any chance for an American win next year (just given the timing of the trials).  So I think that's a good reason to bank on Shalene. 

But I still can't really predict Shalene to win, though it would be awesome.  I definitely think she will be top 5.

For the win, I'm going with Buzunesh Deba.  Thanks to that whole doping thing with Rita, Deba is actually going to be sporting bib number 1 today.  She was not far behind Rita last year, it will be interesting to see how she does as more of a favorite.  She's got a lot of depth of experience at the marathon level, and I think her altitude training may pay off with a win for her this year.  I like Cherop's and Kilel's course experience (and of the two, I'm leaning toward Cherop), and I think either of them could run strong. But I also think it's an uphill (haha, downhill) battle for them as I worry they've both peaked. 

I can't pick Dibaba because I just don't think she's going to be fresh enough, having already had a 2015 win (and may have left it all out there), though I realize I'm predicting a men's champion with the same issue.

Joyce Chepkirui is someone I like because she lives and trains in Iten, so I'll put her as my second choice.  She's not much of a marathoner based on her credentials right now, but I think she has a good chance of putting her name in the books today.  She's like Shalene with solid track experience, so depending on how the race plays out, it could go very well for her. 

To watch for next year:  Aberu Kebede of Ethiopia.  It's her first Boston, otherwise I would absolutely pick her this year.  She ran strong in Dubai, but I'm guessing she can do more.  Heck, strike what I said about watching her next year.  Watch her this year. 

I will note that I'm also going to be tracking female elite Kris Lawrence (not in the "elite" field, but elite enough to be in the elite women's start with an F on her bib!).  I've read her blog for a long time and so I'm aware that she says she's not going to be setting any PR or getting her OTQ time at this race due to some injuries earlier this training season that necessitated her taking some time off, but I'm still excited to track her and wish her all the best. 

Boston Predictions: Elite Men

Was it just a year ago that I was studying the elite fields for Boston, and venturing out to make my predictions?  I hestitated to make Boston predictions this year since I may have been one of the only people in the world to accurately predict the insanely exciting results (well, at least in the men's race) from last year (men's prediction here, women's prediction here), I figured I owed it to the legions of readers to at least take another crack at it.

Marathon Monday is one of my favorite days of the year, even when I'm not running the race.  As I posted last year, it's so much fun to track all my friends running Boston.  And I even took blurry pictures of my computer screen since my eyes were so full of tears when I saw Meb pull out the victory.   

For anyone who wants to read my text recap of last year's Boston to a friend, that post (with those photos) is here; it really is one of my favorites to go back and read.  Wow, it was an intense race!  Honestly, rereading the texts, I remember those feelings so well.  When Meb started pumping his fist at 2:07:30, my tears started flowing.  That was the first time I felt like he was safe, that second when I realized that he was in distress, as I'd noted, but that there was SOMETHING left in his tank, and that he wasn't going down.  By far, the most exciting sports moment I've ever watched.  I actually admitted to my boss that I'm not really working tomorrow.  We have a meeting with the president of our division to discuss one of my "scary" cases, and when we were setting it up on Thursday, I basically said I'll be in the office tomorrow, but I'm totally unavailable unless it's an emergency until about 1:00 (I am predicting a 3:40ish finish for the last friend I am tracking).  My boss is a HUGE sports fan (mostly baseball, but he listens to sports radio literally ALL DAY in the office, so I think he cares about all the other sports too).  And I think because he's a sports day and this is seriously the only sporting event I care about (aside from the Olympic marathon every 4 years), he was okay with me saying I wanted the morning meeting-free. 

Anyway, back to Boston. 

This year is likely going to be amazing again.  The weather looks better than last year, so I think we have a good chance of a new course record.  There may be rain, but I don't think that will be a big factor in the elite times.  And it's exciting that five past champions are returning to compete this year (3 men, 2 women). 

So even though by next tomorrow afternoon, I very well may be thinking I should have gone out on top and not ventured any predictions at all, here it goes with my thoughts on the 2015 Boston Men's Elite field. 

Unfortunately, while my whole heart wants Meb Keflezieghi to win again, I just don't think it's in the cards.  He has had an amazing training season (at least from what I read on FB), but unfortunately, he's too much of a force to be reckoned with and there is no chance that the Africans are going to let him escape from the lead pack again.  I DO think he has a great shot at being among the top runners, and I think he also has a good chance at getting PR. 

Can I still just go ahead and make him my official prediction for the win?  When I was dating a guy who liked college basketball a lot, we used to make two brackets for March madness -- one we made together based on his predictions based on watching lots of games and listening to endless commentary, and the one I called my "heart" bracket, which was based solely on (in order) cities, schools, mascots and colors that I loved.  Meb is definitely winning in my heart 2015 Boston bracket. 

But in the interest of venturing an honest prediction, a lot of the guys who would be in my short list of favorites (Kipsang, Mutai, Kimetto) are going to London this year instead of Boston, so I feel like I'm taking more of a shot in the dark this year. 

My prediction is Lelisa Desisa.  I'm not exactly going out on a limb.  Some people would predict Makau, or at least another Kenyan, and I'm predicting an Ethiopian over a Kenyan since I think Desisa has both the strength and the course experience to do it.  I'm a little nervous that he's coming too soon off of Dubai, but with a strong race there and good temps in Boston, I think he can do it.  He deserves another win in Boston since his 2013 win was overshadowed by the events that happened a couple hours later.  But he does have a lot of second places, and I think mentally, it can be hard to break that. 

If it's not Desisa, I think it's going to be Chebet.  He really made me sweat last year when he was reigning Meb in over the last 5-8k of the course.  I would love to see him win.  On the books, I think he is the strongest in terms of depth of strong finish times.  He's got four wins with times under 2:06.  That's incredible.  And obviously Kenya is always a force to be reckoned with in the marathon! 

So those are my top options.  As for others to watch, I said that I liked him last year, and it holds true again this year:  I like Gebregziabher Gebremariam mostly because of his name.  In terms of less likely options, I'm also rooting for Abderrahime Bouramdane out of Morocco, mostly because this is going to be our Morocco year (assuming we keep that on our Fall trip itinerary). 

On the American front, I've liked Dathan Ritzenhein, but I don't expect anything spectacular from him ... this year.  Definitely one to watch in the future!  Can't wait to see what he does in the Trials next year.  Again, I'm 100% Team Meb. 

More than anything, as always, I'm just hoping for a wonderfully strong and strategic race to unfold as I watch from my computer in my office! 

The Record

So if you follow professional distance running at all, you probably already know this, but the fastest marathon ever was run this past Sunday in Berlin. 

Dennis Kimetto of Kenya ran a 2:02:57, becoming the first person in history to run the marathon in under 2 hours and 3 minutes. 

Here are a few good news stories:
http://www.runnersworld.com/races/dennis-kimetto-breaks-world-record-at-berlin-marathon (wow, serious training started in 2010!)
http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/from-poverty-to-podium (Kimetto's background, and in sum, why I believe the Africans get the records, see my review of Running with the Kenyans (incidentally, I hate when I do an entire year's worth of books in one post, but I'm on track to do the same thing in 2014; I need a June 2015 reminder to break next year into 2 posts))
http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/marathon-world-record-dennis-kimetto-berlin

The same two who finished 1-2 at Chicago in 2013 were 1-2 in Berlin this year.  What I think is especially cool is that even if Kimetto hadn't done it, someone else would have -- yes, two guys broke the previous world record on Sunday!  Second place Emmanuel Mutai, also of Kenya, came in at 2:03:13.  The prior world record was 2:03:23 from Berlin in 2013 (two people ran 2:03:0x at Boston in 2011 (not me), but that course isn't eligible for the world record).  But thanks to Kimetto, Mutai's name won't even show up as a world record for a day.  I kind of feel cheated for him, kind of like Shalene in Boston 2014, who ran her goal time, which she thought would be good enough to win it all (and would have many other years), but there were others who were faster that day, so it was only good enough for 7th.  Further proof that elite racing is almost an entirely different sport from regular mortal marathoning where running the plan and getting a PR is usually prized above all else, rather than what other people run on the same day. 

Anyway, that new world record kind of makes me a little nervous for my own racing future.  The Berlin Marathon is my current PR. 

How can I ever hope to beat that if I'm older and on a different course? 

(NB:  I'm also about 3-5 pounds heavier than I was then, but that's something I can control.  The age, not so much.) 

I suppose I could go for a cheater course, something like St. George that is a net descent and not eligible for the world record (though I've already beaten my St. George time).  I understand the distinction in needing a flat course for consideration for the world record, but I don't feel like it's something I would disqualify in terms of my own personal records -- as long as the course is a certified distance, I'm inclined to count it.

So on that note, my marathon future may consist entirely of downhill courses! 

On another note, I might need to change my sub-2 prediction.  I've always though of the world record as improving by about 1 minute per decade.  Sometimes 2 minutes very quickly, sometimes no real movement for more than a decade.  There's no real historical data to support this if you look back a while, but for most of my lifetime, the 1 minute per decade has been about right. 

In the 60s, it went from 2:15 to 2:09.
In the 70s, it held in the 2:09s.
In the 80s, it dropped to the 2:06s.
In the 90s, it dropped to the 2:05s. 
By the end of 2009, it had dropped to 2:03:59.
And now, in 2014, we're down to 2:02:57.

So it's a question of whether we'll get to the 2:01s very quickly now, or if there is going to be another long break before it happens.  After breaking into the 2:01s and the 2:00s, I would think that much like the 4 minute mile, that 2 hour barrier is going to create an extra hurdle in breaking it given the mental aspect.  So maybe it will stall out at 2:00:04 for 20 years or something. 

If I weren't worried that it would lead to possible (additional?) use of performance enhancing drugs (no idea how much of an issue that is among marathoners), I would say that some of the big marathons right now should buy insurance and put out a HUGE prize for the sub-2 and offer it up every year for the next decade.  Like a million dollars huge.  I wonder if that would be enough to make it happen before 2035, which is roughly when I would guess it would happen (not by me) (winky face). 

To Boston or Not to Boston?

I'm "#blessed" (that's for you, Mike) to have a dilemma on the immediate horizon. 

I posted our tentative travel/vacation plans for 2015 already, but it looks roughly like this:

 

I intend to use all my vacation days for "the big trip" (the Spain-Morocco-Italy adventure in October), and work remotely on all the other trips.

But then there's Boston, which for some reason escaped my mind when we were drafting our 2015 plan.

I had a pretty solid training season last year, so I have a qualifying time from last fall's goal race (Berlin).   Do I want to use it?  I go back and forth and truly have no idea. 

Reasons not to run Boston 2015
One less day in Spain, Morocco, Italy (Boston is on a Monday, so I'd have to use a vacation day for the race, which would otherwise be spent overseas).
I've run Boston before.
I should mention that my one Boston run remains a perfect memory: it was amazing weather, it was my second wedding anniversary so I was smiling the whole time, I ran what was a PR at the time, the course record and fastest marathon ever was set that day, I totally loved it.
No guarantees the weather will be good.
No guarantees my run would be good.
Unlikely my Boston 2015 experience could top my Boston 2011 experience.
Expense (another plane ticket beyond what was planned, plus hotel, jacket, race, etc.).
I usually do best taking a season off from full marathons every year (physically and mentally).
Hubby probably wouldn't go with me (he's taking real vacation for all the trips above).
I would likely miss our wedding anniversary (probably fly to Boston that day) (it should be noted that my husband would totally understand this, I had to spend our 4th anniversary in Philly for work, and since he has to work the following day anyway, we'd probably do an early low-key dinner) (also, we will have our traditional rehearsal dinner anniversary party as we do every year, which is our usual main celebration).

Reasons to run Boston 2015
It's Boston! By far, my favorite marathon ever (see above, 'twas a perfect day).
Tons of my friends will be doing it!
I am always bummed when they train for and run Boston and I'm just watching.
The 2011 jacket sucked, so I would LOVE to get another one.
I never know if I'll have another opportunity.

What to do?  Need to decide soon since registration is in the next week or so (it starts Monday I think for people who have BQ -20). 

Boston Play by Play

Wow, the Boston finish yesterday was intense!  I've kept thinking about it so many times in the last 24 hours. 

I was at work, but I totally blew off work until Meb finished, with the exception of a few things that were quick but urgent.

Thought it was amusing to look back at my text history with my friend Craig who wasn't at his computer and had asked me to keep him posted. 

Sorry for the profanity in the texts.  It really was intense, I'm a serious Meb fan!

Eeeeee, Boston unproductivity!

What a morning of Boston Marathon tracking. 

By about 1:15, my favorite male elite (American Meb Keflezieghi) separated from the guy he was near and was completely solo through 1:30.  By 1:45, he'd crested Heartbreak and I was starting to worry about my job because by then, my boss was in the office.  I had the door to my office shut, but tears in my eyes and probably some little squeels, every time they announced how far back the chase pack was from him.  Right around 1:57, he only had the lead by 20 seconds and 2d place was gaining -- 2d place who I hadn't predicted.  OMG!!!!  So intense!  2d and 3d were in sight, but in the end, Meb won it!  By about 10 seconds!!!! 

For the women, my number one pick was Rita Jeptoo (but of course an American would be great, so I was excited for Shalene before she got dropped from the pack of 8 in Newton).  Right around 2 hours, she broke from the pack of 5 and she dominated. 

So by 2 hours into the women's race, I'd called it.  And by 1:20 in the men's same thing.  If only I could channel some of my prediction abilities into harnessing some of that speed! 

But even when Rita and Meb were finished, I've got a couple more hours of tracking my friends. 

 

Going to be a fun day!  Amazing elite races. 

Boston Elite Men

Yesterday, I posted my picks for the elite women running Boston, so I will also share my chocies for the Boston 2014 elite men's field.  It could easily be a list of one, but I added a few others for sport.

1.  Meb Keflezieghi, my running idol.  Man, it would be amazing if he won.  He has so much experience, marathons back to 2002!  He got the silver in the 04 Olympics and a 4th place finish in the 12 Olympics.  One of the most consistent runners in the world.  Had a tough race (that I posted about) in NY last year, but he's back and I want him to have an amazing race.  Same age as me (so yeah, the oldest in the entire Boston elite field), and a true running machine, but more than that, one of the most amazing, wonderful and inspirational runners on the world stage now or at any time in history.  Can you tell I'm a fan?  100% Team Meb!  (BTW, his brother Hawi's bday was a few days ago, so a win (or even just a triumphant strong finish) would be extra-nice.)  Running in honor of one of the victims (and his foundation gave $10,000 to that foundation). 

2.  Gebre Gebremariam, mostly because I love his name.  Oh yeah, and he has the second fastest qualifying time. 

3.  Dennis Kimetto has the Kenya thing going and the fastest qualifying time.  Trains with Mutai, running in Iten.  Lots and lots of marathon experience. 

4.  Micah Kogo, from Eldorado, Kenya (as with the women, the theme of my elite men picks is the connection to the Running with the Kenyans book). 

5.  Abdi Abdirahman, the Black Cactus.  Picking him because, as with the women, it just feels right to be cheering for a couple Americans (and I'm just not on the Ryan Hall bandwagon, but of course, if he has a great race, it would be just as awesome).  Like Ryan, Abdi dropped out in the Olympics, but from what I've read, he's had a solid training build-up. 

6. Vitaliy Shafar because I think Ukraine could use a victory right now.  He's got a lot of marathon experience, going back to 2006 and including the Rome marathon, which warms my heart.  He is engaged to one of the Boston 2014 female elites. 

This list was tough.  I also like Wilson Chebet (athletic family, solid running, trains in Eldoret), and Frankline Chepkwony (cool name, also trains with Kimetto and Mutai in Iten).  Lelisa Desisa could do it, but I think he's still too young -- but it's a name we'll keep seeing I bet, and he might pull it out this year (he was 3d in Boston in 2011 (his wife also ran and had the fastest combined H-W marathon time in the world), and this will be his 4th Boston, so lots of course experience, which will undoubtedly help).

So I'll be mostly rooting for Meb, but if it's not him winning it all, my allegiance goes to Kenya, and if not a Kenyan (or another American), then a strong performance by anyone will make me teary, excited, thrilled, inspired, etc. 

I've got my list of friends to track (and came up with a way to track 20 runners simultaneously, thanks to the beauty of the Citrix work environment!), and I'm very excited about marathon Monday.  So excited in fact, that I'm toying with the idea of trying to register for 2015 when it opens (and maybe trying for a faster qualifying time before then).  Very mixed feelings, and very tentative, but this week, it's definitely a thought. 

Boston Elite Women

I think all my time not running, doing yoga, sleeping or working lately is being put into thinking about Boston. 

Here are my picks for the elite women's field.  I don't think there will be a course record.  Right now, it's looking too warm (but fortunately not hot).

1. Rita Jeptoo (a lot of depth of experience, featured in a book I read last year about running with the Kenyans)

2. Desiree Davila (one of my American faves, I’ve run the same marathon as her twice (Boston in 2011 where she was 2d and I was 30,002d or so, and Berlin 2013, where she came in 5th, I was about 25,005th))

3. Sharon Cherop (as with Desi, we’ve run two races together, Boston and Berlin, she also beat me both times; trains in Iten, which I’ve read about)

4. Caroline Kilel (Kenyan with a lot of depth, marathons since 2003!, barely beat Desi in Boston 2011 (2 seconds)).

5. Shalane Flanagan (just because I should have another American to cheer for)

Why didn’t I pick Mare Dibaba? She might surprise me, but two marathons for an elite in 4 months seems tough. She has the fastest qualifying time of all the elite women, so obviously she has a good chance of winning. 

 

In general, I'm rooting for the Kenyans, but any amazing performance by anyone is reason to cheer and be excited.  I just love good running!  (It's a shame I don't seem to be doing any of it myself lately, just poking along, feeling unmotivated and slow (and just to be absolutely clear, even when I'm rocking it and feeling fast, I can't do a single mile at marathon pace for these women, which is about 5:20/mile; just to be even clearer, I can't run an 800 at their marathon pace either).) 

 

Man, I can't wait to watch it all unfold on Monday.  No secret who my number 1 choice is on the men's side, but I'll have to post about that later.   

Boston Sadness

I posted this morning about my nostalgia for this race, and my excitement today for all my friends running the Boston Marathon.  Even though technically I could have run it this year, I didn't register for it, instead hoping to do speed training all spring and very little distance running.  Here's how my day unfolded:

I got to work late (that whole thing about running to and from work means I have to bring all my clothes and lunches for the week, plus my laptop, to the office on Monday mornings).  Then I spent pretty much all morning sitting at my computer tracking my running friends.  Not working.  Oops.  Tracking my friends is apparently my Marathon Monday tradition if I'm not running.  

All morning, I'd been taking fun pics on my cell phone of how my friends' splits were unfolding.  Planned to do a fun post about it tomorrow morning. 

My first shot of the morning, before anyone had gotten to the half-way point, but all had passed at least the 5k mark, so they all had projected finish times (the middle column): 


Then I was able to click on individual names to see exactly how their races were progressing:

Here's a friend who scared me, with the 8:44 average pace for a 5k, but it turns out it was just a porta-potty stop:

What it looked like when almost all my friends were about halfway done:

Here's one of my best running buddies, running steady, but faster than his predicted 3:15 (crazy fast in my book), because he was getting on a flight shortly after the race back to Dallas since he's expecting his first baby this week: 

Here's another running buddy, the one who was pacing me at my disatrous 15k the weekend before last.  Clearly, he's running faster than I did during the 15k, and he's doing it for an entire marathon!  Amazing splits: 

Here's a friend who decided she wasn't feeling great, so she let up on the pace early and said it was her most fun Boston ever: 

Another friend encountering the Newton Hills and easing up on the pace: 

And then finally, I have finish times for all nine of my friends: 

The last friend (third from the top in the photo above) crossed the line with a gun time of 3:56. That was almost 1:00 my time. I spent another 15 minutes or so checking exact Re-Q times that friends needed to see who is in for next year, and who isn't.  (For reference, you have to qualify to run Boston, and that means meeting a minimum required time.  For men under age 35, you need a 3:05, for women under 35, you need a 3:35.  Then about every 5 years, you get about 5 more minutes (for example, at my age, I need a 3:40 or faster).) 

I was hungry, thirsty and had to pee, so I finally got up from my computer. I made lunch, filled my water glass, went to the bathroom, and came back to my desk to begin the stream of "congrats" texts that I wanted to send everyone.

And then, at about 2:00, I got a call from my local best friend to ask if I was watching the Boston news.  I thought she meant tracking my friends.  I said I hadn't been watching, but I'd been looking online and it was great, so many PRs, so many great races.  Then she said to go to a Fox Boston affiliate station and told me about the horrible explosions that had happened at the finish line. 

I then spent another hour-plus not working, but glued to my computer and to my phone, checking in on each and every one of my friends. 

And my phone was also buzzing with people checking in on me.  Friends who don't live in Dallas who didn't know for sure if I was running it or not.  Cousins who didn't know.  Local running friends checking in to see who I'd heard from, just going through the chain to make sure everyone was okay. 

And of course I was reading news reports and looking at photos in the interim (from cnn):

And then looking at the finish line, devoid of people except for clean-up crews.  Instead of a stream of charity runners trailing in (they don't need to meet qualifying times), and a crowd of spectators cheering them on, the bleachers were deserted, and the street filled with emergency vehicles:

While of course I'm glad that I wasn't running it this year, and that everyone I know personally is okay, the current news reports are that 2 are dead and about 50 injured (and about 27,000 unable to walk, but unrelated to the explosions). 

 

It makes me insanely sad, as I'm sure it does others. 

 

This may be the saddest post I've ever written.  I will say, it makes me want to run that race again. 

Seeking an 11 Minute Marathon PR

I'm working on my 2013 resolutions list, but I've known for months what my main goal for 2013 will be -- a marathon PR. 

Marathons of course need at least 3 months of planning, generally more like a year given how quickly some of them fill up (sometimes even more than a year, and you have to register on the very first possible day, so you need to know when that is). 

This year, my main marathon will be Berlin on Sept. 29.  It is considered the fastest course in the world, and it is where all the recent world records have been set and then broken.

Interestingly though, there is currently a marathon that has been run faster than the world record. 

Boston in 2011 (2:03:02) was run faster than Berlin in 2011 (2:03:38).  But the world record is Berlin 2011.

Doesn't make sense, does it? 

Boston's course is not eligible for world record consideration because it is a "point to point" course, which means it starts and finishes at different places.  That's not automatically a disqualifier, but the issue with Boston is that there is a net elevation drop and because the course runs pretty directly from the start to the finish, there is a possiblity of a strong tailwind that could artificially boost performance.  Therefore the elites cannot set a world record at Boston -- technically, the course can be too "easy" to set a world record. 

Most people don't consider Boston to be an easy or fast course.  It starts off downhill, which means that most people go out too fast (including me, the theory is that you take advantage of all downhills, whether early or late in the race) and that means their quads are shot by the time you hit the Newton rollers, a series of rolling hills from miles 16-21, culminating with the notorious Heartbreak Hill.  After Heartbreak, it's more downhill into the city -- it makes for a very tough race.  For those of us non-elites, it takes a lot of work to manage your energy well (and actually, it probably takes even more effort for the elites to do that as well, but they have so many other variables like pack pacing, etc.). 

But for me, Boston 2011 is my marathon PR. 

I ran one marathon in the fall of 2011 (San Antonio), but it was far from a PR.  It was a warm day and I hadn't trained hard.  (I definitely trained hard for Boston.) 

2012 included two marathons for me, but the first one in 2012 involved carrying a backpack weighing at least 35 pounds (mine weighed in over 40), and the second one in 2012 (San Antonio) was another warm one and to make matters worse, was run a couple weeks after returning from several weeks of vacation in China, which included virtually no running.  So no PR in 2012.  That leaves Boston 2011 as my PR. 

So that leads me to Berlin on Sept. 29, 2013.  The course there is supposed to be easier -- no beating on your quads from a downhill start, not many turns, equal headwind/tailwind time.  So that is where my goal is to set a new PR. 

More than just a new PR. 

My goal for Berlin is to set what I'd like to term my "lifetime PR." 

Most older runners I've met keep track of their PRs before age 40, and after age 40 (age 40 is where you become a master's group runner).  I know a few people who keep track of PRs over age 50, but many of them weren't running in their late 30s and early 40s (as I plan to), instead, they are people who ran in their 20s or 30s, took a decade or two off, and came back to it in their 50s. 

But either way, that magical time from your youth (relative though it may be) with your fastest race ever becomes your "lifetime PR".   The fastest you've ever run. 

When you're much older and your lifetime PR was many years earlier, when someone asks you what your PR is, general running etiquette suggests you state two numbers -- your lifetime PR, and then you include a recent PR (generally within the last two years). 

The number I want to see on my results in 2013 would make me content to say for the rest of my life that it is my lifetime PR.  Instead of trying to beat it, I won't push myself to do that.  I'll retire on that number, and future marathons would be for fun.

But that means I really want to hit that number.  Berlin seems to be my best shot (I'll have just turned 38, and many many women peak in their mid to late 30s), but if I don't do it there, I will likely try somewhere else (maybe more than once) over the next several years. 

In hopes of hitting that elusive time in Berlin, I have decided not to do any spring marathon in 2013 in hopes of working very hard to improve my speed.  Lots of track work, lots of short distance.  Hopefully I will make significant improvements, and then I will begin marathon training in late May 2013, and I will be able to sustain a significantly faster pace.

Which of course will lead to a faster race on Sept. 29. 

Right now, my current goal is to run Berlin 11 minutes and 30 seconds faster than my current PR.  Since technically Berlin can be a harder course (we did have a tailwind during Boston in 2011, in fact), that means I need to get in shape in 2013 to run my personal best in the fall.  Lots and lots of work this spring.  In training and outside training (diet, sleeping, cross-training, etc.). 

I have an interesting history with 11 minute PRs. 

I have to set aside my very first two marathons (both about a year before marathon 3), because they don't fit, but check this out:

Marathon 3 was run in 4:49.
Marathon 4, about 2 years later, was run in 4:38 -- 11 minute PR.
Marathon 5, about 2 months later, was run in 4:27 -- another 11 minute PR.
Then a year later, marathon 6, improving more than 11 minutes.
Marathon 7, about a month later, was run technically 12 minutes and a few seconds faster (but very close to 11 minutes and change).
Then a few other races happened, several races of squeezing another couple minutes out of the PR.
Then I got yet another 11 minute PR to get my Boston Qualifying time.
And then the 11 minute streak ended. 
There was another small PR (Boston 2011, getting my "Re-Q"), and then some races of falling backward. 

I view it as a total of 5 marathons where I have improved my PR by 11 minutes (I am counting the 12 minute, 10 second improvement in there).  All over the course of about 6 years.

The bottom line is that I am due for an 11 minute PR. 

My goal time is also very significant to me in more than one way, which I suppose I will share if/when it happens. 

But my overriding goal for 2013 will to get a PR in Berlin by 11 minutes and 30 seconds (technically, 11 minutes and 26 seconds would be equally lovely; 11 minutes and 25 seconds or less is a bust and will not be satsifactory). 

I have decided how I will make that happen in 2013:
Until May, I will not run any race over 11 miles.
Until May, I will not run any training run over about 13 miles.
Until May, I will regularly commute to and from work by running (3.75 miles each way) (at least 4 commute runs per week), in addition to my other mileage.
Until May, I will work hard on running faster at shorter distances.
Beginning in February, I will take a running speed class three days per week, working with one of the best coaches in Dallas.
In May, I will begin to gradually increase my distance.
In September in Berlin, I will run that magical goal marathon time.

And let me say, I would be surprised if any other runner in the world set this exact time as his or her goal time. It's very precise and unusual, but meaningful to me (and the few people who know my goal thought it was an awesome choice).  I can't wait to make it come true and to share.