Have you met my friend Dale?

There is definitely not a lack of runners training for a marathon in Boston in the winter/spring.  While I'm not planning to run the Boston Marathon this year, I've remained involved with the Alzheimer's Association and their Run for the Memory Program.  It's a nice benefit for me to be able to take advantage of the team's supported training runs and avoid as many solo 18-20 milers as possible.  (I am planning on another marathon a few weeks later.  I do not run 20 miles just for kicks.)

Today was one of the best days to take advantage of this, as it was the annual charity long run, where many of the charities affiliated with the marathon, hold a training run that begins in Hopkinton and ends 20-22 miles later somewhere in Newton.  My plan today was 20 miles at marathon pace, so it was a great fit.

The run started out well, until about Mile 6 when my stomach started to turn a bit.  For about 10 miles I struggled to keep it in check, unfortunately slowing some to compensate for the Gu Chomps and Sports Beans that had started dancing in my belly.  I was annoyed and a little frustrated.

And then I thought a bit about my running partner, Dale.  He just finished telling me how he thinks he almost had a heart attack and had a stint put in 10 days ago.  Dale also ran a marathon after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and then ran another marathon a year after a pretty significant surgery to remove that cancer.  He still has double vision as a side effect of the surgery, but instead of letting it slow him down, he re-qualified several times for the Boston Marathon.  And he notes when we pass a cute girl, that sometimes double vision has it's benefits.

We ran all 20.65 miles together.  Even though he originally was going to run "only 16", he tacked on an extra .35, so he could run an even 21.  Seeing as I was only planning to do 20, stopping at 20.65 was just fine by me.

My point is, Dale's attitude is amazing.  Not only does he not let anything stop him, but he always enjoys himself when he runs, even on a bad day.  And if the result isn't what he hoped for he just gets back out again for another run.

My stomach settled down after Mile 16, and I actually felt great the last 4+ miles of my run.  I didn't hit my overall pace goal, but I think I made a lot of progress elsewhere in my training today.

Dale and I running today.  If you want to make a donation to the Alzheimer's Association, on behalf of Dale and his wife Dale (I'm not kidding, they have the same name), click here for the link to their fundraising page.

Not another "bad race" report

Hooray!  And thank god. 

Finally a race that I don't have to write about how I gutted out a bad day.  Today I ran the Black Cat 20 Miler in Salem, MA.  It was basically an opportunity to do a long run somewhere new with support along the course.  And go out for brunch afterwards with my friend Carolyn.

The plan was to use the first 4 miles to warm up and then hit the remaining 16 at my goal marathon pace.  The weather was awesome for a long run, hovering around 40, little wind and overcast.  Chilly standing to start, but fine once I was moving.  My goal marathon pace is 8:23...I know, not specific at all...and I have been getting pretty confident and comfortable at that pace on my longer runs.  Twenty miles would be my longest run since the Boston Marathon, but didn't seem impossible.

One thing I hadn't realized is my obsession with the clock.  On training runs, I will turn off my watch when I stop for water or take a bathroom break.  Not today.  So, I perfected the cup fold allowing me to run and drink while not spilling too much water on myself or choking.  I also convinced myself to hold "it" for one more mile, and eventually I just finished the race without stopping (or wetting myself, just to be clear).

I also hadn't realized all the "lessons" I've learned from those bad races, actually come in handy, even on a relatively good day.  Yes, the physical training helped, but the mental game training may have proved to be even more important.  Twenty miles is a long run no matter how you slice it, but if I can make it seem less intimidating when I'm at mile 3, I'm definitely helping myself out.  I didn't care who I passed or who passed me.  I didn't feel envious of the 10 Mile racers finishing as I crossed my half way point.  OK, maybe I was a a little jealous, but I didn't want to quit.  I never doubted I could run this race today. 

Don't get me wrong, I still have work to do.  Mile 16-20 were challenging.  My pace dropped more than I would have liked it to.  And I still struggle with my race nutrition - what to eat (that won't make me want to puke) and when to eat it.  But I saw progress today, and finally I can appreciate what I was supposed to take away from those previous rocky races.