In Just One Week

One week from today, the Country Music Marathon will once again be staged on the streets of Nashville. The current forecast--always an iffy proposition this far out--calls for scattered thundershowers. Oh dear. I think I better prepare better than I have the last several years when rain caused delayed starts and soggy socks.

My taper is now in full force. I was away for most of the weekend speaking in Atlanta and got in only one token easy run.

The countdown has begun.

9 Days and Counting

Just a little over a week from now I will be attempting yet another marathon. I've done 14 half marathons and 5 full marathons since I started running just over three years ago now. They never seem to get any easier. And I never seem to get over the sincere certainty that I just won't be able to pull it off this time.

My training has gone pretty well right up to this taper. I never did any long runs over 18 miles, which is probably a really bad mistake. But, it simply has not been possible--because of time and my own physical limits. At any rate, it is too late now to try to pack in the miles.

I did a laborious 10-miler today, in the face of a strong wind. I'd hoped to go about 14 or 15. So tomorrow, I'll give a long run one final shot. I am speaking out of town this weekend and then I have an unusually busy week ahead this next week, so tapering should be no problem whatsoever.

I think that given my level of conditioning I should be happy with a finish any time under five hours. But, knowing me, I won't be that reasonable. Anything less than a PR will be a disappointment. We'll see what happens.

The Marathon

On this day in 1897, the first Boston Marathon was run from Ashland, Massachusetts, to Boston. Winner John J. McDermott ran the course in two hours, 55 minutes and ten seconds. A few years later, the start would be moved to the town of Hopkinton--in order to conform to the newly established international distance for the marathon.

Interstingly, the distance has varied wildly throughout the history of the event. The first modern Olympics in 1896 had a marathon distance of 24.85 miles. Then, over the course of the next seven Olympic games, there were six different marathon distances. The marathon at the 1908 Olympic Games in London began at Windsor Castle. The planned course was extended by 385 yards from its set 26 miles so that the runners would cross the finish line directly in front of the Royal family's viewing box in the Olympic arena. Thus, the length became 26 miles 385 yards (which is why many marathoners to this day shout out "God save the Queen" when they pass the 26 mile mark). In 1921, the International Amature Athletic Federation (IAAF) set the official distance by the Queen's standard, and so it has remained ever since.

Inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon and still ranks as one of the world's most prestigious road racing events.

Boston Soggython

Boston's On

Gusts of wind up to 50 miles per hour. Torrents of rain from a pounding nor'easter. Temperatures in the mid-thirties. Two inches of standing water at the staging area. Flooding streams. Extreme risk of hypothermia for 26.2 miles. And twenty thousand other runners who have been looking forward to this moment for at least a year--some, for many years--and not a one willing to quit now. It is the 111th running of the Boston Marathon.

Boston's Weather Woes

This is the year the fleet-footed Kenyans will face a homegrown challenge at the Boston Marathon, and it's not from the American runners or the undulations of Heartbreak Hill. It's the New England weather: very wet and very windy. The blustery conditions are sure to make things unpredictable when the world's longest-running annual marathon leaves Hopkinton for the 26.2-mile slog to Boston's Back Bay tomorrow morning.

A massive nor'easter is already dumping heavy rains on the whole region. So, you can bet running in the marathon this year is going to be anything but pleasant. Forecasts call for 3-5 inches of rain, start temperatures in the mid-to-upper 30s and wind gusts blowing in runners' faces at up to 25 mph. Yikes!

The foul weather is certain to dramatically slow the pace for the top runners--just a year after Kenyan Robert Cheruiyot broke the course record in 2 hours, 7 minutes, 14 seconds. Typically, a slower pace will lead to a more tactical--and a more exciting--race amongst the elite athletes. But, the slower pace is less welcome news for the other 20,000 runners, who will be out on the course longer, exposed to the brutal elements. "The interest is to get them out of the elements as quickly as possible," race director Dave McGillivray said between meetings with state and local officials on how to handle the storm. "With hypothermia, you can't take something to make it go away. You have to get into a warmer environment."

McGillivray said organizers will take buses used to drive runners out to the start and station them along the course, to provide shelter and a ride back for dropouts. More shelters are being arranged in schools and other buildings along the route as well.

Pumps have been stationed at low-lying areas in case of flooding. Ponchos will be provided for workers assigned outdoors. Runners were warned in an e-mail blast today to wear appropriate clothing. But really! What is appropriate for weather like that?

Adding to the logistical struggle with this nasty storm is a new starting time--10 AM for the main field, after more than 100 years of noon starts--that was adopted in part because of a few years of afternoon heat. The earlier start also will allow the cities and towns along the route to have their roads back sooner. But, it will mean that the start of the race may be during the worst of the storm.

I have always dreamed of qualifying for Boston (a very distant and remote dream indeed). This year, I guess I should be grateful that I'll be watching from the comfort of my own home instead (the national broadcast will be on the Versus cable network--the same network that covers the Tour de France every summer).

14 Days Until the CMM

Just two weeks from today! The Country Music Marathon is the really big one for me! So today, I did one of my final tough training days before I begin to taper for the race. It was a rainy, cool, and blustery Saturday. I ran a 10K race first thing this morning--the start was rather soggy, but the hardest part of the rain stopped just before the race began. Most of the course retraced the most difficult part of the marathon (miles 12-16 along the banks of the Cumberland River), so it was good to refamiliarize myself with that portion of the race.

After the race, I changed into dry socks and shoes and ran just over ten miles through the Shelby Bottoms Park--one of my favorite places to run in Middle Tennessee.

So, I got in the equivalent of a 16-miler with some tempo pacing (during the 10K race).

I don't know if I could ever feel really confident going into a marathon--I've done enough now to know just how grueling 26.2 can be. But, I am much further along than I thought I could be. So, I am actually starting to get excited.

17 Days Away

What a day! Daisuke (Dice-K) Matsuzaka's Fenway Park debut was upstaged by Felix Hernandez. The Preds brought the greatest show on ice to Nashville as the NHL playoffs got underway--alas, they were just nipped in an exciting double-overtime shoot-em-up by the Sharks.

And I ran my fastest 5-miler ever! That, after logging (or really, slogging) an 18-miler on Monday. Nevertheless, the legs felt great today.

I've got one more long run before my taper begins. I think I may do the Moosic City 10K on Saturday as a speed workout and then aim at getting in an additional ten-twelve miler immediately afterward. The race is conducted along the last and toughest part of the marathon route so it should be good acclimitization.

19 Days Until the CMM

With less than three weeks to go, I feel like I am in great shape to run a half marathon. The trouble is that I have to run a full marathon! Yikes.

I had some good moderate length workouts this past week--a 12 miler and a 9 miler with a couple of 5 milers mixed in. But, because of the busyness of Easter week, I was unable to get in a good long run. So, I saved that for today.

I did great through 10 miles. Then, I started falling apart. Literally. My right ankle. My left knee. My aching back. My wimpy will. Despite all this, I was able to log 18 miles in just about 3 hours at an average pace of just over 10.30 a mile. Now that I'm done, I feel good about it. But, I really wish I had been able to go a little longer and a lot stronger.

Hopefully, I will be able to get in one more long run before the marathon at the end of the month.

Team Hoyt

One of the Boston Marathon's unique traditions will be on haitus this year: the father and son team of Dick and Rick Hoyt.

Dick, 66, and Rick, 44, have competed as a team at Boston 25 times at since 1981, running every edition of the race since then except for 2003. Father Dick pushes son Rick in a special wheelchair from Hopkinton to Boston because Rick is a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy and cannot run himself. Rick, a graduate of Boston University, is unable to compete this year because he is suffering from cellulitis, a common infection of the skin and the soft tissue immediately beneath it. He is scheduled to have surgery to alleviate the condition, but his post-operative recovery will take up to three weeks, putting him out of this year's race.

Over the years, the Hoyts have become symbols of perseverance. Prior to last year's race, Rick said: "Because we stuck with running and did not ever accept 'No, you can't,' we are now educating the world about people with disabilities, making them more aware of the issues that the disabled face every day."

The Hoyts plan to compete in the 2008 edition of the Boston Marathon, race organizers said.

28: CMM

Twenty-eight days to go before the Country Music Marathon. In a perfect world I would be almost ready to begin a taper at this point in my training. Alas, this is anything but a perfect world. I am still building milage totals. This week was good--though I really pooped out on my long run. I felt great through the first seven miles. But after that, I really struggled. I was supposed to do eighteen miles. Instead, I quit after just thirteen. Despite that small disappointment, my weekly total was a respectable thirty-six miles and my monthly total was well over a hundred. I am going to keep pushing to see if I can get caught up and actually give this marathon a go.

Run with a View

Although I never was able to squeeze in a long run this past week (I'll just have to try to do that early, early Monday morning), I was able to log a really solid 40-mile week by running morning and evening most days. That's the best week of running I've had since late November. And I got to do it with a most spectacular view (I took this picture while on my Friday morning run).

I'm home now and Spring really has sprung--so, I fully expect to be able to keep up the consistent milage (but, I'll have to do it the ocean and the sailboat, alas).

Running in Paradise, Part 2

Running in paradise is, well, it is just wonderful. Though I've not yet had any long runs--I am saving that for tomorrow--I've run at least twice every day for at least a three-miler each time. It is great. I still don't feel very confident about the marathon--now just five weeks away. But, hey. I do love a challenge.

Running in Paradise

It is amazing what glorious weather can do to jump-start one's running. My first day here in Florida, I was able to run twice--once before church, once after lunch--for a total of seven easy, wonderful miles. This afternoon, my plan is to get in a nice slow ten-miler. Let's just hope that I can keep this up and carry it over into my at-home schedule.

From Brisk to Beach

My weekly long run planned for today was supposed to be between 14 and 16 miles. It was very windy and more than just a little brisk. So finally, I had to give up after just 10. I remain way, way behind on my schedule for the marathon at the end of April. But, the 10 was a really comfortable 10. The really good news though is that I will be in Florida this next week where I hope to be able to reasonably ramp up my training and my milage (while also enjoying the sun, the surf, and the requisite seafood).

Slow Start

I'm nearly recovered from the debilitating flu bug that derailed me for two weeks. Though I am not all the way back, I felt like I really needed to try to get back on track with my training. The Country Music Marathon is just seven weeks away--and I am off to a very slow start.

Before I readjust my expectations for the marathon I want to test myself to see just how far this slow start has set me back. So, I am dusting off the training program.

I was in snowy Washington, DC on Wednesday and Thursday. So, my first workout back was in the hotel fitness center. It was probably just as well. But then yesterday, I logged a nice easy nine-miler. And this morning I added another four-miler.

Thankfully, I felt pretty good afterward--though I could tell that I've lost a lot of conditioning. This is going to be even more of a challenge than a marathon already is!

Never Tired

Getting the flu kinda knocks milage plans, good intentions, and training schedules right out the window. I've been sick for a week--and I still ache and even though I have only just trudged through the hours and days since succumbing to this nasty bug, I am tired all the time. I just have to get back on track soon or there is no way that I am going to be ready for the Country Music Marathon at the end of April. So, I have prescribed a heavy dose of General George Patton for myself. The tough-as-nails 1912 Olympic veteran said, "Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."

On the Road Again

The treadmill weather has been banished, at least for a few days, by brilliant skies, moderate temperatures, and cool breezes. I had a couple of meetings cancel unexpectedly on Wednesday, so I ran twice! What a luxury. And I don't have to leave for the conference I am teaching this weekend until early afternoon, so I was able to take in a nice, long, leisurely run this morning. The fourteen mile jaunt was the longest I have run since the St. Jude Marathon early in December. Needless to say, I took it nice and slow to avoid injury. The tactic apparently worked--and I feel great.

Marathon Rookie

Want to learn how to train for a marathon or half marathon? You need to check out one of my favorite endurance training resources. The Marathon Rookie website is chock-a-block full of great information on nutrition and hydration, training techniques, milage and intensity schedules, cross training, stretching, and injury prevention. It even has a whole section on common rookie mistakes (all of which I have seen veterans commit again and again).

I wouldn't want to do without my piles of old Runner's World magazines. I also have a stack of Jeff Galloway books that I regularly refer to for tidbits of wisdom. And I regularly visit the Nashville Striders website. But, I really love all the helpful tools MarathonRooke.com provides for me--and all in one spot.

Treadmill Weather