This was touching, but I might be biased of course. I enjoy the companionship of other runners on the road so much, it’s why I continue to do what I do. I love the way this video captures the sense of community that exists amongst the Boston runners, training for Boston – especially poignant this year.
P.S My Coach is at 1:06 in the orange. ♥
Michelle Lewis – Run Run Run (Official Music Vide…: https://youtu.be/HQUjviIH9PU
This raffle is run by Crowdrise.com! Imagine if someone I knew won! See below for details and the link you must click to be entered. The raffle ends on Monday 3/24.
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After training for the Boston Marathon as a charity runner for 3 years, I am starting to feel like I am seeing some patterns in the people I encounter on the road. Today I kept a mental note of people I interacted with or experienced in order to put together this blog post. I narrowed the list down by only sharing the “people” I know I have encountered numerous times over the years. And so without further adieu I present to you a few runner personas I saw come into play today at our 13 miler:
●First there is the high five runner – (these runners trust you don’t pick your nose while running)
●The name-dropper. The teammate that yells your name as loud as she can! This makes you both look cool in front of everyone else.
●The “hey!” girl. The runner that gets so excited to see you and says hello so loudly that you reciprocate that same enthusiasm. Then you spend 2 miles trying to figure out where you know her from and decide she just thought you were someone else. (You did appreciate the hello however!)
●The Speed Angel or hot stranger, who is far from danger unless you mean he’s wicked cute. Usually when he talks you can’t hear what he is saying because you are just amazed thay he is using his breath to encourage you. You then wonder “does he do this for everyone he sees or am I special?” Then, a mile later when you catch a dose of runners-high you decide, “I’m special.”
●The speed demon. These people don’t even crack a smile at a fellow runner who says “good morning” or waves. They usually also hog the road when space is scarce. Here is an example of a real speed demon encounter from today – someone asked me for the time, and then didn’t even slow down so I could check my watch, I had to yell down the street to tell him!
●The concise cheerleader. “JOB!” (runner speak for good job!) Or “Alright?” (another runner wanting to make sure you are doing okay when you aren’t looking so hot) This person is the perfect balance of speed demon and speed angel. They cared enough to notice you, but wants to get straight to the point.
●The talker. The person who prefers to run in a pack so they have someone to chat with. (Note: its not fun to be anywhere around a pack of single girls talking about their dating life. Run faster)
●The unoblivious. This person hardly looks at traffic lights or cars behind them on one way streets. This runner makes our whole community seem wicked rude and self involved and that is far from the case!
●The anti-social. The runner who looks away when you make eye contact or smile. You wonder what they are fighting within themselves to make them do that.
●The grumpy pedestrian. This guy gets into arguments with cars for blocking crosswalks or not looking. We all feel this way inside, but this guy is always looking to fight
● The grumpy old geezer – (yet, you admire him). You laughed right? But you’ve seen him. The guy who inspires you to keep doing exactly what you are doing until you are exactly his age. (I have tested this a few times, these men don’t tend to say hello back or smile – I am convinced my youth irritates them, thus the the “grumpy”)
●The selfie runner. (that’s me!) This runner loves to share his or her running on social media so they take out their phone to document the experience. He or she doesn’t know how to run and not post about it.
● The drama queen (also me!) This runner can get all upset when a run isn’t going well. Although he or she can power through, unfortunately everyone on the road will know her troubles because she may just shed a few tears on walk breaks. High fivers, name droppers and speed angels really make her run better. The drama queen also isn’t afraid to use her emotions to her advantage – i.e. turning on some waterworks to use a bathroom at a restaurant. (and yes I did this today!)
● The charity runner (that’s me too!) This runner gets to wear awesome swag on the course and at races. This runner also has all the positive personas above! (Why? When you run with a team and for a good cause most likely you are not a total d-bag, make sense?) Plus charity runners almost always finish! (Why? Because they are running for something bigger than them! Their running is their way of serving others!) Proud to be a member of this group!
To donate to my 3rd Boston Marathon for Mass Mentoring visit http://www.crowdrise.com/mags
The number 14 has significance for me today
And alas, here is a recap after my run, just some good endorphins to share with all my followers! I also offer a shout-out to special friend and sponsor for her support over the years. She popped into my head during the run today and kept me going!
I’m unsure about whether I’ll seek a charity bib in 2015, there is a good possibility that I will but if I don’t… I will definitely be running the 2015 BAA 5k Blindfold Challenge and fundraising for either Perkins, National Braille Press or the Mass Association for the Blind.
I am really going against my coaches advice “to live in the present” in posting this – so let me put put another purpose to this post:
If you know any runners that aren’t running Boston but want to find a way to be connected to this year’s very special marathon weekend, and they have the heart to fundraise (it’s only $500 peeps this is totally doable!) – send them to http://blindfoldchallenge.org/registration.html to be apart of this amazing challenge. I can promise you it will be an eye opening experience – or rather eyes shut 🙂
This year I hope to attend the BAA 5K so I can cheer on those runners who bring funds to this cause that is close to my family’s heart. Sign up and I’ll cheer you on! I really hope to do it myself some day. I feel like it would bring me some peace to my heart. Maybe I can’t give vision back to my brothers eyes, but if I can help bring the right resources to people like him – I’m ready to sign on the dotted line.
Think about it friends and followers 🙂
Today my #tbt is a picture from my favorite marathon I have run to date, the Hartford Marathon in the fall of 2012, it was my 2nd marathon. I think its my favorite marathon because I had competitive company on the course for the entire race which I am yet to find in Boston based on my pace. That competitive company’s name was Roger.
In this picture the older man behind me is a man I’ll never forget, Roger. He stayed on my heels from miles 17-26. I took no breaks in those miles and had a crew of marathon joggers behind me stopping and walking, sprinting and passing me. But I was keeping steady at one pace. In the last few miles we broke our code of runner silence when he asked me if it was okay that he was riding on my coattails. I said sure. But I was lying. His presence was making me very insecure. But it kept pushing me.
Then at one point when I was leading this group of high-endurance but slow-running chubby runners like myself, a Golden Girl told me to turn right at an intersection, because I had slowed down in doubt at a cross roads. I was scanning the intersection for clues to contradict her, but Goldy gave us the impression she had run Hartford many times and insisted on turning right. Before agreeing to turn right I said,” but the trash truck that is on race clean up is going straight ahead.” But….the group wanted to go right so I led them.
And low and behold, half a mile later, a biker came to find us and told us to turn around. We ran 1 mile out of the way. Good old Roger gave me accolades “she was right!” I’m sure I mumbled things I’d rather not say on my blog, but I was pissed. A bunch of people that I had worked hard to leave in my dust, ended up finishing before me because they didn’t detour with this little group.
But at the end Roger and I made a formal introduction to each other, and his spectator sent me these photos. Amen for her, I love them.
27.2 miles is the farthest I have ever run to date. Maybe I’ll aim to run 2 miles after April 21st for a new PR. Although, I kind of like the story of my current PR distance – so maybe I will just leave it intact for now 🙂
Til next time, don’t forget to check out my progress on my fundraising for mentoring organizations http://www.crowdrise.com/mags. You can be a part of it for as little as ten bucks 🙂
Just got the BAA email I think all the participants have been waiting for. I can’t run with the marathon with my Camelback in April for security purposes. Plus, its probably not a good idea for my Dad to plan on running with me for the last 5 miles. I knew both of these things were going to get nixed from my plan so I’m not surprise.
Trying to focus on the positives:
Among other changes in the way the logistics of the race will be handled, anyone that has a tradition of running in costume no longer can . So at least I can stop feeling guilty that I’m not THAT crazy-enthusiastic about running for my cause 🙂 I’ve always admired people who run 26 miles in costume and so I genuinely do feel bad for those people who had that tradition.
The attack last year certainly changed the way the race will be run forever, not to mention the lives that were impacted. But I guess that’s just the world we live in now-a-days, and we should all buck up and get used to it… So no complaints here.
Just adjustments 🙂
Happy Throwback Thursday! This is me 6 miles into my first marathon, on one of the hottest days in Boston Marathon history.
I don’t look swift but I was doing the best I could on that hot, hot day. I used to be embarrassed that it took me 7 hrs and 15 mins to finish but now I am proud. I was alone on that course for a long time. Following the truck that picked up the mile markers, beside the bus that was picking up runners.
Funny to think I will have run 3 historic Boston Marathons 3 years in a row. Of course I wish 2013 and 2014 was much more average, no lives or limbs lost.
Til next Thursday! And as always to sponsor my run with just ten bucks visit http://www.crowdrise.com/mags. Contest starts tomorrow amongst my team so set an alarm to do it in the morning!
Mags
Today’s conditions on the Boston Marathon route were very tough, I wish I could say I achieved the 14 miles I was striving for but when I was out there struggling I decided it best to let myself fall short. I actually ended up falling really short in mileage, probably ran 8 or 9 but it was an effort of 11 considering my usual 15 min mile pace.
Based on my experience (3 finishes) and goals (which is to have fun) for the race this year, I have been training by effort and not getting bogged down with getting an exact perfect precise mileage. I feel like the 3rd time is the charm, I am finally fitting my training into my life in a way that works for me.
But today trying to run on bumpy frozen slush was hurting my body more than it needed to, not to mention the impact on my spirits. With the sidewalks a disaster it wasn’t safe in the road either because many other runners from other teams were not running single file when the space was narrow. (This was not my team, we were reminded of this by our coach before our run.)
Begin tagent here: Runners who do not exercise caution on the road not only put themselves at risk – but runners and motorists that are near them. Every winter I honestly fear running behind a pack of runners that aren’t running single file because I don’t trust the oncoming traffic to see them.
Plus, there are more runners on the course than in years past because of the heightened significance of the 2014 marathon for this city. I am finding I like that somedays (people smile and say great job etc) but after a snow storm its hard to handle the crowds.
I am so looking forward to next week because my coach is going to map out an alternate route for those of us that are feeling a little cramped for space!
But before signing off you gotta see this. Below is a photo from my frozen camelback crisis today. Lack of water was also an issue on my run today! Next week will be better, I just know it!
To sponsor my run for mentoring visit http://www.crowdrise.com/mags
Really stoked about 2 successful weeks of tempo runs! Plus I missed this usual Tuesday workout so I am pleased that I made up for it today. January was a hard month for me to build my training momentum. I had a good week in the beginning of January followed by a week of many aches and pains and then 2 weeks of being sick, ending the month on a good note getting back in the rhythm last week. The successful tempo run today (running a speed slightly outside your capability) makes two great weeks in a row so I am ecstatic, thus the blog post!
Though I don’t know what I am going to do the week I walk into my office gym and someone is on “my treadmill.” I play toss and catch with my imaginary coaches via this door below. After properly warming up, once I crank up the speed, I try and keep the hype inside of me on the down-low and pretend like the excruciating minutes running faster than I am comfortable is no big thing. Something about visualing playing toss and catch just soothes me and helps me focus on my form. Between Rick, Greg, Dawn, Paul and Lori and a couple encouraging teammates too, “we” get it done!
Today I pushed myself to go faster on the last 50% of my run, which I had done successfully a month ago but opted not to do last week because I wasn’t feeling confident. Today I was feeling great so I decided to go a little faster for the final 10% too, like the icing on the cake. The way I see it, that’s the way I want to finish the marathon right? Negative splits and a strong finish!
And so, as a means to this end I thinking of trying to increase the tempo run by 1 minute per week, and move that starting jog 4.1 mph to 4.2 and then the 2nd half to 4.3, and ending at a 4.4 going up a tad each week in that pattern. But I plan to take caution and listen to my body, this is not the year to get injured before the marathon! The race is going to be very special!
That is all the news that is fit to print from this chubby runner, but until next time consider making a $10 donation to my mentoring charity! My team has a contest this week and I am in 3rd place!
Mags
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