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Since Boston I have been focused on Ironman 70.3 Kansas. That event was my first 70.3 in Lawrence, Kansas on June 9. It's now been almost 3 weeks since and I'm withing 12 weeks of the Sioux Falls Marathon where I hope to re-qualify for Boston 2014.

As I begin to up my running mileage I really miss the added components of swim and bike and look forward to getting back to all 3. I hope to complete another 70.3 this fall and hopefully register for a Full Ironman in Fall of 2014. I need to get a post updated about my experience at Kansas and I will, but I also just realized I have a full (or ultra) in each of the last 4 months of 2013: Sioux Falls in September, Dogwood Canyon 50k in October, Bass Pro in November and Rocket City in December. Sioux Falls and Rocket City will add two new states to my list, South Dakota and Alabama respectively.

In the meantime here is a really good article to keep you motivated through the training process. It also relates well with me since I am a teacher too.

Boston 2013: 3 Weeks Later

  

With Dad and Mom Approx 30 Minutes Before Explosion 

I decided to take some time away from my Boston blogging to reflect on what happened approximately and hour and a half after I crossed the finish line. My initial reaction as I sit in a bar with my parents and other finishers was disbelief, which quickly turned to anger. For the next 5 days I was glued to my TV and pretty much blocked out the world for that period of time. I was distracted and disinterested in anything other than Boston coverage. During that time I felt guilt for already being away from the finish line, and at the same time, I was thankful for my families safety. I ran a great race finishing almost 30 minutes better than 2009 (3:08:00 vs 3:36:00) and just missing re-qualifying by only 3 minutes. After running Boston for a second time I truly realized how special the course is and look forward to returning in 2014.

After the events of Marathon Monday I was interviewed by several local radio stations. This podcast below sums up my Boston experience if you have the time to listen. 

With Bart Yasso for Shakeout Run and Best SWAG Ever!

Boston Marathon 2013 Podcast 

Since Boston I have continued to focus on Kansas 70.3 which is now only 5 weeks away. The week after, Aimee and I ran in a local 10k to show support for Boston. I was the overall winner for the 2nd straight year and Aimee took 2nd female after being 7 months prego last year. Last weekend I completed my second ever tri (450 m, 15 miles, 5 miles) in 1:29:59 taking 22nd overall and finishing 12th in the run. I look forward to the new challenges that triathlons and the 1/2 Ironman will present. 

 Aimee and I before 10k; Dan and I exiting the Swim for Sprint Tri 

Boston 2013 Days 98-111: Race Weekend

Race weekend is finally here and minus a few minor injuries along the way I have safely made it to Boston. Unlike last time where I stayed out by the airport and commuted in everyday, this time I am in downtown in the heart of all the action and the feel of the marathon is just all around. There are banners, signs and jackets everywhere you turn. It is very exciting.

I picked up my packet on Saturday when I arrived and found the best race SWAG ever! A Sam Adams 26.2 bottle opener; so naturally I had to try some of the new 26.2 brew and it did not disappoint. Very good. The expo was packed with runners and running celebs. My roommate for Boston met Ryan Hall and many other elites have seminars or meet and greets throughout the expo. The colors for this years race are Blue and Yellow the same as when I was here in 2009 so that saved me some $, but I did see one of my favorite all time running shirts for Basil except she could not wear it for 2 more years so I just took a picture (below).

Today is Sunday and I went on a shakeout run with Runner's World Bart Yasso. It was really nice to meet him and he took time for everyone to take pictures and small talk; very nice guy who gets to do this every weekend (I'm sure his job is really tough). The group was about 25 large and we ran 2.5 miles along the Charles River for a really nice view of the city. I managed to snap a few pictures along the way and added an extra 1.5 after the group run just weaving through some of the south neighborhoods. These home were really cool to see al everything (road, sidewalk, homes) were all brick and build right next to each other. Very old, and very cool.

I plan non taking in a Red Sox game later this afternoon and then relaxing the rest of the day. Bus loads early in the morning then it's off to Hopkington for the start. Looking forward to tomorrow I am anxious to see how I do and ready to rub elbows with some of the best runners in the world.

Pictured below: Finish Line, SWAG, Favorite Shirt, Me and Bart Yasso, 25 mile mark Citgo Sign, Charles River

Boston 2013 Days 91-97: #RunChatHunt

This week I have been working to complete the #RunChatHunt; an online scavenger hunt via Twitter put on by who else, The Run Chat. Submissions were taken earlier in the month, then votes were taken for the top 10 and here they are in order. (In parenthesis are what my pictures are) All pictures are below the list.

Running sticker (26.2 from my car)
Bridge (covered bridge on small path by St. Francois Country Club)
Hill that will be run (Maple Valley Hill; it's a monster)
Christmas decorations still up (wreath with lights)
Historical sign (Missouri Mines at St. Joe park)
Letters to create #runchat (most from golf course)
Welcome to sign (Farmington welcome sign on North side of town)
Water (Tampa Bay from our run there 2 weeks ago)
Mile marker (local 5k marking on road)
Favorite place to run (St. Joe Park)

Boston 2013 Days 78-90: Tampa and More Snow

As the runners knee has slowly faded my mileage has picked back up and just in time too; Boston is only 3 weeks away. Last weekend Aimee and I took a long awaited trip to Tampa for the Kenny Chesney and Eric Church show at Raymond James Stadium. It's was a surprise trip for Aimee and knocked an item off her "bucket list" as I had purchased Sandbar tickets for the show (next to stage). It was amazing!

Of course no trip would be complete without exploring the local running scene and with a little help from Twitter @marybaum20 and @krissymmurphy we found one of the most popular trails in Tampa that winds along the Bay and through Downtown. Aimee and I ran together for the first time in a long time before splitting so I could finish with 16 and her with 13. Aimee has the STL GO! 1/2 in two weeks and she is going strong and ready to return to racing.

We also found some time to make it over to Clearwater Beach which was great considering we returned home to 37 degrees and 4 inches of cold rain. This week has been no different as Spring continues to remain hidden and temperatures rarely make near 40. With April one week away, today we received a fresh batch of snow, and my "down with Winter" protest reached a new low as I actually ran on a treadmill! That's right, first time all Winter, and it technically came 5 days into Spring. Here's to warmer weather in the days to come.

Boston 2013 Days 57-77: Ironman Kansas 70.3

I've been busy; and not just with running. My work load has really started to increase in the swim and bike department and for good reason. This past week I signed up for what will be my first Ironman. 70.3 Kansas will be June 9, 2013 in Lawrence, KS. Besides the fact that I have to visit the home of the hated Jayhawks, I am really looking forward to this event and it has helped re-energize my training not only for triathlons but for Boston as well.

After Boston, but before Kansas, I plan to compete in two local sprints to help prep me for the 1.2 mile swim, 56 bike, and 13.1 run. The bike will by far be the toughest part with plenty of rolling hills, but the run is super flat and rumor has it the swim is too!

Here is a recap of the past several weeks: 

• My runner's knee is better, but not fixed 
• Now my other knee is an issue. IT Band? (fingers crossed) 
• I hate being injured. 
• It snowed. Not a lot, but for several days a little at a time. 
• We missed 3 days of school due to said snow. 
• I still ran. 
• I still hated being injured. 
• Basil is now on the move. 
• Run: 37, 43, 45 Miles  

Boston Marathon 2013 Days 50-56: Galloway Trail

This weekend my wife and I returned to Springfield for the first time since November's Bass Pro Marathon. With the Basil babysitting help from Grandma, Grandpa, and our friend Teresa, we were both able to get out and enjoy some runs on the Galloway Trail through Sequiota Park. This is the first time we have ran the trail since it was reopened to the full length (highway construction). When we lived in town we both really enjoyed running on the Greenways so it was nice to run there this past weekend. On Saturday I did a solo 10 miler, my first double digit run in 3 weeks due to my nagging runner's knee.

 

On Sunday Aimee and I ran an 8 miler together. This was the first time we had ran that far together in a long time and it was just like old times. We even took Justin and Teresa's dog Nala along with us since Marlie did not make the trip. Oddly we never ran up to the nature center in all the years we lived there so Aimee and I took the short trail towards the Nature Center and even got to see some deer. On our return trip Nala and I took a quick bathroom break which put Aimee a little ahead of us. As we caught back up to her she was almost "attacked" by a wild raging squirrel. At least she claims. I saw the whole scene unfold in front of me as a squirrel ran across the path roughly the same time as Aimee which made her jump and scream. It was awesome! Weekly Totals: Run 32 Miles, Swim 1.7 Miles, Bike 11 Miles

Boston 2013 Days 43-49: Back At It

Runners Knee Sucks. I feel like I'm doing the right thing by taking some time off, but I could only manage a week. However, in the meantime I have found some new friends in the form of a foam roller and ice pack. We meet up every morning and evening. It'g great! I have also noticed an improvement in my swimming. This has really helped my confidence for a possible 1/2 Ironman this summer.

So back to the running, after a full week off I eased back in with a one mile treadmill run on Friday and thought I might die. Not from knee pain, but from boredom! How do people run on those things? And there was a TV in front of me. Saturday I busted out my new shoes and ran 7 miles with a break in the middle for weights. It was nice to be back on the road and I only noticed slight discomfort in my knee, but nothing throughout the rest of the day.

Sunday Aimee, Basil, Marlie and I did an evening run at St. Joe Park. Running at night was something we do not do very often as you can tell from the picture below. We made the turn on our out-and-back and found ourselves 3 miles from the car, pushing a stroller, in the woods, and it was dark. Guess we need to check those sunset times a little closer. Overall though it was awesome weather and kinda neat to watch the fog roll in over the trail. Thankfully I did not have to defend my family against any wild deer!

Weekly totals: Run 16 miles; Swim 3.5 miles, Bike 21 miles.

Boston 2013 Days 39-42: Runner's Knee

After my run on Thursday I really started to notice the pain in the front of my right knee. I guess I had kinda noticed it before, but just chose to ignore it. I was able to run through the initial pain and then by the end of my run I forgot it was there or it was gone. After Thursday's run though I decided to do some research and diagnosed myself with runner's knee. Even if it's not, I'm scared enough to think it is, so I'm taking it slow for a few days before resuming any running. I found the video below really helpful in figuring out what I should do, so over the past few days I have:

• Swam over 2 miles 
• Biked 24 miles 
• Ran 0 
• Resumed lifting with a focus on legs
• Bought a foam roller (yet to use) 
• Ate 1/2 a package of Oreo Birthday Cake (oops) 

Here's to a speedy recover.

I removed the video because it was playing when the page loaded. 

Boston 2013 Days 32-38: ESBRU

Did you know that this coming Wednesday, February 6, is the annual ESBRU? That would be the Empire State Building Run Up. Aimee and I are officially adding this one to "our list" but since we don't make it to NYC that often, we may just have to visit sometime and do it for fun. Want to see what it's like? Here is a video from Runner's World.

I removed the video because it was playing when the page loaded.

And a funnier one from SNL



Mileage for January 167; Bide 19 Miles; Swim 7.93 Miles

Boston 2013 Days 28-31

Tomorrow I am speaking to my Middle School about running and self determination; so I made a video. This week so far: 8, Swim, 9, 5 + Swim. Hope you enjoy the video.

Boston 2013 Days 21-27: Training Plan Decisions

As I finish up week four and inch closer to my higher mileage weeks, I have made a decision to return to my 5 day a week plan over the current 6 day a week plan that I have used for the past 2 years. There are two main reasons for doing this: rest and an increase in swimming. My mileage will remain roughly the same with the addition of a longer weekly run over a shorter one. The additional day off will be used for swimming and/or biking as I work toward my goal of a half ironman while maintaining Boston training.

The training schedule will be a combo of both previous training plans resulting in what I hope will not only prepare me for Boston but still run a great time. What I'm thinking:

Saturday; long run
Sunday; recovery run and long swim
Monday; mid-distance run
Tuesday; swim only
Wednesday; tempo run or speed work
Thursday; short run and swim
Friday; rest

We will see what happens come April.

Weekly totals: 37 Running, 4500 yards swimming, 0 bike

From an earlier post here is my 100 Mile Club going strong!

Boston 2013 Day 19 and 20: Trails

Saturday was the first time this year that I have made it out to the trails. Not only did I go, but I took quite the crew with me. Over the past several weeks I have been talking with a few other runners about hitting the trails and then signing up for a trail race. Last year I competed in 3 trail races (2 - 50k's and 1 - 60k) and they were probably some of the most fun I have had while running. So, on the tail end of our brief January warm up my Aimee, Marlie, and 3 friends (Brian, Liz, and Lindell) joined me at Hawn State Park for a 7 mile trail run. It was a great change of pace from the road. Looking forward to many more and hopefully some races along the way.

Weekly totals: 37 miles running, 2200 yards swimming, 0 bike.

Thanks to Brian for the picture. Great view from the trails.

Boston 2013 Days 14-18: Warm Welcome

A good week of training ended with a nice warm welcome Thursday and Friday. Temperatures made it up into the 50's and even 60's on Friday. This led to some great running weather and even my first bike ride of the year. It was nice to be able to run in shorts for a few days and not have to layer up; my washing machine agrees. This week consisted of two four mile/swim bricks, a 6 miler, and an 8 mile tempo.

Friday's bike ride was also a nice change of pace from running. I headed up one of the biggest hills in the area for the first time then rode a loop that returned to "the hill" only I got to take the easy way down; at 47 mph! Below is the picture from right before my decent.

Boston 2013 Day 12 and 13: 100 Mile Club

During our school's Christmas break I read an article in Runner's World about a teacher in California who started a 100 mile club for her students. You can read the article here. The club now reaches over 140 schools, has its own website and you can even register your own club at a cost of $10 per student. So that is exactly what I decided to do, except the $10 per student part. I was unsure how well this would go over since my district is in a lower income area and healthy lifestyles are not necessarily encouraged let alone paid for. 

I decided to start a 100 mile club at my school with a goal of May (end of school) instead of the whole year and there is no cost to students. Using Strava I set up a club page, also free, and will keep a log of students mileage using Google Forms. Students who reach the 100 miles will receive a shirt, also free courtesy of Edward Jones, just like we all do whenever running a marathon or similar race. I don't really have goal for numbers, just a goal for healthier kids. You can check out everything I set up for yourself by clicking here. 

Saturday was a 12 mile long run, Sunday off. Totals for the week 37 miles running, 2800 yards swimming. 

Boston 2013 Day 9-11: Training Logs

With the new year I have been looking into some new training logs. I have always used Runner's World as my log because it is free and I frequent the site, but lately I have wanted something that I can access to as an App on my iPhone or iPad. So, I started using TrainingPeaks which is the other training log Runner's World offers. This is the log where my marathon training plan was bought and stored and it is available as an App. Finally, today I fiddled around with Strava and added those Apps to my devices. Here are the pro's and con's I have for each. Running Update: Wednesday 4 easy with 1000 swim, Thursday 6 tempo, Friday 5 easy with 1 mile swim.

Runner's World Classic Log
Pros: Free, easy to use, Run, Bike, Swim and Weight totals all displayed on same page, weekly, monthly, and yearly run totals, calendar and graph views of running workouts, keeps track of race PR's.

Cons: No App, main focus is running, no upload from device capabilities, can't plan future workouts

TrainingPeaks 
Pros: Ability to upload a training plan, App for iPhone, track meals

Cons: Everything else (summary, planning, charts, compatible GPS and App uploads) requires a monthly fee ($20) or yearly subscription ($120)

Strava
Pros: Free, iPhone GPS Apps for both running and biking, ability to upload Garmin device on website, more social with club features online for friend challenges, keeps track of totals, ability to log swim

Cons: Swim totals are not displayed, some additional features require upgrade with monthly fee ($9.99), separate Apps for same GPS function (run vs. bike)

Do you use different training logs or keep everything in the same place? Do you use GPS Apps or just a Garmin? Curious what everyone else does and likes.
 

Boston 2013: Day 7 and 8: Reflection Runs

There were big changes for us in 2012, most notably pictured below, but one thing we tried to do was remain consistent as we could with our running. Mission accomplished; and we even managed to mix in our first triathlon. 

The last two days of running (5 and 6 miles respectively) I have used as "Reflection Runs". My wife calls me nostalgic, but I just like to think back on the year that was and be thankful for my ability to run. Here is a graph of my running for the past 12 months.

2012 Totals: 

Run: 1703

Bike 1032

Swim 38 

Marathons: 7 (Houston, GO! St. Louis, Flying Pig, Minneapolis, Chicago, RNR St. Louis, Bass Pro)

Ultras 3: (Post Oak 50k, Land Between the Lakes 60k, PsychoPsummer 50k)

  

One Half in Indy where I got to run the Speedway and kiss the bricks 

BQ and PR in Houston 3:03:20

Completed first sprint Triathlon at Trail of Tears with 12 week postpartum wife winning her age division  

Overall 10k Winner and 7 month prego finisher  

And my amazing (and pregnant half the year wife) still completed 2 halves (Houston and Bass Pro), Three 5k's (overall female winner in one), and a sprint triathlon. 

Goals for 2013: 

Kick Butt at Boston in April 

Half Ironman 

Another Trail Run (ultra) 

Break 3 hours in Marathon (always a goal) 

Break 18 min in 5k (always a goal) 

Bike and Swim more 

Strength Train more 

Stay injury free 

Wishing everyone out there the best in 2013 in running and in life. Hope you set, meet, and exceed the goals you have for yourself!