PDX Commuter: Week 4

tram, trolley, bikes...take your pick

Sunday, June 21: Father's Day
Long run w/tempo finish (103min, 13.5mi, 7:38 pace) - Parked at the office and took the waterfront trail down across Sellwood Bridge and back up the east side of the river to the Broadway Bridge and back to Duniway Track. I cranked out a mile on the track at marathon pace (MP, 6:42 pace) and then did an easy half mile back to the car. I needed a run at a consistently faster pace just to test things out. I'm happy with my effort and the pace I maintained, but I was definitely feeling it towards the end. It was a good choice to end it with a mile on the track, which was not planned, but may have to become part of the routine when running from work. Good way to start off Father's Day. (1500s)

A common lunch spot for me

Lunch spot, south waterfront condos

Monday, June 22:
AM ride (21min, 5.3mi)

PM ride (46min, 10.3mi) - Did two sets of pull-ups at Duniway and then set off to the top of Fairmount with one full loop around the top. Route: Terwilliger, Westwood Dr, Westwood View, Mitchell, Fairmount. Took me 23 minutes of climbing to go from Duniway to Fairmount. First time I've gone all the way to the top this way (PB). 

Tuesday, June 23:
AM run (35min, 4.7mi, 7:34 pace) - New NB Zante shoes, love them
*Yoga (60min)
PM interval run (63min, ~7.5mi) 8 x 90sec (84-86 400m) w/60sec walk/jog @ Wilson track - It was hot outside and I did this workout after running uphill 3.5 miles to get to the track. Overall, I was pleased with my effort. (Zante)

Wednesday, June 24:
Trail run (59min, ~5.7mi) - Trail run (59min, ~5.7mi) - Tryon Creek State Park and River View Natural Area linked up in one huge climbing adventure with Colin on entirely new trails all within a few miles of our homes and work. River View's trail network was basically created and maintained by mountain bikers, and recently they were prohibited from riding in there anymore. The trails are raw and complete with several banked turns, which makes ripping down the west side of the forest to the river even more fun. We didn't another soul the entire time we were traipsing through the park. It was awesome. I think in the future we'll link up a few areas by parking down by the river and heading to Council Crest via Tryon Creek and Marshall Park. That would be an epic slog though. (K4) *See map of area below

Thursday, June 25:
AM run (37min, 4.8mi, 7:41 pace) - Felt a little tired this morning. (Zante)

PM ride home (25min, 5.3mi) - standard route home, Terwilliger & Cheltenham

Friday, June 26:
AM ride (17min, 4.2mi)

PM ride (54min, 11.4mi) Duniway to Fairmount (23:45) to Council Crest (5min) - 23:45 climb, 3min rest, 5min climb, 20min home
*pull-ups(x2)

Weekly Totals:
- 460 total minutes
- 297 minutes run (5)
- 163 minutes bike
Happy I bumped up the minutes run this week and that I got in a speed workout. The run commute to work also went well.

Commuter Training: Week 3

Downtown Portland from Terwillier Blvd.

Sunday, June 14:
Trail run (104min, ~10-11mi) - My buddy Alec actually had me all turned on the Marquam Trail circuit around OHSU. Think it's the first time that's happened to me on the trails around Portland...ever. Was nice to be lead by someone else on a run for a change. Looking forward to the next one. Saw Shalane Flanagan coming out of her house at the top of Council Crest and then again down the hill on Fairmount. Tried to say hi but she wasn't really into it. Apparently, she and Galen Rupp and Dathan Ritzenhein and coach Alberto use that loop quite often. Bigtime. (1500s) 

Monday, June 15:
Bike (21min, 36min) - Road down to Bike Gallery to get new tires. Did some West Hills climbing on the way back. Starting at the bike shop I had a gradual climb on roughly 26min, and then a sprint to home.

Gabriel Park - near our house

Tuesday, June 16:
AM ride (20min, 5mi) - Beautiful morning for a ride.
*Yoga Tuesday (60min)
PM ride (48min, 10mi) - Went home via Corbett and then up through RiverView Cemetery (great climb). Then I took Terwilliger to Cheltenham and climbed a bit up on Westwood Drive, and then busted it home. This was a good ride.

Wednesday, June 17:
Easy run (60min, ~7.5mi) - Colin and I ran along the west side of the Willamette River Waterfront path down to Sellwood Bridge. Colin has never run across any of the bridges in Portland, so we made our way mostly across Sellwood before turning back because we were crunched for time. I'd like to work the entire loop back around the other side of the river along the Springwater Corridor path and back across one of the other bridges into our rotation at some point. It's flat and scenic and can be a welcome change from all the hills. The loop can be as short as 8 miles and as long as 12 miles depending on which bridge we elect to cross back over. We had a couple moments where we pushed the pace a bit so that was nice too. (K4)

Thursday, June 18:
AM run to work (40min, 5mi) - Ran to work via Cheltenham and Terwilliger. Perfect. (890s)

PM ride home (33min, 6mi) - Took it pretty easy on the way home.

Gabriel Park

Friday, June 19:
AM ride (13min, 3.6mi) - Took it straight to work this morning on the most direct route and basically as fast as I could. It's quite fun to go this route sometimes and rip down Barbur Blvd. It makes for a very quick commute.

PM ride (36min) - NO GPS, but I did basically go uphill from work for 24min via Terwilliger, Westwood Drive, and Westwood View. Normally I would've taken this all the way up to Fairmount or Council Crest, but I was on a bit of a time crunch and felt like I had had enough for the day.

Weekly Totals:
- 411 total minutes
- 204 minutes run (3)
- 207 minutes bike (7)

Commuter Training: Week 2

 Willamette River, downtown Portland far right, Marquam Bridge, Tilikum Pedestrian Bridge, with West Hills in background

Sunday, June 7:
Trail run (94min, 9mi) - Took my buddy Colin on his first official trail run in Portland. We parked on Fairmount near the top of Council Crest, ran up to the spire, and then took the Marquam Trail off Dosch north towards the zoo. The Marquam eventually links up with Wildwood Trail near Hoyt Arboretum, which we took down into Washington Park and The Japanese Garden. From here we went back up Wildwood, across Burnside, and up to the Pittock Mansion for a quick break and turnaround. It was an absolutely perfect morning for a run, and there were lots of people out on the trail trying to get their runs in before the extreme heat of the day really set in. Colin held up alright considering it was a fairly tough run in terms of climbing, etc. Wish I knew how much vert we covered though. Guessing, I'd say 1500ft at least. (K4) 

Monday, June 8:
AM ride to work (21min, 5mi)

Lunch run w/ 10 x 30sec surges (36min, 4.7mi) - Ran along the east side of the river and threw in some surges since I haven't gotten the legs turning over in a while. First river run since I've been back. Lots of folks. Felt pretty good. Feel like I need to start mixing in some kind of speed work at least once a week now. (K4)

PM ride home (26min, 5.7mi) - Terwilliger, decided to take HWY 10 (Beaverton Hillsdale HWY) once I made it over the west hills, and then I blasted it up 42nd street.

View of Willamette River and downtown while crossing Hawthorne Bridge

Hawthorne Bridge with West Hills in background. I go over them each day to work. Look closely to see spires at the top of the West Hills.

Portland in all its glory.

Tuesday, June 9:
AM ride to work (14min, 3.5mi) - Wanted to get a longer ride in this morning, but I was running late, so it was straight up and over the hill.

Yoga (60min) - Yoga Tuesday at work. First yoga session for me ever. Not bad. 

PM ride home (60min, 12.5mi) - Took it straight up to Council Crest spire via OHSU and Fairmount Rd. Think it was roughly a 20 minute climb, and then I rode around Fairmount twice before taking 18th down the other side. This was a pretty tough workout as there are sections of the road with a rather steep grade, for me. The Fairmount loop is twisty and fun to ride, and a must for anyone who considers themselves a PDX cyclist. My next step is to figure out how to make SW Hillsdale/Multnomah Village a better ride. 

Top of Council Crest Park; looking west towards Coastal Mountains and Willamette Valley

Wednesday, June 10:
AM ride to work (22min, 5.5mi)

PM trail run (74min, ~8mi) - After work Colin and I drove to the Wildwood trail head off Cornell. We headed north on Wildwood through some of my favorite sections off the trail. It's a true forest of old, gigantic Douglas Fir trees and just about every other native plant to the PNW, and the trail goes on for 20 miles. We ran to the trail head on 53rd (~4min, 39min), and then turned around and headed back. The last push back to the car once you reach Birch Creek (idyllic) is a tough uphill slog for about 3/4 of a mile. The last 3min or so is real steep. There were a few sections of the run where pushed it pretty good for 2 - 5min at a time, fartlek style. It was a good workout. (P31) 

Thursday, June 11:
AM run to work (38min, 5mi) - I'm really starting to like the run commute. I have to get up earlier and carrying clothes, lunch, etc is obviously more of an issue than on a bike, but once I'm running all that goes away. If I can find the right backpack that's big enough to carry my supplies, and not so bulky it bounces around, I might try and bump up the number of days I run to and from work for the rest of the summer. It's just too beautiful running along Terwilliger in the early AM. (1500s)

PM ride home (22min, 5mi) 

Friday, June 12:
AM ride to work (20min, 5mi)

PM ride (47min, 9.7mi) - Easy ride around town and then home after that.

Terwilliger Blvd, looking south with Willamette River and Sellwood Bridge in deep distance

Saturday, June 13:
Speed workout (57min, 7.6mi) 8 x 200m/200jog w/4min set rest + 6 x 200/200jg + 1 x 400
-The Wilson High School track is the perfect distance from our house. It took me 14 minutes as an uphill (1.8mi) warmup jog to get there and then I did the workout and then I did an easy cool down jog back home. The track itself is perched on top of a hill so it gets a bit windy, but the view of the valley to the west on turns one and two is superb. This was the first time I've been on a track in about a month. It was nice to be out there, but I struggled a bit with turnover, and my legs were obviously fatigued from all the hill blasting the past three weeks. I didn't really have a specific workout planned and I decided once I got there I'd keep it to 200m repeats. I hit 39/40sec per 200m, which is okay, but I could feel I was pushing it ever so slightly. I actually started to feel better as the workout went on, not uncommon for me, so I guess that's a good sign. Rather than do the last two 200m repeats, I decided to bust out a 400 to test the system a bit. I hit 77sec and I'm okay with that. Felt reasonably smooth. Glad I made it to the track and I look forward to many more sessions there in the future. (LR3)

Weekly Totals:
- 531 total minutes
- 300 minutes run (5)
- 231 minutes bike (8)
- A couple real quality workouts this week with some nice touring of the city and trail running mixed in. Good stuff. 

Portland Commuter Training: Week 1

My bike...in an office...first time ever

Technically, last week was Week One of a sixteen week "training plan" for the Portland Marathon: Quest for the Sub-3 Hour Marathon. And, at least for the foreseeable future, I'm going with a different approach to training: attack the hills as much as possible with an occasional touch of speed or distance on the flats or track. My "plan" is to assault said hills by bike and by run. I forgot how much fun it is to ride a bike in this city, and my goal is to build as much strength and general toughness as possible (attacking hills), so cycling will be a significant portion of my weekly exercise volume for the next six weeks or longer. I still hope to actually run 4-5 times per week, but I shouldn't have to run as long on those (long run day excluded) if I keep cycling in the mix. I'm also hoping that cycling a bit more and running a bit less helps prevent over training or injury deeper into this quest, but ultimately, at this point as long as I maintain a weekly volume of 400 to 500 minutes, attack vert, and have fun doing it, I should be good to transition into Phase Two in a couple months. 

Although, I certainly hope to continue to write the occasional race, run, or ride report, and maybe a Road to Oregon piece, moving forward I don't foresee having as much time to write actual content driven blog posts as in the past. With this in mind, I've decided to simply share my weekly training log as a blog post for a while. It's always been viewable in my pages section, but this makes it more present and potentially open to comments if I can get the comments link to work more consistently (unacceptable). Some of the daily log updates are in-depth, and others are not. There's runner speak, local terminology, and an obvious tone of a diary at this stage, but my hope is those who tune in and read are inspired to get out and challenge themselves on a daily basis, and discover their authentic self however that may be. Enjoy, copy, and/or share.

Week One Training Log... 

Sunday, May 31:
Trail run (83min, ~9mi, 2000ft elev. gain) - Wildwood Trail this morning with Carter. Lots of vert and a tough test for the lungs and legs. Felt great to be running through the woods in the PNW again. Carter did great as well. (P31)

Monday, June 1:
Morning: bike ride (18min, ~4.5mi, 280ft) - Road to Whitman Partners for work
PM: ride home (18min, ~4mi, 500ft)

PM: Easy run with hills (34min, 4.5mi, 380ft) 
-Total of 70min of exercise and 1000+ft of elevation gain today with a fair amount of hill work both riding and running. Building leg strength rapidly since moving back to Portland. The only way out of our neighborhood heading north, south, or east is going to include a decent amount of hill work - just what I wanted. (P31)

Tuesday, June 2:
AM: bike ride (14min, 3.5mi, 280ft) - Straight up and over this morning

PM: run home (50min, 6.5mi, 880ft) - Ran home from work this aft via Terwilliger Blvd. Felt pretty steady and controlled up and over the hill. Good stuff. (1500s)

Wednesday, June 3:
AM: run to work (40min, 4.75mi, 360ft) - Ran to work via Terwilliger. There will be many options to make this longer, shorter, and more difficult through the hills. (P31)

Looking east off Terwilliger Blvd on 6AM run to work

PM: ride home + mtn bike/hiking through woods (43min, 8mii, 1000ft) - Rode home via Ter, Homestead, Gains, OHSU, Marquam trail, Fairmont, Mitchell, and down the other side. Finished up going back up Shattuck and Cameron. It was a big time route up and through the west hill woods, and the marquam trail. I had to get off and walk my bike up many of the switchback sections. Will have to finish this off next time by taking it all the way to the spire on top of Council Crest. Getting vert and loving it.

Thursday, June 4:
Hill run home (52min, 6mi) - I took it deep today on my run home from work. I hopped on the Marquam Trail at the lower end of Terwilliger and blasted straight up to the top of Council Crest. I wanted a route that offered some tough climbing and was shaded, and this seemed to be a great option. The forest was cool, and it was probably a 1000ft climb, although I don't know for sure because my Garmin has decided to stop transferring data (annoying). I will definitely keep this route in the rotation. Starting to hanker for some flat, faster stuff. (P31)

Top of Council Crest Park - highest point in Portland West Hills

Friday, June 5:
AM ride: (21min, 5.3mi) - Rode to work this morning via Terwilliger (like this route)

PM ride: (45min, 9.4mi) - Rode home via River View Cemetery. I love climbing through the cemetery. The roads are nice and narrow. It's quiet. And, it's well-shaded on hot, sunny days by massive Douglas Fir trees. The reward of the view from the top is also a nice added bonus. 

Top of River View Cemetery 

Weekly Totals:
- 418 total minutes
- 259 minutes run (5)
- 159 minutes bike (6)
- Lots of climbing; feeling stronger already

Road to Oregon: Abridged Version

So, I didn't have much time to write while I was on the road with Carter. Any free time I did have I didn't want to spend sitting in front of a computer. My plan was to spend some time writing once I was back in Oregon, but between getting things settled in our new home, blasting hills whenever possible, and work (surprising twist in the narrative), there has been very little time leftover for anything else. I haven't even gone through all the pictures I took along the way.

Hopefully someday I'll put a piece together that includes both pictures and narrative, but I didn't take any notes along the way and the finer details are starting to fade. Perhaps I'll compose more of a photo essay, or maybe going through the photos down the road will spark a flame. 

Just now as I write this I'm reminded of the horrible case of pink eye I contracted from #1, which manifested in vicious way on Day 2 due to wearing contacts on my morning run. Even though it was like living in a cloud the entire time I was there, Colorado, and more specifically, Boulder, did not disappoint. The Adventure Lodge (A-Lodge) located just up the canyon from downtown Boulder was a perfect spot for us. The trails were sloppy and muddy, but we got out and did our best. It seemed as if I was always running either up or down, never flat. I know now why runners from Boulder are so bad ass. The drive into Arches National Park coming from Colorado was one of the most beautiful road trip experiences I've ever had. The red rock formations juxtaposed with rugged, snow-capped mountains in the background was a first for me. We were incredibly lucky to have booked a camp sight inside the park at Devil's Garden amongst the star gazers and moon chasers, which also allowed us to drive/run around the park in the early morning and visit some of the more popular spots before the rush of the crowds hit, which they did. Our next night camping in the Wasatch Mountain Range in Utah wasn't quite as idyllic, but it was certainly worth the trip. We watched a fierce mountain storm ominously roll in from the south from our camp sight. It brought a quick bout of heavy rain, lightening, and thunder that rocked the canyon with as much might as any I've experienced. It was also here that I discovered trying to run uphill at 7000 feet is very tough for me, even at a snail's pace. 

This is just a snippet of our journey. The rest may just stay with me and Carter. I will, however, get photos up at some point. 

Road To Oregon: Entry One

Carter and I stayed in Portage, Indiana last night. Wonderful place. Actually, all jokes aside, we found a wonderful forested park called Imagination Glen Park only five minutes from our hotel with ten miles of sweet, maze-like mountain biking and hiking trails complete with banked turns, dips and dives, and twisty bits. Obviously, we hit that this morning (day 2) for a nice little 50 minute trail run before breaky. True to form, he found every little mud bog and water hole possible.

The best part of our trip yesterday was definitely our two hour pit stop in Ann Arbor. I try to schedule our stops in college towns to increase the chances of finding food I find palatable. Plus, college towns are usually just better than po-dunk nowhere towns. Also, after my unpleasant experience in a small-town diner in Wyoming on our last road trip heading east where the server handed me my breakfast while smoking a cigarette, I'm a little sensitive. To continue the college town trend we're stopping in Iowa City (Univ of Iowa) for a lunch break today, and we're staying in Lincoln, Nebraska (Univ of Nebraska) for the night.

The worst part of our trip yesterday was definitely customs and immigration on the U.S. side. I had to import the car and that really threw them for a loop. It took forever. I had to wait for over thirty minutes in their tiny, dingy office with dozens of other people before my name was called. Upon saddling up to the counter the dude informed me car imports were the one thing he couldn't do, and I had to sit back down. Another fifteen minutes went by, and the next available "agent" couldn't do imports either. Meanwhile, Carter is in the back of our car wondering where his papa is, and they've already ransacked our car and made no attempt to put anything back. The first thing the "agent" said to me as we pulled up was, "How many pills you carrying?" 
"Excuse me. What sir?"
"Pills. How many pills of codeine do you have?"
"I don't have any pills of codeine." "And if I did, I wouldn't share them with you, dick." I thought this part, but managed to refrain from saying it.

Finally, the only nice person I encountered the entire hour I was there, and I met a few, came out of nowhere and processed my paperwork without making me feel like I was guilty of something nefarious in less than five minutes. So simple. Typical experience with U.S. Customs.

Apparently we're heading into a pretty gnarly storm today. It looks like we might pass just south of the nasty business, but we shall see...

E

Boston Report

Course Map on display at the expo

"Control the control-ables" was a phrase Donny Rumsfeld once muttered when fielding questions about the potential disaster the U.S. was getting itself into by invading Iraq in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The continued and persistently petty follies of the U.S. government since this time have soiled my perspective so much that I'm nothing more than cynic these days, so I don't intend to get into just how wrong he was about controlling the perceived control-ables, let alone the uncontrollables. Plus, this is not a political blog.

This phrase, however, has always resonated with me in terms of how it relates to running and racing. We have control of such things as our training, nutrition, gear, hydration, and mental focus leading into and during a race. It behooves us to be as prepared as possible in these arenas. 

On the other hand, things such as bad luck, injuries, pain, and the weather will always have their wanton way with us. For the most part, we can not "control" these things. We just have to learn to suffer better and accept them as the uncontrollable realities of our sport, deal with them, and move on.

By any account, Saturday was a gorgeous day in Boston. Our little group started it off by driving in from Hopkinton, where we are lucky enough to annually stay at an idyllic location near the start line I call The Runners' Commune, and parked on Harvard's campus in Cambridge. After a quick train ride over The Charles River, we got off at Boston Common Park and immediately basked in the warm, sunny skies. There was a breeze, but not nearly as bad as forecasted earlier in the week. We meandered through the park and leisurely strolled a few city blocks to our first destination of the day, Flour Bakery. 

The grounds of The Runners' Commune. Frog mating pond.

Another pond on The Commune

Sign greeting us as we pull into The Commune grounds

I had been coveting this place for a few years now and couldn't make it happen last year when I ran Boston. It did not disappoint. Although everything on the menu from the pastries to the sandwiches are tasty, the sticky buns are what made Flour famous (think the best cinnamon roll you've ever had, lathered with not-to-sweet, dark, buttery carmel sauce and toasted pecan niblets). To cap off the experience we were able to enjoy our delectable delights in a quaint little park across the street from the bakery as children and families capitalized on the nice day after a long, harsh winter. 

The vibe, buzz, and energy of the downtown core the weekend of a major big city marathon is a feeling like no other. Bostonians in particular love their marathon, which further fuels the jovial spirit surrounding the city. It's addictive and invigorating, and for the second year in a row I found myself drawn by its pull like a moth to a flame every day of race weekend. 

After a short jaunt up Boylston, where the race finishes, and Newbury Street, popping in and out of various shops, we hopped on the train back to Harvard. Being runners, it was time to do what we do...go for a run through Harvard's campus and along The Charles River. The Charles River path runs along both sides of the river for miles and miles. It's easily accessible, well-used, and complete with teams of rowers paddling along the river. Harvard's campus is also much like you'd expect, vast, immaculate, colonial, and teaming with tourists. However, I think it's safe to say the highlight our run was our visit "The Old Burial Ground" discretely tucked away on the edge of campus. I'm not sure what I expected, but as we walked through the gates it was as if we were immediately transported to another place and time. The sounds of city and passing cars seemingly slipped away as we silently sauntered into this sleepy hallow. As we glanced at the slender, weathered headstones resting upon the billowy ground, it was immediately apparent that the term "old" was not used lightly. Many of the engravings dated as far back as the 17th and 18th century, and were a unique mix of Old World English and cryptic period prose, for lack of a better term. When we returned to the Commune we came to find out rumor has it Ben Franklin is buried there. Not sure if I believe that one, but the place is certainly old enough, and it would have been fun to find out for sure had we known beforehand.

Me and Phil outside Harvard Law School. We did not get in.

The Old Burial Ground - Harvard Campus photo by Art Kilgour

Photo by Art

Cryptic photo by Art

Upon waking up Sunday morning to clear skies and calm winds, it was hard to believe the forecast for Monday - cold temps (high 30s to low 40s), rain, and 15-30 MPH headwinds. This is any runner's proverbial nightmare scenario. It's the kind of weather that would drive you to the dreadmill if it were a training day instead of race day. Rather than sit around and stew about conditions out of our control, constantly checking and re-checking wind direction and rain predictions, a small group of us decided to drive the course in from Hopkinton to Boston College (Mile 21), and then take the train to the finish area downtown. The ultimate goal of this particular mission was to drop off a change of clothes at a local Swiss chocolate shop, Teuscher Chocolates, a few blocks from the finish. This is not a common practice open to anyone. One of our club members, Stephen, has befriended the owner, and he kindly extended the offer of storing our dry clothes for after the race since it's basically impossible for anyone not staying in Boston to personally drop off their belongings at the official bag check on race morning, which is an unavoidable requirement since the 2013 bombing incident. 

Since we were downtown and our group had splintered to accommodate individual agendas, I decided it would be prudent to take Stefan to Flour Bakery. He wasn't with our group the previous day, which was the only excuse I needed. We went with a coffee for the time being, a sandwich for lunch, and treats for later. While we were riding the train back to Boston College we noticed an Italian dude simultaneously following the course on his iPhone while reading a course description, and watching out the windows. It was an impressive display, and as we approached the Boston College stop he turned and asked if Heartbreak Hill was close by. We told him yeah, just keep walking the direction the train was going and he would come to it shortly. He replied, "Good. I want to see it before it sees me on race day." It was priceless.

Visiting the Start Line on Sunday

Monday is known as Marathon Monday in Boston. It's also Patriot's Day, which is a statewide holiday. The Red Sox always play an 11AM home game at Fenway, which conveniently lets out as marathoners are gutting their way to the finish down Commonwealth Avenue at mile 25. There's the biker bar at mile 3 with kegs, motorcycles, lots of black leather, and tons of spirit (we eat our post-race dinner here). Then there's the townships of Ashland, Framingham, and Natick complete with music, barbecues, yard parties, and kids handing out slices of oranges. After Natick, and just before the halfway point, comes Wellesley College with its infamous wall of noise and college girls offering up hugs and kisses to those in "need." Best to stay left here if you're on a mission and making good time. The race starts to get real after mile 16, at which point you hit the first of the four major Newton Hills you must contend with through Heartbreak Hill at mile 21. Just after Heartbreak comes Boston College with its fittingly raucous bunch of drunk college kids handing out beer to anyone who'll take it. In a way, the fired up sprit of the crowd through this section of the course mirrors that of the runners who just gritted and ground their way through the hills, up and over Heartbreak. It's an invigorating celebration of accomplishment, but there's still five miles to go. From this point forward you're basically in the city and the crowd just gets bigger, louder, and crazier as runners approach the finish. There's a sneaky tough blip of a hill on an overpass at mile 25, but as runners crest and come down the other side they've entered an earth-shaking frenzy of thousands of supporters who've descended on Kenmore Square from the surrounding apartment buildings, Boston University, Fenway, and seemingly everywhere else on the planet. Next, is the 1 Mile To Go sign, which always seems as if it should've come much closer to the mile 25 marker, and then the famous righthand turn onto Hereford Street. There's still a crowd of runners at this point and the turn can get hairy onto tiny Hereford. Finally, the last turn of the race is a left onto the dizzying madness of Boylston Street. It's roughly 600 meters still to the finish, and even though the sight of the finish line and the energy of the crowd prompt you to leg it to the end, it's best to leave a little in the tank until you know you can kick it all the way through to the finish. 

Racing this point-to-point course through the small towns and municipalities in the suburbs of Boston into the city itself is what gives the Boston Marathon its special place within the World Marathon Majors circuit. This unique set-up manages to give a marathon of 30,000+ runners a small town vibe and hospitality with big city perks and amenities. What could be better?  

On this particular Marathon Monday we woke up to near perfect racing conditions - overcast skies, cool temps, light winds, and no rain. I hate to belabor the point, but it was still hard to believe the dismal forecast for later in the day being broadcast on the local news as I entered the common area of The Runners' Commune. However, by this point I had stopped fretting and obsessing over the weather. It wasn't helping and it wasn't going to change. I had reassessed and did my best to relish the fact I was about to embark on a 26.2 mile journey along the oldest and most storied marathon course in the world for the second year in a row. It was an honor just to be participating and I took solace in the fact I put myself in the best possible position to perform at my best under adverse conditions on race day. After all, I did train through one of the coldest and most brutal winters Ontario has ever seen.

One of the many many perks of staying at The Commune is an "Official Vehicle" van escort to the start line on race morning. When our group of ten poured out of the van donning garbage bags, old sweaters, sweat pants, ski hats, and numerous other throw away items to keep warm, I immediately sensed I was in the right headspace. I could hardly contain myself - bouncing around, singing, and doling out high-fives to police officers. 

We made our way to the holding area near the start, complete with dozens and dozens of port-a-potties. Then, we stood around and chatted for about twenty minutes because it was too early to start warming up. About thirty minutes before the 10AM start a few of us made our way over to a little strip of road about 40 meters long and started jogging in circles and doing various drills. We pretty much had the place to ourselves for a few precious minutes before the mass of Wave 1 runners (~10,000 people) made their way down towards the starting corrals. Our little oasis was no more, and our once vacant strip of road had been inundated by runners looking to warm up just the same. I felt like a salmon returning to spawn. The buzz was palpable though, and spirits were high. 

After one last trip to the loo, I headed for Corral 6. I was parched (nerves) and without any water. Being desperate, I found a discarded water bottle sitting on the curb as I approached my corral. I gave it a smell test to make sure it was in fact water, and then dumped the remaining 3/4 of a bottle down my gullet. Perfect. Satisfied. Ready. 

My corral was so packed full by this point there must have been a couple hundred of us wedged together outside the corral fences waiting to get in like a heard of cattle. This was expected, and there was no moving until the gun went off. Time to make niceties with the folks around me and prepare myself mentally for the first couple kilometers, which can be frenetic considering there's thousands jockeying for position on a narrow and curvy two-lane road. 

National anthem...and the starting gun goes off. With nearly 6,000 runners ahead of us it takes a while to even start moving. It takes even longer to start sort of jogging, and longer yet to hit the start line. As I approached the start line doing the runner bounce-jog-warmup my wife, Karen, saw me on the TV screen (I obviously had no way of knowing this at the time), and I made a point of checking the clock to see how much time had passed. Nearly four minutes.

Finally, we were off and within the first thirty seconds one of the dudes in front of me dropped two packs of gummies, and I thought to myself, "how'd a rookie start this far up?" For a split second it was obvious he thought about stopping to retrieve them, but he wisely reconsidered. After a few hundred meters I was already doing better than last year when I had to pull of for a potty break. In fact, my main focus for the first couple miles was to continue to do better than last year by keeping it steady and easing into the race (tough to do on a downhill). There was too much yo-yoing last year and it was hard to find a rhythm.

My ideal goal pace for the race was 6:44 per mile, which translates to roughly a 2:56 marathon. I had trained for this and it was definitely attainable. A 6:51 per mile pace is the slowest you can average and come in under three hours. My "A" goal was sub-2:57, and my "B" goal was sub-3:00. My "C" goal was to set a new PB and beat last year's time of 3:05. I did not entertain the thought of any other outcome. 

I aimed to hit between 6:44 and 6:51 per mile the entire race, with the possible exception of the first mile and the Newton Hills. If I felt good and had a few miles under 6:44 pace that was fine too. Dealing with a headwind and nasty conditions to come it was important to run this one by feel as much as possible. 

First mile...7:00...that's just fine. In fact, it's almost ideal because it meant I was easy into the race just like I planned.

Second mile...6:49...right where I want to be.

Biker Bar check-in and mile 3...6:44...disco. All systems are firing well and I feel good. The weather is cold, but not too bad, and the wind is hardly noticeable running in a crowd of thousands.

I ran miles 4-8 between 6:34 and 6:57, not quite as evenly split as I hoped, but still within my overall pace range. Around mile 7, we got a taste of our first downpour and a good dose of wind as the course opened up a bit and runners "spread" out some. I also noticed two other things: 1) I was struggling ever-so-slightly and not running as smooth as I should've been, and 2) I had only drunk water to this point and had zero desire for a gel or Gatorade. Normally, I would have taken a gel by mile 6 just because, but I had trained very well on very little gels, so I went with my instinct up until this point. However, at the mile 8 water station I forced down a Honey Stinger gel thinking the honey would be easier on my stomach than my other gels, and it would give me a slow trickle of energy versus a quick hitting maltodextrin based gel.

Mile 9 was a bit of a struggle at 6:54. Some of this had to do with my water station gel stop (I pull off and stop briefly to drink), but we were also really exposed to the wind and rain through this section of the course as well. It was also at this point that I found my focus and drive wavering from hitting 6:44 pace to simply clocking anything under 6:51. Not sure if that's wimping out, or simply a smart racing adjustment given the conditions on the day. 

My next two mile splits were right back where there needed to be in the mid-6:40s. However, approaching mile 12 my gut went south and I was dealing with some significant GI distress. I knew the Wellesley College "Screech Tunnel" was just around the corner and I wasn't about to stop. In fact, I could already hear it in the distance, so I fed off that energy and cruised by on the left as the girls went ballistic. They were particularly happy a very fit runner with his shirt off was stopping for hugs and kisses.

Often, GI distress will slowly dissipate if you drink water and tough it out. This was the tactic I chose. We were so close to the halfway point, and mentally it was imperative I went through under 1:30 to have a chance at running a sub-3:00. I forged ahead and crossed the midway point in 1:29:19, which gave me a glimmer of hope heading into the toughest part of the course, but it was over a minute slower than I wanted to go through halfway. On the plus side, I hit mile 13 in 6:43 and felt pretty good physically other than the GI issue.

I blew right passed the mile 13 water station in an effort to test what I had in the tank. Legs were there. Breathing was dialed in. Mental acuity back on point. Let's get it on! Unfortunately, the gut issue was just not going away. It had to be dealt with at the next water station.

Mile 14...6:47...perfect...but I had to stop for water and hope my gut righted itself. It was immediately apparent a visit to the port-a-potty was the only course of action. The closest set of potties was not only full, but had two dudes waiting outside. This was not happening. I scurried to the next set of potties and luckily found a vacant one. Details here aren't necessary, but I will say this task was made just that much more difficult considering I had gloves on and I couldn't feel my fingers. 

When I went into the loo my overall pace average was 6:47, which translates to a 2:58 marathon. When I came out I was at 6:53, which was not good. My mile 15 split was 8:12, which meant I lost a minute-and-a-half to my little potty break. On the flip side, I felt much better and was determined to get that time back. I cranked out the sixteenth mile in 6:41. Unfortunately, the hills were coming. 

Last year, the first major hill just after mile 16 took me by surprise and sapped my will heading into Newton. I was steadfast not to let that happen again this year. I focused on the top and dug in. I passed lots of folks at this point and was proud of my effort, but my mile 17 split was 6:53. I would only have one other mile split under 6:50 the rest of the way.

Two things other than the remaining hills worked against from this point forward. As we rounded the corner onto Commonwealth at the infamous fire station in Newton they were handing out gels. My plan was to grab one if I was down to one or zero in my pockets. I had two left, so I blew right by. Little did I know when I'd go for a gel minutes later my gloved, numb fingers wouldn't be dextrous enough to get it out of my pocket. The thought of peeling the gloves off, dealing with the gel, and wrenching the gloves back on was too much to handle at this point. Then, I thought of asking one of the thousands of spectators lining the street to take a gel out and open it for me, but that seemed silly. Although, I know for a fact the first person I asked would've helped me in a heartbeat. Finally, I just said screw it and decided I'd take the Gatorade they were handing out at the aid stations.

The more ominous factor working against me was the twitching taking place in my persistently pesky calves, which meant if I wasn't careful they'd seize and cramp and really do me in. My course of action, as it has been in the past, was to run as hard as I could for as long as I could until it felt like I had to stretch them or else. Preferably, these pit stops line up with aid stations. 

Considering these mishaps and evermore present headwind, I am proud of my effort through the Newton Hills. I lost time for sure (a few 7:00+ miles), but passed a lot of people and ran strong on the uphills. Approaching the top of the fourth and final hill I had been so focused I wasn't sure if it was the last one. As we crested I caught a glimpse of the telling spire at Boston College. I turned to the guy on my right and shouted, "We did it! Let's go!" And, then I turned to the dude on my left and yelled, "Come on! We got this." They both looked haggard and defeated, but the second guy mustered a faint "go for it, buddy." I rode the wave and took off.

At this point, after doing some mental math (always easy 21 miles into a marathon) and barring a miracle, my goal of running a sub-3 had waved bye-bye. However, with five miles to go I had to giver one last time. If my legs responded well, then great. If not, I still had last year's time, my personal best, to take down. I hit mile 22 in 6:48, but I couldn't shake the calf issue. 

I didn't totally implode, but the next four miles were between 7:00-7:10. They were a haze of screaming spectators, stretching, wind, and driving rain. At this stage you just focus on form (head up, shoulders back), maintaining effort, and passing as many people as possible. It's gut-check time and you seek out any piece of motivation possible.

Just after we turned right onto Hereford my watch ticked over three hours. As we turned left onto Boylston and hit the home stretch it still read 3:00:something. The wind was howling and the rain pelted our chests and faces as the finish line taunted us in the distance. I knew a PB was in order, so my final morsel of motivation was to finish in the 3:02s. I actually ran that last 600 meters pretty well at 6:13 pace, but in the end I finished in 3:03:07. All things considered, a two-and-half minute PB in less than ideal conditions would have to suffice. I was happy I fought to the end.

Boylston Street - nearly finished

I had time to briefly chat with and congratulate some guy from New Brunswick who finished just behind me before my entire body started to shake uncontrollably. Even my teeth were chattering. Up to this point, other than my numb fingers, I had not been been cold at all. We had to walk a block or so to get our thermal space capes. There was no stopping for medal pictures or messing around with loot bags. I grabbed a Gatorade recovery shake and a banana and made my way as fast as I could to our chocolate shop. 

Unfortunately, as fast as I could meant nothing more than a scurry shuffle because every time I tried to jog various muscles in my legs seized. I trekked five city blocks like this. Dozens of passerby congratulated me and all I could manage was a grunt, or a moan, or maybe an inaudible "thank you." 

When I finally made it to the shop the owner, Stefan, immediately ushered me to the back to "get warm." I had naively only packed a long sleeve running shirt and a hand towel to dry off. Seeing I was really shaking and lacking sufficient dry, warm clothes, Stefan promptly switched on a tiny space heater and kindly offered me his fleece jacket, which really helped. I sat as close to that little heater as possible; holding my hands out in front of me like I was sitting around a camp fire. The others started to trickle in, shaking as I was. Race experiences, finish times, and wounds (Art was sporting a nasty blister and Stephen was hobbling on one leg) were shared, and we were treated to some of the most delicious chocolate truffles I've ever had; timing is everything. 

It took me half-an-hour to stop shaking and I'm positive it's the coldest to the core I've ever been. I'm equally sure that had any of the medical staff on-hand at the finish area seen me they would've quickly escorted me to a medical tent where our friend, Paul, and over a thousand others, were treated for hypothermia-like symptoms.   

Our journey wasn't over yet, however. We still had to make our way five blocks back passed the finish to the buses (coach, not school of course) waiting to shuttle runners back to Hopkinton. If the allure of a nice warm bus wasn't enough incentive to venture back outside, there was the added appeal they happened to be parked right outside Flour Bakery. Three visits to the same bakery in three days? Yes, please.

We set off, but not before stopping for a group selfie outside Teuscher. It wasn't until I reached the warm - literally and figuratively - confines of Flour that I started to feel normal again. All my body parts, including mind and spirit, rapidly came back to life. The energy was palpable as runners, staff, and regulars co-mingled in the bakery's infectious embrace. True to the spirit of the Boston Marathon, they were handing out free cupcakes with yellow and blue icing (the adopted colors of the marathon) to those who had raced. We were easy to spot because we all had our Boston Marathon space capes on. 

Notice my makeshift towel turban to keep my head warm.

Flour Bakery

After chatting with the owner (herself a great self-made Boston story), posing for pictures, and ordering pastries, sandwiches, cookies, sticky buns, coffees, hot chocolates, and chili-inferno triple lattes our group of four boarded the bus back to Hopkinton. Shortly thereafter, our larger group's three female runners from Guelph - Robin, Kelly, and Michelle - and our buddy, Paul from Toronto, joined us on the bus as well. We gave congratulations and swapped stories, which is when we heard of Michelle's PB, Paul's 2:59 and trip to the medical tent, and, perhaps most impressive of all, Robin's 3:11 and sixth place finish in the women's 50-54 age group. It was also on the forty-five minute bus ride to Hopkinton, sitting next to and chatting with Stefan (the runner, not the chocolatier), that I finally had a moment to reflect on what an amazing experience this entire day, and weekend, had been. 

In my opinion, Boston embodies the true spirit and pinnacle of our sport. There's the obvious elements of the qualifying standards, unique and challenging course profile, and its history. However, over the past two years I've come to realize it's more than that. 

New York has its sheer girth and its boroughs. Chicago has its flat, fast course and its neighborhoods. London has its elite field smackdown and its cultural history. Berlin has its record chasers. Boston has its people. Whether it's the thousands of knowledgeable and extremely helpful volunteers, or the diverse milieu of folks lining the streets along the way, or the MBTA train operator(s) who let you ride for free, or the random passerby wishing you luck and thanking you for running their marathon, or the bakery that offers free cupcakes, or chocolate shop owner who offers not only the use of his facilities, but his jacket and free truffles; Boston Runs As One. 

I love it all. I'm starting to figure this course out and still have unfinished business to take care of. I look forward to the challenge and the opportunity to come back and soak it all in again someday soon.

Thank you Boston,
E