Wednesday, April 29, 2009



This Saturday at 7:33 am I will be joining 35,000 of my fellow runners for the One America 500 Festival Mini Marathon. This is the largest half marathon in the country. Let us hope for cool and dry weather. I just did my last run with short race pace pick ups. Overall, I am taking it real easy this week as it is better to go into a half marathon well rested.

Good Luck to everybody and I will see you at the beer tent!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Boston Finish


Check out this post race interview with Kara Goucher and Ryan Hall on Flotracker.

Ryan Hall

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Boston Elevation

Here is a good visual on why running a more conservative early pace at Boston is prudent. Check out the total elevation of the Boston Marathon from Marathon Guide.com.

Tips for a better Boston Experience


Good Luck to everybody who will run that little race on Patriots' Day. You may want to check out this excellent post on fueling for race day by Nancy Clark "Don't make any drastic dietary changes that might upset your intestinal tract."

In the 100th, I learned this the hard way. I spent too much time at a crowded expo trying to get all the cool gear. I didn't make plans for dinner and settled for a really lousy meal that I would normally never eat. I shared a hotel room with non-runners who insisted on staying up late. Needless to say, I woke up tired and ran a poor race with GI issues.

Remember to go out easier than you would in a different race. I wish would have gone out slower in the first half of the 1983, 1984 and the 1996 Boston Marathon! The first several miles are cumulatively downhill, it is easy to get tricked into a pace that is faster than you would normally attempt. At Boston, this is a much more costly mistake. The wall could hit much earlier which makes for a miserable last 6-8 miles.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Check your running shoes!


A brief reminder to check your shoes! April is a good time to check the wear pattern on the out sole. If you have been training for a May half marathon, now is a good time to break out a new pair (175- 250 miles). Is it time for a new pair?

Yes, someone was actually using these shoes.