Pre-Marathon Info – Heidi

Friends, family and co-workers have given me lots of energy with their good wishes for the Marathon on Monday. Newton-Wellesley hosted a pasta dinner for the Newton-Wellesley runners last night. It has been great to have a few “team” gatherings this year. Everyone has been asking me what I'll be wearing and where they can see me, which are both hard to gauge until I see a weather report Sunday night and see how my body holds up over the long course.

BUT, here are my guesses! First of all, my number is 24,157 and the start time for us non-elite runners is 10:30 am. Based on my experience from last year, I think it will take a good ten minutes to even reach the starting line and, given the crowds, the first mile or two is slow. The weather report now is for 50s and drizzle. If it's over 50 I'm hoping to wear the Newton-Wellesley “outfit” I was provided with last year, which turned out to be a bad match for the horrific weather! I have a white Adidas singlet that is plain on the front, has black stripes on the side and a Newton-Wellesley logo on the back in blue. I have black shorts with blue stripes on the sides. Last year the weather was so bad, I wore my black Nike dri-fit hat. I only have one other hat, which I'll wear this year. It is white and my choice in hopes the weather won't be so bleak! I'm going to see if anyone has a Newton-Wellesley patch or something I can affix to the front.

Last year my pace was roughly ten-minute miles, which included walking at Gatorade stops every 30 minutes and a bathroom break at the Burger King along the route. Since I'm crazy enough to do this again, my goal for myself is to improve my time. I would love to be closer to nine-minute miles (but don't want to set myself up for a fall as the ultimate goal is to finish and be healthy). I am hoping to not stop at all so don't be upset if I don't stop to chat. I'll be looking for all of you and I can't tell you how great it is to see familiar faces out there. The runners completely draw on the energy of the crowds! My biggest question for myself is whether I can complete the distance without one porta-pottie stop. I'll let you know next week! You'll have to do the math in terms of when I should be where but I'm hoping to be in Wellesley and then into Newton in the very wide range of 12:40 to 1:40 (give or take half an hour on either side).

Thanks again to all of you for your good wishes and moral support!

Eager and Ready – Verna

Race day is three days away and yet I want to finish my training story, so here goes. When I completed the 20 miler I felt like I could run further but I was happy to stop, as I was very, very hungry. I felt very strong and confident and was excited to tackle more rigorous training and pick it up a notch. There weren’t many free days left on my calendar for long runs and I still was experimenting with food and drinks. I wanted to learn how to avoid the two most frequent mistakes runners make while running a marathon, consuming too few calories and not hydrating adequately. Three days after the 20 miler, I ran 12 miles on the grass on Commonwealth Ave. from my home in Needham over the Hills in Newton to Boston College and back. By the end I had some very mild foot cramping in my right foot. I considered the run a success. I did two more four-mile runs in that week and on Saturday I attended a Bat Mitzvah and spent all day and night in four-inch high heels dancing the night away. High heels and peak Marathon training do not mix! Sunday I swam 30 minutes and did a nine-mile run. I found that I had developed shin splints in both legs and that I cannot drink Gatorade! I was defeated. I rested on Monday.

I had run 53 miles in 10 days, which was a lot for me. I had made a training mistake. The whole strategy of my training was to get the most out of the least. Run just enough miles to accomplish the goal of simply crossing the finish line. I ignored my shin splints and logged 26 miles of hills focusing on this incredibly long downhill on Paul Revere Road in Needham. Downhills are a great challenge for runners because they can cause a debilitating muscle weakness due to too many eccentric contractions. Grete Waitz had won three NYC marathons yet had to drop out of the 1982 Boston Marathon because she wasn’t conditioned to run the downhills after her torrid pace during the first 21 miles. Boston is all downhill after BC.

It was April 1 and I had shin splints. I ran 16 miles that week. I was now concerned that if I ran 26 miles with shin splints that I might more seriously injure myself or even worse not cross the finish line. I was feeling extremely tired and weak. I wish that I could feel strong like I did back on March 20. I did not feel ready, I felt weak. Carl Faust advised me to ice my shins and get on the bike or elliptical to keep up my aerobic capacity but not to run anymore because I got my 20 miler in and he felt I was ready. I started doing daily yoga and limited my running to an easy nine miles that week because when I didn’t run I doubted that I could run. I have done yoga throughout my training. I find it to be a much more interesting way of stretching before and after runs. I try to do three sun salutations before a run and longer yoga routines after. On Tuesday, Gayle Olson saw me on the elliptical and told me to take it easy, that I should be resting. I told her about my shin splints and she asked why I hadn’t come to see her. So Gayle did some orthopedic magic and guess what my shin splints are gone! That brings us up to today and I finally feel rested. I am ready. I am eager and ready. Anxious to live the dream! My bib number is 24158 and I can be tracked on the www.bostonmarathon.org on Marathon day April 21, 2008. On Marathon day.

The Road to Copley – Dwight

It has been six weeks of ups and downs since my last entry about the road to Copley Square; soreness in my right knee sidelined me for a solid week while I “regrouped” – could I continue without risking injury?

Sixteen miles seemed to be the can't-go-farther mark while I talked to as many people as possible (PT, other runners, ortho doctor). My stride was affected and my run became more of a quickened walk while I compensated for the tender kneecap. Advil and ice helped and so did exercises for my hamstrings (designed to strengthen the main propulsion muscle, relieving the knee) from Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s Physical Therapy group. Rest and less roadwork were supplemented with hours on a stationary bike to keep up my cardio/aerobic levels and I feel strong and, best of all, ready for Patriot's Day! My long run remains the 16 miles that I ran six weeks ago. I was hoping to get a 20 miler in two weeks ago and ran 10 (from Natick to Boston College) instead.

Good luck to all the runners! See you in Hopkinton!

Reflections After the Last Weekend “Long Run” – Heidi

I just ran eight miles this morning, which completes the last significant run of my training. Despite the dismal weather forecast for Saturday morning, it turned out to be a beautiful spring day! However, when I awoke to the sounds of torrential downpour outside my window at 6:00 am, it brought me back to the fear in my heart with the sounds of the storm before the Marathon a year ago. I haven’t even looked at the weather forecast for the 21st and won’t until the end of the week because weather is so changeable in New England and obviously I have no control over whatever it decides to do!

Many people have asked me this week “if I am ready?” I don’t know but I have done a reasonable job with following my training schedule and am as ready as I’m going to be. My husband brought me home a cough a week ago so that’s been aggravated by running and is a bit annoying, but I feel fine. I have finally decided my knee pain must be due to iliotibial band syndrome so over this taper period I have replaced one run with a stationary bike session, stretched more and run a few more dirt surfaces than pavement. Gayle Olson at the Shipley Fitness Center at Newton-Wellesley Hospital has “tweaked” my whole body several times over the last two weeks and I am convinced that her hands are magic. Gayle, thank you again for your time and expertise! In terms of the ITB issue, in retrospect, I should have cross trained more and stretched more but it is too late now and my knee pain hasn’t prevented me from doing any of my runs.

Now that today’s run is behind me, I have minimal mileage to do until the Marathon. This should continue to help the healing of my cough and knee. I have a busy week ahead of me so it is fortuitous that I don’t have to give much time to running. The most important event coming up is my son’s thirteenth birthday. I think I might be enjoying an extra piece of the peppermint ice cream pie he’s requested I make! We’ll have a family dinner at home and another with all of the grandparents. I’ll likely miss a night’s sleep on the 15th as I’ll be on call. This was also my situation before the Marathon last year and I do not think it set me back at all. I haven’t been to the Suburban Striders Practices this winter at the indoor track but hope to attend this Wednesday on my day off and meet our new coach. There is also a plan for a group of us running Boston to meet for coffee after practice and psych ourselves up for the Marathon. I’m curious to find out what others are doing in terms of driving out to Hopkinton, etc. Thursday, the Hospital is having a pasta dinner for the runners, which I’ll attend before sneaking out a bit early to attend my son’s band concert. Friday I have a full day of work. I hope to get to the Marathon Expo that evening and pick up my number. I’m hoping my husband and son will be able to go into town with me and spend a few minutes looking at the vendors and exhibitors.

There are a few things I won’t do this week. I won’t do any speed work or hill work as I’ve learned that just makes my Achilles tendon tight. I won’t get take out for lunch at work as over a year ago, most of our office got horrific food poisoning that put us out of commission for a number of days and caused me to miss a road race I had registered for. I won’t drink much wine when we go over to good friends for dinner on the 19th as I’ll want to be as hydrated as possible for Monday. I won’t plan what I’m going to wear to run on the 21st as who knows what the weather will be like this year!

I’m Back – John

For those of you who noticed I have not made an entry in a month, there is a reason. I had to take four weeks of personal leave from work to deal with some issues on the home front. All is relatively well now. During this period, I was able to watch my diet and run on a regular basis. However, due to this I could not continue my training. My training plan was essentially halted.

I received an e-mail from a running acquaintance asking me if I was running the ES 20 this year, and I told him of my issues. He was kind and told me, “the roads will always be there for you.”

I have been issued bib number 24156 (all the way in the back). I have decided to pick my number up this coming weekend and line up in Hopkinton. As a veteran of eight full marathons in the last six years, I will be relying more heavily on a few things. I’ll be leaning on my residual fitness, force of will and the grace of God much more than I was planning on. One of my other friends reminded me I had nothing to prove, even to myself. So if I am unable to finish, as Madonna said in the 80’s, “So What”.

Yesterday, I got out for a “double digit” run. It was the longest in four weeks. It felt good and the weather was excellent. I will probably run only two more times or so prior to Patriot’s Day. They will be shorter runs to keep me loose, and I will probably bring my faithful companion, as she hasn’t gotten much running with me of late.

My 20 Miler – Verna

I chose Thursday, March 20 for my 20 miler as I had the day off from working the weekend. It was a very exciting run because I chose to run from NWH to the finish line and back! It was overcast, the temperature perfect and I was very comfortably dressed in the blue and white NWH training suit each of the Hospital team members were given. I love running on the grass on Com. Ave. and have the Hills in Newton memorized by now. They seem like a friend to me, but when they appear on race day as mile 17 through 21 I'm sure it will be a very different story.

My plan was to eat one packet of GU every hour and supplement it with sports beans and water to see how my energy held up. My marathon strategy is to walk early and often but on this day I was feeling so good I didn't want to walk. So the only walk breaks I took were when I ate GU, which was about every hour. This 20 miler did take me four and a half hours but it was a blissful day! After the Newton Hills, I was faced with cement sidewalks. Thus far in my training I have sought out grass and gravel whenever possible, asphalt as a second choice, avoiding cement at all costs. I contemplated turning back, but I wanted to see the finish line. Brookline was bustling with people, cars and the Trolley. It was fun to run by the window displays of so many shops and I saw a few Zagat-rated restaurants to make note of. By the time I got to what used to be the Eliot Hotel, I stopped to ask which street the Marathon route turned on to get to Boylston. I had remembered that years ago that used to be a Marathon Sports Bar with all kinds of memorabilia decorating its walls. Alas, the lounge is upscale now, but the hostess was able to direct me one street down to Hereford and I was on my way. I felt like a very small character in a fairy tale as the closer I came to the finish the larger the buildings loomed around me.

I was very happy to take a little break at the Boston Public Library. There are clean bathrooms and I filled my empty water bottles. There is a nice coffee/lunch shop in the map room and I took in an exhibit about “Upstanders” – New Englanders who have done extraordinary things for others choosing to “stand up rather than stand by”. I chose to save the lunchroom for another day as I was trying to monitor my fuel for race day.

I was in awe that I had actually just run to Boston and I was still filled with excitement to run back to the Hospital. The excitement started to fade as I began a very grueling uphill run. From Kenmore Square back to Newton was a relentless uphill trek, one and a half hours worth! My mantra became “sure could use a downhill!”. I was facing an awful afternoon head wind to boot. I had some brief relief at BC with a downhill that took all of thirty seconds before I started the backside of Heartbreak. The downhill at Heartbreak was sweet relief!

Through these up hills I had run out of food and I was hungry...stomach growling hungry! GU for the uninitiated is a frosting-like substance for energy. I definitely notice an energy surge when I have one but I simply ran out. One of the tips for runners is learn to eat on the run to be sure to consume enough calories for the run. On average a mile burns 100 calories. Do the math... 2600 calories! I need to find more food to carry. Another tip...don’t eat or drink anything you have not tried out on a run. Thankfully, I had food in my car at the Hospital.

After the run I felt like my knees were three times there size and I had some difficulty bending them. I ate within a half hour of running with the right ratio of carbohydrate to protein. I stretched and gave myself a cool bath after my run to facilitate a quick recovery. My next opportunity for a long run would be three days away. I was a little concerned that it would be too soon but with my work and family obligations it would have to be then or too close to the taper portion of training.

AAAaaahhh, the Taper! – Heidi

I was really worried about the last long run this past weekend, but it was successful and I now have no runs longer than eight miles on my training schedule. That is not to say that others aren’t doing longer runs. One of my weekend running companions is part of the L Street Running Club, and she is doing a 14-mile run this weekend and then 12 the following weekend. I’m planning on sticking with what I already have on my calendar!

In terms of the weekend run, I guess if I can’t run with Martha this year, then having her neighbor Jeannie (who is also an anesthesiologist) for a running partner is phenomenally lucky! Jeannie organized a group of four women for our Sunday 20 miler. She used the L Street starting point of the Natick Armory. The other members of our group were Cathy, who I met this fall at the BAA Half Marathon and Anita, whose husband Peter was kind enough to wake up early on Sunday morning and drive us all out to Natick. I had to laugh to myself as Peter asked why we had to start so early in the morning. This is my husband’s number one complaint with marathon training!!!! However, like Peter, he has been incredibly supportive.

We had a gorgeous spring day for our run and fortunately Sunday was far warmer and less windy than Saturday when so many others in training were on the Marathon route. I didn’t sleep well the night before the run as I was worrying about my knees and my overall stamina. However, it made all the difference in the world to have company to talk to over the three plus hours we were running. We all made it to our end point in Boston alive and well, having maintained a solid and steady pace. There were also lots of support tables on the course so we helped ourselves to Gu from the Marathon Sports/Adidas table at the start of the Newton hills (the “Espresso Love” flavor is not too shabby) and Advil and Gatorade at a Children’s Hospital table at about mile 16. Completing the last long run was a huge relief. I’m grateful to the wonderful women I ran with for making it enjoyable.

Just when you think you can sit back and relax with your recent effort, someone comes along to put what you’ve done into perspective and give you a glimpse at other challenges. I certainly see my patients do this on a daily basis with medical issues. On the athletic front, I was in awe of one of my long-term patients who mentioned she had not only done an Iron Man this fall but also had then run another marathon this winter. Congratulations again, Paula.