Boston Marathon Guilt

The Boston Marathon took place Monday, April 20 and I didn’t run it. There is always a feeling of guilt for me about not running Boston. Guilt may not be the best word. Disappointment, inadequacy, missing out on a special event, no bragging rights, might be better terms. 

This year non-runners at work didn’t even ask me if I was going to run the race, I can’t remember the last time that happened. When I was running around Spencerport Monday night after work I realized it has been 19 years since I ran my first and only Boston marathon. Nineteen years ago I still thought I had hair and my oldest daughter just turned 17, my youngest 12. Also strange, I’ve completed 19 marathons. I never ran a marathon without trying to qualify for Boston. Obviously my success rate was pathetic. 

In the early years of my marathon “career” the qualifying times were so tough I didn’t stand much of a chance. A sub-2:50? My best ½ marathon was 1:23, how was I going to run a 2:50 marathon? Needless to say, I didn’t. When I got to my mid-30’s the times softened a bit so I “only” needed a sub 3:00, so in a race that’s what I would start my pace at. I never lasted. Finally in 1995 I ran a qualifying time (if you count the few seconds it took me to cross the starting line, my “chip” time-which Boston did for 1996). 

That was it, my only Boston marathon. In later attempts the qualifying times had softened a bit more and I naively thought they were too easy. I went out faster knowing I could always fall back to the Boston time. That didn’t work out well for me, having marathons where I missed the time by a minute, 3 minutes, or just totally falling apart. Stupid man. 

This year I streamed the race via the internet while working, the advantage to having two monitors on my desk.  It was a great race among the top ten to fifteen elite runners and I was happy to be able to watch it live. However there’s a big difference between sitting in an office 400 miles away and being in the event. Don’t worry though; I don’t have any plans to run another marathon. Nineteen seems like enough times to attempt something I’m not very good at, even if every third week of April I feel guilt, disappointment or inadequate.

The Mile Time Trial

For a few weeks I've been considering running the Charlie McMullen one mile race in June. With spring finally here in western NY and the tracks free of feet of snow, last Sunday was a perfect time for me to do a time trial.

I like going to the local high school track on Sunday mornings. Usually I am alone, occasionally one or two other people might be running or walking. Many times I use Sunday morning as my "play" day with running. I typically bike the 1.4 miles to the track and then begin the run workout with a 1-1.5 mile run. The pace is often a bit quicker than I run on the roads. After 800-1200 yards I'll generally pick up my pace on the straights for 100 yards.

Then it's play time. Depending on my mood I might do 6-10x100 yard sprints, or I'll continue with fast straights and jog the curves for three more miles. I might go off and run up and down the bleachers then come back to the track for a couple of laps before repeating the bleacher run. I may do a series of 200s, or more likely a ladder with 100-200-300-400 and back down and up/down again. On Saturdays I may run 8-10 miles with friends so my legs aren't always fresh for a full track workout, but in my younger days these are the kind of back to back days that seemed to make me stronger in races.  

This past Sunday was all about business though. A good mile race or time trial can be a hard thing to set your mind on. It's going to hurt, especially by lap three, and you need to mentally be prepared to accept that pain. Alone on the track it is easy to give up, slow down a bit, wonder if it's worth it. I have done little speedwork this year other than some telephone pole pickups or a couple of times running hard for 90-120 seconds seven or eight times during a five mile run. I had no idea what to expect in my mile time trial. Well, I had a goal, but didn't know if I would be close to it.

After my first lap I was pleased to see my watch read two seconds below my goal. The second lap became a bit harder and I came through the 800 at two seconds over the goal. Still doable. Lap three the bear came jumping on my back clawing and screaming. I was suddenly really glad no one was there to hear me. It seemed to take a long time to run the third lap, but also at 1000 yards I told myself it was almost over. Whatever time I ran was what I needed to design my future workouts around and improve from. I would have a yardstick to measure progress and I desperately needed that. I came through 1200 at six seconds over the goal.

The fourth lap was hard. I consciously picked up the pace, especially the last 100, and matched my first lap time. I was four seconds over my predicted time, not horrible and an effort I could be happy with. I rested before running another 1.25 miles and biking home. Now I'm ready to work and see if I can get in shape to race the McMullen without embarrassing myself within my age group.

Vintage Race Film

I thought I would share this video of the 5,000 meter men's finals from the 1964 Olympics. Check out the "old" style track. There were no all-weather tracks back then. This race took place in miserable weather. If watching this doesn't get your heart rate up I don't know what will.

The last three laps are on this video. Bill Dellinger (Oregon track coach fame) and Bob Schul are the two Americans.

Replay the tape and think about the tactics Dellinger used in the race. He came from the back of the pack with 600 to go and strongly moved into first. Once he got passed Bill should have been done, but he had the heart to stick with the race until the last yard and grab the bronze medal. 

The is the same Olympics popularized by the Billy Mill's upset victory in the men's 10,000 meter race and later made into the movie, "Running Brave".

Just Some Old Guy?

Yesterday I ran on the canal path for just the second time this year. It was a great feeling, like being back with a friend I hadn't seen in quite some time. The ridiculous record snow and cold we had kept the Erie canal trail unusable for most of the winter. The Rochester area has officially had 102 inches of snow. Actually there are flurries outside coming down right now (April 5). I can still see grass though, so that is something good.

I ran nine miles yesterday, my longest run in several months. It felt pretty good and I was able to pick up my pace a bit during the last three miles (the wind at my back helped). This morning I was tired and told Jan I was just going to run three miles. Feeling a bit uncomfortable I headed towards the high school track 1.4 miles from my house, knowing two port-a-johns were there. Just this knowledge helped calm my insides down.

There was a young girl, maybe 20ish, doing 50 yard sprints on the track. I just did laps at a slow pace over and over. I was tired, my legs were tired, I wanted to get in 5 miles at an aerobic pace. It was nice to just run, even on tired legs. On my last lap I went by the girl as she was resting near the bleachers. I heard her say something, talking into her phone, but I couldn't quite make it out. I did my last quarter mile and ran out the gate as another young lady was coming in. I suddenly realized what the girl on the track said, "just some old guy". She was talking about me, someone must have asked her on the phone if anyone else was at the track. Me, "just some old guy"!

Well that certainly didn't make my day. I may be an old guy, okay I am an old guy (58). But hey, I'm probably close to her grandpa's age, I don't see HIM running on an early, cold Sunday morning around the track or village! Let's see if she can run five miles in 35 or 40 years. Yeah. Of course I didn't say that to her, I just kept on running back home, feeling a bit sad inside.

And when I got home I ate two of Jan's fresh baked cinnamon rolls and felt happy again. Sometimes to be happy in life it just takes a cinnamon roll. The heck with that young fast girl!