Almost there

With a day and a half or so to go, I'm in that "anxious but not quite ready" state. With the amount of work that I have to do this weekend, coupled with our Albanian Orthodox Easter celebration (pasta for me, lamb for everyone else!) on Sunday, I feel like the Boston Marathon is becoming something on my "to do" list.

However, as I rode into Boston on the train today (going to the Marathon Number Pick Up and event at Hynes Convention Ctr), I sat next to a gentleman named David from Canada. He was also 40, and as we got to talking, it turns out he recently qualified for the Boston Marathon by running a 3 hour, 11 minute "Boston qualifying" race.

Talking to David was a great reminder for this local, "charity" runner that the Boston Marathon is a big deal and should be savored. The energy at the convention hall was high, and as I came home for my last "warm up/taper down" jog, I felt pretty calm about the inevitable 26.2 looming on the next cool, potentially wet, and head-windy Monday.

I am pleased to have passed the half-way point for my targeted fundraising, and I hope that the upcoming raffles of tickets will put me over the $5,240 goal. I am grateful to all of my donors and to those who have reached out with words of kindness and good luck. I am truly amazed and humbled once again...now if I can get some sleep over the next couple of days, I'll be firing on all cylinders on Monday!

One week (and a trip to Atlanta) until Boston Marathon

With a week to go, I'm feeling pretty good, although a bit paranoid about anticipated lack of sleep in the days ahead. Ironically, I have "miles to go before I sleep".

Also, with the reality of logistics/bureaucracy settling in, turns out I will not be able to host the Home Run Derby as hoped, but will still move forward with raffles. Between permitting process and hang-ups securing commercial insurance for the event, I simply ran out of time to allow for a responsible level of promotion for my kind prize donors.

That said, details for the raffle will be released on Tuesday, April 14, and I'm looking forward to a couple of warm runs while in Atlanta on business this week.

Coming off of a great Easter weekend run in CT (10+ miles in sunny, but frigid, Southern CT), I'm feeling in about as good shape as I've ever been ahead of one of these races...hope the body steps up to it!

You win some, you lose some

So I'm not sure where it ended up, but apparently, my latest entry (following a 23 mile run on Sunday) didn't post. Oh Well. Bottom line is this: 2 weeks to go for Boston and my legs are feeling (mercifully) pretty good. The key for me now is to get enough sleep, which is always a challenge. Teaching three classes, business travel, and my soon to be announced fundraiser - Home Run Derby to End Homelessness - will each take their toll on my energy in the upcoming weeks.

Funny, though, no one really gives a homeless person a break for being poorly rested, so who am I to complain?

I am grateful for the generosity of local businesses, friends, and even complete strangers that have stepped up to support me in countless ways.

With the Derby now in sight, and a likely raffle or auction to be held in parallel, I'd like to start by thanking the following contributors for making the event possible:

- Frozen Ropes (Natick)
- Fitness Together (Natick/Sudbury)
- Donelan's Supermarkets (Wayland)
- Josh Ostoff
- Natick Little League
- Natick Parks and Recreation and Natick High School for their help with securing the field

The list is growing, and the spirit of giving is empowering and humbling. Thank you!

Heartbreak, No More!

After a 2-week excursion to/from China, it was great to get out and run for a serious distance - 22.1 miles - this a.m. Thanks to my loyal, long-run training partner John (who continues to out pace me! :-) - great inspiration. It's so great to live near the actual Boston Marathon route - going for an "out and back" to Heartbreak Hill in Newton from Natick gives us practice on what is considered by many to be the toughest part of the course.

I'm very pleased that my legs didn't feel like the consistency of all the noodles and dumplings I consumed while in China...perhaps the 1-hour foot massages there paid off. I'm not likely to get those again anytime soon so I'll just drop it altogether.

I got my BAA bib # today as well: 27144, for those watching me online that day. I can't believe we're just about 3 weeks away...time is flying faster than I am, but I'm please with my pace, and hoping to stay healthy as we get closer to "go" time.

Marathon Training in China

So far, best workout has been at the buffets...school where I'm helping to facilitate has a great lunch buffet, which, of course, follows the hotel breakfast buffet-- you can't eat enough dumplings and other dim sum after a course of bran cereal, yogurt and fruit!

So today I treadmilled about 5-6 km...too close to my classtime to get outside; but will try to go for an outdoors long run on Sunday before heading home. Been doing some push-ups, situps, core stuff, but mostly just teaching, eating, and sleeping sporadically.

The weather's been cool in dawn/dusk hours, but very warm and a bit humid during midday. It was very nice to see the green grass and sunshine today between sessions; groups of students outside picnicking for lunch made me eager to get home to Springtime weather.

I am hoping that my sleep schedule can be shocked back to normal fairly quickly after my return home...the fatigue comes in waves, between the travel and the intensity of teaching to the group. So much fun, though. I am lucky to have this opportunity to see how business and education is so similar and yet so different between US and China.

I can't believe the Boston Marathon is just over 4 weeks away. Overall, am feeling pretty strong and very confident that the 2 weekswill go well. Hopefully will demonstrate some speed at at least one of the two races!

Coming up short

So I left the house this a.m. at 6:15, ready to meet my friend, John, and to go for a 21+ mile run to the top of Heartbreak Hill and back.

John finished with no trouble, but we parted ways with about 5 miles to go...my stamina just didn't compare...and, I called in the cavalry at with about 3 miles to go. My net run was still a decent 18.8 miler, but it bugs me to not finish at my goal distance, especially with my trip to China next week and uncertain sleep/training time in next week or so...

John and I talk a lot about the mental aspects of running when we're out, and today was just one of those days; distraction and the threat of missing a 10:00 town meeting forced my head out of the tranquil rhythm of my shuffling feet and the musical sloshing of water in my "camel back" hydration backpack.

Oh well, overall, I'm feeling strong and no major aches and pains other than a few small blisters -- time to lose the thicker "cold weather" socks permanently! I can't believe the marathon is coming up so fast. 5 weeks and 2 days...I need a nap!

5 and 1/2 weeks...and 2 Olympic sites to go!!

So I'm looking out a dreary grey sky, getting ready to log (hopefully) a double digit (12-13 mi.?) afternoon training run. As I plan my next "long" run (18-22 miles range) for Saturday, I'm looking even farther ahead...the Boston Marathon is in 5.5 weeks; CO Marathon in 7.5 weeks.

Between now and then, I'll have flown to China (specifically, Shanghai)and back; and to Atlanta and back...all the while tyring to eat, sleep, and train well...yikes. This is where I should insert a Tom Hanks-esque running version of "There's no crying in baseball"!

And as I look ahead to the next 1.5-2 months of running, fundraising, business building, teaching (oh yeah, and parenting, spousing, doing taxes, cleaning my office, etc!!), it's easy to get overwhelmed by it all.

One of the most valuable lessons I've learned from all of this running has been the need to get something done...Even if it's not at the pace I had intended...as usual, I have too much on my plate, but like the miles of all these training runs, step-by-step, task-by-task, dollar-by-dollar, the big, hairy, audacious goals seem manageable...just don't ask Lena about that office mess...it seems like there are some races I'm doomed to repeat :-)