My Olympics
Nope, I'm not going to Torino, but for me, getting to Boston is my Olympics. I made the team last May by running the Long Island Marathon in 3:29 and change. I've been training to run my race since last fall. Learning more lessons along the way. Getting coaching from friends and acquaintances. I credit my qualifying to Arthur Lydiard, without whose advice, I would likely have not run through my case of plantar fasciitis.
About a week and a half ago, I was chatting with my friend, Charlie, who had run Boston a few times, I think mostly back in the '80's, with his dad. One of the things that has intrigued me about Boston is Wellesley College, and its famed "scream tunnel." He said that they make you feel like a rock star. I guess no guy is going to object to thousands of young women shreiking themselves hoarse for him.
My deer in the headlights post of a couple of weeks back combined with the Lydiard discussion in Seattle have inspired me to ratchet up the physical demands of my training. My hope is to arrive at Boston with a level of physical strength that I haven't had since I was in my twenties. If I can do this, the long gradual downhills followed by the hills at Newton should be unable to break me. I am committed to running Boston well.
I've been thinking about Boston's new wave start, and am now hoping that the break point is behind me. While being ahead of the break will mean that I will be in a crowd for virtually the entire race, and therefore, will likely be needing to chop my stride occasionally, it also means that I'm less likely to "get stupid" and bolt into the empty space and burn myself out. That enforced discipline, combined with good strength, may mean that I arrive in the city of Boston comfortably and perhaps even requalify for Boston at Boston. That scenario is likely to be the only one that will let me run Boston in 2007, since I don't really want to train for a fall marathon this year.
In the past, I've said that the race at Boston is the vicroy lap for qualifying, but as time passes, the idea of treating it as a tour, rather than a race, is beginning to bother me more and more. I'm not sure what I'll decide, but I have a feeling that I'll be working hard while I try to drink in the experience of running Boston for the first time.
About a week and a half ago, I was chatting with my friend, Charlie, who had run Boston a few times, I think mostly back in the '80's, with his dad. One of the things that has intrigued me about Boston is Wellesley College, and its famed "scream tunnel." He said that they make you feel like a rock star. I guess no guy is going to object to thousands of young women shreiking themselves hoarse for him.
My deer in the headlights post of a couple of weeks back combined with the Lydiard discussion in Seattle have inspired me to ratchet up the physical demands of my training. My hope is to arrive at Boston with a level of physical strength that I haven't had since I was in my twenties. If I can do this, the long gradual downhills followed by the hills at Newton should be unable to break me. I am committed to running Boston well.
I've been thinking about Boston's new wave start, and am now hoping that the break point is behind me. While being ahead of the break will mean that I will be in a crowd for virtually the entire race, and therefore, will likely be needing to chop my stride occasionally, it also means that I'm less likely to "get stupid" and bolt into the empty space and burn myself out. That enforced discipline, combined with good strength, may mean that I arrive in the city of Boston comfortably and perhaps even requalify for Boston at Boston. That scenario is likely to be the only one that will let me run Boston in 2007, since I don't really want to train for a fall marathon this year.
In the past, I've said that the race at Boston is the vicroy lap for qualifying, but as time passes, the idea of treating it as a tour, rather than a race, is beginning to bother me more and more. I'm not sure what I'll decide, but I have a feeling that I'll be working hard while I try to drink in the experience of running Boston for the first time.
posted by Scooter at 10:25 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home