My Work Here Is (Almost) Done

The hard work is over.  I have nine more runs to do, only two of which will include any kind of quickness.  Basically, my work is done.  Today's half was good.  It was similar to San Diego in that it's along the coast, which means very little shade.  It was hot.  Not as bad as SD, but hotter than most April days in Santa Cruz (or all of coastal Cali for that matter).  The surfers were out and the best part of this lollipop course was the loop part, which was on a did trail around a peninsula above the ocean.  My only words were "Wow" as we saw the snaking line of runners on the circuitous trail.  With the sun about 40 degrees up in the sky, I have rarely seen such a beautiful sight.  I ran true to my race plan.  I wanted to go out for the first mile at race pace and then settle into race pace + 20 seconds.  I did that, with the exception of mile 2, which was faster than mile 1, despite the fact that I swear I slowed way down.

Tomorrow is the Boston Marathon.  I am getting up wicked early to get my easy run in and then pedal to work in time to watch the start (at 6:30 my time).  I only know 2 or 3 people running this year, which is lower than in the past, but I'm so excited for this year's race.  Kara Goucher has been a favorite of mine for a long time, at first by association ("Running with the Buffalo" put me in Adam Goucher's camp), and then outright.  Despite the fact that Ryan Hall and I don't see eye to eye on religion's influence on running, I'm looking forward to his race.  It was fun to watch him last year running London, and I expect nothing different tomorrow.  For those of you in New England, you can watch it on WCVB-TV or their website.  Outside of NE, watch on Universal Sports.  It's no secret that my goal is to one day qualify for Boston.  It's been a dream of mine that I can remember actively thinking about in high school, but probably was planted earlier.  My parents both ran it a bunch of times (much faster than I could ever hope to attain) and I've had many friends and heros fly by me at miles 9 and 22 (my usual spectating spots).  I'll spend the next two weeks trying not vomit as I think about the potential in Eugene.  I'm pumped to be healthy enough to run my first marathon and I hope Boston will be in my future.  I'll be getting inspiration tomorrow for sure.

Here's a video that I'll watch over and over in the next two weeks (as well as "Spirit of the Marathon" and all the Olympics/Tour de France/Trials/NYCRR YouTubing I can do...oh, and I'm going to the NYRR distance festival that's in Berkeley this Friday).  This video is amazing.  I mean, I do want Bearsley to win, but if you're a runner and you don't get goosebumps watching this, maybe your goosebump abilities are broken.

Ummm...what's Ring Road?  Parents?  Help me out.  Not called Boylston Street?  When I look it up, it seems they are one and the same, but Ring Road is kind of the carraige way like road in front of the Hynes Convention Center.  I need more info here.  

There are so many things about this video that are bizarre.  The quality is horrendous.  And the motorcycles are totally in getting in Beardsley's way.  Then there's a horse on the corse.  This would never happen today.  

And while Kara and Shalane and Sell and Hall and Joanie and DRitz and Rupp and Shorter and Salazar and all the rest (Lance too, of course) inspire me all the time, I am perhaps more inspired by my marathoning friends and family.  My parents, ADH & EH, AS, EH & EC & JC & ML & MF (yeah Flyers), CKB, JP & KS (and all the other blue jays).  I'm sure I'm forgetting some, but I probably wouldn't be on the verge of 26.2 without them.

Special shout out to the four Framingham Flyers who participated in the Scholastic Mile today.  Phineas is the only one I worked with.  I'm so impressed with how good he and the team has become over the last few years.