Running With LeMire

I squeezed 5 miles in over my lunch break today since it was storming and hailing this morning during my usual runing time. Therefore I did not really get the complete workout in that I was expecting but I still ran some good miles. Workout was suppose to be 3 goal pace miles like I ended up doing on Tuesday. Todu's miles ended up being 7:27, 7:06, 6:54, 6:52, 6:51 for an average overall pace per mile of 7:02. Felt strong even though it was sunny and in the mid 60's for temps. I think my marathon time is going to be completely dependent on weather and it could be a PR or it could be just a fun run. We'll see what the weather has instore for us. 

14 easier miles this weekend compared to last weekends 20 miler. This weeks run consisted of 5 goal pace miles in the middle of the run between between 6:40 & 6:46 which if I average the high end it would put me in the 2:57:30 range which would be awsome at Boston.  Total average pace for the run was 7:14/mi. Miles went like this:

8:44, 7:54, 7:30, 7:22, 7:01, 7:07, 6:42, 6:46, 6:40, 6:41, 6:45, 7:19, 7:21, 7:25

Overall the pace felt pretty comfortable and we made some final descisions on how we were going to tackle Boston. Drake is going to come back and start with me and the pace is going to be 6:40-6:46 for the first 16 miles then we will see how we're feeling and everyone can do their own thing. Brian didn't even make it to the run his shins are bothering him and he's been battling hamy and back issues so he's going to try a stick with us but we'll see how that goes. Brian has also ran 2:53 before so my pace will be easier for him. There is also another fast guy that wants to join us at the begining and try sticking with us so that means I currently have a 4 man pace group to keep us honest and on pace for over half of the race. They have all ran Boston before and preach about conserving at the start so we'll see if they can practise what they preach or I'll have to beat them down!

Ran 3 miles on the treadmill over lunch with the 2x4 under the back. My mileage is dropping off this week for the taper but I want to make sure I also include the downhill running to be sure that at mile 22 I can actually use the downhill bonus to compensate the slower mile up Heartbreak Hill. LEgs feel good after that so far will run a few more miles downhill next week at least.

Had a rough time getting out of bed this morning but still managed to get out the door and run 6 miles. I ran 2 mile warm up which wasn't really needed since it was 64 and about 95% humidity! It was pretty nasty out there and I definitely noticed it in my breathing. My legs were a little bit sluggish but I still managed 2 miles at goal pace followed by 2 miles back home to make the total 6.

The usual taper workout trying to get the marathon pace down, 2 mile warm-up, 2 harder and then 2 back home.

8:01, 7:24, 6:45, 6:41, 7:23, 7:17

4 easy miles this morning at an average 7:16/mi. Leg felt good and I had to slow myself down.

Today was a little tricky on planning a run because initially I thught I would replicate race day as far as food, wake up time and so forth but then some pretty good storms rolled into town. I was up early but eating donuts for breakfast with the boys is not an ideal pre-race meal. It was raining pretty darn hard all morning and the wind really started to pick up so I thought about shelfing the run. I finally decided to go and the plan would be to zig zag through the neighborhoods and try to stay out of the 20+ winds. I started around 10am which is race start time and the first 2.5 miles were a struggle and when I headed south it was crazy tough. Running north was a breeze!! Overall though it ended up to be a good test run of apparell since it was 57, cloudy, windy and then sun at the end turning it into a humid last couple of miles. Average pace was 7:17/mi.

7:51, 7:17, 7:26, 7:23, 7:02, 7:00, 7:08, 7:13, 7:11, 7:13,

Easy 4 mile this morning at 7:38/average pace. Overall legs felt pretty darn good after yesterday's 9.5 miles.

Ran 5 miles this morning after waking up at 4:30am this morning wide eyed and nervous already about Boston. So I got out the door to run 2 mile warm up then 1 goal pace then the 2 back again. Goal pace mile felt easy at 6:39 which is a tad fast but felt great. Feeling good overall & very excited to run Boston.

4 easy miles this morning. Felt great!!!

Ran 2.5 miles easy as a little shake out for the Boston Marathon tomorrow. Spent Saturday walking around in my old Hoka One One Bondi's to keep my legs and feet feeling good. LEgs felt really good on this run and I feel ready to go!!

Welcome to my 2015 Boston Marathon Race Report in which the statement I'll start off saying all of the cliche quotes about the Boston Marathon are 100% TRUE!!    This is the average person's Olymipics, Only One Boston, Boston Strong, and whatever else you want to say this is truely the most awe inspiring event I have ever took part in. I have played hockey in front of maximum capacity 8,000 seat hockey rink, floor level at rival college basketball games, many conference championships, state cross country and track meets, KC Chiefs games at the loudest NFL venue which holds world records for noise and many other events.

The Boston Marathon is better than all of these!!

My race day started with an early wake up call with a peanut butter sandwhich, water and a little Diet Coke to get me going to the bag drop off and bus loading at the Boston Commons. There I meet my friend Drake (KC) and Ben (ran with in AZ) before boarding the bus. The bus ride was long but at this point I was still calm and relaxed! We reached the Athletes village that was filling up fast and we claimed our ground under a tent to stay nice and dry since it was already raining. For the next  hour to 1.5 I laid around on the ground relaxing. We took turn hitting the bathroom to not loose our spots which was a great idea since the tents were filled!! The time was passing fast and it was time to change shocks and do my last preperations to protect my feet.  The Wave one announcement was made and our .7 mile walk to the start began. Even on this walk people cheered and were handing stuff out to people which was cool.  Then right before the starting area came the sea of Porti-Potties which we made one last stop before jumping into our coral that I would start with Bryan and Drake.

It was now game time and the starting announcements and intros occured in which Meb got a huge roar from his fellow runners. We were close enough that we could here the gun go off and the mass started to slowly move forward. The race started off slow and the roadway felt packed and confinned. We stuck to the right to let the morons going out to fast go by since we were planning on running as even splits as possible. Our first mile was 7:10 and that felt more like 8 something per mile. The rain had stopped as we walked up to the start but now the rain was coming down lightly again until about mile 4. Around mile 4 it down poured and everyone was soaked!! Some people were yelling and complaining about it but it lightened back up and would stay pretty consistent till the last couple of miles.  We entered Ashland and the town center was packed and they channted USA,USA,USA!! This chant it me hard and I was feeling full of pride and a sharp jolt of adrenalin!! That was by far the coolest point on the race but there were plenty of more awsome spots as well. Every town was packed and screaming along the way and we kept pounding out the miles side by side with Bryan and Drake. We were on cruse control and had to check it going through just about every town and every downhill. Wellsley passed and the girls put on a great show with signs and kisses to whomever wanted them. One little Asian girls sign said "Kiss me I'm fun Size" another said "Kiss me I use tongue!" The half mark came in 1;28:08 really easily and we were off to mile 16 checking ourselves on this downhill and keeping it strong up the hill immediately following it which is probably the largest hill on the course. Next thing I new we turned in Newton at the Fire Station and running the famous hills of the course. These hills were not that bad but they did slow me up a little more than I thought they would but I still ran the mile with Heartbreak Hill at a 7:11 mile as scheduled in my plan at 7:10. Once I got up that I tried to shift it back into high gear and flew down mile 22 at 6:37 along Boston College which the college kids were fun to watch taunt a runner that started walking with Run, RUN, RUN which got louder and louder. I passed the guy walking then I heard a huge roar which I assumed was him starting to run again. I hit the bottom of the hills and turned towards the famous Citgo sign on what felt like a pancake flat never ending roadway!! At this point my right calf and left hamstring siezed up some where in mile 24. My pace dropped and the last couple of miles were tough. Just before the Citgo sign I heard my name and it was a friend from high school, then my Dad right at about the sign, then my wife and mom a little further down the road. The last mile I pushed it hard! Turninging on Heresford Street some moron came to a stop on the turn in which I took tight and he got a nice hard shoulder in his back. Then I started to excelerate again to make the turn on Boyloston Street for the 2.5 blocks that I pushed in at about 6:24 pace according to my watch. The last 10K I had been calculating out paces, finish times, and PR's hoping to break 3 and I did finishing with a chip time of 2:59:11 qualifying me for next years race!! Overall a great experiance another PR in less than IDEAL conditions. Future looks GREAT!

Below are my watch splits that very from my chip time: