Boston Marathon 2011

This entry is a little (OK.. a lot) late, but I still wanted to capture a few of my thoughts and memories from our trip to Boston. Quick reminder: this race was dedicated to Ishani and Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation; which explains my bright yellow shirt and hat in this picture:

Pre-Race
I had done the Boston Marathon once before in 2009, and that trip was all about the race; with the vacation part being secondary. This time, I decided to enjoy the vacation time with my wife Susie; and the race itself was going to just be a fun part of that vacation. Part of the reason was that I had Ironman Texas coming just 5 weeks after the marathon, but a lot of it was just trying to have perspective on what's really important in life (still working on that...). And then there was the fact that the day we flew out happened to be on my wife's birthday... meaning she spent a good portion of her birthday in airports and airplanes. I'm not entirely stupid, though; and after arriving in Boston and checking in at the B&B, I took her to Boston's north end for a great Italian birthday dinner. 

The next day we met up with my wife's cousin and her family; and had a fun time doing some sightseeing in Boston - including a more interesting than I expected tour of the USS Constitution. It's the world's oldest operational warship, dating back to 1797. As the tour guide described the life of a sailor on that ship, it really gave us an appreciation for the life that we get to live today. Then it was some race preparation and early bedtime.

Race Day
The Boston Marathon doesn't start until 10 am, and my wave was the 2nd of 3 at 10:20 am. However, the runners are all bused from Boston to the start in Hopkinton starting at 6 am; so I was up by around 5 am. After breakfast and getting ready for the race, I walked to the nearby subway ("T") station and made my way over to the buses. I did NOT repeat my mistake from the 2009 race; so this time I took the time to wait out the port-a-potty lines before getting on the bus : )

Once I arrived in Hopkinton, I waited in the athlete's village area; which is basically a series of 3 or so very large tents surrounded by port-a-potties. They have some light food there, as well as water, gatorade, and coffee. Coffee was quite popular.. I ended up having to travel all the way from one end of the complex to the other in order to find a coffee line that wasn't 100 people or more long. Then, they called my group to head for the starting corrals, and it was time to run!

The weather was just about perfect for a marathon, clear and sunny with temps in the low 50's in the morning, rising into the upper 50's by the end of the race. The wind was around 10-15 mph from the west, and since the race is point-to-point in an easterly direction; that meant a good tailwind the entire day! We all really got blessed with a beautiful day.

The first 4 miles or so are mostly downhill, and you can burn out your quads early if you hammer those too hard and pay for it later; so I was careful to keep myself under control in that section. As I mentioned earlier, I had my "A" race (Ironman Texas) coming up just 5 weeks after the marathon, so "steady" was my word for the day. I just wanted to hold a nice, steady pace from beginning to end - with no worries or emphasis on time goals. The more relaxed attitude also made it a little easier to enjoy some of the fun and interesting sights you see out there - including the guy that dressed in Nacho Libre gear (a crowd favorite) and the soldiers who marched the entire course in full gear, including backpacks.

Around mile 5, the course levels out some and breaks into a series of gently rolling ups and downs that lasts until the Newton Hills that start around mile 17. Along the way, you pass through a series of small towns where people line the streets cheering and applauding. And there are the Wellesley College girls just before the halfway point, who scream and cheer so loudly that you can hear them long before you ever see them! Although this year, I really think that the Boston College students (around mile 22?) may have outdid the Wellesley girls in terms of volume and enthusiasm : ) All those people cheering is a big part of what makes the Boston Marathon so special.

I mentioned the Newton Hills section starting around mile 17, and I got through those hills maintaining my steady pace without too much of a problem. One of the funny parts about going through that area is that at the crest of each hill, you'd hear someone saying "is that the last hill?"; and the veterans of the course would chuckle and just say "oh no, not quite yet!" The last hill does come at around mile 21, and is known as Heartbreak Hill. Once I crested that hill, I knew the rest of the race was downhill for a while followed by a fairly flat section through downtown.

Those last few miles would be the biggest test of my "steady" strategy, so at that point I covered up my watch and quit looking at my pace and overall time. I just ran along with my head up, enjoying the excitement and the huge crowds downtown. It was a beautiful day and I was feeling great, glad that I was once again able to have the health and fortune to be participating in such a great event : )

At last I was running down the final stretch and could see the overhead finish banner, and the marathon was coming to an end. I crossed the finish line with a time of 3:31:42; which was only a couple minutes slower than I had finished in 2009 - so I was very happy with that time. When I was later able to upload the Heart Rate data, I found that I had indeed kept things steady; with a max HR about 15 bpm lower than 2009. Mission accomplished!

Post-Race
After collecting the finisher's medal and some food and drink, I went to the family meeting area and met Susie and her cousin; and we headed back to the B&B so I could take an ice bath and shower/clean up. Then it was on to Union Oyster House, my favorite Boston restaurant; where I happily over-indulged in lots of great seafood : )

The day after the race we did a little more sightseeing, including some time at Faneuil Hall and a walk around the Harvard campus. A trip to our favorite pizza place for dinner, and all that was left was packing and heading home. All in all, another great trip to Boston!



Next up - the full version of my Ironman Texas race report...

Back from IM Texas

Well, I just got back yesterday from Ironman Texas. I'll post a full report in the next week or so (as well as a long overdue Boston Marathon report) -> but here's a short version for now:

SWIM: Rough... there were just too many people in too small of a lake and then that narrow canal for the last 1000m. The fastest swimmers escaped the churn, but for the rest of us the canal became a washing machine; as the waves and churn from all the swimmers had nowhere to dissipate. It all just bounces off the concrete walls on each side and made things pretty choppy, and it was pretty crowded as well. Time: 1:22. Bit longer than I hoped for, but nothing I was going to worry about.

BIKE: We got lucky, and had cloud cover for most of the morning and into the first part of the afternoon; with even some light, misty precipitation. The sun came out around the last hour or so of my bike ride, and things started heating up very quickly. Time: 6:00; right on target and kept HR where I wanted it.

RUN: Brutal... that's the word I kept hearing on the run course. It got just over 90 degrees, and the humidity was high as well (welcome to Houston!). I basically just tried to maintain a steady pace, so I could avoid walking as much as possible. I did walk through the aid stations to make sure I hydrated and cooled down, but otherwise tried to keep slogging it out. Time: 4:25. Given the day, I'll take that...

So, finished with a time of 12:02 (including transitions); which was 49th out of 320 in my age group. Tough day, but I'm pleased with the end result and very happy to have IM #4 behind me! I had dedicated the race to the memory of my mother-in-law Marilyn, and that thought did help me a number of times to realize how lucky I was to be doing the race at all.

Next up will be a Boston Marathon report; then full IM TX report with (hopefully) a couple pics.

JD

In memory of a wonderful lady

I can't go forward with my normal blog postings without taking the time to give a tribute to my wife's mother; Marilyn Skaggs; who passed away recently in a tragic auto-pedestrian incident at the young age of 64. I first met Marilyn 26 years ago when my wife and I started dating, and was lucky enough to always enjoy a great relationship with her. She loved to come and visit with us, and we always had a great time and lots of laughs. The suddenness with which she was taken was quite a shock to all of us, and in many ways it still does not seem real.

I knew that Marilyn was a kind and generous woman, and I also knew that she had become fairly involved at her local church in the last few years. I was still amazed at her memorial service, though; as person after person recounted stories of her kindness and compassion. Marilyn always helped others out, without any thought or regard of her own comfort. And she had been so busy! Walking to the YMCA once or twice a day to work out, volunteering at the church on an almost daily basis, taking the bus somewhere or another... she certainly kept active!

Marilyn leaves behind 4 daughters and a son, all of whom are married; 14 grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter (her husband Lee had passed away in 2004). She had kept a diary, and in one of her last entries she had written that she wanted to be a Godly mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. I hope she realized that she had already long since achieved that goal...

One final note related to Marilyn: This weekend I'll be participating in Ironman Texas. There was never much question that my wife Susie wanted me to still do the race, after all the months of training and preparation; which had been just as hard (or harder) on her than it was on me. I was a little surprised the other day, though; when Susie quietly told me that she wanted me to do the race "for her mom". She reminded me that Marilyn was always so excited and proud for me whenever I did a marathon or triathlon. So... this Saturday's race will be dedicated to her memory; my own small tribute to a wonderful lady.

Marilyn - you truly were a wonderful mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother; and our family is really going to miss you...

An 8 year old should not have to write a letter like this

My previous blog entry included a reference to Alex Lemonade Stand Foundation and Ishani - the young girl that has twice battled with pediatric cancer. Just after posting that, Ishani's mother posted a video on Facebook of Ishani standing in front of a crowd at a local pageant, reading a letter she wrote. I asked her to send me the text of the letter... There's not much I can say or add, other than to post the text of that letter:

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My name is Ishani. I am 8 years old. I got cancer when I was 3 years old. I had surgery and radiation and chemo. I got cancer again when I was 6 years old and had to do it all again. The reasons I hate cancer are:

1. Having to go to the clinic lots of times.
2. Having to get lots of shots.
3. Having to go the hospital lots of times.
4. Having to feel sick and not being able to eat.
5. Having to miss school and playing with my friends
6. Having to lose hair from the medicine
7. Having people make fun of me from losing hair.
8. My legs still hurting when I run
9. I missed playing soccer for 3 years.

I DON”T WANT THIS HAPPENING TO OTHER CHILDREN!
That is why I am collecting money for childhood cancer.
PLEASE JOIN ME in fighting childhood cancer one cup at a time.
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If you feel led, you can donate HERE or HERE 

What I'm up to lately...

Anybody that tells you that you can do full Ironman training and have a normal life is just not being honest (in my humble opinion...). It's not just the training time and the prep/recovery time; but in general it just leaves you a little more fatigued and less energetic, which makes you less likely to do things like cleaning the house, taking care of the yard, etc. For me, it seems to also have affected the frequency and depth of posting to my blog (that, and I don't want to be the guy in the "I'm training for an Ironman" video...).

Of course there are other factors, like the time I'm putting into coaching. Add that in to the mix of IM training, regular job, family/home, and other things like planning for the Haiti trip later this year... and you get tired JD. Not complaining, I wouldn't do it if I didn't enjoy what I got out of it, just a fact of life that's on my mind at the moment.

In more upbeat/happy news, next week I head to Boston for the Boston Marathon! I did it once before, in 2009 (race report here); and I'm really looking forward to the trip this year. Due to it being 5 weeks out from IM Texas, I'll definitely be looking for just a steady, training type of day; this will NOT be a PR type of run for me. I will be sporting my Alex Lemonade Stand Foundation colors, though - maybe even carry a couple of leaflets with me...

Back to coaching for a second... I'll be one of the coaches for a new triathlon training program starting next week. I'm really looking forward to that - it's geared towards new triathletes and I really enjoy seeing someone accomplish that first triathlon that they never thought they could do : )

OK, time to get back to training. Getting in one more 100 mile plus bike ride tomorrow, since I'll be traveling next weekend. Hopefully I stick to my moderate race plan in Boston, and then I can recuperate quickly and get a couple more good weeks of training in between then and my taper for the IM.

JD

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Help the kids!

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: to find a cure for childhood cancer for kids like Ishani ... Please help them by donating HERE

Hope For Kidz: program to help educate children in Haiti
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Ironman Texas Bike Course directions/info

Update April 2012: Bike course has changed slightly (new course posted here). Nothing of major significance, but something you will want to review.

Update June 2011: Here are just a couple of quick notes on the actual course differences from what is below; in case anyone wants to come back and use this info in the future:

- Instead of going straight thru Conroe-Huffsmith to Mahogany Way, you turn left on Weisinger and take that to Mahogany Way (then left on Mahogany and continue).

- Instead of going straight down 149 to State Spur 149 and turning left; you take the left at 1488; and then turn RIGHT onto State Spur 149; then a LEFT on Dobbin-Hufsmith.

- Instead of turning right on W Branch Crossing Dr, you turn LEFT and head to Woodlands Pkwy. For practice rides, I'd still recommend turning right and spending less time on Woodlands Pkwy.

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For folks doing IM TX; here's some information I have gathered on the bike course, and then checked out myself this past weekend via both car and bike. This is the most current and accurate info I can come up with, which hopefully can be helpful to those of you that might want to pre-ride the course. There will likely be one or two changes to the bike course before race day... If I find out about them I'll try to come back and make updates. Also, leave a comment if you have any corrections or items to add...

So, first of all, here's an elevation chart that I got from my Garmin 310XT by driving the full course in a car. I followed the course directions below faithfully, other than an extra 1/4 mile where we missed the turn from 2854 to 149.

Bike Ride Directions/Tips (All mileages approximate)

As many have learned, there are currently (as of this writing) some inaccuracies on the official website description of the bike course. Here is my attempt at directions that correct those errors, as well as some miscellaneous tips and alternate routes. 

(Here's a LINK to a mapmyride course that incorporates most of these directions; created by Iron Buckeye from the slowtwitch tri forum)

*** Note on starting point: Woodlands Pkwy is not very biker friendly, especially later in the day (OK early am). Lots of traffic lights as well, even on the alternate route along Lake Woodlands/Sterling Ridge (see end section for that alternate route)

• Start at Town Green Park (practice rides you can park/start from the HEB parking lot across the street)

• Left on Lake Robbins

• Left on Grogan’s Mill

• Right on Woodlands Pkwy (BEFORE MILE 1)

• Right on 2978 (BEFORE MILE 9)

            Good starting point here, strip mall being built has lots of empty parking spaces

• Bear right onto Egypt LANE (MILE 10)  ; Or use ALTERNATE ROUTE below

• Straight thru 1488 onto Conroe Hu­ffsmith

• Left on Mahogany Way (Short) ; this one isn’t listed on the official map; but is the only way to get back to Honea Egypt

• Right onto Honea Egypt (MILE 12)

-> ALTERNATE ROUTE: Simply stay on 2978, which turns into Honea Egypt/Egypt Community Road after you cross 148

• Bear right (mostly straight) onto Sendera Ranch Road/Fish Creek

• Left on 2854 and turn right/west at the light after ramp (approx MILE 19) ; go thru 105, becomes Lone Star Pkwy

• Right onto 149 (approx MILE 30) ; not marked well, large intersection with stop sign

• Right onto Osborne Rd (MILE 36.5) ; Look for big carport on the right of it and a black wooden fence around it

• Left on FM 1375 (dead end around MILE 40)

• Right on 149 (dead end around MILE 42.5)

• Right on 1791 (MILE 44)

• Left on Taliaferro Rd after small bridge (approx MILE 45)

• Left on County Rd 209 (Just BEFORE MILE 47) ; really just curving left on what seems to be the same road

• Left on Bays Chapel (Just AFTER MILE 49 ; Short)

• Right on 149

*** First convenience stores you’ll see are on this road right around mile 52. Next ones are another 20 miles or so.

• Left on FM 2562 (MILE 57)

• Left on FM 2819 (Just BEFORE MILE 60)  ; this road is missing from official map

• Right on 1486 (MILE 65) ; continue all the way past 105

*** Convenience stores at miles 72 and 78 (second one on left before crossing 105)

• Left on Jackson (Just before MILE 81)  ; or use ALTERNATE ROUTE below

*** Look for small brown sign on left for High Meadow Estates

ALTERNATE ROUTE: stay on 1486, LEFT on 1774, LEFT on 1488, RIGHT on 149

            Adds just under 4 miles to the route, but safer roads

• Straight on 149 ; Jackson turns into 149

*** EXXON around mile 88.5

• Left on State Spur 149 (MILE 91) -> short distance

• Right on Dobbin Hu­fsmith ; Look for flashing yellow traffic lights

SHORTCUT: Turn LEFT on Hardin Store Road to get back to 2978 (save 4-5 miles)

• LEFT on 2978 (before MILE 100) ; says RIGHT on the official map, but only if you’re going to Houston…

• Right on Greenmoor (approx MILE 102.5)

*** Look for yellow street intersection sign, and then entrance to “The Woodlands” neighborhood sign

• Immediate Right onto May Valley Drive ; you’ll get to intersection on this road where you turn right to stay on the road

• Right onto W Branch Crossing Drive (MILE 104)

• Right onto Woodlands Pkwy (MILE 106) ; Or use ALTERNATE ROUTE below

• Left on Grogans Mill ; exit to the right in order to turn left

• Right on Lake Robbins

ALTERNATE ROUTE: Continue on Branch Crossing Drive thru Woodlands Pkwy, Right on Sterling Ridge, Left on Lake Woodlands, Right on Grogan’s Mill, Left on Lake Robbins

• Finish at Town Green Park

Not much to say I guess...

I realized today that it's been a really long time before I posted anything. I think that's partly because I just haven't felt like I had much to say that would be interesting, and partly because I've just been too busy. Work training, tax preparation (ugh... PLEASE do something to simplify this crap!!!), getting things going for the Haiti trip coming up at the end of September; coaching stuff -> sometimes it just all adds up to way too much to do.

The Boston Marathon is coming up next month, and then IM TX the month after that; so I am in full-blown training mode at the moment. Recovery week this week, but my normal training weeks I'm going for 9000+ yds of swimming, 180-200 miles of biking, and 40+ miles of running. My wife has pretty much written me off for the weekends. She's a good woman to put up with this obsession of mine.

The training itself is going very well, I feel like I'm rounding into form in terms of the endurance. Just praying that I can continue on that track, and then have the opportunity to do the race that I have trained for (i.e. no major mishaps or issues). I'll be heading down to The Woodlands, TX in two weeks to check out the course in person and do some riding and running out there.

That's it for now I guess... : )

JD