Epilogue to the whining about Boston...

Remember that post last week, where I wallowed in self-pity about maybe not getting into the Boston Marathon for 2014?

Nevermind.

I am officially on the entrants list!  My three-minute buffer was enough to qualify this time!

The last week and a half have been so very draining...

I went from pessimistic (which is really out of my character) to a tiny bit hopeful when I found out registration would indeed go into week two (as it is a staggered entry, with fastest qualifiers given the opportunity to register in the first week, and, if any spaces remain, people like me with an "under 5 minute" buffer are allowed in the second week).

I didn't register until almost the end of week two, as I wanted to delay the agony of waiting to hear back from them (they would let everyone who registered during week two know at the same time, after the week of registration was over) for as long as I could.

In the end, almost 3000 more people registered than they had space for. Ouch.

I crossed my fingers (and toes) and held my breath and waited until Sept. 25th.

They promised an email either way on that day.

I can't say I was totally focused on my Professional Development that morning (at least I wasn't supposed to be teaching) as I kept checking for emails every 2 seconds few minutes or so. I was a jittery ball of nerves, waiting, hoping, anticipating good news from the B.A.A.  (my eternal optimist returned at some point after I had registered...)

Hours later, after getting tired of an empty email folder, I checked the B.A.A. website for their Official Entrants list. There it was: "Amy Robitaille". Yahoo!

I was excited and relieved.

Since finding out I am lucky enough to return to the race, I have had some emotional ups and downs, for sure. I think back in April I packed away some of the emotions and thoughts about the marathon that were uncomfortable and upsetting. I now know that I will actually be returning to the race. I will leave my children home again, assuming we will "just be away for a couple of days"  Once again, I will board the bus to Hopkinton, leavng Papa behind, assuming I will safely make it back to the finish line.  I will get excited about the race itself. The crowds and the spectacle will be amazing. I expect nothing less than wonderful there.

The other night I had the opportunity to chat with a former colleague of mine; someone I have not seen in many years. She, too, had been in Boston that day. She was one of the many many runners that were forced to stop on the way to the finish line. Her story was unreal. Her Garmin read 41.5km. She was so close.  She said they were simply told to stop. That something happened at the finish. So many of them assumed that they would actually be able to start running again after a short delay, as they had no idea what the "something" was at the finish line.

We discussed our experiences with the tragedy, yes. But we spent more time talking about the rest of the race. The good stuff. The crowds and the cheering, the starting line, the history and the parts that make this race the event that it is. The stuff that no one seems to ask about anymore.

The next six months will be exciting, and full of training. Lots of long runs, speed work, and a dash of triathlon stuff thrown in for good measure (you didn't think I was going to give up on the triathlon goals fr next summer just because I am registered for a spring marathon, did you?!).

My long run this morning was lovely.  A beautiful day full of optimism, sunshine, and a cool breeze.  Best 14 miles in weeks!

So lucky to run on these roads!

Happy Running

Weekend Wrap-up

The weather in the last three days has been such a variation of clothing options.  On Friday morning, I almost boiled over at 5:30am during my run, which was a lot more warm than I had anticipated.  I was a wet mess of sweat and misty fog by the time I returned home.
Saturday morning's run was a bit reluctant, as I wasn't too excited about heading out into the rain that just wouldn't let up.  I came home sporting the "drown-rat" look, but at least I looked like a hard-core superstar out there (either that, or just plain crazy).
This morning, ever the optimist, I wore shorts and lots of layers on top for a long bike ride, and I think my goosebumps could have counted as a fifth member of our bike-crew; they were so large!!

The runs were great, but quite uneventful.  I want to talk about my bike ride!

I know I have said this a million times before, but training in groups is so much better than training alone.  The actual workout is still the same (actually, it can be more challenging when we force each other to push ourselves) but the time flies by with the laughter, and the chatting.

I love love love running with other people so obviously I was drawn to training for triathlons with a group too.  The open-water swims this summer have been more about the camaraderie of complaining about the cold water as a group, than they have been about the workout.  And I have learned a lot about swimming and the amount I can push myself too.  Win, win!

Biking with others is so different than running with others.  It's a lot less chatty while we're on the road, as there is the safety element that can't be ignored for the sake of conversation.  But convening at intersections, or at the completion of the route makes it alllll worth it.  Especially if the bike ride ends at a Starbucks, like it did today!

I headed out with Tricia, Sylvie and Lorraine this morning (they all thought my choice of shorts instead of pants was nothing short of certifiable).  Around these parts it is hard to find a route of any distance that doesn't involve hills, so it was a perfect challenge.  We rode about 35km, and it was great!  I loved the downhills (of course) and the scenery was terrific (no photos of scenery.  Take photos while biking? Not there yet, and maybe I will never be at that level!).

We encountered many other cyclists out enjoying the sunshine (and wind).  I was proud to be out there among them, but I did realize that I have a long way to go before I really feel like I am a "cyclist"!

We still look happy after all of the hills and wind!

I have to admit, my favourite part was the Starbucks.  Warm drinks, lovely ladies...That's what it's all about, amIright?

Happy running, cycling, etc...

--Shrug--

Well.  Time is money.

We've all heard it before.  Sadly, I learned just how true that saying is last weekend in my race.  My "last-ditch" race, specifically.

When I realized the momentum that the hype for Boston 2014 was taking, it was summer.  I was well into my training for a fast fall marathon (the Scotiabank Toronto marathon, Oct. 20).  I realized that although I had qualified in Boston for next year's race, I may need to better my time to ensure I would get in, what with all of the other thousands of people that would also want to race.

I realized that I would have to cut off more than a month of training to be ready for an early September race, if I could find one that still had open spaces.  I found one.  In Pennsylvania.  A mere nine-hour drive between me and the race.  No problem!

The Lehigh Valley Marathon in Allentown would be my race.  If I could get a PB, or even pull in a race close to my current marathon PB, I figured my chances would be good.

I had a very strong summer of training.  I ran, swam, and biked a lot, and I had some awesome long runs.  Some long runs were so great, and some of my speed work made me feel ready.  Papa and the boys were so supportive of my training, and I really couldn't have spent so many long hours out on the roads if it weren't for them!

I knew it wasn't ideal that the marathon fell on the first weekend that I was back at school, but tapering actually worked in well with the other chaos that was happening in our house...phrases like "where's my water bottle?" turned quickly into, "where's my backpack?!"

So.  Here's the race/weekend report, and, as a head's up...it didn't end the way I wanted it to :(

We decided to head to Pennsylvania as a family.  Papa was off that weekend, and there were a few things to do/see in the area.  Our kids LOVE hotels (especially hotels with pools) so we knew they would be excited to take the road trip!

We left Friday right after I was done school.  Our kids were so awesome in the car.  They (generally) got along well, and patiently waited until rest stops for potty breaks and food.  I wish I liked riding in the car as much as them!

Papa and the boys...ready for the long ride

By the time we rolled into Allentown on the Saturday, I was excited to get to the expo and pick up my race kit!  The expo happened to be right next to our hotel, which was in a very nice and cool area of the city.  The Runner's World 1/2 marathon will actually start/finish in the area next month.

The expo was quite small, which I was disappointed by.  I was hoping to buy some new running stuff (as usual) but the only thing I purchased were some gels (albeit at a great price, but kind of a boring purchase).

We bribed them with m&m's to be patient at the expo

Also, the line up for my bib was terrible.  I have a popular "last name" letter (R) but I seriously waited in a line (while Papa waited with growingly impatient boys) for 20 minutes.  There were only max. 10 people ahead of me.  I couldn't understand what the problem was!  Until I got to the front.  The person in charge of my alpha really was having difficulties figuring out the system.  I had to find my bib for her, and I feel bad about complaining, but geesh.

The shirts were nice, and they look like they will fit nice too.  Always a plus at races!

We took the kids to the Crayola Experience in downtown Easton PA (nearby) and, as luck would have it, the finish line was only a block away, so we scoped that out while we were downtown.  The finish area looked quite small, so Papa and I decided that we would forgo having him and the boys waiting for me amongst all of the people, and I would just finish out the race on my own, then call him to come and pick me up.  I know.  Not the most romantic, but when there are 3 kids under the age of 6 involved, you have to go the practical route.  always.

The kids loved Crayola.  They made personalized crayons, markers, and played with all of the interactive displays and play areas.  Definitely a highlight for them.

How cool are these personalized crayons?

We ate a very uneventful dinner (I had some sort of spinache/bruschetta pizza/calzone thing) and called it a night.  I had to lay everything out the night before as we were leaving by 5:45am for my 7am start time.  I checked the weather 10 more times (High of 15--nice!  90% humidity--booo) and closed my eyes.

I slept almost perfectly...Olly shared a bed with Papa and I, so the toddler took up most of the bed...and I woke up 2 minutes before my alarm(s).

Our boys were troopers, and stumbled awake at that early hour so Papa could drive me to the starting line.  The starting line was at a hospital.  They boasted "lots of parking".

As we rolled up the highway to our exit, we started to see all of the brake lights.  Uh oh.  The other 2500 people running this race were arriving at the exit at the same time.  Dang.
Of course, THAT was the moment that I decided I needed a potty break, obviously.  I survived, and I know it was just my nerves.

By the time we got up to the front of the exit lane, it was painfully close to race time (I think it was 6:40am) and I had to jump out of the car at an intersection and run to the starting area.  I needed at least one porta-potty stop, and the line ups looked lonnnnng.

I jumped into line, and hoped for the best.  It was a very short 20 minutes that I waited in line.  All the while, announcements were being made that "the race will start in 5 minutes...2 minutes...please join us at the starting line..."

I was in the porta potty when the gun went off.  Of course.  But with chip timing, I knew it wouldn't make a difference.  Of course, being all flustered and sprinting across the parking lot to the starting area when I was done did not make for a graceful start.  And no, I did not wash my hands!  

I crossed the starting line, in a massive crowd of runners, and tried to settle into a pace.  I think I was too flustered to worry about slowing into a sensible pace.  When I hit mile one, I was at a 7:45/mile, and I thought (although it was way faster than I like to allow myself run the first mile) I would just settle in and figure it out as soon as the big downhill was done. There was a massive downhill in mile 2 that I sped down like it was the only mile I was going to be running that day.  Oops.

Just past mile two, as we were rounding a corner, a man was clapping and cheering by himself.  It was none other than Bart Yasso.  Yep. No big deal.

From that point, we ran into a trail, and I really feel like we stayed in the trail until the halfway point.  Seriously.

The trails were not crazy--they were a mix of gravel, mud and sand.  There were a lot of mini incline/declines.  I really found it hard to fall into a good pace.  I ran a lot of trails this summer, but only for easy runs, so trails to me define easy pace.  Racing in trails was hard as I was either way too fast, or plodding along like it was a recovery run.  :/

We finally came out of the trail at the halfway mark, and I looked at the clock to see "134:40".  Oh, no. Way way way too fast.  This is where the "time is money" thing comes in.  I had "banked" time unintentionally, and that NEVER works in a marathon situation.  I knew right then and there that I was headed for a road of devastation.  A long road that would end in disappointment.

I held on to my pace, and headed back into the trails for the second half.  The trails were nice and shady (yay!) but oh, so lonely.  No spectators.  at all.  I really felt like I was on a training run.  It was becoming a mental game quickly, and (especially because I already knew I had ruined my first half) I was starting to lose my drive.

My fuel intake was going very well in this race.  I really "practiced" liking gels on my long runs this summer, and I planned them out very well.  No stomach issues, and I saved the caffeinated ones until the last 1/4, which was smart.

Mile 22-23 were out on a wider road, so I felt the urge to speed up.  It hurt a bit, but I really pushed and it felt good to push.  Then we headed back into the trail.  I was done for.

I looked down at my watch and realized I was going to have to really push myself to make those last 3 miles to make my 3:30 time goal.  I just didn't care anymore.  I ran up to a woman who was clearly feeling the same way as me, and we started chatting.  She had also been in Boston, and was at this race to better her time, like me.  She was really amazing.  She was 28 years old, and had run SEVEN Bostons in a row.  Her and I chatted the rest of the way through the race (slower than we needed to).  I knew it wasn't the fast pace that I needed to make it to Boston again, but it was the best I could do in that moment.  And sometimes that is just what it is all about.  That moment.

I crossed the finish line, knowing that my 3-minute buffer for Boston (I had qualified in Boston back in April) was all I had this time around.

I was so glad that race was over.  I was so glad that all of the worry, and calculating, and fear of not getting in again was out of my hands.  Not in the way I wanted it to be, but at least I had tried.

The last week has been a bit hard at times.

Hard to hear about the "staggering" amount of people that were registering for Boston.

Hard to sit on my hands and not be one of the people allowed to register yet.

Hard to know that I probably wouldn't get to be a part of the race this year, that changed my life last year.  I had anticipated returning and redeeming that race for myself to (attempt) to round out the emotional healing I have endured over the last five months.

I know that everyone that has run a faster qualifying time and has registered will make it a special race. I know that the people that worked with the BAA to make the field of runners larger has made such an effort to make it a special race.  It will be.  And I will cry this April from the moment of the start of the race, until the last person finishes.  I will probably stay in my jammies and eat popcorn and try to be okay with not being there (it is a holiday that day, so I don't even have to go to work).

I am trying to think of all of the other amazing opportunities I will have in races in 2014.  I will perhaps strive for more distance in the triathlon, I will try my first Ragnar Relay, I will try to make my sub-42 minute 10km that I have been striving for.  There will be so many more races that will be special.

I know that running a marathon is a big deal, in and of itself, sure.  It is just such an emotional and physical investment, that of course, every one of us wants to go perfectly.  That doesn't always happen, but at least I can take this base I have built and try to go fast in some more races this fall!!

*No photos from the race at all.  I even brought my phone with me, hoping to at least get some pics before the start of the race, and, well, I wasn't about to take porta-potty shots, so no pics were taken!

Just this one photo after I met up with Papa.  I have never been so salty/sweaty after a shade-filled race!

Happy running!

I promise not to be whiney about this whole Boston thing again.  Just had to whine it out this once!

Goodbye Summer, Helloooo the Rest of the Year!

Another labour day has passed. Another first day of school has arrived.  Another summer of long days, sunny bbqs and ice cream cones is wrapping up.

Summer fun with the boys

Oh, how I miss you already, summer.  The following list is of the things (in no particular order) that I will really, really miss about summer:

- aforementioned ice cream. I am not a dairy-eater.  I avoid it in most of its forms, including ice cream normally, but there is something about enjoying a sweet cone of black cherry while watching the "double chocolate" drip all over my two-year-old that makes me happy (even if it's just one scoop)!

- the heat!  Oh, the warm cozy sunshine!  I will longingly dream of that sticky, humid warmth when it is January once again.

- the lonnnng days. How amazing is it to wake up to sunshine (a miracle when you have children that awaken with the roosters) in the morning?  Today, a fellow runner and I were pouting a bit about the inevitable darkness that comes with th fall. How unfair to cut out the sunshine at both ends of the day!

- all of those open-water swims. I really got into a lake-groove this summer, and I still cannot believe I was swimming all the way over to the Island at Guelph lake by the latter half of the season. I really did not know I had it in me, and I can't wait to see how far I can go next year in the lake. *never THIS far though. Swimming from Cuba to Florida.  Woah.

- cuddle time. My little Milo (the cuddler) would spend loads of time catering to his mama's cuddling needs this summer. We do cuddle in the other 3 seasons of the year, but we just seem to have more time to hang out in the summer and I miss it already.

- sitting in the shade. There is so little shade other seasons of the year, and, frankly, we just don't need it that much in December, what with it being dark all the time, and so so cold.

- lemonade and other cold drinks. Mmmmm. I would like to say I sit in the shade and sip a cold drink and relax, but I prefer to have a cold drink post-run so it is too sweat-filled of an event to be relaxing. But nice nonetheless.

- shorts. Getting back into real clothes for school is making my brain hurt a little.

- biking. I was just getting the hang of those clip less pedals, and now the season is coming to an end. Sure, sure, lots of people (real cyclists, probably) bike well into the fall, but I would hardly call myself a "real cyclist" yet. I sure hope I can convince myself to use a bike trainer this winter (and purchasing one is not the same as actually using one, so I am going to need to create some sort of accountability for myself)!

- family time. Spending time with our families and friends over the summer takes the cake. I love having more time to fit in special visits with loved ones.

I could probably go on and on and on about the amazing greatness that we all know summer is. But, as luck would have it, I do like lots of things about the fall too (and spring, but I really have to think optimistically to get along with winter sometimes).

I enjoyed a wonderful run this evening of 5 miles...a warm up (8:00/mile) then 3 tempo miles (7:20/mile) then a little cool down mile of (8:00/mile). I am in full-blown taper mode for my marathon this Sunday (double gulp!) so tonight was my last (big) run. A recovery run tomorrow, a refresher run on Friday, then (literally) off to the races for Sunday!

look at me, all in black on an evening run!  not too long from now I will be wearing the obnoxious glow-in the dark clothing :(

I do have (lofty) race goals, but I will commit to those later in the week when I am fully ready to divulge how optimistic I am when it comes to running and keeping my act together over the entire 26.2 miles!



Happy first-day-ing, running, etc!