Tobacco Road Prep - Month 1

With fresh memories of the Route 66 Marathon and all it's pit-stops still in my head, I took the plunge and registered for the Tobacco Road Marathon (Raleigh, NC) on March 19th. I'll be running with my friend who ran Ann Arbor with me, and now wants to try for a BQ. I figure, why not. I've been wanting to chase down my 2009 self anyway.

I gave myself two weeks "off" after Tulsa before jumping straight back into marathon training. I still ran of course, but took extra rest days and didn't worry about accumulating weekly mileage. The first two weeks of training for TRM went smoothly, but at the end of the third week (Christmas) my left achilles flared up and let me know it wasn't happy.

Week 15: 12/5 - 12/11
Long: 14 miles
Speed: 4 mile tempo (middle of a 10 miler)
Rest Days: 1
Total: 52.6 miles

Week 14: 12/12 - 12/18
Long: 13
Speed: Fartlek 5x4:00 hard+3:00 easy (middle of a 10 miler); 4 mile tempo (part of long run)
Rest Days: 2
Total: 45.9

Week 13: 12/19 - 12/25
Long: 7.8 (supposed to be 14, cut short by achilles and had to call for a ride home)
Speed: 5x1000m (middle of a 9 miler)
Rest Days: 2
Total: 39.8

Week 12: 12/26 - 1/1
Long: 16 (I was determined to run 16 on NYE, achilles or not!)
Speed: None (achilles doesn't like speed, or hills)
Rest Days: 3
Total: 30.5

Yeah so I probably should have given my left foot a little more time off but I love running around the holidays. In theory, less work = more time for mileage! I had to shorten my stride and slow my pace for the NYE 16 miler which made my leg muscles work more than they're used to and I was SO sore the next day. It seems to be doing better - allowing me to run my normal easy pace and only occasionally starting to ache on hills.

If you're looking for an early spring half or full - come join me at TRM! I haven't run this race before but it looks to be pretty flat on a paved rail-trail so I'm hoping it'll be a fast course. Use code TRMBuddy to get $10 off registration in January. (This code was emailed to everyone already registered to help spread the word, "this code is only available to friends of registered runners!").

Read More

If the Knees are A-Knockin'

Thanks to my personal race photographer spectating last weekend, I have some lovely race photos of myself. I noticed my knees are a-knockin' and wanted to see if anyone had input on this? I don't recall seeing this prior to having to take the past year forever off, but either way I feel like it should be fixable. Perhaps some running form drills, stretch/strengthening exercises, or even just focusing on doing 'something' (the correct form) while running?

The other morning I tried to "feel" what my hips are doing while I run (is one side dropping) but needless to say it wasn't easy to tell. Nothing hurts, I just figured it was ugly running form and needed to be fixed, but so far I can't find anything via the googler.

Suggestions appreciated!

Read More

Waving My Banner All Over the Place

I'm back!

Ok well sorta... Only a few days a week and for verrrrry short distances, but nonetheless I'm getting out for a few miles a week. It's wayyy better than staring longingly at my shoes all day!

I did a test run at the beach (1 mile in about 10 minutes) and though things didn't feel perfect they didn't feel bad either. I did a 2-miler the next day (with one at 8:40! not bad for 6-months off) and another 1-mile run later in the week. The glute/hip/whatever is a little achey at first but warms/loosens up/I stop thinking about it after a little while. Striding with my right leg feels less-natural and I have to make a conscious effort to drive the leg forward. Not sure if that's super weakness from favoring that side of my body this whole time or what. Any ideas or suggestions on making this feel/be natural again? Both of my chiropractors said if it doesn't feel any worse during/after running that I can/should keep at it - slowly.

In other news - I was contacted by BuildASign (www.buildasign.com) about partnering up and decided to get a banner for my beloved CrossFit gym. We have the perfect spot to hang it in at our new facility (we're moving from 1600sq ft to 6000+ sq ft) and the owner/other members are excited to hang it from our team tent at local competitions we attend.

I ordered a 3x6 ft banner. The process was simple - you can upload your image to their site or use some of their "clipart" type stuff. They assured me the image looked good on their end before printing (I was worried it would be fuzzy when enlarged to 3x6 feet) and it shipped in a timely manner.

BuildASign is a true sign and banner maker business and the banner turned out great. The vinyl seems to be of decent quality and there is a grommet hole in each corner for reinforced hanging. My only complaint is that the side edges were not 'doubled up'/folded over the same way the top/bottom ones were for extra reinforcement. Overall it's a good quality banner and looks sharp in the new gym and will look awesome at upcoming competitions (including one this weekend!).

Disclaimer: The banner was provided to me free of charge in exchange for this product review. A 3x6ft banner would normally cost about $45, which seems reasonable to me. The opinions of the service and product received are my own.

Read More

there's a reason they call him coach

because believe it or not, he knows what he's talking about! (at least some of the time)

i'm not following a plan to get back in shape, i just head out and try to make the run-intervals a little longer than they were the day before. thursday evening, after another long (11hr) day of work, i ventured out for an 8pm run/walk.

i did my usual 1/4-mile warmup walk and started running, aiming for a 1.5-mi run interval. i reached 1.5 mi and felt good, so i kept going.

a little shy of 2-miles i felt a little tired, but i knew i could push to round out the mileage so i kept going. i reached 2 miles and felt better, so i kept going.

around 2.5-miles there were some people standing around a sketchy van, no way was i stopping. in fact i sped up a little here, just to be safe (it was dusky and i always let scary thoughts take over when i see sketchy strangers on a run). this made me more tired, but i kept going.

once i got to 3 miles (of non-stop running!) i was tired, but i wanted to see how long it took me to run a 5k and surely i could handle another 0.1. the 5k mark was in the middle of a short hill and i wouldn't allow myself to stop in the middle of it, so i kept going.

at this point i figured it wasn't much further to my 1/4-mile cooldown walk, so i kept going. the run finished on a hill that i normally dread, but on this day i enjoyed it. i had just run 3.85 miles without needing or wanting a walk break! as jon would say, it was epic.

surely that is how the 10% rule works, right? from 1.5-mile run intervals to 3.85-miles straight? don't worry running-moms, i will make sure my next run is a run/walk so that i don't overdo it.

Read More

running is hard

(duh)

i just didn't think it would still be this hard five weeks into the 'swing of things'.

i still can't run two miles without needing a walk break. well, i could go further if i slowed down (apparently my run pace is about a 9:30) but i have a hard time making myself do that. i ran a slower pace once with friends and it wasn't as uncomfortable (and i didn't have to stop to walk).

it still burns in my lungs (i've been blaming it on the pollen), and hills, ohhh hills. don't even think about making me run up the slightest incline.

maybe it just takes longer than five weeks to get back in shape (does it?). afterall, i did sit on the couch for 6+ months.

i have to remind myself that i've gone from a 0.25mi walk/0.75mi run interval to a 0.25mi walk/1.5mi run. i go out for 4+ miles now instead of 2.5. my average run/walk pace has gone from a 11:59 (first three weeks) to an 10:56 (past two weeks). i'm sure that's plenty of progress in just five weeks.

i know i've been overly conservative with this "run/walk every other day" plan - i need to be doing something on those other days, yoga/strength training/cardio. i certainly want to work out while i can (i am concerned about what will happen when i have to go off this medicine in august -- things could switch right back to how they were and i don't know if i could handle that again).

i'd also like to get back to the gym, since we've been generously funding them for the past few months (yes, i became one of "those" people), but look at all this fancy new cardio equipment i paid for!

a tv on every machine...

how did people ever find the

motivation to workout before?

oh, and forgive me for taking forever to random.org a winner for the zhip. the winner is tri runner! george, email me your address and i'll drop it in the mail to you.

Read More

new pr's

last night i slept about 10:40pm-12:10am and i've been up ever since, ugh. to top it off, i had to be at work at 7:30am today as we try to meet some deadlines for a project that we technically haven't even been awarded yet...

when the clock rolled around to 5am, i got up and went for my run/walk. i had planned to do a "long" run, so i set out on my old 3+ mile loop. now, i know i have only been running again for two weeks, but it is still way hard. i definitely still need my 1/4-mile walk breaks.

i got home from the run and synced garmin so i could enter my stats in my spreadsheet. yes, i'm still keeping a "training log" although it's a lot simpler this year (date / mileage / time / pace / total mileage for year). in the past i noted where/what route, what shoes i wore, what kind of workout i did, non-running workouts, hr data, weight, hours slept, temperature... i'm a bit of a numbers geek, but i told myself i never look back at all that stuff anyway and simplified the process.

rabbit trail aside, i typed today's run data in and my yearly mileage is 26.2! new marathon pr of 6:09:33! of course, today was also my longest run/walk at 3.20 miles and my overall pace (from the past two weeks) improved from 12:16/mile to 11:56/mile. pr's all around! it's especially nice to see the average pace improving a little because i feel like i'm barely moving out there.

now to make some progress on this buddha belly...

Read More

guess what.......?!?

this attractive outfit can only mean one thing...

i ran!!!

but not like this

josh wouldn't even come with me because he was embarrassed of my "new" nike capris (purchased in december, never worn due to lack of exercise).

unlike the last time i "ran" (a whopping half-mile in january), i didn't over think it before hand. in fact, i forgot to warm up and just took off (well, relatively speaking). i set off on a 2.5-mile loop and decided to do a 1-mile "time trial" and run/walk the rest of the way (2 minutes run/3 minutes walk). the 1-mile time trial was hard. then again, i haven't ran a full mile since october so it was to be expected.

by the numbers:

0 - horn honks at my hot pink pants

2.5 - miles run/walked total

10:29 - mile time trial

30:33 - total time to complete 2.5 miles

infinite - people rubber necking at my hot pink pants

ps: still sugar-free. i didn't give in on national m&m day. as much as i wanted to, i also didn't want to break my streak.

pps: i'm still not better. i'm just medicated. but, it enables me to run. and function in life in general.

Read More

walk this way

my grand return to running experienced a quick hiccup. after two successful (exhilarating) 1/2-mile runs, i missed the next 3 scheduled runs and 1 walk due to my skin acting up (even) more.

saturday though, was an amazing day. i had no pain, no irritations, and could actually move normally (instead of like a stiff robot) so i took advantage of finally having a good day by going for a walk with kathrin.

a 2.5 hour, 8.5 mile walk.

it was a gorgeous, sunny day in the low 60's. i am thankful this winter has been so mild. i could feel some areas starting to ache - feet, left shin, hip flexors - about an hour and a half into the walk, but that was to be expected. afterall, i probably haven't done 8 miles in a month (let alone a day) since october. pretty pathetic.

even more pathetic? my sore back on sunday.

unfortunately my skin (/whatever the underlying issue is that is causing my skin to be pissed off) went right back to the business of irritation and discomfort on sunday. not fun.

a quick(-ish) review of what's going on: for the past 4 years, my skin had been progressively getting worse. i went to an allergist, 2 dermatologists, my general practitioner -- all with no luck of finding the cause or a solution. i'm currently seeing a different allergist (better 'bedside manner', willing to think outside the box) and a nutritional response doctor. recently, i started to think that it's not my skin that is the problem and there is something going wrong internally and the symptom of it is coming out through my skin. i am hoping to see an endocrinologist soon (waiting on a referral) and am also getting on a long waiting list to see an immuno-dermatologist (she is booked for six-months).

Read More

point five

monday, january 16th
- decide i will toughen up and commit to an actual comeback plan.
- remember how much i loved making excel spreadsheet training plans.
- leave plenty of clauses on plan for rest days, taking it one day at a time, etc.
- be incredibly cautious and don't build up to 20 miles/week until may.
- feel a little ridiculous because may is 4.5 months away.
- make fun of yourself because you used to run marathons.
- decide you need one more day off and schedule new training plan to start tomorrow.

tuesday, january 17th
- forget to put garmin on the charger in the morning (it's a little dead and dusty after 6 months).
- work all day.
- josh makes fun of you asks if you are nervous on the way home from work.
- attempt to give garmin a little juice since you're only going out for a whopping mile.*
- try to remember what you would wear for a 54° run.
- put on garmin with 13% charge.
- "bezel locked".
- do what you think will unlock the bezel.
- it doesn't work.**
- assume garmin is broken from all the non-use.
- head off on a warm-up walk.
- after about 1/4-mile, slightly lift knees higher, feel burning in your lungs and "run".
- appreciate the fact you went this direction so you can run downhill instead of up.
- announce the obvious to josh - "i'm running!"
- to which josh says "you're on the road and you're running!"
- after running for 1/2-mile, slow to a walk for the last 1/4-mile.
- notice how out of breath you are.
- make fun of yourself and claim you need to make a protein shake.

i'm running! i'm on the road and i'm running!

*i only wanted to bring my garmin so i would know when to walk and when to run (my "workout" was based on distance) as well as for the heart-rate data. i want to get back to tracking my heart-rate data because it worked well for me in the past and if i focus on that i can ignore my pace.

**it took me a full day to remember how to unlock the garmin, but i figured it out.

Read More

milking it

not in this sense.

i'm calling myself out:

i've been milking my health issues and being lazier than necessary.

yes, for a few weeks in august and september it was physically painful to move, but it's now mid-november, and there have been plenty of days where i could have at least done something. i know i'm not ready* to resume normal levels of activity, but i do need to enforce regular walks and some ab work or lunges or something. i may not be gaining weight due to the no-sugar but i am getting 'looser'. plus, week after week of next to 0 activity is just not good for me!

so thursday after work, i went for my second (!!!) "workout" of the month. pathetic that it was the 17th and only my second time exercising, but i blame that on my 100+hour paystubs. unfortunately the bank account doesn't reflect the 100+ hours because i've been a little plastic happy at banana republic and ny&co (purple corduroys!) and off broadway shoes and you get the picture.

i haven't worn heels since april,
but that's ok let's buy some new ones anyway.

thursday (11/17) workout - 2.5 mile walk @15:00/mile, 48°
a few abs, squats, pushups and a very quivery 2-min wall sit.

anyway. i'll probably wake up sore tomorrow, which is even more pathetic.

*in my opinion i wonder if my issues stem from or are influenced by some whack cortisol and/or hormone levels which are influenced by exercise and stress (in my case both stress from work-life 2009 to present as well as the stresses of marathon training) and are not helped by a lack of sleep (haven't slept well in 2 years or so). but i'm not a doctor. this is just a theory.

unpaid, perk-less advertisement:
sign up for the 2011 bloggy gift exchange over at runwithjill! last year's was super fun and it's a great way to 'meet' a new blogger or get to know one better. go sign up and join in the fun!

what i sent my secret santa last year

Read More

a fresh start

september 1st. a new month.

i hopped out of bed at 5:30am, eager to start running again. i had no idea what 'level' to start on, but i figured two miles would be a good start. maybe i should have done a little couch-to-5k run/walking, but i didn't want to. i wanted to run.

i hoped i had not forgotten how to run (i hadn't). it was slow (and felt even slower), but technically i was running.

thursday (9/1) am run: 2miles!!!, 20:13**, 69º
**as in, just a few seconds slower than my 5k time. ohh yeah. ;)

i gained a new respect for newbie runners, so i wrote them all a note:

dear beginner runners, 

i applaud you with an unending standing ovation. having been running for 12 years or so, i had long forgotten just how hard it is to start running. 

that first day is brutal! the first quarter-mile might be fine, but then your lungs start to burn, your heart feels like it is pumping out of your chest and you have to force yourself to maintain a little bounce in between strides to qualify it as running vs. walking.  

it gets better - i promise.

hang in there,
a runner on her 2nd take

Read More

one dollar

$1 motivation

thursday after work i was not really in the mood to run or exercise in general, but i remembered i had a cvs "extrabucks" coupon ... for $1.00. i just could not let that $1 go to waste! unfathomable. luckily there are three cvs's within 2-3 miles from my house (umm and i live in suburbia -not a city- it's ridiculous, there are also 2 rite aids and a walgreen's in case i ever need a fix). my big $1-off coupon motivated me to go run and stop by a cvs on the way back for a treat, a cold gatorade. hey, whatever it takes.

during the run i had to take an urgent call from mother nature, but i was running in neighborhoods, i couldn't just duck into a store or restaurant. i happened upon a house undergoing a renovation with a porta-john in the front yard. a freshly-cleaned, not yet used, two still-wrapped rolls of toilet paper porta-john. the problem was the high school aged kid next door was loading wheelbarrows of mulch for his parents right next to the porta-john... the thing about a fresh porta-john is that the bowl is empty, and much more likely to make splashes. well i created one, and i could hear the kid next door say "ugghhhh!". i'd like to assume he was irritated at having to do yardwork...

thursday (6/23) pm run: 8.5 miles / 9:02 avg pace / 81-77°

Read More

the face on the milk carton

missing
have you seen this cooling mechanism?

perspiration

also answers to "sweat"

last seen: summer 2009

typically comprised of water, minerals and odorant chemicals.

may taste salty.

if you have any information regarding the whereabouts of my perspiration

please call 1-800-not-sweaty.

---

tuesday (5/24) pm run: 6.35mi / 9:04 avg pace / 89* degrees, 45% humidity

and in case you didn't already figure it out -- absolutely 0% sweating. what's up, self?

after running for almost an hour in 89* sunshine

Read More

riding in cars with strangers (and free coconut water)

7:00am - pack bag to runmute home.

(7:30am-5:00pm - play words with friends work)

5:25pm - check weather.com; forecast shows storms at 8pm and later.

6:00pm - start run.

6:30pm - thunder in the distance.

6:40pm - duck into an atm booth to check weather map on phone. decide you can make it home.

6:50pm - it begins to hail. did you know it could hail when it's 87 degrees out? it can. it kind of stings, but at least it cools you down a little.

7:00pm - hail turns into a heavy dumping of rain with a few spare hail bombs for good measure.

7:05pm - dart across the street assuming two cars will give you the right of way in an attempt to get to some trees for shelter. attempt to turn phone off before it shorts from water damage.

7:10pm - white jeep pulls up and offers a ride home. *consider being kidnapped after taking a ride from a stranger*. briefly consider your other option of standing in the pouring rain/hail/thunder with a dead phone.

7:11pm - accept ride from stranger-man (sorry mom, i know you taught me better). tell yourself it's safe because there are two kids in the car. try not to scare the little boy in the backseat next to you and apologize for getting the seat all wet.

tuesday (5/10) runmute: 6.38miles / 8:57 avg pace / 87 degrees and stormy

to the man and kids in the white jeep - thanks for the (safe) ride home. it's nice to know there's still a little kindness in this world.

---

free coconut water
get a free sample of PHENOM coconut water simply by commenting on one of their blog articles by sunday, may 15th. i haven't tried it just yet but i will be soon!

Read More

move your body

check your pulse if that does not make you want to get up and move!

this may or may not have been my workout for monday... although it did motivate me to hop right out of bed this morning for a short, easy run with cooperating bowels. oh the things to celebrate in life!
(maybe after 9473058 more takes i will get these moves down for the first ctk dance video)

tuesday (5/3) am run: 4.05 miles / 9:25 avg pace / 68 degrees / 5 runners spotted!!

Read More

baby giraffe

how i felt on monday

monday was another one of those emo runs. i slept through my alarm (again) and had to run after work. it's already quite warm and humid in south carolina.

(see kevin, i have a small window to rub in the warm weather. i had to take advantage of it while i could)

every step felt awkward and i continually scuffed the bottom of my shoes on the road. i wasn't mentally into the run, but with a mile to go i saw a kid practicing his chipping and he motivated me. i figured if this kid is out practicing golf in the afternoon heat i should htfu and put forth a better effort to 'practice' running.

monday (4/25) pm run: 5.7 miles / 9:13 avg pace / 82*
i may or may not have blamed the funk on the temperature.

on tuesday i slept through all three alarms and had to run after work again. i was in a better mood this time so the run went better. the power of the mind is an amazing thing! i took it easy but charged the hills. i'm still trying to talk myself into doing the marlene again sometime this week.

tuesday (4/26) pm run: 6.6 miles / 8:51 avg pace / 79*

my tailbone has randomly been hurting since monday afternoon. i did not fall or run into anything with my big butt, so i have no idea what's going on. it hurts (a little, not extremely) to sit down and i can feel it when i walk/run. any ideas?

Read More

wet dog

don't mind my morning eye bags

mile 1 - drizzle
mile 2 - drizzle
mile 3 - drizzle
mile 4 - heavy rain
mile 5 - heavy rain; cars driving purposely through puddles
mile 6 - heavy rain; cars continue to shoot water
mile 7 - rain; can feel water sloshing around in shoes
mile 8 - heavy rain; purposely run through big puddles
mile 9+ - don't worry, more rain

10 minutes after i finished - not raining anymore

friday (4/22) am run: 9.5 miles / 8:56 pace / 55*

Read More

divorce

or, what josh will want when he sees this post.

exhibit a - november 2010:

josh then replaced the glass with a new non-shardy piece.

exhibit b - last week:

i wanted to hold out for the iphone 5 but of course this would be the summer apple is slow. josh will probably make me get whatever phone they give out for free anyway.

anyway, this is a running blog isn't it...

after a great 5k pr i seem to have gotten on the emo roller coaster again. i got up early to run today and hated it the whole time (and cut the run short). i don't know what my problem is. i'm pretty sure i have the 'take it easy after a race' part down:

saturday - race, sunday - easy 7mi, monday - off, tuesday - easy 5, wednesday - off, thursday - easy 5.

ahh well. it is what it is.

hey boston people. i'm thinking about a tuesday brunch. i want to see you in your pr glory!

Read More

when nature calls

when you gotta go, do you gotta go?

i've always thought it weird when people are in the bathroom forever. i don't see how one can be in the bathroom long enough to actually read anything longer than the listerine label. is the toilet a comfortable reading chair? i just don't understand.

i am so lazy i will sit and squirm for an hour or two before i will get up to pee (yeah yeah, bad for the bladder, blah blah blah). at work, i often rush into the bathroom and find someone in who is not as efficient at using the restroom as i am. even if i have to go #2 i am in and out in no time flat, spending more time at the sink than in the stall (efficiency at it's finest thankyouverymuch).

on thursday i encountered another squatter during one of my sprints to the bathroom. maybe she was reading a good book, maybe she fell asleep, i don't know. i would have tossed some metamucil under the stall if i had any.

i also find it weird when people sit there trying to be invisible? hello i can see your shoes, i know what you're waiting to do. sometimes i want to dilly dally just to make them even more uncomfortable.

are you efficient in the bathroom or do you like to savor the moment?

---

i runched thursday. i couldn't decide what kind of run to do so i did a little of everything: gmp-tempo-progression-10k race pace....

it was cool (46 degrees) but i managed to work up a decent sweat over 7 miles. mileage is more important than time to shower, so i wiped off the sweat, draped my clothes around the locker-shower-stall to air dry (hopefully no one walked in on that), and walked upstairs to my desk in a cloud of victoria's secret "very sexy (for her)". because nothing says sexy quite like dried sweat.

Read More

lake chatuge

i didn't do my long run this week. i don't have a great excuse -- it rained when i wanted to run and when it finally stopped i didn't feel like it anymore. i'm coddling myself by saying thursday's 12+mile interval workout is good enough.

josh and i went for a weekend getaway to the ridges resort on lake chatuge with plans of boating, horseback riding, wine tasting, hiking, and that long run of course.

however --
a) it rained/thunderstormed the entire time.
b) i forgot my wallet and therefore had no id to prove i was of legal boozing age.

i'd also managed to forget a book and the past 6-months of runner's world magazines that i haven't read yet, so we basically went out of town to watch tv.

michaelee's chocolate cafe

while it rained saturday morning, i got in 10-mins on the recumbent bike and 30-mins on the elliptical in the resort gym sauna. we lunched at michaelee's chocolate cafe in "town" and around 5pm the rain stopped briefly enough to squeeze in a short run along the lake before dinner.

we had dinner at the oaks (the restaurant at the resort) where the hostess was amazingly horrible.

pop quiz:
you are working the hostess stand at a restaurant. couple #1 has a 7:30 reservation and arrives at 7:30. couple #2 has an 8:00 reservation and arrives at 7:45. who do you seat when a table opens up at 8:00?
a) couple #2
b) couple #2; you are confused as to why this is even a multiple choice question

anyway, the hostess was not a reflection on the oaks restaurant as a whole. our server was great and the food was tasty.

the deluge resumed during dinner and we had to run back to the hotel while dodging lightning bolts. the rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful other than watching vcu upset kansas and kentucky take down unc. when we got back home sunday afternoon it was cloudy and chilly (where did you go 70 degree loveliness?) and i continued to cop out of my long run.

overall if you're looking for a weekend getaway, lake chatuge in hiawassee, ga (2-hrs from atlanta, 2-hrs from chattanooga) would be a good spot if the weather cooperates.

the sun pretended to make an appearance after we checked out

---

psa: bq questionnaire
sean is a bq-hopeful looking for a little encouragement and advice. he's conducting a bq questionnaire and hoping to get input from runners who have qualified for boston. it's 10 questions and you can answer as brief or wordy as you want. if you're willing to give your $0.02, email him at "dearjtd@gmail.com".

Read More