My Thoughts on the 2013 Boston Marathon

This was the first year since 2008 that I did not sign up for the Boston Marathon, wanting to give my legs a rest this winter. However, my wife was running for her second time and I woke up early to drop her off at the starting line in Hopkinton.

After going for a morning run, I watched the first hour of the race at home on TV, paying close attention to the elite women, where two Americans had good chances of competing for the win. Then I drove to Mile 17.5 to watch my wife and several friends run by. It was difficult not running, but I was really happy for them, as they got the chance to run on a beautiful day.

After my wife ran by, I drove to Boston and parked in the Boston Common garage. I walked to the intersection of Boylston and Arlington, where she would exit her corral. She had finished the race in 3:30 and we met up around 2:20 p.m. She had been battling a knee injury but was excited. She had run a good time on the course and said the crowds were huge this year, even louder than last year's 88 degree race. She loved going by the college students at Wellesley and said the BC crowds were rambunctious as usual.

A proud finisher when the day was still normal.

We walked into the Public Garden and she put some warmer clothing on. I snapped a few pictures and she proudly wore her 2013 marathon jacket, which had been untouched in a bag until that moment. She was really hungry so we decided to head home and walked to the car.

Then in one moment, everything changed.

As we left Boston (Storrow Drive to 93 South to Mass Pike West), we began seeing police cars, with sirens blazing, driving by us the opposite way. Then we got a text message from a friend: "Are you guys ok?"

At that moment there was an uneasy feeling in my stomach I knew something bad had happened. I turned on the radio and heard the words, "explosion at Marathon Sports." We knew that was the finish line of the marathon and immediately felt sick. We were shocked and in disbelief.

We soon got home and by that time had several texts and phone calls to respond to, letting family and friends know we were safe. I posted a message on Facebook, realizing it was the best way to alert people we were indeed at home. We were very lucky, but couldn't believe what had happened. We turned on the TV and saw the footage, it just didn't seem real.

What's so great about a marathon is that everyone is a winner. Yes, there are elite racers trying to be the first across the line, but everyone else is just as victories. Runners compete against themselves, trying to beat their own personal times. Some just have a goal of finishing the race, or enjoying the the experience and crowds. Marathons are supposed to be a joyous event for everyone - runners and fans - and demonstrate what people can accomplish with hard work and dedication. The Boston Marathon heightens this accomplishment due to it's tough qualification standards and rich history.

It is awful - to the point where words can't describe - what happened yesterday. I think it's impossible not to have a pit in your stomach, knowing that people are hurt or did not survive the violence. It will take a long time for things to return to normal. There will probably always be an strange, uncomfortable feeling when I walk down Boylston Street or go into Marathon Sports.

Police outside the Old State House on Tuesday.

Today while walking through Boston on my way to and from work, I saw police with dogs, armed officers and military. It's  strange and uncomfortable feeling that we are not supposed to experience, and I'm not sure if it makes me feel more or less safe.

While families of the victims are forever affected, my hope is that yesterday's events won't take away from the joy that occurs every year on Patriot's Day for the city. The day is supposed to be a celebration for the city and people around the world who come to Boston that weekend. It's filled with excitement, joy and all types of emotions. This will certainly be true moving forward, but sadness and reflection will also be part of those feelings in the future.

When registration for the 2014 Boston Marathon opens this fall I will be signing up right away. With a sense of pride for our city, I will run the 26.2 miles with thousands of other runners and look forward to seeing people line the streets and show their support for the runners, the city and the victims. I'm sure there will be a wide range of emotions for people running and watching the marathon and it will be a powerful demonstration that we will not be made afraid and will not live in fear.

We will cross the finish line safely.

Fools Dual Half Marathon Recap

Since I decided not to run the Boston Marathon this year, I was looking for a half marathon right before the race, and laded on the Fools Dual Half Marathon, which took place in Gloucester and Rockport, MA. I hadn't run a race in that area before but it's supposed to be beautiful, so I decided to give it a try.

It was a nice and crisp morning, very good for running. The race was fairly low key, with a little bit more than 500 runners. The race began quite slow - which was a surprise. Usually people sprint at the beginning, but this group didn't make that mistake. The course was an out and back along the northern side of Gloucester and Rockport, with beautiful views of the ocean, inlets and houses lining the streets. It was also really, really hilly. The entire thing was rolling hills. It was up, down, up, down - with no flat surface at all. The wind was also very rough on the way back, but it was still a lot of run to run. I ended up finishing in third place, so during the second half of the run many of the other runners were cheering us on (the benefits of an out and back course).

If I'm not running Boston next year, I'd definitely consider doing it again. But I'd have to make sure I do some hill workouts beforehand.

Rave Run: Acadia National Park

Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, ME

Vacation Racing

There are two races I never got the chance to write about that we ran on vacation. One was in Hawaii and the other was in Italy.

In Hawaii we ran the Rain Forest Runs, which takes place at Volcanos National Park on the Big Island. This is a small town race in all senses. It takes place in the countryside and the course includes what seems to be every side road in the town. After running through the neighborhood where most of the houses are located, it starts gong up a hill, until you reach the end of the road. Then we turn around and head right back to the start. Most of the course is isolated and doesn't have fan support, but that's not a negative. The entire run is through the forest, as it's surrounded by vegetation and is stunningly beautiful Also, the last 4ish miles of the race are downhill and you can get some amazing speed.

After prizes for top finishers after the race aren't medals or trophies, but art, as it's sponsored by the local art center. This was an amazing race and a lot of fun.

In Italy we did the Marathon d' Europa which takes place in Trieste. The city of Trieste of small and on the border of Croatia and Slovenia. It's a point-to-point course that begins outside the city and finishes in the main square. The strange thing about running a race in Europe is hearing all of the race announcements in a different language. But having done enough races, we knew what to do and when to line up. The race itself was very cool. After a couple miles of flat and/or uphill, the last 10 miles are almost all downhill and make for a fast course. It's all along the mountains next to the ocean and has some beautiful views. The day we ran was quite hot and many people were hugging the side of the road to try and get some shade.

The excitement of the race builds as you get into the city and wraps around almost the entire central square of cobblestone road before crossing the finish line. There are large crowds and the support is impressive. Running a race in a foreign country is truly a unique experience and something we'll remember for a long time.

Hawaii:
Overall ranking: 8
Course: 9
T-shirt: 2
Medal: 2

Italy:
Overall ranking: 8
Course: 9
T-shirt: 4
Medal: 2

Austin Half Marathon Recap

Since February is generally a cold and snowy month in Boston, we decided to head to Austin, TX for a weekend in February and get some sun - and run a half marathon! The Livestrong Austin Half Marathon was taking place and it looked like a fun race.

When we arrived we went to the went to the expo and got our numbers. They had some decent race merchandise but I didn't end up getting anything. We then went for a run along the river, which was amazing. There were so many runners, walkers and bikers, which was really motivational. It was a dirt path that went on either side of the river and the scenery was really nice. We ran about 40 minutes, but then stopped to we'd be ready for the race the next day.

The starting line was at the Texas state capital, which is massive. There were a lot of people at the start but it wasn't overly crowded and we went towards the front. The course itself winds around downtown for the first couple miles, then heads straight south. It goes through some interesting neighborhoods, then turns and goes back towards downtown. Just when you think the race is getting ready to wrap up, you find yourself heading up some steep hills on the outskirts of the downtown area, and then winding around the capital before finishing in front of it.

The weather in Austin was perfect for racing and even through it has a couple big hills, it's a fast course. It's also well organized and the fan support is pretty good throughout the race.

UnitedHealthcare Triple Crown

In 2012 I participated in the UnitedHealthcare Triple Crown, which consisted of three half marathon: the Providence Half Marathon in May, the Jamestown Half Marathon in July and the Newport Half Marathon in October. I had originally singed up for Providence, then learned that the Triple Crown was formed and decided to do the others. I knew nothing about Jamestown (it was a new race), but had heard amazing things about Newport and decided to run it, even though it was a week after the Chicago Marathon.

Providence was pretty much what I'd expected from a small city race. It had a small expo, nice course and here-and-there crowd support. It was well organized and gave a good tour of the city, which was a plus. It actually has a very similar course as the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon.

Jamestown was a fun race, which did a complete loop of the island. It was quite challenging, especially in the second half, as there were several very steep hills. Since there weren't too many runners, I was completely alone during that part (I couldn't see anyone in front or behind me) and spent much of the race just trying to push myself. The crowd support was very, very thin, but it was such a relaxing atmosphere that I ended up getting in a grove and really enjoyed it.

Newport was by far the largest race. After a very crowded and somewhat disorganized start, the running spread out quickly because we immediately ran up a big hill. The race then went through neighborhoods, and about half way through, became really beautiful. We started running by stunning houses and along the ocean. It was a really windy day, so I ended up taking in the scenery rather than focusing on my splits. The race finished along the beach and afterwards, we spent the day in Newport and enjoyed the town.

ING Miami Half Marathon Recap

Since my grandfather lives in Miami, we decided to head down in January for a visit - which timed really nicely with the ING Miami Half Marathon (not a coincidence).

The day before the race we woke up and went for a run along the water. It was pretty and warm, but all concrete and didn't have the beauty that many other cities have. We then went to the expo to grab out numbers, before spending the day with family.

The race starts really early in the morning (6:15am). This is actually a blessing because it was really hot there, and as soon as the sun came up (around mile 4) we could really feel the heat. The race starts and ends near American Airlines Arena, and the course goes over a bridge to Miami Beach, through the area, then back over a different bridge.

The start of the race was horrendous - probably the worst I've ever experienced. I don't know what method they used to line people up, but I was put in the third coral and spent the first two miles pushing past people and running sideways more than forward, to pass people who were already walking or going really slow. After finally making through all of that, I got in a grove and enjoyed the run - which I was treating as a tempo. The fan support was ok and the course was decent, but not anything I was amazed by. The last couple miles go through the city and there's not too much build-up until you turn the corner and see the finish line.

I was glad I did the race, but wouldn't do it again.