Maraton de Guayaquil, ECUADOR!

On Thursday night I hosted trivia at an Irish-American bar, and one of the questions I wrote and asked was ¨how many miles/kilometers are in a marathon?¨ and one of the waiters whispered the answer to me, and said ¨because I am a marathoner.¨ We got chatting about running, and he asked if I will be here in Ecuador in October. When I said yes, he got excited and asked me if I plan on running the Guayaquil Marathon in southern Ecuador.

WHAT?!??! I didn´t know there is a marathon in Guayaquil while I will be here! I arrived shortly after the Quito Marathon, and for some reason thought that was it. The waiter said he would give me more information next week, but I looked it up, and it seems awesome! I don´t think I can commit to training for a full marathon while I am busy volunteering and teaching English, but I can definitely train for a half-marathon!

I went for my first training run today...a whopping 21-minute run, which I would say is a huge improvement from my pathetic 4:43 performance last week. I guess I have acclimatized to this altitude more. I also ran in a different park this time - Parque La Carolina, which is supposedly like New York´s Central Park. I´d say that the only real similarity is that they are both settled in the city between skyscrapers.

I´m sooo excited to have a race to train for! And my first international race! Ahhh!

The Hardest 5-Minute Run of My Life

I really wish I could say that I did something impressive, like ran a 5-minute mile, but no. The hardest five minutes of running I ever endured were yesterday, when I attempted to run in my new city, Quito, Ecuador. Quito is the second highest capital in the world after La Paz, Bolivia. It is located about 2,850 meters -- 9,350 feet -- above sea level.

Many people suffer from altitude sickness upon arriving in Quito, but I was spared that malady. Instead, I was very tired all week and hungrier than usual. And I was out of breath much faster than usual. After 6 days in the city, I tried to go for a run. I was going to take the bus to a big park and go for a run, but I was kind of short on time, so I ran in the small park by my house.

People stared at me like I had 3 heads as I walked to the park. I was wearing running shorts and a tshirt...nothing scandalous. I guess people dont wear athletic attire here...

Thank goodness I didnt waste my time on the bus! I could only run for two minutes at a time, and didnt make it past 4 minutes 43 seconds. My lungs were SCORCHING. My mouth hurt! It was excruciatingly painful to breathe. Quito is wicked polluted, not like Santiago, Chile where the pollution hangs in a cloud over the city. Were talking huge black clouds of smoke erupting from every bus or truck that passes.

My lungs hurt the rest of the afternoon. Well see how further attempts at running go.

ECUADOR!

I may have failed to mention this, but I just moved to Ecuador on Tuesday. I plan on staying here for 3 to 4 months, and I am volunteering in a clinic in Quito.

I have yet to go running here, but hopefully I will figure that out this weekend. I have a travel blog that I´ve been writing in since September 2007, and the address is: http://marisabroad.blogspot.com

Spring or Fall Marathon?

This week I went for two runs in my new sneaks. I ran in the Lehigh Parkway (where my high school cross team practiced), and ran two different circuits. Both days I ran it was bout 85 degrees and sunny...HOT. One run was 3.8 miles and the other was 4.3...both runs that I have done literally hundreds of times in my life, and yet I struggled to complete them without taking breaks for water or to catch my breath.

In HS cross-country, we had to run "tours" of the Parkway, which is a 6.2 mile loop of the park. One of my teammates donated to my Boston Marathon fundraising, and added a note "it's only 4.34 tours!"....which made me feel really pathetic that I couldn't even finish one!


I attribute part of this to the fact that I haven't been running a lot, and partially to the fact that I haven't run in hot weather for 2 years (due to traveling I had no spring/summer since 07), and once the weather got nice in Boston I was recovering from the Marathon and not running. I was laughing while I was running in my sports bra thinking about how "Sports Bra Days" used to be such a big deal in high school, and they were reserved pretty much for >95 degree days. And then I ran past a girl from my high school team...she was wearing a shirt. Whooops.

While I was running this week, I was thinking about how I swore I would never again train for a Spring marathon. It meant running 10 miles through ankle deep snow and practically ice skating half-marathons, which were fun in hindsight, but in not so pleasant in the moment. Then I was thinking about one of my friends who is training for Chicago, and is doing long runs in this summer heat. Also not so pleasant. I guess that no one ever said training for a marathon would be pleasant though!

IT Band update: I pushed my little brother in the pool after he told me he would jump in with me and didn't. He was mad at me then, and jumped on me, crashing his heel right into my injured IT Band. OWwieeee.

NEW SHOES!

I have a love/hate relationship with new running shoes.

LOVE: Usually by the time I get new running shoes I have run the maximum 3-400 miles in my old kicks, and am starting to get aches and pains associated with old shoes. I like the cheap thrill of sharpie-ing the date onto the heels of the shoes so that I can remember when I got them.

HATE: I feel like such a dork with brand spankin' new clean running shoes.

---------------------------------

I understand why running shoes are so expensive, but it also pains me to shell out >$100 3 times a year for a new pair. Soo, I was totally psyched when I called my running store and asked if they had last year's model of my shoes, the Brooks Defyance, and they did! The Brooks Defyance 2 retails somewhere around $99, and they had 3 pairs of the Brooks Defyance 1 left marked down to only $59, and one was in my size! Such a score! Love 'em.

Trail Runs!

Apart from a one-time affair with a trail run in Sedona, AZ (110 degree heat with the sun beating down at 10 AM...), I have never really gone on a trail run. I suppose there aren't many opportunities to do that in Boston...

This past week I was up in Vermont on vacation with my family. We have a place at Smuggler's Notch where we have been going for the past 10 years. I've been up every year to ski in the winter, but I hadn't been up in the summertime since before I went to college!

In addition to the various hikes I did this week, I went on two trail runs. One I did at the end of a hike, and one I did just as a run.

1. I played disc golf with my dad and cousins in the morning, and realized that the cross-country ski trails that the disc golf course follows would be great to run on. I set out with no real course in mind, blasted Lady Gaga, and set out on the trails. I loved that I had no way of monitoring how far I was going, and that I had to focus more on where I was putting each foot, rather than how I felt. There were a lot of long uphills, though, which made me think that cross-country skiing must be really hard. Whatever - the long uphills meant long downhills on the way back. I raced a golfcart up the hill back to our condo...I won :D

2. After a hike, my brother and I did a mini-trail run back to our car to go pick the rest of my family up. This was way more trail-like with ups and downs and roots and rivers. It was cool. I don't think I could ONLY trail run, but I hope to move somewhere that I can mix it in with my normal city runs!

IT Band...STILL.

When the orthopedic doctor at school warned me that the cortisone shot I got before the Boston Marathon could have a negative impact on me, I wasn't too worried. At that point, I was beyond nervous that I wasn't going to be able to run/complete the Marathon, which I had been training so hard for that anything was worth it!

Now is a different story. It was definitely worth it to get the cortisone shot before the Marathon. I don't think I could have run it (or had such a great time running it!) without it. Unfortunately now I am back to an endemic level of enormous amount of IT band pain. I need to get new running shoes, and I have been running on country roads (which are super crowned) every day...bad combination for the IT band.

I was in NYC this weekend, and had a hard time walking around. Unlike being at school, I don't have a gym membership here in Pennsylvania, and it is not worth getting one because I am only here for about 10 more days, so I have nowhere to cross-train. Boo-hoo. Back to ibuprofen and icing!

Throwback Runs

Since the Boston Marathon, I have had a hard time running over 2 or 3 miles. The thought of that seems absurd, seeing as for a few months there running anything under 8 miles was a joke. I don't know whether it is some sort of mental barrier, the idea that I'm not training for a specific race, the fact that I know that I need new shoes, or I know how terrible the crowned roads out here in the country are for my IT band, but for some reason I am having a hard time running.

I went for a run in the Lehigh Parkway one of my first days back in Pennsylvania after graduating. The Lehigh Parkway is where my high school cross-country team ran, and the site that I envisioned I was running at when in reality I was running block after block down Mass. Ave in Cambridge, or some other boring place to run in Boston. It was an interesting experience running in this place that I so often picture during my training runs. I must have been lost deep in that thought because I jumped nervously when I heard gunshots as I ran up the hill on my way to the covered bridge (AKA "Red"). This is a sound that I would have never thought twice of when I ran in the Parkway in high school. There is a police training academy in the Parkway that has a firing range...seems as though I forgot that for a brief second.

I had some of my proudest and toughest moments in the Parkway in high school, but despite the memories of tough practices or bad races, it is a soothing place to run. I think that is probably because I have logged more miles there than anywhere else in the world. I'm glad that I have a place like that to envision when I run elsewhere.


_________

Today I had to take my little brother to get a haircut, and figured that I would sneak in a quick run in Coopersburg rather than flipping through dumb magazines at the salon. I was right near my elementary school - the place where I consciously decided to BECOME A RUNNER - so I decided to run past it. I haven't been there since I switched schools in 4th grade, and it was 100% different! So wild!

The story of why Liberty Bell Elementary is where/when I decided to become a runner:

It was Field Day in 4th grade (until 3rd grade you have Play Day or Fun Day or something non-competitive), and I somehow got signed up for the 1/4 mile run, and WON! I remember thinking it was soo far and so hard, but somehow I won the event! I got a shiny blue 1st place ribbon, and from that moment on I decided that I was going to start training so that I could win again next year.

Little did I know I was switching schools in 5th grade, and my new school didn't have the 1/4 mile run as a Field Day event. They did, however, have cross-country. So I started that instead.

Running the Boston Marathon!

Okay, so this is long overdue. Unacceptable. Luckily, I am a much better student than I am blogger, and my 20 pg paper (due 5/4/09 11AM), 15 pg paper worth 100% of my grade (due 5/4/09 5PM), and final exam (5/4/09 3:30PM) are all DONE! And I am done with college...bittersweet?

So, after much ado, my experience running the Boston Marathon:

Pre-Race
We boarded the Tufts buses at 6:15 AM, greeted by our enthusiastic university President, Larry Bacow and coach Don Megerle. As Bacow spoke excitedly and hugged each of us, it was evident that he was a little bit jealous that he wasn't going to be running today (this is is first year not running). Don looked like a proud father as he sent our buses off to Boston.

On the bus, I finished my coffee and ate a specialK bar. My mind was spinning with thoughts like: "shorts or tights?" "long-sleeves or short sleeves?" "what if it starts raining?" "what if i can't go to the bathroom before i run?" "what if my IT band starts hurting?"so I turned on my iPod to tune out the questions without answers. M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" made me think about how strong I felt running the first 3 Newton Hills during my 20-mile run, and calmed my nerves.

We arrived at the Boston Common to board the official BAA buses that would bring us to Hopkinton. Lines of runners snaked around the park, and I chuckled to myself thinking of all the days I walked from my internship to the State House through the Common, and now I was here in running clothes about to run the Boston Marathon. What am I doing? My roommate Jen, my friend Casey, and I stuck together, as was the plan for the race. After about 25 minutes, we boarded a bus that would take us to Hopkinton. The bus was so overwhelming. All I could hear was "which race did you use to qualify?" "oh, the 15 other marathons I've run in my life" etc etc etc. Because I had been training with the Tufts team, it never really registered to me that the vast majority of people running Boston had qualified, not raised money in exchange for a bib number. I once again turned on my iPod to tune out the nervous energy around me. I fell asleep on the hour-long drive out to Hopkinton.

Wait, that bus ride took an hour? To drive? What am I doing? We arrived at the Athlete's Village, which looked like a perverse twist on some sort of fair. There was a giant tent with bagels and water, but the only thing at this fair was portapotties. With massively long lines. Walking around the Athlete's Village I learned a lot about what to bring to my next marathon: something to sit and a blanket (disposable). We waited in line for about 45 minutes for the bathroom, and got advice about what to wear. I polled the women in line behind me (one from Alaska, one from Ireland...what?!) who were both wearing shorts, so I decided that I would wear shorts, too.

When the man on the loudspeaker instructed us to line up, we proceeded to walk the 0.7 miles to the starting corrals. It was already past the Wave 2 start time (10:30), but our times wouldn't be recorded until we crossed the start line. I shed my sweatpants (freshmen year of high school track sweatpants!) and my sweatshirt (CCHS cross-country "Chicks Out For A Good Time"), and tried to get my nervous energy out.

Crossing the starting line was exciting - like the beginning of an adventure. The first mile is a huge downhill, and we were cautioned to take it slow. It was so crowded, that trying to weave in and out to get ahead of the crowd would have been pointless anyway.

So basically, I had a blast. I had a giant smile spread across my face the entire race. I never hit the wall, I was never in extreme amounts of pain, I never had to dig deep to convince myself to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Since 26.2 miles is a lot to detail, here are some of the highlights:


Mile 9: Seeing the Tufts fan group, my parents, my brother Luke and sister Jessica, President Bacow, Don...Jess ran the next mile with us, which was so fun!


Mile 13: WELLESLEY COLLEGE. So everyone says that the Wellesley tunnel is the best part of the Boston Marathon, and it was definitely one of my favorite places. You could hear the screams long before reaching Wellesley. All of the Wellesley girls wear "Free Kisses" t-shirts and scream at the top of their lungs. Very inspiring, haha.


Mile 14-15: Running through Wellesley Hills remembering my training run there running through shin deep snow. Smiling, and feeling soo happy that it was great weather.

Mile 16.8: We met up with Katrine! In her purple spandex! She ended up running soo many miles with us!

HEART BREAKAH: OKay, so, beasted those Newton Hills. At the crest of Heartbreak my IT band started to hurt, and I was desperately wishing I had ibuprofen. I figured that someone watching might have some, and just yelled as I ran by, and a woman had some! She saved me!

Mile 21: Seeing my friends! My friends had huge signs and were waiting on the backside of Heartbreak for us! Soo fun. Derek, Andy, and Ryan ended up running with us for awhile.

BC: Running through BC was awesome. Soo many college kids, and so many more of my friends! Over the course of the run I saw 7 out of 8 of my Wilderness freshmen, which meant so so much to me, in addition to all the other friends I saw.

Seeing the Citgo sign: 1.4 miles to go. For the first time in the entire process of training for and running the Boston Marathon, I realized that running a marathon is kind of crazy. It is SO MANY MILES. Why why why?

Turning off of Comm Ave: This is where I should have started sprinting, but my legs were just so heavy. I did what I could. I made the mistake of thinking about my last cross-country race of high school at Lehigh University - it is a long straightaway (similar to Boylston St) and my friends were yelling "No regrets!"

Crossing the finish line was exhilarating. I was a little disappointed that I wasn't overcome with emotions (read: I thought I was going to burst into tears). I got a huge hug from both Bacow and Don after I crossed the finish line (with my arms in the air in victory!) I saw my family, traded in my chip for a medal, got a shiny heatsheet blanket, some food, and my bag. I was astonished at how incredibly organized it was. I guess after 113 runnings of this race they've got their system down.


I took the bus back with my family, and proceeded to get really sick. After all of my long training runs my digestive system decided to shut down for the day, but after the Marathon it decided to cease to function for closer to 48 hours. I felt like there was DrainO in my stomach, or like I had been poisoned. Not pleasant to say the least.

All in all, it was an amazing experience. I was incredibly disappointed the next day when I was hardly sore at all (and felt really sick). I kind of felt like I hadn't given it my all, and that I could have run faster or pushed myself further. It stinks because it was such a great experience, and I was so happy the entire time except for the last kick.

After a few days I remembered that it wasn't really about the time, it was about the process and the accomplishment. So yay. Life goal achieved. I ran the Boston Marathon.

BOSTON MARATHON!

We'll start with some pics - entry soon to follow. Sorry - since TDC and the Marathon ended, and my semester ends on Monday, I really need to get cracking on my schoolwork!



Approaching Tufts Fan Section at Mile 9


Tufts Fans - Mile 9


Hugging Mom at Mile 9



Greeting my Proud Parents at Mile 9



Jogging Along


Run Run Run


So happy!


Finish Line on Boylston St!


VICTORIOUS!


I did it!


Shiny on the outside, victorious on the inside.


Boston Marathon finishers!

Boston Marathon Expo

What an overwhelming experience! AHHH.

I went to the Boston Marathon Expo on Sunday afternoon after a delicious brunch at SoundBites. The Expo was held at the Hynes Convention Center in downtown Boston...on Boylston Street - the same street that the finish line of the Marathon is on.

It was tough to find parking, especially in my parents' Suburban, so my dad dropped us off, and we met up with him inside. Jen and I collected our numbers, and chatted with the incredibly friendly volunteers. Apparently people had been offering them $100 in cash for their volunteer jackets - crazy! We tried on sizes for participant t-shirts...the eternal struggle between small and medium! (This has been quite the ordeal throughout the Marathon process - what size singlet, participant tee, jacket, team t shirt....) Ended up both getting smalls.

The Expo itself was packed with people and booths - most of which were giving out free swag - saweeeet! I got lots of free powerbar type things, smoothie mixes, aquaphor, and stickers. I also got a beautiful poster with a picture from last year's marathon, but all the participants names on it. Yay. I'm famous.

The hard part about the Expo was that I was really tired, it was really crowded, and I wanted to ensure that my family was having an enjoyable time. We spent a good amount of time there, and then I went home and took a power nap before the Pre-Marathon Team Dinner.

MARATHON MONDAY!

I AM RUNNING THE BOSTON MARATHON TODAY!!!!
Track me online at www.baa.org bib number 26657

Dance Performance + Freaking Out

Ahhhh - so I just got back from my last ever performance for Tufts Dance Collective! I wish I could be more sentimental about it considering I have been in TDC since my freshman year, but I can't focus on anything but the Boston Marathon! Ahhh! I was in 3 dances tonight - the Choreographer's Dance to the Harry Potter theme song, "Kanye's New Workout Plan/La La" by Kanye West/Ashlee Simpson, and I choreographed a dance to "Objection" and "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira. It was incredibly fun, as always, but I was definitely ready to come home and get in bed. My legs feel tired and still sore from this shot. I am hoping that tomorrow will be the big day that I feel all better and ready!

I'm nervous. I don't want to be thinking about the Marathon anymore. I just want to be running. I'm kind of freaking out...

Cortisone Shot

Soo, some pre-race updates!

On Thursday, I finished my internship at the Mass. Alliance on Teen Pregnancy! Woo! I have been a Public Policy Intern there since September, and it was an amazing experience, but I am glad to be done! I got out of work early in time to see the doctor at Tufts through the athletic trainers.

My coach, Don, came into my appointment with me, and after I explained what was up and the doctor checked me out he explained to me that had it been the previous Thursday he would have no qualms about giving me a cortisone shot, but since the Marathon is only 4 days away, it was my decision. He said that some people feel worse for 2 or 3 days before they feel better, and that puts me in a shaky position for Marathon Monday. He said, however, that if I am in so much pain right now that the race is going to suck from the get-go, that I may as well just get the injection. He said it was my decision, so that I could only be mad at myself. Ha ha.

All the while he was explaining this, he was preparing the shot....guess he knew which option I was going to choose. I decided to get the cortisone shot. The doctor told me not to look because the needle is big, and it would make me anxious. I laid on my right side, and my coach, who was watching was squeezing my arm so tightly! I guess he shouldn't have been looking at the needle either! It definitely hurt when the needle pierced my skin, and then again when it went into the muscle, but I was laughing because of how hard Don was squeezing my arm!

It didn't really bother me last night, but today the area has been very sore and achey...a different kind of pain than before. The doctor and my coach both told me not to analyze the pain/relief, not to overthink it, and to just let it do what it was going to do. I understand that that makes for a completely un-interesting blog post about my shot, but I am going to heed their advice.

Well, I am off to paint the cannon...a Tufts tradition to be explained soon!

Last Run

Distance: 5.15 mi
Time: 44:00
Pace: 8:32

As a result of my nagging IT Band pain, I have decided to take it easy this week. I have continued my regimen of 600mg ibuprofen 3-4 times daily, foam rolling 2x/day, and ice at any moment possible (aka a few times a day), and unfortunately, my IT Band still really hurts.


I went and saw the trainer again today, and luckily this time my coach was with me. The trainer gave me grief about how I shouldn't be a runner because my quads are too developed, and that is what causes my IT Band to become so inflamed. He basically shrugged his shoulders at me when I asked him what more I could do. He gave me a strap that should help a bit by putting pressure on my IT Band above the insertion point in the knee. I'm sure that it helps to a certain extent, but I'm not sure how much.


I talked with my coach about getting a cortisone shot, and he seems to think it is a good idea. The trainer does not, but after I begged him to let me chat about it with the doctor, he made an appointment for me. He then refused to give me treatment, because "you want you're cortisone shot, you can get it, but I'm not going to help you out." I understand that he is worried about the negative consequences, but I am not going to get cortisone shots on a regular basis - I just want to be able to run the Boston Marathon without debilitating knee pain from the get go.


The whole ordeal has me thinking about how although I am not trying to run a qualifying time or beat any records, it is not enough for me to simply cross the finish line on Boylston Street. I want to run as best I can, around the pace that I have been training at (well, slower, but still), and not limp 26.2 miles.


My run today was fun. I ran with my Wilderness Orientation co-leader who promised me in August that he would run with me some time. Seeing as today was my last run before the Marathon (and I probably won't run again before I graduate on May 17), we went. It was nice, we ran at a conversation pace, but I felt kind of bad at the end because he hasn't run since last summer and I took him on an easy run for me, but realized that that would be hecka hard for someone who hasn't run in almost a year.

MARATHON = SO SOON! AHHHHHHHHH!

Excuses, excuses

The number of times I have used "I'm running the Marathon" as an excuse this semester is outrageous.

Tuesday nights are a going out night at Tufts, and we have team runs on Wednesday mornings at 7:15 AM, so all too often "I'm running the Marathon" is why I didn't go out/drink on a Tuesday night.

Saturday nights are obviously the biggest going out night of the weekend, but our team runs, especially long runs on the course are on Sunday mornings at 8 AM. Clearly I've pulled the "running the Marathon" excuse countless Saturday nights.

Monday nights I have dance practice, and after my long runs couldn't always move with the agility I usually do (ha...), and I gracefully employed my "running the Marathon excuse."

And then this weekend when I ate an entire bag of Cheetos by myself, I realized that I have taken the "I'm running the Marathon" excuse a little too far. An entire bag of Cheetos...that's just gross :D

IT Band

Distance: 3.46 miles
Time: 26:56
Pace: 7:47/mi (I should run a 5k at the peak of my training - I feel like I could beat my PR 24:04)

Today I went for a test run to see how my IT band felt, and I hate to report that I was in pain after about a mile. I probably should not have gone out so fast, and plan to run at my race pace (or slower) on my final training run! I didn't think I was running that fast, but I guess I was? The run was short, nothing too exciting, and I stopped as soon as I felt steady pain. I didn't let it get to the point that I was really hurting.


I (amazingly) got out of work early on Thursday, so I called to get an appointment with the trainer, but she was booked. She made me an appointment with the other trainer, so I cross-trained and then went to see him. Turns out he hates the Marathon team. Lovely. At first, he made me wait a really long time, and then told me I wasn't stretching properly. (I have been) He was very patronizing asking me about my ibuprofen regimen, stretching, shoes, etc. Finally, he realized that I am not a total novice runner, and this is just a legitimate overuse injury. I understand his frustration with a lot of the Marathon team - students who have never run before, have no idea that you need to replace shoes every 300-500 miles, don't think to ice and stretch, etc. but still, he didn't have to be so rude.

Once he warmed up to me a little, he gave me ice and stim, I foam rolled, and then he gave me the medicine stuff. All in all I was there for close to 90 minutes (!), but I left feeling considerably better.

Appointment with the Trainer

Due to the IT Band issues that violently emerged during the 20-mile run, I decided to make an appointment with the trainer. Running the Marathon with Tufts has been such an incredible experience - the support that is provided to me is so helpful! In addition to a coach, water and breakfast during/after all training runs, I can use the Tufts Athletic Training room and trainers. Woo.

I had an appointment with Kim, a trainer who has run the Boston Marathon with the Tufts team twice before. I went in to see her, and she confirmed that it was my IT Band that is bothering me. She "prescribed" a week off from running, a regimen of 3x daily 600mg ibuprofen, and lots of foam rolling. Lovely.

20 Miler...HBH

THOSE NEWTON HILLS.........SIGH SIGH SIGH. AHHHHHHHH. THOSE DAMN NEWTON HILLS.


Distance: 19.96 miles
Time: 3:03:09
Pace: 9:10...soooo speeedy!

This morning we had our fourth and final Tufts President's Marathon Challenge Team Run on the Boston Marathon course. In true New England fashion, a week of 50 degrees and sunshine turned into low 40s and rain on the day I had/got to run 20 miles on the Marathon course.

Jen and I got to Boston College at around 8:20, and began stretching, using the bathroom, debating what to wear. At 9:05, the 2 of us were leading the 9:00-10:00 minute pace group although we weren't exactly sure where we were going. I knew that we were running 10 miles to the far end of Wellesley, and then running back. What's good about that is that we were running the right way on the course at the actual miles we will run them on race day. The course started with a big uphill, and then a series of rolling ups and downs. We were running pretty fast/FLYING, discussed how fast we were running, and kept it up.

I started thinking about this bar that I used to go to in Santiago, Chile called "HBH" and how I thought it was a name ripped off from Hofbrau Haus in Munich, Germany, where Jen and I traveled to together. Then I realized that HBH is also an acronym for HeartBreak Hill! So Jen and I decided to start referring to it as HBH (but pronounced in Spanish.) We thought we were going to be running it that day, but were unsure.

We cruised to the first water station at 4.5 miles in 37:50 (8:24 pace!). Around here our friend Casey teamed up with us, and the three of us kept on trucking. I felt incredible during the first 10 miles. We were CRUISING. There were tons of people out on the course today both running and providing aid. I was astonished that there were people completely unaffiliated with running groups just handing out water and snacks to runners...so sweet. Also one of the big running stores here in Boston, Marathon Sports, had a tent set up at 4.5 (which is 15.5 on the way back), providing aid to runners. So amazing.

It was raining pretty hard, and so so so cold. I lost complete feeling in my hands and arms, so badly that at one point I couldn't even fix my running tights. Although it was annoying at the time, it just lends to the badass-ness of the run!

We hit the 10 mile turnaround at 1:29 (8:55 pace!). I did not take energy gel because it made me really sick last long run. Instead I munched on some sharkies and endurance beans. They stuck to my teeth, but they were tasty. On the way back I kept thinking that we should slow down, but never vocalized it or took remedial action. Instead, we flew up and down the first two Newton Hills and everything in between.

Around mile 15.5, an all too familiar pain in my left IT band took me by surprise. I have been relatively pain free throughout this whole training process, and it was very frustrating and painful for me to continue running. I stopped to stretch at the water station at the 15.5 mile mark, but ended up losing Jen and Casey when I had to keep on stopping to stretch it out. It was excruciating. When my IT band starts hurting it makes my entire left leg go numb, and I feel like I am dragging that leg, and doing all the effort with my right leg. It was frustrating because I had been feeling incredible and running so well, and now I was running slowly, in pain, and by myself.

And then I hit it. Heartbreak Hill. The one. The only. You heartbreaker, you. Going into the run I didn't know where it was, but as soon as I started the ascent, I knew I was on it. And if this wasn't it, I was probably going to cry, because HBH (pronounced in Spanish), as Jen and I had nicknamed it SUCKED... (great use of my extensive vocabulary.)

The rest was a relative cake walk. And by that I mean I kind of felt like I wanted to cry. I have never exerted myself physically to this extent. It was cold, my leg hurt so badly it was numb, I was running by myself, and for some reason I was getting emotional? I can't really explain that. (After the run I kept feeling like I was going to burst into tears, but I wasn't sad or in that much pain. Inexplicably weird.) Okay, but seriously, given that, the rest wasn't bad, and I finished in record time.

It still hasn't sunk in that I ran 20 miles today. I might not believe it if my body wasn't in the excruciating pain it is in now...

X-Train

Just a note: I run a lot more than I post on here, and I don't post all of my runs ...just as an FYI that I am much better at running/training every day than blogging about it :)


This week has demanded a lot of cross training. I am looking forward to (and daunted by) my 20-miler this weekend, and do not want my shins to hurt the way they did during the 16.5-miler, so I have been cross-training it up all week:


- The elliptical and I are BFF (best friends forever), especially when the gym is empty and I can ignore the 30 minute time limit

- The treadmill is a great mental workout for not wanting to keep putting one foot in front of the other. My newfound love for treadmills that I discovered before Spring Break has vanished.

- I am psyched that the gym installed Purell dispensers! I hate the way weights make your hands smell, and I am generally pretty skeeved out by gym germs.

- Abs/pushups/lifting. Wooo.

Tufts is on a Hill

Distance: 3.64 miles
Time: 31:09
Pace: 8:33


I have overheard so many conversations about the Boston Marathon that include the phrase "those Newton (MA) hills," usually accompanied by a large sigh.
________________________________________________________________

A large part of the Tufts University experience revolves around the fact that Tufts is on a hill. Do you live uphill or downhill? Is the uphill dining hall (Carmichael) better than the downhill dining hall (Dewick)? (Answer: hell no.) Uphill is closer to Boston Ave., downhill is closer to Davis. The rivalry goes on...As a tour guide, I am always astonished at how winded tour groups get walking up the hill. I find it ironic that we have so much uphill/downhill rivalry, tour groups die walking up it, and yet I hardly notice that our campus is on a hill.


In an attempt to prepare myself for "those Newton hills..." I tried to run hills around Tufts as a workout today. Turns out it is much easier to remember that Tufts is on a hill when you are running up it rather than meandering slowly to class. Running hills was a great throwback to Central Catholic HS cross-country practice, where hills were a staple at every practice.

I also ran today without my iPod. I haven't decided whether I will run the Boston Marathon with my iPod or not. I enjoy running with music, but hate switching between songs, and I am really really looking forward to all the cheering on race day, so we shall see. I am trying to mix up my training runs, and do some with the iPod, some without. I am running 20 miles this weekend (!), and I might do it without my iPod to see how it goes.

Roadtrips and Marathon Training

Let's just say that roadtrips are not conducive to training for a marathon. Unless maybe you are familiar with the cities you are staying in, or either of your traveling companions likes to run. I was not lucky enough to have either of the last 2, so my training was a bit shoddy this week.


The week following my 16.5 mile run I was in and out of the gym, cross-training and running outside. In true New England fashion it snowed the day after the 60 degree weather, so I cross-trained until the snow melted again. My shins did not hurt at all this week, which I am psyched about!

I ran on the beach in Miami, which was not the best training run I have ever done. It was hot, and the sun was beating down on me, but I ran until the boardwalk ended, and then ran back to my friends. I understand that that gives no concept of how long or how far I ran, but I wasn't wearing a watch, and really have no sense of the distance. Usually I can gauge my time/distance to a certain extent, but I think because it was just straight and flat (and hot) I got disoriented.


I am back at school now, which is good because I ran, elliptical-ed, and lifted in an empty gym. Before spring break the gym was a madhouse with everyone trying to shed those last pounds before the beach, and now it is deadsville. Excellent.

Just 16 Miles

Conversation with friend before run:
Me: "How far are you thinking of running today?" (There were 3 groups: 14-16 mi, 16-18 mi, 18-20 mi)
Friend: "Just 16 miles."
Me: ......I have never heard 16 miles prefaced by "just!"
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Today I ran the furthest I have ever run in my life! 16.5 miles on the Boston Marathon course! Today was the 3rd Long Run with the Tufts President's Marathon Challenge Team. We ran from the Massachusetts Bay Community College 7.5 miles out into Natick, then back (in the direction of the actual marathon) towards Wellesley.

The best part was that it was about 55 degrees, blue skies, and sunny! I was in complete amazement at how beautiful the day was, and how incredible Spring is! As I was in the Northen hemisphere, then Southern, and now Northern throughout the course of the past year, I have had NO SPRING since my sophomore year at Tufts. I'm amused at my reaction to Springtime as such a novelty.

The first few miles of the run I was incredibly frustrated. My shins were really, really hurting, and I felt as though I wouldn't be able to finish this run if the pain kept up. I persevered, and by about 5 miles my shins were hardly bothering me. I was listening to my iPod, which was great because I had made a mix the night before and didn't have to keep shuffling through my music. I ran pretty conservatively because I didn't want to die on the way back.

The next 5 miles were the toughest part of the run. I generally don't like courses that involve an out and back, and that's exactly what this chunk of the run was. I guess the whole run was like that, but these 5 miles felt particularly tough. As we ran through the water station at mile 10, I felt daunted by 6 looming miles ahead of me.

Luckily I got over that pretty quickly, and let myself enjoy running the last 6.5 along the course. One of the best parts was trying to envision what it will be like on race day. As it was, there were a TON of people training on the course today all chatting and cheering each other on...it was great. It made me soo much more excited for April 20!

New England Weather part 1

I spoke too soon! Beginning early Sunday morning, the sky opened up and dumped inches upon inches of snow on the Boston area. So much snow, in fact, that I was granted my first college snow day! While I was obviously disappointed that I wouldn't be having my classes that day, it was an excellent excuse to spend the day sledding and having snowball fights.

This also meant that my outdoor training was on pause. I have returned to the gym, which is teeming with obsessed almost-Spring Breakers, trying to shed those extra pounds before break. I have luckily been able to find some times that are less crowded to fit in some lifting and endurance workouts on the treadmill and elliptical.

My fitness level has definitely improved - I'm seeing that in my gym workouts as well as my runs, which is exciting! Less than 2 months until the marathon!

(Almost) Half Marathon

Distance: 12.99 miles
Time: 1:59:30
Pace: 9:11

Spring-like weather graced the Boston area last week, and I got over my respiratory issues, which meant....no more treadmill! It was fortuitous timing to no longer be sick and be able to run outside in the warm(er) weather.


On Wednesday, my professor let us out of class about 45 minutes early, which meant that instead of going to the gym after class, I had time to run outside. I set out on my run with no plan about where I would run, how far I would run or anything. I've learned that these are my best runs because it makes it seem like less of a chore.


I ran down the bike path through Davis Square, and then toward Alewife and Spy Pond. Usually I would run back via Mass Ave., but I want to take it easy on my feet and shins and the bike path is not as rough on the body as the street. When I got back to Davis I still felt great, and proceeded to run around Davis/Tufts area until it got dark. I wasn't sure how long I would be able to run for, and I didn't have my T pass, so I literally ran around the Tufts campus for about 6 miles. It was really fun, but I felt silly passing friends and classmates, chugging along at my slowed pace.

While I was running I kept thinking about random things that I thought would make interesting fodder for this blog, but I noticed that a few miles later I was already thinking about something new, and had forgotten what I was originally thinking about. Mostly during this run I was thinking about how much I love running, and how when I just get out there and hit the streets it feels good to just go with no real destination in mind.


I'm so excited that it stays light out longer now, as it means that I can run outside later in the day! This marathon training business is starting to look much better as the snow melts and spring begins! I was really pleased that I ran almost a half marathon in under two hours and still felt great at the end of it. I know that the real marathon is over TWICE the distance that I ran on Wednesday, but I feel like my training is going incredibly well, and I am getting more and more excited for the Boston Marathon!!

Running Playlist #2

Ugh. A 2GB iPod Nano is very limiting. I am in no way complaining about my iPod, it is just hard to get a wide variety of music with so little memory!

"Bastard" - Ben Folds
"Campus" - Vampire Weekend
"Can't Get A Line" - Old 97s
"Catch My Disease" - Ben Lee
"Estoy Aqui" - Shakira
"Fast Cars and Freedom" - Rascal Flatts
"Here's To You" - Rascal Flatts
"I Won't Spend Another Night Alone" - The Ataris
"Murder (Or A Heart Attack) - Old 97's
"No Baby I" - Old 97's
"Tristeza Maleza" - Manu Chao

Run Until You Can't Think

I love Boston around Marathon season. For the month of April, everything in the city is about running or targeted at runners. My sophomore year, Adidas was running an advertising campaign called "Reasons I Run"...billboards, blimps!, bus ads, posters in the T...everything had a different reason why people run. Walking into the Pru to go shopping, I got an Adidas Boston Marathon shirt that I had to write the reason that I run... (to beat PRs?)


One reason displayed on the buses was "The pavement is my therapist"...a sentiment that resonates with me quite clearly. Running gives me time to clear my head, to step away from a situation, and try and gain some perspective on it. I can think of numerous times that something has been bothering me: fights with boyfriends, friends, parents, stress about school...I've gone for a run, and by the end of the run, the problem is so not the giant dilemma I thought it was.


I've had a pretty crap weekend/few days. No need for intimate details, just that anything that could go wrong has, and tonight I reached the peak of my frustration/anger. If only it wasn't dark out, I could have run for miles and miles and miles. I could have run "until my legs pumped battery acid" (thank you Maniac Magee!) if it was mid-day or not so scary to run alone at night.


Unfortunately, my only option was the treadmill. I began my workout at a conservative 6.5 mph and 2.5 incline as I jogged along to whatever was playing in my iPod (a better running mix....) I tried to flip through the magazines that were covering my time/distance, but I kept thinking about everything that was on my mind. Instead of trying to think about everything going on, I decided to just run until I stopped thinking.

I dropped the incline down to 0 and ran between 7.0 and 7.5 mph for the majority of my workout. I got into a great rhythm of pushing myself until I could think of nothing except running harder and faster. I wished I was outside, but for once, being on the treadmill was kind of nice. I had to keep up with the speed of the belt, and as soon as I started to let my mind wander I just upped the speed.

I finished my run at 8.0 mph, a speed that I had not previously sustained on a treadmill for longer than the sprint portion of an interval workout. I can't say I necessarily figured anything out, seeing as the whole purpose of my run was to run so hard I couldn't think, but I'm sure I've got lots of miles over the next week to ponder my life. Hooray for marathon training!

Team Run

Yay. I figured out how to post my mapped runs!

Distance: 7.6 mi
Time: 1:06
Pace: 8:41!


I ran this morning with the Tufts Marathon Team. I tend to sleep through team runs, as Wednesdays are one of the only days I can sleep past 8:30AM, and team training runs start at 7AM. I'm extremely glad I went this morning - running can be such an individual activity, and I love the group aspect of it.


We ran to the end of the Upper Mystic Lake and back, which is becoming a standard component of every run I do around Tufts. The run was mostly fine, except for when I slipped on some pesky black ice around 3 miles in and twisted my foot.


I tried to have a positive mental attitude throughout the run, because I have noticed that I've been really worried about the marathon during my training runs. I later discussed this with Pete, who ran the marathon last year. What stuck out in my mind from him telling me about it was that at about mile 16 he didn't want to run anymore and it was pretty miserable. (Later felt better and finished the marathon in kickass time!) He reminded me that that was just his experience, and that it won't necessarily be the same way for me.

I have had the idea in my head throughout my training that the marathon is going to kill me, so this morning I tried to remember all the things I love about running. This came back easily, and as soon as I stopped worrying about the marathon, I pictured myself running in the Parkway (high school training), on some of my favorite high school XC courses, and ultimately rocking out on April 20th as I run from Hopkinton to Boston.

This sport is so mental.

I (ironically?) iced after the run, and my foot feels totally fine now.

Mental Workout

friends @ 100 Days Champagne Celebration

Distance: 12.07 miles
Time: 1:49:09
Pace: 9:03

Friday marked 100 Days until I graduate from Tufts University. There was a classy champagne reception (held in the Dining Hall...yesss....) that President Bacow spoke at. We got bookmarks as a little gift. The event was very nice, and who can pass up a free glass of champagne? It mostly made me realize how soon I will be launched into the real world. And how even sooner than that horrifying prospect, something almost as scary - running the Marathon!

Saturday early afternoon, Jen and I set out on a long run. We searched mapmyrun.com for long runs in our area, and found an 8-miler that looked promising. It was basically the run that the team does on Wednesday mornings, but in loop form instead of out and back.

It was gorgeous out. Well, it was in the mid-40s, a welcome change from the previous weekend!! We along the Mystic Lakes, which is part of the Middlesex Fells Reservation. When I was in high school I hated "ghetto runs" (running in the city by my high school), and loved running in the rural area around my house or in the Lehigh Parkway. My freshman year at Tufts I had an incredibly hard time adjusting to running in the city, but now I (mostly) love it, or at least am used to it. Regardless, it is nice to get away from the monotony of city blocks and run along roads with wide shoulders that wind through a Wilderness reservation.

I felt like I had settled into my pace around 2 miles in, but after an uphill about 3.33 miles in I had to take my inhaler, which bothered me. I have two inhalers that I use twice a day, but I like it better when I can make it through my runs without them. After that brief break we ran through a residential area. The houses were gorgeous - all unique and colorful mini-mansions on the Upper Mystic Lake...tres beautiful.

We turned onto Route 3A, which was probably the worst part of the run. Cars whizzed by us, and we had to run single file which hinders conversation. We ate some Sharkies at a stoplight and pushed on. I felt really good the rest of the way - strong. I had no idea where the mile markers were, so I wasn't too sure about our pace. After an hour of running we doubled back up the lakes where we had already run. I was feeling slow at this point, and about ready to turn back.

We got back to our street at 90 minutes of running, and I decided that I felt like crap, but I would feel the same if I kept running, so I might as well keep on running. I'd like to call this part of my run the mental workout. During the Boston Marathon there are going to be times that I don't feel like running anymore. I anticipate some serious questioning about why I continue to put one foot in front of the other. I will probably feel crappy while I think this. Soo...I decided to push throiugh it.

I ran for an extra 20 minutes around campus, which wasn't so bad at all, except for the hills. Tufts is on a hill. It is barely noticeable unless you are trying to run up it.

I mapped my run, and was pretty excited about my distance/pace time. Wooo.

Running Playlist #1

Caveat: This includes some particularly bad music (cough Cascada cough). I recognize this fact. It's mindless or has a good beat or some other underlying motivator for me to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

"We're All in This Together" - Ben Lee

"Song for the Dumped"* - Ben Folds Five (probably one of my all-time favorite songs to run to)

"She Don't Want Nobody Near" - Counting Crows

"Run" - Ben Kweller

"Put Your Records On" - Corinne Bailey Rae

"Penny on the Train Track" - Ben Kweller

"Our Song" - Taylor Swift

"Mrs. Potter's Lullabye" - Counting Crows (another favorite. at 7:46 I can run almost a mile with this one song)

"Me Enamora" - Juanes

"Love Shack" - B-52s

"Let's Get Retarded" - Black Eyed Peas

"Las Cosas Que Cambie y Deje Por Ti" - Los Bunkers

"La La" - Ashlee SImpson

"La Camisa Negra" - Juanes

"I Need A Miracle" - Cascada

"Hang Me Up To Dry" - Cold War Kids

"Gotas de Agua Dulce" - Juanes

"Get up" - Ciara f/Chamillionaire

"Fearless" - Taylor Swift

"Everytime We Touch" - Cascada

"Dressed to Digress" - Boy Crisis (Wesleyan Univ. band - friends of my sister?)

"C'Est la Vie" - B*Witched

"Back Here" - BBMak

"Ahora Que No Estas" - Los Bunkers

1.5 hours

Boston = Worst City to Train for a Marathon

You know that you are in a terrible place to train for a marathon when you check Weather.com, smile, and think to yourself "High of 19 today, that's great!" I have a hard time getting myself out the door on days like that, but if I have any intentions on surviving the marathon I've got to get my butt out the door.


The weekends are great for long runs. During the week I am so busy with 5 classes, my internship downtown 16 hours a week, on-campus job, activities, social life?, (the list goes on) to devote multiple hours to running before it gets dark outside. I used to have no qualms about running in the evening, but with the myriad safety alerts that Tufts Police dept. has been issuing, it is not a risk I am willing to take. I have figured out the times of the day that I can go to the gym and spend 90 minutes on the cardio machines without causing others to wait. (Training for a marathon or not, I feel bad about exceeding the 30 minute limit when the gym is crowded.)


Sunday I left around 10:30 hoping to run about 10 miles. I checked out a map of the Charles River, and decided to run to Harvard, along the river toward Newton, then back to Cambridge. I took the long way to Mass Ave., and about 14 minutes in began to have serious regrets about going on this run. The sidewalks were mostly clear, but there were buildups of ice and snow at each intersection. When I reached Harvard Square, I was still feeling apathetic about this run, and my T pass burned in my pocket.


I hung a right down the path along Memorial Drive, disappointed by the fact that it was a choppy mess of ice and snow. For some reason I had thought that this would be shoveled, but it made sense why it was not. I ran apprehensively on this precarious surface, eager to cross the bridge by Mount Auburn Hospital. Instead of sticking to the path along the river, I ran along the sidewalk that hugs the road. This surface was mostly fine, but there were spots that I wish I had ice skates for. You know those sneakers that turn into rollerskates? People trying to run in Boston in the winter need an ice skate version.


I settled into my pace around 25 minutes in, which was a welcome feeling. Around 45 minutes I ate some Sharkies (review coming soon!), and felt a surge of energy! (Placebo effect? Miracle energy packed fish gummies?) I had my iPod on with a new running mix. I sometimes get frustrated by running with my iPod when I have to keep switching the songs. (Playlist to follow in upcoming post.)


I thought that I knew where I was until I passed a huge sign for Boston University. In my mind, BU is really far away in the city. Like, unknown territory. When I get lost when I am running I get really scared that I will never make it home. I tried to stay calm, but finally had to check with someone to make sure I was going the right way. I had been. When I finally made it to the Museum of Science I felt surprisingly good. I probably could have kept going, except I was planning on taking the bus home from Lechmere, and didn't really know how else I would get back. I ran to the Lechmere station, and stretched while I waited for the bus.


All in all it was a successful Sunday long run! (I am writing this too long after the run to remember any silly things I thought about during it!)


Distance: 10.07 miles
Time: 1:30:07
Pace: 8:57

Deciding to run the Boston Marathon

When I was a prospective student, two distinguishing things that attracted me to Tufts were its commitment to enabling students to study abroad, and the fact that the President, Larry Bacow, challenges the students/faculty/alumni to run the Boston Marathon each year. Each student has to raise $1000 for health and nutrition research at Tufts.


I applied Early Decision to Tufts, and as a supplemental essay I had to explain why I was choosing to apply early to Tufts. In this essay I discussed the unique opportunities I would be afforded by attending this University: studying abroad and running the Boston Marathon.


I studied abroad Fall 07 in Madrid, Spain and Spring 09 in Santiago, Chile...so looks like I accomplished that goal. Please sponsor me in my long awaited endeavor to run the BOSTON MARATHON!

http://www.tuftsmarathonchallenge.com/runners/marisajones