Good Luck Boston Marathon Runners!

It looks to be an ideal day with cool temperatures this year. I am sure this will result in some real fast times.

Good luck team-mates, friends and everybody running! and thanks to all cheering on!

I wish everybody a gerat race and go for it! No holding back.

This is the year!

-Kyle

Boston Marathon Taper Week

All the training finally comes to an end... for the marathon that is anyway! This last week was also real good. I have no issues, nothing hurting, broken or falling off. This week is always difficult for me, because the addiction is so strong and when I stop, there is always a lot of energy that begins to build up. A lot of people are asking me what my goal is this year. I am sticking with breaking 2:50 and beating Lance Armstrong. Two goals! I read the Boston Globe article... oh boy is he going to enjoy his first Boston Marathon experience! I know that 2:50 is a big goal, but with me it never ends. If I do break 2:50, next year I will coming to the line to run 2:45 - it never stops!! Anyway, I should probably just be greatful that my 42.5 yr old body is extemely fit and I am healthy. As I sit here today, I probably have never been as fit as I am now (just like seen on TV!). I still manage to balance all three; body, mind and family. I won't mention the "W" word.

My race day plan is to try - TRY - to keep it even through the first half @ 6:25 pace. I think it is virtually impossible to maintain through the hills, but if I can average 6:34 for the second half, I will hit my goal. Of course if that fails, I will take anything in the low to mid-2:50's. I think I have successfully caught up to where I was last year - I just need to run a smart race. Even with the distractions in January (the W word again) and the extreme New England winter weather, I have trained the hardest EVER before the marathon this year! My run miles may not be the biggest, but I have continued to train hard at all three disciplines because I can. We'll see if it pays off! This must be the year! I will post all of my long runs later in the week to see if this was the biggest.

Anyway, enough psycho-babble. Here are last week's numbers day-by-day:

M: 25 bike, 10 run
T: 28 bike, 10 run (5x1 mi @ 10K pace)
W: 60 bike (MA to NH), 5 run
Th: 2400 swim, 16 bike, 10 mile (2x20 min tempo HARD)
F: Rest Day 12 bike, 5 run
Sa: bike 18, run 12
Su: bike 28 (1xloop Oak Hill 19.4 mi/hr + wu/wd), 6 run

Total: S-2400, B-187mi, R-58 mi

All of the bike miles are outside! on the beater bike of course (with my spinning wheel still attached). I am on the bike again today for the commute++ - that makes 8 days in a row outside on the bike! I won't have much bike time this week though. I also ran 10 mi today easy. Today would have been a perfect race day - cloudy in the 50s. Let's hope for a great day - we are definitely due! overdue for that matter!

I'll post later in the week.

12 IN A ROW

This will be my 12th consecutive Boston Marathon this year and 26th marathon. Things have come back together this last week. My weight is way down to 150 lbs and continues to drop. I will probably try to gain a few pounds back before The race. I have good numbers last week with no issues:

Swimming: 8000 yards
Biking: 160 miles (1 outside 35mi, 1 megahard spin @ BSC)
Running: 75 miles (1 track - 2x {4x800 @ 6:00 pace}, 1 tempo 6 mi @ 6:25 pace)
Cross Training: 1 weights

It's amazing how used to the trainer I've become. It's almost bizarre that I have come to such ritualistic behavior of riding that thing every day. We are in for some spring weather FINALLY and I am on the bike outside now two days in a row, with more warm days coming. I will finally get in a long ride in this week. IM France is coming quick and next week is the taper for Boston, so I am really feeling the pressure. Never again! Two big races like this so close together!

My wife has managed to connect me with a fellow Ironman France athlete training in sunny California. Jenn http://seejenntri.blogspot.com//will be doing here first IM and is with Team In Training. Unlike my selfish racing for myself, her goal is to raise $15K, so any contributions are appreciated. It will be great to hook up with Jenn and hopefully meet up with some other Americans in France. Anyone doing IM France or knows anyone doing the race, have them contact me at lp_ironman07@yahoo.com.

Cheers!!

BIB #1804 112th Boston Marathon

I am totally psyched to be starting in corral 1 this year! It will be wierd to start actually seeing the starting line (if I get there early enough). It had been a very hard training season. The NE weather has not cooperated and I am just getting to run trails in the last few weeks. I have pushed as hard as possible in March and have paid dues by getting the flu and a GI infection that I am still shaking. I may have pushed too hard and paid, but I have continued to train though it - the addiction is too strong and only yesterday did I take what could be considered a rest day. The last week has not been fun and I look forward to the warm weather approaching later this week. My numbers are still okay this week: 65mi running with one day off (no speed workouts), plenty of bike time ~ 150 miles and two easy swims (4200yards). The final few weeks approach for Boston and I will down shift long runs and focus on speed. I still want to keep my mileage high though, as always. Runs will be broken into doubles to keep the numbers high.
I hope everyone is healthy and injury free. We are odds on for a good race day this year!

-Kyle

Race Report New Bedford 1/2 Marathon

No Nor'easter made this a typical race day in New Bedford; cool in the mid-30s and breezy. Not nearly as windy as last year. Once again, a big crowd with some top NE runners making the trip to whaling town. I opted to run in a coolmax long-sleeve, shorts and gloves, but could've easily gone with a spandex tee. I had the gloves off my hands after mile one. Managed to hold 6:15s through mile 8. The next few miles are tough though, as they go along the ocean and make for some pretty breezy conditions, especially at the turn to head for mile 10.

Here are the numbers:

1:23:09 (6:21 pace) - gun to chip time 1:23:19 - why was I so far from the line??

199th overall, 29th AG

team 6th (I scored 4th behind Vitelli, Stumbras the machine and Bernie O'Reilly, then Kaiser)

My PR of last year stands 1:22:08. The good news is that I am closing in on where I was last year very quickly. In the last week or so I have started to get that feeling again, which is good news. I believe if I work hard enough, I can actually cross where I was last year and take this thing to a new level. I have five weeks until the marathon.

Here are last week's numbers:

Run: 59 miles (1-track, 1-race)

Bike: 6 hours (1.5 outside)

Swim: 8500 yards

All in all a good week. Sore lower back made good timing for small taper before the race.

Congrats to my BAA, MRC team-mates and friends that ran!

Big Training Numbers

A lot of people are looking for inspiration this winter and are curious about my training schedule, so I'll post this once a week for folks to gander at.

Running: 73mi (1-track, 1-LSD (20mi) and 1-tempo) - above avg.
Swimming: 8500 yds (approx., but probably more, 3d) - about avg.
bike: 6 hours ~ 96mi (1-outside) - below avg.
Weights: 1
Cross Train/S&C: 1/2 day easy downhill ski

Overall a pretty good week. I am focused on marathon training into the first half of this week. I'll then bike/swim later to give my legs a rest for the New England Half Marathon Team Championships this weekend.

-Kyle

Sunrise Winter Duathlon

My second one of these this year and ever. I never thought I would ever do a XC ski race. After skate skiing for the first time over up at Waterville, I figured out I should rent a pair of these for the race and it made a big difference. This race was put on by my pals at Channel Mulitsport http://www.channelmultisport.com/ and was a lot of fun. A definte race for next year. I think I'll drop for a real pair of skis too. Don't forget to put the machine screws into the bottom of your flats, as the run is XC style over snow base and was deep this time.

Overall Place: 19th
Total time: 1:08:56
Run 1 (4K): 18:57 (7th)
ski (6K): 31:06 (30th)
Run2 (4K): 18:53 (4th)