Welcome to the Jungle

For those coughing "Arbeit is a gazelle, he is breakfast."

In Africa

Every morning a gazelle awakens knowing he must outrun the fastest lion if he wants to live.
Every morning a lion awakens knowing he must outrun the slowest gazelle or he will starve.
Whether you are a lion or a gazelle makes no difference -- come sunrise you had better be running.

Anyone can do this!

The New York Times suggests running a marathon is easy: "[O]ne man took up running at 62 and ran his first marathon, a year later, in 3 hours 25 minutes."
(He qualified for Boston with 35 minutes to spare. Odds I achieve the same margin and finish in 2:35:00? About the same as my odds of winning.)

Boston Prep 16 Miler Photos

Boston Prep 16 Miler Challenge

If this race intrigues you, let me know. You could easily persuade me to make a trip to Boston next winter to run the race again. Seriously. You might even have fun!

Boston Prep 16 Miler

Today I ran the Boston Prep 16 Miler in beautiful Derry, NH. Quite a race. Here is an unofficial map of the course. Notice that the mountains in the emblem track the elevation gain (see the bottom of the map). So the course has some hills. And today we had snow as well, making the roads (unplowed) somewhat treacherous and the experience much more authentic (or so I was told). I wanted to break 1:40:00 (6:15 per mile). I ran 1:41:52 (6:22 per mile). Not horrible, but not my goal.
Unexpected Encounter: I ran into a friend from college whom I had not seen since commencement. (She drove all the way from Rhode Island!)
Best Line: If you look at the official results you will see that Furukawa beat me by eight seconds. He passed me with two miles to go and I just could not catch him. Right after crossing the finish line we shook hands. He said "Great race" and I said "Great finish. How many marathons have you run?" His response: "Including Ironmen?"

Week 12

Sunday January 27 through Saturday February 2

Sunday -- Boston Prep 16 Miler

Monday -- Rest

Tuesday -- 3 miles (22:00)

Wednesday -- 4 miles (31:00)

Thursday -- 4 miles (32:00)

Friday -- 4 miles (30:00)

Saturday -- 5 miles (36:00)

Classic Inspiration III

In Endymion, I leaped headlong into the sea, and thereby have become better acquainted with the Soundings, the quicksands, and the rocks, than if I had stayed upon the green shore, and piped a silly pipe, and took tea and comfortable advice. I was never afraid of failure; for I would sooner fail than not be among the greatest.

John Keats, Letter to James Augustus Hessey

Seemed like a good reason to me . . .

The New York Times explodes a myth and makes me glad I bought that second pair of gloves.

Week 13

Sunday January 20 through Saturday January 26

Sunday -- 7 miles (51:00)

Monday -- 7 miles (48:00)

Tuesday -- 6 miles (56:00)

Wednesday -- 6 miles (56:00)

Thursday -- 3 miles (25:00)

Friday -- 7 miles (53:00)

Saturday -- Rest

More Classic Inspiration

For I have lost the race I never ran,
A rathe December blights my lagging May

Hartley Coleridge, Long Time a Child

Some Classic Inspiration

Now bid me run,
And I will strive with things impossible,
Yea, get the better of them.

William Shakespeare
Ligarius, in Julius Caesar, act 2, sc. 1.

Week 14

Sunday January 13 through Saturday January 19

Sunday -- 16 miles (2:03:00)

Monday -- 7 miles (54:00)

Tuesday -- 3 miles (25:00)

Wednesday -- 3 miles (26:00)

Thursday -- 8 miles (62:00)

Friday -- 14 miles (2:03:00)

Saturday -- 8 miles (1:10:00)

Week 15

Sunday January 6 through Saturday January 12

Sunday -- 12 miles (1:30:00)

Monday -- 6 miles (50:00)

Tuesday -- 3 miles (25:00)

Wednesday -- 3 miles (25:00)

Thursday -- 3 miles (25:00)

Friday -- 7 miles (58:00)

Saturday -- Rest