Thank you all so much!

Well, the plan came together yesterday - thanks to all my supporters, weekend and weekday running partners, family, and friends. I mean it when I say - I could not have done it without you!

I was a mess all weekend - literally from Saturday right up to race start - can't quite figure that out - a LOT of wasted energy and stress. It all started at the expo. I was walking around and stumbled upon the booth for 'the stick' - it's a self-massage tool that I had heard of - one of my running friends raves about it. I decided to check it out. Sat down and the guy starts working my calves (sore spot to begin with) and the thing is really hurting. The guy says he was working out a knot. It really hurt and hurt the rest of the weekend. I was so mad - all this training and I do something so stupid 2 days before the race. Could not stop thinking about it.

Race day finally arrives - still obsessing about the calf. It's filling better, but I'm fixated. Start the race - feeling pretty good. I had targeted 23 minute 5Ks. Started a little fast, but was able to reel it in and settle down. Got to the hills feeling pretty good - kept telling myself that I had 4 20+ mile runs plus a lot of hill work. Got thru the hills and just tried to let it roll - and it did ;-) I ended up running pretty even splits: 1:38:28/1:40:58 (which is pretty good for Boston with all the hills in the second half). Never really came close to cramping - now I love 'the stick' ;-)

Ran wide on the last turn to run by Seamus and family. Gave them a quick high-five and ran the last .5 hard to get under my '08 time of 3:20+. After the race grabbed a quick massage at the Children's reception area and hooked up with Jean (she was a trooper!!). Took a quick shower and went back to the fire station to hook up with the Slattery's (Seamus), take some pictures (this one) and watch some of the finishers. There was still a steady stream of runners coming down the street - amazing!

I'd say overall it was an awesome day!! Feeling pretty good right now - probably try a short run on Thursday..

Thanks again for all the help!

Freaking out....

Went to pickup my number yesterday - forgot how overwhelming that is! Lots and lots of people and vendors, very exciting, but stressful at the same time. Went from the expo to the Miles for Miracles kick-off. Was invited on stage to received my 5 year jacket and shared the stage with Jeff Larson (weather guy) who received his 10 year jacket - very cool!

The waiting is making me (and everyone around me crazy)! Can't stop watching the weather and getting nervous about every little ache and pain ;-) I need to get this thing started!!

Jean and I are heading to the Marriott Copley this afternoon. I need to be up around 5 and on the bus by 6:15. Don't expect to get much sleep.

I will try to post/email tomorrow night or Tuesday. My bib number is 9030 - you can follow me at baa.org!!

Think good thoughts!

Michael

Story ran today

The story ran today. Check it out at: Lowell Sun Article

This picture ran with the article.

I am taking orders for wallet size copies to aid the fund raising efforts ;-)

Hey - next week at this time I'll be in the corals!! Exciting!!!

Almost there!

Just over a week to go. I'm getting pretty excited - how about you?

Early forecast are looking good so far.

Ran 10 miles Saturday (thanks guys!) and will probably only run 14 over 3 days this week. Aimee, Seamus, and I met with a Lowell Sun reported on Wednesday. I was hoping to link to the article today. Not sure what happened - I'll post the link as soon as it runs!

Not much to say today.

What am I going to do with myself ?!

Ran for around 2 hours on Saturday. I think from here on out I probably won't run much longer than an hour.

It's kind of funny the last 14 weeks have been so planned out that I'm having a hard time with the flexibility of these last couple weeks - the taper! I'm feeling good and want to run, but know that the next few weeks is all about rest and recovery.

Hope I can get through it without driving myself (and those near me) crazy ;-)

Michael

Last long run is in the books!!

I am so psyched!!

Run the 1st 22 miles of the course today. Drove to BC for 7:00 and got on the bus to Hopkinton. Started running around 8:15. It was cold at the start - glad to have my gloves and long pants. Found a few people to run with along the way and managed to stay out of the 'hunter' (track people down and pass them) mentality.

Overall good run - 7:50 pace, no cramps or other issues. Considering I am getting a cold, I am very pleased with this result. Should translate to a good marathon pace/run.

Training looks like it's going to max out at 5 runs in the 16-19 range and 4 runs in the 19-22 range - that should about do it!

Psyched to be in taper mode - did I say that already ;-)

As always, thanks for your support!!

March Madness - Marathon style :-)

We got back from Florida Saturday evening!

It was great to be warm!! I managed to put together my highest mileage week to date - 50 miles without running more than 10 miles ( 5 runs - 10 miles each)! I finished the week up with a deep tissue massage at the 'spa' - this deserves an entry of it's own - a little awkward ;-)

Ran my long run today with a little help from Brian and Lisa - thanks!! Had no real plan in mind - figure I needed to run around 2:30, but not wanting to go too far as the organized 21 miler is next Saturday. It was a nice day to get off road, so after I dropped Lisa off, I headed to the 'Camp' - problem is there is no short version of the camp run. Ended up running 2:43 - somewhere between 20 and 21 miles (I figure).

Next week is the organized 21 miler on the course. We leave BC at 8:00 and get on the bus for Hopkinton. It really is like a mini-marathon - run the 1st 21 miles from the start. Seems like a lot of charities pick the same day for their organized run - there will be LOTS of people on the course. Makes for good company/distraction.

Trying not to get ahead of myself, but the 21 miler next week is the last 'long' run. After that it's taper and drive yourself crazy wondering if you did 'enough' ;-)

One more to go (OK 2 counting the actual race day) !

Oh yeah - my March Madness title :
- Highest mileage week of training followed by back to back 20+ milers.

Sure seems like madness to me!

Finally a picture

I think it's about time for a picture - here is one from Stu's. Yes - the runner behind me is the Children's runner I tried to catch early in the race. After the long downhill (mile 17) I saw him walking up the hill at mile 18. Tried to keep my competitive feelings in check, but what the heck....

Anyway - glad to have that over with. A few short runs this week then off to FLA!!

Tired - but 'good' tired.

First big test today - Stu's 30K in Clinton - fairly hilly course around the Wachusett reservoir.

Original plan was to run 3 laps on the track before/after the race to bring the total to 20 miles. Hooked up with a few GLRR members in the parking lot and went out for a 2.5 mile warm up. Not sure this was the best day idea, but at least I wouldn't have to do a cool down, right ;-).

I had a couple goals for the race:
- start at 7:40'ish pace and negative split
- don't cramp!

Well I succeeded on both counts - kind of. Went thru mile 1 in 7 minutes - not good. Then I saw another Children's jersey up ahead (I was wearing mine), so I decided to pull him in and chat for a while - not good again. Eventually settled into a 7:30 pace and went through 15K in 69:57. It was difficult to get into a groove with all the ups and downs, but all the mile markers seemed to be pretty much pegged at 7:30 pace. Mile 17 is mostly down hill, then you turn and start climbing for about a mile to a mostly flat finish. Went thru mile 18 in almost exactly 2:15 and wanted to pick it up to get under 2:20 for my negative split. My calf complained a little, but never actually cramped! Got in in 2:19:44 (69:46 second half) without cramping - YEAH.

All in all a pretty good day - 7:30 pace on a difficult 30K course and no cramping. Not sure I would recommend the 2.5 mile warm up ;-)

We are leaving for FLA on Friday, so I will be out for 2 Saturdays. I'll probably back off the mileage a little - probably do a couple 10-12 milers in place of a long run. I will run long on Sunday, 3/21 when we get back (probably in the 18-20 range) and the 3/27 is the organized run on the course - 1st 21 miles from Hopkinton.

Then it's taper time!

Half way there!

I think we're at the half way point. 8 weeks down, 8 weeks to go - not bad!! The longest, hardest weeks are still in front of me, but it feels pretty good to be half way here and still standing/running ;-)

Another big group this weekend. Due to time constraints, I needed to be back at the house by 8 this week. Did my best to get up and out of the house by 6:15 - YUCK! Even though I run at 6:30 every weekend, I am NOT a morning person!

Ran 13.5 with the group outdoors and then 3.5 on the treadmill. This AM I cycled on the trainer for 10 miles waiting for Jean to get home and then ran 8 outside. It was pretty windy today - temps not bad, but big windchill!

Saw Seamus (and his family at Church this AM). Thanks to an email from his Mom, Seamus is now featured on my Children's site - check it out!

What a guy!!

Weekend wrapup...

Biggest group ever this weekend! That was great, but it also made planning a little difficult as people wanted to go different distances and speeds. The group quickly split into two groups with several people pushing the pace (no names, but you know who you are). Initially I was in the lead group, but was able to pull back - kept telling myself that the long run is not about speed! How about that? Used water, GU, and endurolytes for the run this weekend. Seemed to work - never really bonked or cramped.

When I arrived back home after 2 hours and 32 minutes of running, I went immediately to mapmyrun.com to get a distance. I was pleased to realize that I had actually run 19.5 miles - I was targeting 18. Normally, the .5 would have bothered me (I like whole numbers and have been known to run around parking lots to get to the next even mile), but I was able to let it go ;-) Of course today, I purposely ran 6.5 to get to an even 26 for the weekend - not bad!!

Had a bit of a 'equipment malfunction' this AM. I have been running in lose fitting pants this year - too old for tights ;-) The problem is that they are a little long for my 30" inseam. In the middle of a hill this AM I could feel them flapping around - I should have stopped to zip them, but decided I didn't want to stop in the middle of the hill - big mistake! Next thing I knew I was on the ground. Tried to tuck them in my socks as best as I could, but after a second near fall I had to take them off and run bare legged the rest of the way - BRRRR!

Overall a successful weekend of running! Not sure what's up for next week - might bump down to the 2 hour range and bump back up on 2/27. We'll see.

Anyway, off to the walk the dog - can I count those miles in my log - I think so ;-)

Thanks for listening!

Michael

non running post

I promised myself that this would be a purely running/training related blog. I hate to break my promise so quickly, but several people have commented that the Lowell Sun article is no longer available online. I thought it might be a good idea to post it here:

Perfectly Imperfect

Our society, and we as parents, place a lot of emphasis on perfection. We feel tremendous pressure to live in the right town, send our kids to the rights schools, say the right things, wear the right clothes – you know the drill. The reality is that most of us will never achieve perfection. At some point in our lives, due to our own missteps, or more likely, circumstances beyond our control, we will be forced to deal with an imperfect situation. It is at these times, that our true nature is revealed and tested.

I live in a world where perfection is seldom realized. Our daughter contracted encephalitis as an infant. The disease left her with significant physical and mental disabilities. My family faces the struggle of raising a handicapped child on a daily, often hourly basis. We don’t worry about the perfect school, or the perfect grades, or the perfect clothes. Our worries are much more mundane – seizures, and scoliosis, and respiratory problems to name a few.

On a good day, I realize that there is no such thing as perfection in life. When I am able to take a step back and be objective I realize that our family has been blessed - maybe not in the traditional way, but in an equally meaningful way. Our daughter will never go to college, never get married and never live independently. On the surface, there seems to be little joy in this reality and there are many days when this is indeed the case.

Then a wonderful thing happens. I come home from work at the end of a long and exhausting day. The dog needs to be taken out, the mail needs to be sorted, I want to talk to my wife about her day and experiences, there seems to be no end to the number of things I should be doing. I am tired and distracted. Then my daughter comes bounding (literally – she is not exactly light on her feet) out of the family room and greets me with the most perfect hug that one could ever receive. I am instantly energized and uplifted.

This is a daily event in our home. Although my daughter is in her late teens, she has not lost her childhood innocence. She is still able to give and receive unconditional love. Most teenagers have little use for their parents or families. I am greeted on a daily basis as though I have been gone for a month. Who’s the lucky guy now?

During this Holiday season I encourage everyone to find some small piece of perfection. Some will definitely need to look harder than others, but everyone will find something in their lives to be thankful for.

I am perfect in my daughter’s eyes. And she is, in her own way, perfect in mine. How wonderful!

Now - backing to running.....

1st 18 miler this Saturday. Check back to see how it went?

Another one done...

Well, one more 16 miler done. The run started as a 15, but I ended up getting 'stuck' between miles (people that run with me know my obsession with whole numbers - among other things ;-)) . I added little bit at the end. Not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I was feeling good so what the heck. 15-16 seems like my 'base' now, that should be a good thing - right ?

Anyway, the run went well. Took a GU at around 1 hour. I haven't been carrying any water - I should probably start that soon. Don't want to be doing anything for the 1ts time on the 'big' day.

Thanks again to my running friends! This AM they got an Aimee update and some Scott Brown jabs (I think I am the only non-Democrat in the crowd. I guess I'm one of the Brown independent's now.) Politics is always a 'go-to' topic to get the conversation/pace up. So far, no actual fights have broken out, but I'm working on it ;-)

Looks like an 18 on the schedule for next week. I'll probably just run for time - somewhere in the 2:20 range. Seems like a lot, but it's only 12 minutes longer than this week's run - that doesn't seem bad...

Talk to you soon. Thanks for 'listening'!

Satrurday AM run

Well the temp at 6:20 AM this Saturday was about 2 degrees!! The good news, there was no wind ;-) It actually wasn't that bad - the only cold part was my face. With all the hot air I generate that eventually warmed up as well.

Ran 12.5 outside followed by 2.5 on the treadmill for what should have been a cool down, but was actually a warm up.

Next week - back to 16!

Getting things started

As you know (or do now) Jean and I are raising money for Children's Hospital again this year. If you want to donate, you can do so at: CussonFamilyFundraisingSite.

This will be our fifth year working with the Children's team - we are trying to think of new ways to keep it interesting for ourselves and our supporters. One idea was to start this blog so that people could check in on my training. We have some other new ideas we hope to try, so check back soon.

So, how's the training going? Glad you asked ;-)

My unofficial training started the day after X-Mas with a 15 miler. I am lucky enough to have people to run with on the weekend AND at work. Thanks to all my running partners - you know who you are!

On the weekends since X-Mas I have a run: 12 (in a snowstorm, 16, and 15.5). This past weekend, 1/24, I ran the Boston Prep 16 miler. This is a very hilly 16 mile race in Derry. I had no intention of actually 'racing' - just trying to get in a good training run. I was able to keep the pace under control and actually managed to run negative splits:
5 mile split: 38:07 7:38 (142)
10 mile split: 1:14:26 7:27 (110)
13.1 mile split: 1:37:35 7:27 (95)
finish 1:57:39 7:22 (96) (213-77)

You can see that my pace was actually increasing (or is it decreasing) the whole way. Finished feeling strong and passing people which is always good!

I plan to bump down to 14 miles this weekend - need a slight break and it's going to be cold as h*#%ll !!

Thanks in advance for your support! Check back soon!