Will It Matter? Gnocchi Edition

The things I don't do over the next eight months are going to be just as important as the things I do do in determining if and how I finish the 2009 Boston Marathon.

That being said - is this delicious dish of gnocchi I had the other night at Bocelli's in Medford gonna keep me from my destiny on Boylston Street?

IT'S ON!

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My first work out was what I had hoped for. No injuries, endorphins flowing and music pumping, I walked three miles and ran a full mile. My time for the mile was 10:24. Here is my first attempt at Google maps to show roughly the route I walked/ran.

I didn't swim across Pleasure bay as the map indicates I might have nor did I walk on water or any of that. I need a lesson from our web master Jesse in plotting my own maps but I will say technology really does have it's advantages once one learns how to apply it. Some days I am just happy I can navigate my iPod.

Running down a dream

My first day of training ended up with me working a double at the restaurant. I was on my feet and moving up and down stairs and all around from noon to midnight so I did not feel like it was a was a missed opportunity to work out. More like I was getting paid to work out, my feet are killing me!!

I was trying to think of some cool names for our future website and Tom Petty's song Running down a dream popped in my head. When I checked for it's availability I found out it was already in use by these incredible folks.

So much of what Marathons are all about is helping people better their lives. I look forward to raising money and awareness for folks in need as this journey progresses. As soon as Jesse and I focus on one or two charities to support we hope that whoever visits our Blog will be able to support these causes as well.

Training Places: The Minuteman Bikeway

One of the things I miss the most about my former neighborhood, Davis Square, is the close proximity to the Minuteman Bikeway. I used to ride my single-speed urban assault vehicle up and back a few times a week when the weather was nice. Coincidentally, from the Somerville end all the way to Bedford and back is around 26 miles.

Flat, scenic, sparsely-populated on the weekdays - the perfect place to get a handle on what marathon distance looks like (if not what the hills feel like). And you can stop half-way at Lexington Common and grab an ice cream - something I'd like to incorporate into Marathon Monday if possible.

I've done the loop a hundred times on my bike - looking forward to seeing how long it takes me to WOG (Walk-jOG) it.

Mise en place

Whenever I set out to do a long task I like to put things in place first. A carry over from my chef days I find it easier to execute if all my ducks are in a row. I am going to be running in a pair of ASICS GT 2130 and after a long walk today around the Franklin Park Zoo they feel great and I love them. I think it is going to be important to have a positive relationship with my running shoes. I also picked up a Nike+iPod for my Nano. It is a great and surprisingly affordable little gadget you put in your shoe (or in my case on my shoe laces since I am not running in Nike sneaks) that uses a wireless connection to my iPod to track my runs for me. Time, distance, speed, calories burned the works. It even has a voice option that tells you your info if you don't want to look at your iPod while running. So with my new ASICS and iPod and if you can believe it the okay from my doctor, tomorrow I run.

Yeah I Got On Sneaks, But I Need a New Pair

Due to the weakening of the American dollar (or something like that), I've been putting off buying a new pair of running shoes. These Brooks Radius that I'm currently wearing have served me well for over a year, as did the identical pair I wore out before them.

They were recommended to me a couple years ago by a woman at Marathon Sports in Cambridge to help counteract my "heel-striking" style of running/walking. They have extra padding in the back, which I've always liked - but never knew was beneficial in a running shoe.

At that time, I was experiencing pain in my left heel after running or playing tennis. I chalked it up to bone-spurs because Larry Bird once had them in the 80's and I thought it was cool. I never went to a doctor, but since welcoming the Brooks Radius into my life I've been pain free.

But enough is enough with this current pair. Not only do I wear them running, I sometimes wear them to work waiting tables at a rib joint, where gravity and BBQ sauce conspire to keep them grubby. Not good.

I know Rick went out the other day and got some new kicks and gear for the run-up to '09 - I've gotta do the same ASAP.

Getting A Number for The Boston Marathon

There are two ways to get an official number for the Boston Marathon - you either gotta burn rubber, or you have to be affiliated with a sanctioned charity.

If you're feeling speedy, here are the qualifying times that will earn you official digits for Boston '09:

AGE GROUP	MEN/WOMEN
18-34	3hrs 10min/3hrs 40min
35-39	3hrs 15min/3hrs 45min
40-44	3hrs 20min/3hrs 50min
45-49	3hrs 30min/4hrs 00min
50-54	3hrs 35min/4hrs 05min
55-59	3hrs 45min/4hrs 15min
60-64	4hrs 00min/4hrs 30min
65-69	4hrs 15min/4hrs 45min
70-74	4hrs 30min/5hrs 00min
75-79	4hrs 45min/5hrs 15min
80 and over	5hrs 00min/5hrs 30min

What about the less fleet of foot? Well, if you're like us, you can (hopefully) hook up with a charity affiliated with the Boston Athletic Association - they begin accepting applications in September '08. Here's a complete list of participating charities, click on the links to learn more:

• Dana Farber Marathon Challenge
• American Liver Foundation - Run For Research
• The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - Team In Training
• Children's Hospital Boston - Miles for Miracles
• Multiple Sclerosis Society - Marathon Strides Against MS
• Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center
• Habitat for Humanity
• Good Sports Heartbreakers
• Melanoma Foundation of NE - Running for Cover
• Lazarus House
• American Stroke Association - Tedy's Team
• MSPCC
• Boston Living Center
• Boston Partners in Education
• Bottom Line
• Homes for Our Troops
• The Esplanade Association (broken link)
  
• The New England Center for Children

It would be a privilege to run with any of these groups, but what happens if all the available spots get filled? The Marathon frowns on numberless runners, claiming they put a strain on emergency services and water supplies and whatnot (orange slices, I'm guessing).

But numberless is how my father did it the two times he ran in the 1980s, and if we aren't fortunate enough to hook up with one of these charities, numberless is how we're gonna run it in '09. Even if that means we have to bring our own water (and emergency personnel).

First thoughts on running the Boston Marathon in 09

"Marathoning is just another form of insanity" -John J. Kelly