Listen to the Road

I AM SO PUMPED. Thanks to a special student and AHS News for putting this clip together. <3

The weather's not entirely cooperating, but I'm really not worried about it as a runner. I empathize more with the volunteers and spectators who will bundle up and stand out there in it. Most runners are more concerned about heat on race day than rain and wind. I'm optimistic about this weather not making me feel sick, so bring it on. It is, however, truly comical how high the winds are forecast to be, and how much rain is predicted. I survived and had a blast in 2015 after I'd had pneumonia and a stomach bug and a sleepless 1 year old so I'm certain 2018 will be FABULOUS.

My goal for this year is 4:04. Actually my goal this year is to not puke. But my second goal is a 4:04. When I ran my last long run 3 weeks ago, I was running a 9:10 pace in 50 degrees, which is about a 4:04, and I think I could have run a faster last few miles, so 4:04 is fair. I've been doing most of my long training runs at 8:59 which is usually a good predictor of race time (3:58), however with the predicted 20mph headwind and hilly terrain and soooo many runners in the first few miles, and not wanting to puke, I think a 4:04 is good. My goal is to run a 2:04 in the first half and a 2:00 in the second half.

You can hold me to that by tracking me: Text 234567 with my bib # - 29642 . It will give you updates and predicted finish times every 6 miles.

I know I've written about this before, but here's a recap of past stats:

2012: 87 degrees. 4:20.
2015: 45 degrees and raining. 4:09.
2016: 70? degrees. Maybe. I don't remember. 4:09.
2017: I don't remember, but it was hot at the start. 4:12 -- though my place was the best of all 3 years. I think it was windy?
2018: I will be ok with anything less than 4:09, but dear lord let it be 4:04, and ecstatic with anything less than that. My eye is twitching.



Meanwhile, on that last run a few weeks ago, I fell and sprained some tendon on my hand. I was running the course on the famous "last long run" - an unofficial gathering of thousands of runners. My mom drove me to the start in Hopkinton and followed along in her car, stopping for a hug every few miles. I made it to 21.4, just past Heartbreak, and waved at her as I ran by, on my way to finish 22.0. I thought about getting in the car instead of being seemingly crazy, but decided to finish what I came for, and plugged on. I was looking up ahead, considering taking a picture of the "Welcome to Brighton" sign, but instead decided to focus on where I might actually hit 22.0.

Happily I continued along the sidewalk, thinking about the delicious cheeseburger I was going to find and devour shortly after. And then I fell. Hard. It happened so fast. It had been going so well. It HURT. Like excruciating hurt.

I'd been heading down the sidewalk, towards the crosswalk you see on the left. The corner was covered in a 4 foot snowplow pile. Though I didn't process it at the time, I zigged and zagged in and out of that electrical box and recycling? mailbox? thing, cutting across the mud to the crosswalk. My shoe caught the sidewalk and I went down, into the decline of the wheelchair accessible ramp.

Another runner immediately turned around to help, and I peeled myself off the sidewalk and gasped that my mom must be pulling up right behind me THANK GOD. I ripped off my water belt and threw it, not wanting anything to get in the way of me climbing into her car. The poor runner picked up my water belt and put it in my mom's car, and my mom drove to the St. Elizabeth's emergency room just down the street. Stupid sidewalk. Stupid, stupid sidewalk.

I eventually figured out that I'd bent my index finger sideways over the tops of my other fingers. Today, 3 weeks later, it's still black and blue and I can't hold a pen properly, cut with a knife properly, squeeze a shampoo bottle properly, etc. They are just little annoying things though, and I should be so lucky. But man was it a change of pace for a couple of weeks.

I put on quite a show on 22 miles of low blood sugar and what I swear was a very painful fall :D

Thus, the title of this post. Last week as I left for my 10 mile run, Zoe called out to me, "Listen to the road!" Beautiful. She made it up- I've never heard it before. Perfect.

Listen to the road. And never make any decisions while running uphill.

BRING IT 2018.