Hire Me as Your Running Coach

Thinking about it, aren't you? You wonder if having a coach will make a difference. There is something that someone said to me once that resonates in my memory. It went along the lines of:

"Just because I coach other runners and know how to make a training plan, doesn't mean I will make the best decisions as the weeks go by, that's why I pay someone to coach me."

Chew on that thought. If you are an ambitious runner, looking to set new PB's in any distance from 1mile to the marathon; chances are that you have picked up some general idea of what to do to improve speed and endurance. However, it is very likely that you will shy away from areas of weakness and work your way into overuse injuries. Or it is equally likely that you will over train because "it's on my plan"

Hey, straight up, right now I have not run in a week (not counting a super slow jog for 16mins a few days ago that was effectively an aborted run) due to a flair up of my Achilles tendon. I haven't always had that discipline to swallow my pride to keep a setback from becoming a real injury. Even the most knowledgeable and seasoned veterans in the sport breakdown. I think a dentist probably lets another dentist work on his/her teeth, right?

So think, do you always do the smart thing for body regarding training? Are you really able to analyze your training objectively? Do you want some continual guidance?

I am saying all this because simply, I am good at running because I took the time to learn more about training and worked myself through it. Continual consultation along with a plan is worth paying for.  A veteran of more than 20 HM's and an upcoming 13th marathon (6x Boston) could make a difference for you. In my estimation, having done a physical task counts most of all, those are my certifications, thousands of miles and all the learning that came along with each one of them.
Training plans for a 5k race are 12 weeks, anything longer will be best set for 12-16 weeks (depending on when you start and when the upcoming race is scheduled), all plans are $10 per week, full plan paid in advance. Reach out if you're serious and ready to commit.

What Corral and Bib will I get for the Boston Marathon? Waiting on that Postcard

The weather is warming up and I am starting to wonder when the B.A.A. is going to send that lovely post card in the mail. The one that tells you what your corral and bib number are. Having run this race five times already, I have largely ignored the waiting game about it. The first time in 2007 I didn't think of it at all, until the day it was there.
"Oh, okay, 1899, corral 2, sure."
More recently in 2014, I ran a fast qualifying time to gain entry back into the 2015 race. See below, yea, seeded 202 out of thousands. Pretty cool, huh?  (sidenote of minor bragging, I walked into the 2014 Boston race with the 381 bib and finished 138th male)
Well, if you have been following along, you know I had a hernia repair surgery a month before the 2015 race. Later, in August, I tried to get a faster qualifying time and managed just a 48 seconds improvement over my post-surgery run from the spring. I know there will be a very small chance of getting into the first corral this year. Each Corral holds 1000 runners (for those who don't know what happens at larger races like this)
That post card arriving feels like another little reminder: "You are doing this", "They are glad you are coming", "You had better stay focused on your preparation", "Get excited". Somehow it feels like things are taking shape more firmly when it arrives.

    

Last yr's race bib, couldn't find the post card. What will this year's number be?!

So, like thousands of other qualified runners for this year's Boston Marathon, I've been training steadily and once in a while thinking "When is that post card coming?" "What will my bib # and corral assignment be?" The excitement for the journey to Boston is building. I haven't seen friends posting photos of this information yet. But I know that day is coming soon; just 35 days until we run from Hopkinton all the way to Boyleston St.

Share your thoughts about the spring race that you are counting down to. Are you thinking about it when you wake up in the morning?

Strava is fun

I have been using Strava since January 1st. I had been recommended to do so by a teammate, Josh Neyhart. Several of our other teammates also started tracking their training there recently too. With my old running journal having vanished into "virtual" thin air, I wanted to utilize another free resource.

The user experience in the App is pretty solid. I access it through my iphone 5s and haven't have any problems so far. There are some layout snags I don't like when operating from the website itself, and when I run let's say as far as 10.09 miles according to my TomTom GPS watch and Strava's data sometimes tells me I ran 9.9 (they only display tenths, not hundreths), that annoys me quite a bit. I understand the reasons with GPS measurement's challenges, but now I'm running .1 extra on most of my runs like a crazy man.

Overall, it is very useful to glance back through the past recent weeks to see trends in my overall training volume. Following and liking the training of friends and Pro Athletes is awesome!

Here are some screen shots from the App. I enjoy seeing what people are doing out there; the maps, the graphs, the paces, who's going out on big hills and crushing it like a beast!
I couldn't help but share my own stuff. Yup, bragging on a Monday. This was one of my best 20milers in a long time, I am proud of the effort. Boston training is going pretty well! Get on Strava, join the party!

Yesterday's LR, general stats and first 5mile splits

splits from 6-20, it also tracks your best efforts for a variety of distances

aaaand the segments created by the network of users!