April 15, 2013: Race Day - 26.2 miles - 2:29:49 - 80th place. Wow. What a day. A day of redemption. A day of jubilation. A day of tragedy. A day of heroics. My heart goes out to the victims of the bombings. Lives were unnecessarily lost, while others were severely injured. Two lost souls deceived into thinking that hurting and/or taking the lives of innocent people in the name of their religion somehow serves justice. Believe it or not, my heart also goes out to the 19-year old kid partially responsible for the entire debacle. He obviously deserves whatever our justice system sentences him to; whether it is costing him his freedom for a lifetime, or death. He reaps what he sows just like we all do. At the same time, I cannot help but realize the fact that Christ went to cross for his sin just like He did for all of our sins. I can't help but think about how the Apostle Paul oversaw the execution of numerous believers in Christ, and whose goal was to destroy the Christian faith; yet Christ chose him to become argubaly the most influential leader ever in the spread of the gospel. Although I am deeply saddened by the tragic events of the Boston Marathon, my prayer is that God uses this dark, sensless act to bring people to Him. I even pray that Christ reveals Himself to the surviving bomber and his family....that the truth of Christ's love, forgiveness, and salvation will push back the darkness and deception of their religion, and set their spirits free.
Now to a less important matter..... the race experience itself. On the way to the race, I was listening to an audio version of the Bible along with worship music. My heart was truly at peace. I was excited for the race, but not anxious or nervous. My goal was to head to the starting line in a place of total surrender to God. I wanted to not worry about logistics (such as being crammed into my corral and barely able to move) or even worry about the end result of the race. I wanted to run the race with wisdom, courage, and a worship to God.
It was obviously a beautiful day....sunny and temperatures in the mid-50's.....cannot ask for much better. There was a slight headwind, but nothing to drastically slow times down. Here is how the race played out:
Mile 1 - 5:46 (my watch said 5:54, but it took approximately 8 seconds for me to cross the starting line after the gun went off)
Mile 2 - 5:44
Mile 3 - 5:42
Mile 4 - 5:39
Mile 5 - 5:46
Mile 6 - 5:42
Mile 7 - 5:38
Mile 8 - 5:42
Mile 9 - 5:38
Mile 10 - 5:46
Mile 11 - 5:43
Mile 12 - 5:37
Miles 13-14 - 11:17 (for some reason I missed the 13 mile mark. I realized this after I had passed the half-marathon point (13.1 miles) and hadn't hit the split button on my watch. I decided to just wait until mile 14 to hit the button.
Mile 15 - 5:42
Mile 16 - 5:35
Mile 17 - 5:55
Mile 18 - 5:50
Mile 19 - 5:43
Mile 20 - 5:50
Mile 21 - 6:00 (this mile included the infamous heartbreak hill)
Mile 22 - 5:36
Mile 23 - 5:41
Mile 24 - 5:37
Mile 25 - 5:46
Mile 26 - 5:34
The final 385 yards - 67 seconds
Overall, the race itself was amazing. I sensed the presence of God, the crowds were awesome, and I felt pretty strong most of the way. After getting about 9 or 10 miles into the race, I found myself thanking God after each mile, then surrendering the next mile to Him. I asked God to do with this race only what He could do. This was a cool experience. It almost felt like the potential burden of running 26.2 miles was lifted as I surrendered each mile to Him. Once I got to about mile 18 or 19, I even found myself looking forward to heartbreak hill. Listening to the crowds cheering almost frantically at times helped push me along as well. I heard numerous people yell, "Team Run Free!" referring to the singlet I was wearing. I was hoping in some way that the right people would notice the cross on my jersey, and somehow God would use it to speak to people's hearts.....to point them to Jesus. One man yelled extremely loud and passionately, "The Cross!" Hearing him belt that out actually almost brought tears to my eyes. It's almost as if I was momentarily hit with the reality of the cross.....not the grueling death that Christ suffered on the cross....but the redemptive power of the cross. It began to hit me that what Jesus accomplished on the cross is for EVERYONE....that He loves ABOLUTELY EVERYONE regardless of who they are or what they have done. I got the sense that he absolutely wants to embrace our brokenness and lavish us with His wholeness (His peace, His joy, His love, His compassion, His grace) ....that we would be complete and satisfied in Him.
Besides the early parts of the race, I never really felt like I was passed by anyone (which was the opposite of what happened in 2008). In fact, after looking at the race results, I figured that I was never passed by anyone the 2nd half of the race (If I was, then I passed them back). I think I passed close to 60 people in the 2nd half (and probably at least 60 more throughout the first half of the race). I even passed 3 people on Boylston St. (the final stretch of the race) with 2 of them being right at the finish. As I crossed the finish line, I experienced the 'first class' nature of those associated with the marathon. They graciously pointed me in the right direction of where I needed to go, and I received dozens of 'congratulations' coupled with genuine, heartfelt smiles. I crossed the line at approximately 12:30 pm.....over 2 hours before the bombings. We ate lunch and walked around the city before heading out at about 2:30 when we rode the 'T' (Boston's subway/train system) to my sister's car. We didn't actually hear about the incident until we were in the car heading back to Candia, New Hampshire. As I heard the news, my first emotion was disbelief. How could the jubilant finish line area that I crossed over 2 hours ago now be a place of violence, fear, and chaos. It took me a little while to even process it. As we reached my sister's house and turned on the television, I watched in disbelief at the carnage. I felt nothing but peace deep inside my soul, but I also felt sadness for all of the people affected. I wondered about the people who were congratulating me at the finish line. I wondered about the people who my wife, sister, and nephew were standing with almost halfway in between the 2 explosions. Did people who they had conversation with get hurt? What was it like to go from anxiously awaiting a friend or loved one to cross the finish line to all of a sudden being in what must have felt like a war-zone. It's almost unthinkable. I still have a hard time processing it. I am thankful that I made it out of the city safely, but my heart certainly goes out to those who had to experience this tragedy first-hand.
Some people may ask, "Where was God during the bombings?" Why did He allow that to happen?" I don't exactly know the answer to that question. He obviously does not stop every evil plot that people choose to execute, and people get hurt and/or lose lives as a result. I do know that if the people responsible for this tragedy knew Jesus and loved Jesus even a fraction of how much He loves them, the story of the day would have been quite different.
For the good things that happened today....the race itself; the heroic actions of police, race volunteers, and citizens standing by.....I thank God for that. Through the atrocity, heroes arose and stood above fear and self-preservation to help their neighbors.
As far as the race itself, I want to give all the glory to Him. Even though people might say that God does not care about athletics, and/or how well a race/performance goes....I respectfully disagree with them. He cares for us so much that when we surrender 'anything' to Him, He shows up and does things in our lives that otherwise would not or could not be done. No matter how a race or performance of some kind goes, He does not change, and His love for us does not change. He remains constant and steadfast. However, I believe He rejoices with us in celebrations/victory, and He is there to pick us up in disappointment and/or defeat.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
3, 2, 1 and Counting.....
April 14, 2013: 1 and Counting..... 4-miles (29:40) - out/back - Merrill Rd/Route 27 (Candia, NH) - last run before the big day. However, I am wanting to always keep in mind that God is bigger than this day, this race. My continued prayer is to LOCK-IN on Him. It's not about me and my goals. It's about Him and His purposes. With this race and my life being about Him, it brings about a peace and a freedom in my soul. Any burdens of expectations of myself and others belong to Him. He chooses to carry those for me and allows me to run free....run for Him....run with the assurance that His immeasurable love for me does not change. His love is there through trials and triumphs. He is there to rejoice with me in victory, or pick me up in defeat. He is constant. He is my peace. Going back to goals that I am free from.....(top 100; sub 2:30).......He can do immeasurably more than this. NO MATTER WHAT.......HE IS MY STRENGTH AND MY SONG.....HE IS GOOD.
April 13, 2013: 5-miles (35:30) - out/back - Merrill Rd./Route 27 (Candia/Hooksett, NH) -. The highlight of the day was seeing my nephew and niece in their school talent show. Watching my niece (who is in the 3rd grade) play the guitar, sing, then do another beautiful dance to a song from Anastasia almost brought tears to my eyes. If I did not get to run the Boston Marathon on Monday, spending time with family and watching my niece do something that God has gifted her with makes the whole trip worth it. She was inspiring. What she did on stage was something that moves people. As she sang "Peace like a river", I truly experienced 'peace' like a river. As she most beautifully danced, it was almost as if her dance was a worship to God. I could almost sense God smiling down upon. I KNOW HE WAS SMILING DOWN ON HER. She is a young girl that is full of life, and full of talent that God has given. I thank Him for allowing me to experience this. He is good.
April 12, 2013: 3 and Counting.... 6-miles (44:50) - out/back - Shinnston Rail Trail. This 6-mile recovery run put my mileage at exactly 1,000 since January 1st. That may sound like a lot of miles, but to run a fast marathon, it would be considered pretty low mileage. With the marathon being 3 days away, I want to thank God for these 1,000 miles. I also want to give/surrender these miles to Him and may He do with these miles only what He can do. I run for Him and truly want Him to accomplish what He desires. I want my desires to be His desires. I want to run the race on Monday with His joy, His peace, His wisdom, His courage. I want to be emptied out and be filled with His Spirit. He is so good.
April 13, 2013: 5-miles (35:30) - out/back - Merrill Rd./Route 27 (Candia/Hooksett, NH) -. The highlight of the day was seeing my nephew and niece in their school talent show. Watching my niece (who is in the 3rd grade) play the guitar, sing, then do another beautiful dance to a song from Anastasia almost brought tears to my eyes. If I did not get to run the Boston Marathon on Monday, spending time with family and watching my niece do something that God has gifted her with makes the whole trip worth it. She was inspiring. What she did on stage was something that moves people. As she sang "Peace like a river", I truly experienced 'peace' like a river. As she most beautifully danced, it was almost as if her dance was a worship to God. I could almost sense God smiling down upon. I KNOW HE WAS SMILING DOWN ON HER. She is a young girl that is full of life, and full of talent that God has given. I thank Him for allowing me to experience this. He is good.
April 12, 2013: 3 and Counting.... 6-miles (44:50) - out/back - Shinnston Rail Trail. This 6-mile recovery run put my mileage at exactly 1,000 since January 1st. That may sound like a lot of miles, but to run a fast marathon, it would be considered pretty low mileage. With the marathon being 3 days away, I want to thank God for these 1,000 miles. I also want to give/surrender these miles to Him and may He do with these miles only what He can do. I run for Him and truly want Him to accomplish what He desires. I want my desires to be His desires. I want to run the race on Monday with His joy, His peace, His wisdom, His courage. I want to be emptied out and be filled with His Spirit. He is so good.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
4 and Counting.....
April 11, 2013: 4 and Counting..... 7-miles (3-mile warmup; 2-mile marathon tempo (11:23); 2-mile cooldown. This is truly the last faster running day until the marathon. From here on out, it's all recovery runs with some strides thrown in on Saturday. This marathon 'dress rehearsal' felt a little harder than I wanted it too. I hope it has to due with the fact that it was 80 degrees and there were a few rolling hills thrown in. My ultimate prayer over the next 4 days is that my heart is where God wants it to be heading into the race. I want to run free....run for Him.....run as a worship to Him. I want to totally surrender the race to Him.....to run free from any pressure to meet the top 100 and sub 2:30 goals. No matter what happens....'it is well'.
6, 5, and Counting....
April 10, 2013: 5 and Counting..... 7-miles (46:30) - out/back - Middleville Rd. - Today was a hot (84 degrees), windy day. Since I took Monday off, and ran easy yesterday, I wanted to get a moderate effort in today to avoid too many easy days in a row. This run reminded me of Sunday's as I had a friendly tailwind on the way out over Middleville's rolling hills.....but then on the way back I felt as if the wind was constantly pushing against me as if it didn't want me to get home. I am beginning to wonder if this wind is a sign of things to come (I certainly hope not). As I have looked at weather.com everyday to get the latest updates on Monday's forecast, I most recently noticed that they are predicting the wind to now come out of the South Southeast (SSE), which means it would mostly be a cross/head wind. Before this, the forecast kept predicting wind to come out of the Southwest (SW) or South Southwest (SSW), which would have been closer to a cross/tailwind (much nicer). I know ultimately it is up to God, but I certainly wouldn't complain if he told the winds to 'be still' on Monday OR to switch the wind back to the West to help carry everyone along. No matter what the weather though, I just want to surrender the race to Him, and run with the peace and joy that comes only from Him.
April 9, 2013: 6 and Counting..... 6-miles (43:20) - out/back - Shinnston Rail-Trail - I felt pretty decent today, but wanted to stick to the plan and run at 'recovery' effort. I am glad I will not be running anything hard on this rail-trail soon as the footing on the trail has deteriorated a bit with people riding their horses. I certainly realize that people have a right to ride their horses on the trail, but it does make it easier for runners to turn an ankle or something else due to the ruts that the horse hooves create. However, running slower makes it easier to concentrate on where I am placing my feet.
April 9, 2013: 6 and Counting..... 6-miles (43:20) - out/back - Shinnston Rail-Trail - I felt pretty decent today, but wanted to stick to the plan and run at 'recovery' effort. I am glad I will not be running anything hard on this rail-trail soon as the footing on the trail has deteriorated a bit with people riding their horses. I certainly realize that people have a right to ride their horses on the trail, but it does make it easier for runners to turn an ankle or something else due to the ruts that the horse hooves create. However, running slower makes it easier to concentrate on where I am placing my feet.
Monday, April 8, 2013
8, 7 and Counting....
April 8, 2013: 7 and Counting.... We are exactly 1 week away!......perfect time for a day off! :-P This is my last planned total rest day. From here on out there will be nothing longer than 7 miles with some strides thrown in, and a short marathon-paced tempo later on in the week. It's time to really lock-in on Jesus, eating well/hydrating, and getting plenty of sleep at night.
April 7, 2013: 8 and Counting.... 13-miles (82:48) - out/back - Mon River Rail Trail (Prickett's Fort). This run was very interesting. I wanted to stay true to the thought of maintaining intensity, while reducing volume. Therefore, I did not want to run easy, but also not go crazy fast. I started the run out feeling ok as I was cruising along with a 20 mph tailwind most of the way. Part of me couldn't help but think, "How is it going to feel on the way back?" Well.....for the most part, the way back was tough. It has been quite some time since I have run in winds this strong. Having not looked at my watch, I was predicting that I would finish the run in around 85:00....if things were going well, but possibly up to 88:00 as I felt like aqua-jogging back much of the time. That's how tough it was on the way back. I really felt like I was practically running in place at times. I scratched and clawed my way to the finish and felt like I had just completed an 18-20 miler instead of a 13 miler. To my surprise, my split on the way back was within seconds of my split on the way out. I know I said on Thursday that the 3 x 1600 workout was my last 'hard' day, but I will have to revise that and include this run in that category....at least being as mentally tough b/c of the headwind during the 2nd half of the run. Hopefully the conditions at Boston will be more like the first half of this run. :-)
April 7, 2013: 8 and Counting.... 13-miles (82:48) - out/back - Mon River Rail Trail (Prickett's Fort). This run was very interesting. I wanted to stay true to the thought of maintaining intensity, while reducing volume. Therefore, I did not want to run easy, but also not go crazy fast. I started the run out feeling ok as I was cruising along with a 20 mph tailwind most of the way. Part of me couldn't help but think, "How is it going to feel on the way back?" Well.....for the most part, the way back was tough. It has been quite some time since I have run in winds this strong. Having not looked at my watch, I was predicting that I would finish the run in around 85:00....if things were going well, but possibly up to 88:00 as I felt like aqua-jogging back much of the time. That's how tough it was on the way back. I really felt like I was practically running in place at times. I scratched and clawed my way to the finish and felt like I had just completed an 18-20 miler instead of a 13 miler. To my surprise, my split on the way back was within seconds of my split on the way out. I know I said on Thursday that the 3 x 1600 workout was my last 'hard' day, but I will have to revise that and include this run in that category....at least being as mentally tough b/c of the headwind during the 2nd half of the run. Hopefully the conditions at Boston will be more like the first half of this run. :-)
Saturday, April 6, 2013
9 and Counting.....
April 6, 2013: 9 and Counting..... 7-miles - out/back - Middleville Rd. (6-miles in 39:06; 1-mile w/8 x 100 meter strides) - Felt ok today. Another day where I did not look at my watch until I finished b/c I wanted to base the run on feel/effort...not race the watch. Here is something funny....at the end of the run, I decided to look back on my watch at my splits of this past Tuesday's run b/c I felt today's run was similar. I kid you not.......the 6-mile split of that run was.........39:06.19, while today's 6-mile run was 39:06.05.....crazy! I don't know if it's good, bad, or indifferent. Part of me thinks that this run should have felt easier than it did......that's ok though.....trusting God....looking forward to tomorrow's 13-miler on the rail-trail.
Friday, April 5, 2013
12, 11, 10, and Counting
April 5, 2013: 10 and Counting: 5-miles (37:24) - Recovery Run - Maple Lake. So, here we are...the countdown from 10....like a space shuttle getting ready to launch. :-P Going back to the introduction of this blog, I believe this is going to be a redemptive race. God is faithful, and I believe He cares....even about this race....He cares. As the race draws closer, I want to draw closer to God...not because of the Boston Marathon, but because there is no greater place to be than in the presence of God....to seek Him more....to know Him more.....there is nothing better! We were created to commune with God....to love Him, and to love people. I want to desire Him more than I desire anything else. My prayer over the next 10 days is that I will desire Him more than a good result in Boston; and that no matter what happens in Boston, my desire for Him will not wane. God is good.
April 4, 2013: 11 and Counting.....10-miles (3.5 mile warm-up with 8 x 100 meter strides; 3 x 1600 meters w/400 meter jog in between. My splits were: 4:50, 4:54, 4:51; 3-mile cool-down) The weather was next to perfect today....mid-50's and not too windy. Today was another day where I felt ok, but not great. With the way I was feeling, I was pleased with the results of the workout; especially the last 1600. I struggled a little on the 2nd one, and wasn't sure how the last one would go. Being the last one, I pushed a little harder the last 100 meters which helped my time. This is basically what I would call the last 'hard' workout before Boston. The rest of the way will be either recovery or 'tune-up' type runs.
April 3, 2013: 12 and Counting......6-miles (no watch) - Recovery run - out/back-Middleville Rd. The legs did not feel as good as I thought they would today. However I was happy to get it in and feel relatively healthy (not injured) as the taper is getting into full-swing.....trying to keep my eye on the prize.
April 4, 2013: 11 and Counting.....10-miles (3.5 mile warm-up with 8 x 100 meter strides; 3 x 1600 meters w/400 meter jog in between. My splits were: 4:50, 4:54, 4:51; 3-mile cool-down) The weather was next to perfect today....mid-50's and not too windy. Today was another day where I felt ok, but not great. With the way I was feeling, I was pleased with the results of the workout; especially the last 1600. I struggled a little on the 2nd one, and wasn't sure how the last one would go. Being the last one, I pushed a little harder the last 100 meters which helped my time. This is basically what I would call the last 'hard' workout before Boston. The rest of the way will be either recovery or 'tune-up' type runs.
April 3, 2013: 12 and Counting......6-miles (no watch) - Recovery run - out/back-Middleville Rd. The legs did not feel as good as I thought they would today. However I was happy to get it in and feel relatively healthy (not injured) as the taper is getting into full-swing.....trying to keep my eye on the prize.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
17, 16, 15, 14, 13, and Counting
April 2, 2013: 13 and Counting..... 9-miles (8 miles in 51:45; 1-mile w/8 x 100 meter strides - no watch) - Out/Back - Middleville Rd. I felt pretty good overall. My right hamstring felt a little tight on the way back, so I backed off a little....foot and back felt pretty much the same as they have been. I can feel them there, but they are not slowing me down much. Even with the above mentioned ailments, I still feel pretty good and relatively healthy. Hopefully things will clear up even more as the taper progresses.
April 1, 2013: 14 and Counting..... DAY OFF. Again, had thoughts of running today, but decided on full rest day as far as running is concerned.
March 31, 2013: 15 and Counting....... 17-miles (1:44:30) - This was my last long run before Boston. I was very encouraged as I felt better as the run progressed, and ran the last 10-miles in under 60 minutes. From everything that I have read about tapering, it is important to keep the intensity up in select runs, but only reduce the mileage. I am thankful that I felt this strong today, even after running a race yesterday. God is good!! I jumped in the lake for about a 12-minute ice bath afterwards.
March 30, 2013: 16 and Counting..... 10-miles (3-mile warm-up; Webark 5K - 15:11; 4-mile cool-down); For March 30th, this was a cold race...about 29 degrees at the start. The course was a relatively flat, out/back course with a few turns. I had a goal heading in to break 15 minutes, but it wasn't to be today. I felt ok, but not great during the race. I know the results had me finish in 15:09, but I think the race timer might have started a couple seconds late as everyone was surprised when the gun when off....there were no verbal commands to start the race....only the sound of the gun, which caught people (and probably the timers) off-guard. Also, I jogged the course after the race with my GPS, and the course measured 3.08. The first mile-marker was at 0.98 according to Garmin, while the last 2.1 was pretty accurate. My splits were 4:47 (for the first 0.98); 5:03 (included 2 sharp turns plus the turnaround cone), and 5:21 (for the last 1.1; I didn't actually see the 3-mile marker, but I figured my 3rd mile was around 4:51). I am very blessed to come out of this with a solid race and pretty healthy.
March 29, 2013: 17 and Counting..... 6-miles (43:10) - recovery - Shinnston Rail-Trail. Legs felt decent, but not great. I just tried to get in a recovery run before a planned 5K race tomorrow. I didn't look at my watch until I finished the run. I thought maybe I averaged a shade under 7-minutes for most of the miles, but it turned out I averaged a shade over 7-minutes per mile (besides the first mile, which was around 7:40). I have a race tomorrow, and feel like it could turn out to be a good one. It will be my last tune-up race before Boston.
April 1, 2013: 14 and Counting..... DAY OFF. Again, had thoughts of running today, but decided on full rest day as far as running is concerned.
March 31, 2013: 15 and Counting....... 17-miles (1:44:30) - This was my last long run before Boston. I was very encouraged as I felt better as the run progressed, and ran the last 10-miles in under 60 minutes. From everything that I have read about tapering, it is important to keep the intensity up in select runs, but only reduce the mileage. I am thankful that I felt this strong today, even after running a race yesterday. God is good!! I jumped in the lake for about a 12-minute ice bath afterwards.
March 30, 2013: 16 and Counting..... 10-miles (3-mile warm-up; Webark 5K - 15:11; 4-mile cool-down); For March 30th, this was a cold race...about 29 degrees at the start. The course was a relatively flat, out/back course with a few turns. I had a goal heading in to break 15 minutes, but it wasn't to be today. I felt ok, but not great during the race. I know the results had me finish in 15:09, but I think the race timer might have started a couple seconds late as everyone was surprised when the gun when off....there were no verbal commands to start the race....only the sound of the gun, which caught people (and probably the timers) off-guard. Also, I jogged the course after the race with my GPS, and the course measured 3.08. The first mile-marker was at 0.98 according to Garmin, while the last 2.1 was pretty accurate. My splits were 4:47 (for the first 0.98); 5:03 (included 2 sharp turns plus the turnaround cone), and 5:21 (for the last 1.1; I didn't actually see the 3-mile marker, but I figured my 3rd mile was around 4:51). I am very blessed to come out of this with a solid race and pretty healthy.
March 29, 2013: 17 and Counting..... 6-miles (43:10) - recovery - Shinnston Rail-Trail. Legs felt decent, but not great. I just tried to get in a recovery run before a planned 5K race tomorrow. I didn't look at my watch until I finished the run. I thought maybe I averaged a shade under 7-minutes for most of the miles, but it turned out I averaged a shade over 7-minutes per mile (besides the first mile, which was around 7:40). I have a race tomorrow, and feel like it could turn out to be a good one. It will be my last tune-up race before Boston.
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