2008 Run to Remember "Race" Report

On Sunday, I took part in Boston's Run to Remember, which is a tribute to remember our fallen heroes. I ran it last year and it just wasn't fun, but I signed up again as a way to start the spring/summer racing season and as a way to welcome myself out of my intensive yoga training and back into my running. Steve (my ex-boss), John, Paul, David & myself all met up prior to the race. It was great to know so many people running. When I moved to Massachusetts it was so hard for me to meet people because I moved here basically on my own, but running has introduced me to so many great people.

My experience for the 2008 Run to Remember started out great. Why you ask? Because of ... get ready for this ... the bathrooms! Yes, that's right. The bathrooms. I never used a port-a-potty at that race. The bathrooms inside at the World Trade Center, where the race starts, were clean and smelled so pretty. And then Paul came through with finding the lobby bathroom at the hotel across the street and that was just incredible - beautiful full length stall doors, nice paper towels and good smelling soap.

Speedy Steve left us to get to his starting position and the rest of us got in line around the 8:30 - 9:00 mark. The race started with a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem and then the blow horn sounded and we were off. It's difficult through the first few miles of this race because the crowd is either pushing you along or holding you up too slow and there are so many turns before we all spread out that you are just forced to go with the crowd. Needless to say we went with the crowd for the first few miles. Once we were over the Longfellow Bridge we had a good amount of running room, but unfortunately little shade. It was a hot day (like last year). The temperature was only in the 60's at race start, but the sun was intense and just beating down on me. Lucky for me I remembered how hot and miserable I was last year and bought a nice super-lightweight Nike tank, which I was completely comfortable in.

So today's plan for me was to run at a comfortable place for the first 10 miles and then break out into whatever I had left for the remaining 5K. And that was pretty much what I did. John, Paul and I stayed together through the race pushing each other to paces anywhere from 8:23 - 8:48 for those first 10 miles while we talked intermittently. The only snafu was around mile 7 when all of a sudden my GU fell into the street. I had it safety-pinned to my shorts and with all the repetitive motion the safety pin just wore right through the packaging and it fell off. This wonderful gentleman stopped to pick it up for me, which was just awesome. So I helped him out with giving him what pace we were at since he thought he got a little excited taking the turn on Memorial Drive.

Let's get one thing straight here. I like John & Paul. They are great, fun and motivating to run with, but I was really trying to beat them. We went into the last 5K together. John was looking strong and I know I (and I think maybe Paul) was struggling with the heat, but I wanted to stay with them - obviously, since I was planning on beating them. Paul and I stopped for water at the last water stop while John continued on. I was able to catch John out of the water stop, but I didn't know what happened to Paul until he came up on my heels just a few minutes out of the water stop. I stayed with John and Paul until about mile 12.2 and then I just started to slip. I was anxious to finish and think I started to kick a bit too early so I tired out and slipped back - not too mention John and Paul were just motoring on ahead. I kept them in sight and pushed up the hill coming back to the World Trade Center. I tried to catch them, but my kick just wasn't strong enough.

I was really happy with the way that everything turned out. I know I'm not in the shape I was back in October at the BAA Half, but it will come back and I'll be even better. I just have to be patient, work hard and train smart.

Official Time: 1:52:49 (8:34 min/mi pace)
Official Results: Coolrunning.com

It's Official... Janette, CYT

It's official! I am a Certified Yoga Teacher. I graduated on Sunday from Finding Inner Peace Yoga School with the other girls at the Quincy teacher training program at Healing Tree Yoga & Wellness Center. Here is a picture of myself and the other ladies.
I cannot express how good it feels to have finished the six month training program. At first, I really thought it was just about becoming a yoga teacher - something to do in the part time and as a little extra cash maybe - but it became so much more than that. It becaming making new friends, meeting a new self, taking a spiritual and at many times emotional journey, as well as finding a way to become involved in my community and spread the experience and my joy of yoga. I really enjoyed the journey throughout the program - no matter how many times I wished it would snow so Thursday night class would be cancelled or how many times I went to work grouchy on Friday because I was too energized after Thursday's class to fall asleep.
I learned so much about anatomy, philosophy, yoga, myself, perceptions, feelings, emotions, the mind and the body that I cannot even begin to put it into words. My intention is to bring out a bit of me and a bit of everything that I've learned in each of the classes I teach as well as in my own personal practice.

I hope to see you at one of my classes. Contact me at janette.yoga@gmail.com for more information on classes, private/small group sessions, yogassage or with any other questions you might have.

Back to Distance Form... Sort Of

Some of the BMC crew from 2006 & 2007 got together on Saturday for a 12-mile run out of Marathon Sports. I was planning to just do 8-miles, but when I run with a group I get talking and well you know what happens when girls get to talking....

Sarah, John and I met up with Dave & Paul, whom I just met that morning, and headed out for the 12-miler. It was great to be with friends again, new & old friends. It was great to be with them in the beginning when I felt good and still great to be with them in the end when my legs started to rebel against me. That's the thing about group runs... there is just that hint of competition, even in a friendly atmosphere like Saturda, that keeps you going even when your mind says to stop. There were times - especially up Heartbreak Hill - that I wanted to just quit and walk, but I didn't because they were there pushing me in their silent run up the hill as we all reached for that last bit of energy to push us up and over.

My longest run before this was only 7-miles, so this was a big jump for me, but I jump that I feel good about. My knees bothered me at about mile 10-ish partly because of my IT-band tightness. Usually it's just one knee, but Saturday it was both. I iced afterward and all was back to normal by Sunday morning. Except one new weird feeling... the front of my kneecaps bothered me, but again I iced on Sunday and all was well.

Thanks for the great run, everyone!