Congratulations to all of the runners in today’s 120th Boston Marathon. You’re going to feel amazing after you cross that finish line.
I had a little bit of a hard time not signing up again because it was such a fulfilling experience to run the marathon last year in support of Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. As the day has drawn closer, I’ve found myself feeling grateful that I overcame that initial temptation. Continue reading It’s Marathon Monday!
Having goals is a key component of motivation. My default setting is to think of goals as something new and harder than anything I’ve done before. I should always be trying get better, right? But is that really true? Do goals always have to be about improvement? What happens when goals are about maintenance instead? How can you create goals for yourself that keep you involved in an activity? Continue reading Running Through The Finish Line: Goals for Ongoing Motivation
Hey, did you guys know I ran the Boston Marathon this year? Yeah, I know–I appreciate my friends’ and family’s patience with me as I talked and wrote incessantly about my journey to 26.2 miles with the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. It was a big event in my life, given my fear of fundraising and my long-held belief that someone with my knee problems would never run a mile, never mind 26 of them in a row. Continue reading $5.4 Million Dollars Closer to a World Without Cancer
Since signing up to run the Boston Marathon for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute last year, I’ve had some people express interest in doing the same. Now that it’s September, Dana-Farber and many of the other charities that have bibs available for marathon runners will be starting their application processes. So, now is the time to think about whether you want to run the 2016 Boston Marathon and raise funds for a cause close to your heart. (If you missed it, I do not plan to run–loved it, but once was enough.) Continue reading So You Want to Run the Boston Marathon for Charity?
I thought about not recapping this race, because (SPOILER ALERT!) it did not go well for me. But then I reconsidered: There’s still value in documenting what the race was like for people considering it in the future, and there’s also value in reminding myself that you can have a really bad race and it’s not the end of the world. Continue reading Race Recap: Mayflower Brewing Half Marathon
For the second week in a row, I ran a specific race for the fourth time in four years. On Sunday I participated in Boston’s annual Run to Remember, a half marathon and 5 mile race that supports the families of fallen police officers.
I registered for the half marathon distance, figuring that I should be able to handle it after running Boston a month earlier. I had originally planned to squeeze in one or maybe two long runs (10-12 miles) in the weeks before the race, but then of course I got a fairly bad cold and ended up not doing it. As a result, the Run to Remember was by far my longest run since the marathon and I was nervous about not being well-prepared. Continue reading Race Recap: Run to Remember Half Marathon
Last weekend I ran my fourth Harpoon 5-Miler, the annual fundraising race hosted by Boston’s Harpoon Brewery to support The Angel Fund. This is one of my favorite running events; not only is 5 miles one of my favorite race distances, but the race is followed by an outdoor party featuring delicious Harpoon beer. Continue reading Race Recap: 2015 Harpoon 5-Miler
Last weekend, I tried something new and ran a relay race. The Ragnar Cape Cod race covers 192 miles from Hull to Provincetown, MA. Each team has 12 runners (or 6 if you’re an ultra team) who take turns covering that distance while the others leapfrog them in a van. The entire process takes anywhere from 20 hours (for the winners) to 30+. As you can imagine, sleep takes a back seat while you’re participating. Continue reading Race Recap: Ragnar Cape Cod
After a long training run, it can take days to recover–that is, to have your legs fully lack soreness and feel strong and fresh again. After the marathon, it takes weeks to get back to that freshness. Now that I’ve finished two marathons, I’ve discovered a couple of lessons about what recovery looks like–at least for me. Continue reading Five Marathon Recovery Discoveries
I can’t believe after so many months of training, fundraising, and generally freaking out that the Boston Marathon is over.
It was one of the best days of my life.
People had told me that Boston was a special marathon, and while I believe them, I also remembered how fantastic LA was and thought they must be exaggerating. I hadn’t factored in what it would be like to run on roads where I had trained, in my hometown, with spectators five people deep lining the roads as we crested into Boston. It was amazing. Continue reading Boston Marathon: After the Finish