My last two runs haven't gone so well...15 hilly miles with Gordon on Saturday, and 7 cold/windy miles by myself today. So rather than dwelling, I'll focus on my most recent good run: last week's crossroads.

We already established that I am competitive. And now that my brother Ted is training for the Chicago Marathon (his first), the heat is ON. He texted me last week at work to say he'd run 4 miles at 7:10/mile, and therefore was "definitely ready for a faster marathon" than me. hah. Well Ted, at crossroads last week I did 7:17/mile for 8.8 miles. More than twice the distance, not that much slower. Eat it!










I probably could have easily just texted that back to him, but something about this public sphere makes it a little more believable in his book. To be honest, I'm not quite sure where that run came from. I will probably never be able to do Crossroads that fast again without Chris on one side of me, and my new little German friend Matthias on the other. But it WAS a good one!

sneezes, sore throats, and [negative] splits

I am competitive. Lots of people can vouch for this: ask my good friend Fred, and he might tell you about the time I threw my controller when I was losing to him in Super Mario Brothers. Ask my brother Ted, as we always try to one-up each other with GPAs, salaries, and points scored in this game or that. Ask my brother Tom about our training for the Chicago Marathon, or my Dad about our annual rivalry in the Beach to Beacon 10k race.

Right now my body is finally getting the better of me. The past few months of diligent sleep and vitamins have worn out their welcome, and have been replaced by a fever, a stuffy nose, and a god-awful voice.

And unfortunately, I am not helping myself--because my biggest competitor is often Betsy.

At Crossroads on Thursday, I had planned to do an easy-ish 10.5 miles with Marisa and Mike, not wanting to push myself too hard. But as soon as the hills came into view, my legs felt great. So I pushed the pace and decided to do a hard 8.8 miles over the hills--I couldn't bear the thought of not trying to better my time at Crossroads (it's a sick little game I play with myself each week). It turned out to be my best Crossroads run ever, finishing at 1:05 (yes Ben, that is 7:30/mile. For all 8.8 miles). My legs felt great, but my throat and head felt awful.

Yesterday's DFMC group run in Wayland was supposed to be 20 miles...and I got out of bed approaching it as twenty-with-a-question-mark, meaning I would run until I felt awful enough that I should stop. I was hoping for just 10 or 12.

But at the first water stop, my legs felt great. I couldn't bear the thought of running these 20 miles slower than my last 20 mile run. So I pushed the pace and decided I would focus on negative splits. I reached the 10 mile mark at 1:22, and finished the full 20 miles in 2:40. So the run became twenty-with-an-exclamation point!--and my legs felt great, but my head and chest felt awful.

What do I have to show for these two great runs today? Not much. As I write this I am home from school, with a box of tissues and a bottle of cold medicine at an arm's length. Since I can't run today, maybe I should use that extra time to talk some sense into myself.

last week's theme: testing my limits

Last week saw a convergence of many things: a severe lack of sleep, the most miles I've run in a week, the longest and coldest race I've done since the Chicago Marathon, and a nagging back pain that just won't quit! Let me explain...

Thursday's regular 9 mile run at Crossroads was great...I had a nice run and chat with Gordon at a pretty good pace. That man does not stop for traffic, the T, or green lights...so it's a good thing he was leading the way! Crossroads was more busy and more festive than usual after our run, which meant that I didn't drag myself home until after midnight--on a school night. oops. 6am for school on Friday was rough. Hours of sleep? barely 5.

Sunday was the big day that I've had my eye on for awhile: The Boston Prep 16 miler race in Derry, NH. Unfortunately it was also the morning after Shifter's marathon party, which I finally pulled myself away from at 1am. oops. 6am for the race on Sunday was rough. Hours of sleep? barely 5.

At Derry with fellow DFMC-ers from Boston, Marisa
and Mike. Read Mike's blog here: http://turningontoboylston.blogspot.com/

The temperature at the starting line in Derry was just 3 degrees. I had heard that Derry is famous for being hilly, cold, sometimes snowy, and just generally unforgiving. This was not an exaggeration. During the 16 miles, we were constantly going up and down, up and down, and it got to the point where I didn't want to go downhill...because it just meant I'd have to go up again. I can safely say that my legs have never burned like that before. You know it's bad when you want to stop and walk so badly, but then you realize that walking will only prolong your misery. So you keep running, if only to end the pain sooner.

I had no clue how I would fare going into the race, but I was pleasantly surprised; apparently the hill work at Crossroads is really paying off. I finished in very consistent 8-minute miles, for a total of 2:08:40. That lent a little confidence to my quest for a sub 4 hour marathon!



With Glen, fellow DFMC teammate after the race.
Read Glen's blog: http://borntorunandraise.blogspot.com/



After a solid 40 mile week, the theme of this next week will be new things: the start of Tuesday track workouts, and the start of cross training in the pool. It's both a blessing and a curse that we have DFMC runs on Tuesday, Thursday, and the weekends....awesome because I get to run and train with great people...but tough because the socializing afterward the running only contributes to my lack of sleep on school nights :)

crossroads

Last night I did a cold COLD run at Crossroads. Every Thursday night, a bunch of us meet up at the Crossroads Pub downtown and take the T out to Newton, then run about 9 miles back to the bar on the marathon course.

And of course, in typical Betsy fashion, I decided I should buy a face mask on my way to the run...and after frantically going to City Sports, EMS, and Marathon Sports (all sold out), I cursed myself for trying to 'plan ahead' only 15 minutes before the run. When we started the run, it was 13 degrees....but as we passed through Coolidge Corner the thermometer said 5. Ouch.

Anyway, I love Crossroads because it's so fun to meet new runners, and each week I find myself running or talking to somebody different! Last night I ran with new friends Marissa and Mike, both first time DFMC-ers, and this guy named Tony (who I kept calling Tom, and he didn't correct me until mile 8. oops!) Marissa, Mike and I brainstormed some new ideas for fund raising, and I made a plan with Shifter and Glen to do our long run together on Saturday morning. And the free pizza and beer after the run doesn't hurt either. Thursday may be the new Friday.

Seeing that today is a day off from school because it's so cold in Boston (-7 with the windchill), it may have to be a day off from running too.