Beantown Bound
Well, that didn't take long. Less than three weeks after this post proclaiming I wasn't in the right frame of mind to even consider running the Boston marathon in April, I've signed up for the race. Formal training will begin December 27th and I'm already working on building up my base. I went for a trail run yesterday with Barefoot Josh and ai-yi-yi! I need to get my hill legs back. SORE SORE SORE last night.
Uwharrie course elevationWhy Boston? I blame it on the Uwharrie Mountain Run. Sign-up for the February race was this past Monday. I desperately wanted to run the race the last few years but have gotten closed out. It's a small race and slots fill up within 10-15 minutes of registration opening online. I wasn't sure if I even wanted to run it this year but decided to let the fates decide. If I got in, I'd run it. Well, guess what? I'm signed up for the 20 mile run. And that means TRAINING. The Uwharrie run is not for the faint of heart. For the amount of training I'll need to do in order to respectably run the Uwharrie in February, it's silly not to just keep training for another 2 months and run Boston. So Beantown, here I come baby.
I've learned I need a goal. Without any race on the calendar, my attitude toward exercise has been half-hearted, at best. And my diet has been horrible. It's much easier to turn away chocolate cake or a mocha when you know you have to get through a training run later in the afternoon. But recently I've been like, "Eh, I can skip the run. Let's eat cake!" I haven't gone near a scale but I bet I've put on close to five pounds since Chicago. The madness must end!
I'm still a little exhausted thinking about the training, but that's slowly ebbing away. Day by day I'm thinking more about the mountain, about gutting it out on that hill at mile 15, and of seeing family who may come see me in Boston.
My friend Melody noted today that she isn't surprised I'm running Boston as I'm a competitive person. I shared with her that it's taken me years to see myself that way. Years ago I said something to the effect that I've never been a competitive person and Blair almost choked. I really didn't have any idea what he was talking about. I get it now. I used to associate "competitive" with "ruthless" or "egotistical." While I can't deny that's part of the mix, I now view competitiveness as more testing and stretching my boundaries. That's a nicer way of looking at it, don't you think?
Humph. I'm pretty such I can still hear Blair choking in the background. What-EVER.
Cheers,
Dena
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 4:52 PM | Dena Harris | 8 Comments | Email Article | Share via Digg | Print Article | tagged Barefoot Josh, Boston marathon 2010, Uwharrie Mountain run, Uwharrie mountain 20 miler, beantown in Running 
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Reader Comments (8)
Do we have any relatives or friends we can stay with in Boston?! How soon do we need reservations?! And you NEEDED to put five pounds on after Chicago...mommy says you are too thin!!!
We all need reservations, like, YESTERDAY. All of the good hotels (i.e., ones near the start/finish) are already booked.
I hear ya on needing a goal on the horizon! I'm going to run an ultra in the Spring, but it just seems so far off right now, so I had to set a little goal for November.
And I'm so jealous about Boston. I badly want to do it but it won't be happening this year because my wife is due that day. But I can defer for one year. Maybe I'll see you there in 2011?
"I now view competitiveness as more testing and stretching my boundaries. That's a nicer way of looking at it, don't you think?" Definitely! :)
Proud of you. And thinking of what kind of goal I could set that would inspire me to live more healthfully...that wouldn't require one iota of running. Hmmmm.
Matt - at least you have a valid reason not to run Boston this year. =) I don't know that I'm going to run a qualifying marathon in 2010 - thinking of concentrating more on a trail marathon, but I'll cheer you on in spirit 2011. (But if I do qualify, I want to run in a "no-meat athlete" t-shirt!)
Ok, I already have reservations and staying in Andover, MA 20 miles outside Boston. See you there.
I'll be there supporting 4 friends running boston. I'll probably do the BAA 5k the day before.
Rob - Would be cool if we could actually arrange a quick time to meet and say hi. Maybe around mile 22 when I'm passed out on the side of the road? :)