Recap...Finally

Instead of doing a whole another recap, I'm going to post the email I sent to all of my supporters.

Dear all,

I apologize for the tardiness of this email. The marathon is now a full 3 weeks behind us, and I'm sure some of you are of course eager to hear how everything went. First, I am writing this email so that means I'm not dead, which is a good thing. Second, I finished the entire race on my own, which, just like being alive, is also a good thing. Third, to date I have raised $4,483.62 all due to the amazing generosity each and every one of you have shown me over the last 6 months.

While I may not have competed for the win, or even the fastest twenty-four year old Jew from Arizona (I should check to see if I can claim that), I did complete what is known as one of the hardest marathons out there in 4:44. When I first started this whole experience, I stated my goal time as under 5 hours. During training I felt confident to drop this down 30 minutes. I felt great going into race weekend and knew that if I stayed smart, I could perhaps even beat that time. Well, as they say, the best laid plans.

Just like my previous long runs, I had to get up incredibly early, waking up at 5 am. After some light breakfast of yogurt, a banana, and a granola bar, I took the first Orange line train to meet my teammates and take the buses to Hopkinton where my destiny awaited me. Although I can remember the last time I stayed up until 5 am and not the last time I woke up that early, I didn't feel sleepy, groggy, or any of the other seven dwarfs. Once on the bus, I spoke to a man from Spain, Jesus Corral. His English wasn't great but we were able to have a nice little conversation. He even took down my name so he could write about me in his blog. (Side note: if anyone speaks Spanish and could try to find his blog online, I'd greatly appreciate the link!)

By the time we arrived to Hopkinton it was close to 8 am, but we still had two and a half hours to kill before we would cross the starting line. I made my way along with a few other DFMC teammates to the parrish that is open only to DFMC runners. All other runners must wait outside with thousands of others. Once inside, I gathered everything, decided what to wear, mingled, said my hellos, pinned my number on, went to the bathroom, mingled some more, unsuccesfully tried to rest, repinned my number, went to the bathroom again, and before I knew it, it was approaching the hour.

Seeing the thousands of runners enter the corrals was amazing. I think that was the first time I truly understand the magnitude of this experience. I was excited and not a bit scared. The gun went off and we started, slowly walking at first, working our way up to running pace. Before I knew it, the first mile was over, but not before watching countless runners dart into the woods for quick bathroom breaks, even the ladies. Then the second mile, and the third. I stayed at a good pace and just tried to enjoy the experience. Once I felt comfortable in my stride I started giving high-fives to the people enthusiastically cheering all along the sidelines. This stayed pretty constant for the first 13 miles or so, and then we hit Wellesley. A half mile away, I could hear them. It sounded like the langoliers (Stephen King reference for those who don't know). Then I was there, and everyone wanted high fives and kisses so I proceeded to give them both (only on the cheek). Only later when my forearm started cramping did I realize holding my arm up during this was a bad idea.

At mile 16 I saw my parents and Leslie as well as Dana-Farber volunteers. My pace had started to slow and I knew the last 10 would be a struggle but I would get there. I had to walk part of heartbreak hill because at that point my left quad felt like it was ready to rip off the bone, not a pleasant feeling. Once that subsided I was able to run again but because of the intial walking, I was never able to get back to a good pace and had to walk on and off the rest of the way in pretty much until I saw the Citgo sign from Coolidge Corner and I knew I was only 2 miles away from getting there. I forced myself to run and the rest was sort of a daze. The turn onto Boylston was all that everyone said it would be and although I don't remember my friends who were there shouting at me, the crowd was unbelievable and crossing the finish line with thousands of people cheering was a remarkable experience.

I'm glad had the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing organization and effort with the DFMC. I'm glad I had the chance to run the Boston Marathon. Most of all, I'm more than happy to have been able to share this experience with you all. Through this, we have come together to raise thousands of dollars that will directly impact lives of cancer patients everywhere and that is something that is worth every bit of sweat, hard work, and above all, your generosity.

Sincerely,

Zach

Thank you all for following me and offering your words of support!

Why is this night different than other nights?

In honor of the last Crossroads run before the marathon, I present to you the 4 questions of Thursday night runs at Crossroads.

Why is it that on all other nights during training we eat either healthy or semi-healthy but on this night we eat pizza? Our benefactor and friend, JJ provides all who run (and even those who don't) with free pizza to replenish our bodies after a run of the hills, river, or the good old out and back. On other nights we must provide ourselves with nourishment, and do so knowing that we will feel guilty if we indulge ourselves too much. But on this night we know that it is only normal and beneficial to not insult our gracious host and eat/maul the pizza that is set before us.

Why is it that on all other nights we drink all sorts of alcohol, but on this night we drink beer? On other nights, you may say I wish to drink a martini or whiskey sour. On this night, however, it seems only fitting to order and a IPA, or Bud, or Stella. After a run, a calorie-less drink is no good to anyone. We must find energy from some source, and we must do so as we wait for the pizza to arrive.

Why is it that on all other nights we stand around clean and without perspiration, but on this night we drink and eat in sweat? On other nights you may wish to wipe the sweat from your brow and pits and even shower before presenting yourself to the world. On this night we delight in the ability to forget such worries and enjoy the company of others in the same condition.

Why is it on all other nights we schlep on a train and run the many hills of Newton? On other nights you may run where you live, but on this night we all come together to experience what many claim to be the hardest part of the Boston marathon so that we all know the hills that much better as to make them a little more bearable when we come upon them not at mile 1 as we do on this night, but at mile 15 when your body is tired and your mind flagging. To experience the hills on this night is truly a mitzvah to your body.

Happy Pesach and Easter to all! Only 10 days away...

All Good Things Come to an End

...or do they?

Last night was the last official track workout before the marathon. Instead of running at Tufts as we usually do, we ran at Belmont High School. A couple of notes about this:

1. Weather.com is never accurate. It was not 50 degrees when I got to the track and in fact, I'm not sure how much it got above 40.
2. Baseball talent just isn't the same in Boston. I got to the track a little early and watched the last half-inning of a high school baseball game. I don't want to sound arrogant, but simply put, there's a huge difference in how the game is played here as opposed to Arizona. I guess having an actual winter will do that.
3. Public transportation will get you everywhere. All I did was go to MBTA.com and found the bus that took me right there. Having no car=no problem.
4. I can only imagine Tuesday night workouts after the marathon. Some of the runners continue to get together over the summer for TNT (Tuesday Night Track), and judging from the stories that I pieced together from the inside jokes and comments, it seems like it will be a good time.
5. Having GPS on my iPhone is the best thing ever. Ever! Not sure if we would've found the bar afterwards without it.
   

Anyway, the workout was light, which I was very thankful for as I'm still recovering from 22 miles on Saturday. I have to say, however, that one of the main reasons I feel confident about running the marathon is because of these track workouts. Before starting them, I had been dealing with injuries to both IT bands and my achilles' tendon. These workouts somehow helped me get healthy as I now feel better than ever before, running-wise that is. Also, I think the dramatic change in my ability (I ran the 22 miles in 3 hours and 31 minutes; I ran 20 miles two weeks before in 3 hours and 27 minutes) is because of these workouts.

So thanks to the DFMC coach, Jack Fultz; thanks to all the runners; thanks to Tufts for use of their track; and of course thanks to all of you who have supported me over the last 6 months. It's been long and arduous, but the payoff is right around the corner. There's always the chance that this is the end of my running career...

but, then again, probably not. Sometimes, good things shouldn't come to an end.

The Best Laid Plans

When I started this blog so many months ago, I expected that I would update it once-a-week (give or take a day or two). The best laid plans, right?

Not only does this phrase sum up my blogging prowess (or lack thereof) and my ability to understand what my body could endure if put through the appropriate training, it also aptly describes much of my training over the past few months. See, before I ran the Sedona half all the way back in February, which seems like an eternity ago, I was running AND making it to the gym for cross-training. But something happened when I returned from vacation and to be honest with everyone, including myself, I think I have only made it to the gym 3 times since then. With that said, the runs have become longer-4 of the last 5 weekend runs have been "my longest"- and harder, especially the Tuesday night track workouts. Still, I know I've lost something in not going.

Unfortunately, it now seems that this is ability to skip workouts has crept into my running. Three weekends ago, in an effort to fully recover from a good old-fashioned cold and from the 18 miles I ran the previous weekend, I didn't run at all. I did feel refreshed, but also slightly guilty. I did, however, feel amazing that week and went on to complete my first 20 mile run that Saturday, which helped relieve some of the guilt. Recovering from this run was a bit tougher than I thought it would be. Last week's runs did not feel good at all. My legs felt heavy and even when I tried to push myself, they did not respond well. Then, I missed this weekend's group run due to a roommate's birthday party on Friday night. I had planned to go running at some point over the weekend, but I let the party affect me a little longer than I had hoped.

So now I feel guilty. I haven't been doing the proper cross-training; I haven't been stretching or icing as much as I should; I've missed two of the last four weekend runs, but....

What I've found about running and training for a marathon is that there's always a time for redemption. You miss a run. Okay, so what? Run the next day. Miss that. There's tomorrow. I understand that this cylce couldn't go forever, but there's still 28 days left until April 20th. I have a 20 mile in the bank. I have another coming up. Other than a few aches and pains that seem pretty natural at this point, I'm healthy. I feel confident that I can do what I need to do over the next 4 weeks to get where I need to be.

It may not be the way I planned, but approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes after I cross the starting line in Hopkinton, I will cross that finish line and know that it doesn't matter what I planned, I made it to the end.

So Close and So Far

According to my Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge website (http://www.runDFMC.org/zacharyd2009), I am less than $30 away from $3,000! This is excellent news. But there's still over a month to go. If you've been waiting until it was closer to the marathon, give today! If you need any motivation, watch the video below. It truly is an inspirational story and gives everyone a fuller understanding of the impact that all of our efforts have.

My goal is still far off - $6,500 - but I know that we can do it. I expect this next month to be the big push. I have see the overwhelming response I've received so far, and this has given me the confidence that WE will reach the goal.

Thank you all for your support.

This is why we run

I've read every article and watched all the videos I've found, and it's still a great story.

I guess I just don't know...

First, the good news: I completed my longest run to date this past Saturday. I ran 18 miles in 3 hours and 15 minutes, for a per-mile time of approximately 10:45.

Now, the bad news: I had to walk a little over a mile.

Others keep telling me that walking isn't that big of a deal and that I should be happy that I have 18 miles "in the bank". Yet, I can't escape a feeling of un-accomplishment. My last few runs had went so well that I was excited to test my body and push myself further than before. I'm not sure how some runners handle this feeling, but before the run I told myself that if I could run last week in X minutes then I should be able to do this run in Y. I mean it was only 2 extra miles. Sometimes, however, it's just not your day I guess.

Looking back on it now, a whole 2 days, 1 pub crawl, and 12 inches of snow later, I can see the successes of the run - no lasting injuries or pain outside the normal soreness, almost a neutral split in time between the first and second half of the run (pretty good considering the walking part), and I just ran 18 miles.

All in all, it's not as bad as I'm making it out to be. I've had worse runs before and I'm sure I'll have worse in the future. I was thinking of this as a setback but I realize that this is definitely not the way to look at it. I still have a month and a half to go before the marathon, and I'm still learning. I don't know what my perfect pace should be or if I need to eat better the day before or day after. I don't know my body will feel the day of, and I don't know if the crowd will give me the burst of energy and enthusiasm everyone says they get.

This is hard for someone like me to admit, but there's a lot of things I don't know. But that's kind of the fun in all of this. The not knowing is a challenge. I'm not sure what my body is fully capable of and trying to understand is exciting. It keeps me motivated. Between this, the patients, and the thrill of race day, I think my motivation level will remain high throughout the rest of training and beyond.