Paying it forward

I've been running seriously – i.e. training for and competing in races - for almost 4 years. In that time I’ve lost about 25 pounds and feel I’m in the best physical condition of my adult life.

Over that time I’ve shared my running experiences with non-running friends, explaining how in addition to contributing to my overall improved fitness level, running is enjoyable, rewarding and addictive. Most of them usually just laugh, not buying the enjoyment part, and/or say they could never run a marathon.  

However, recently two friends have expressed interest in running. I’ve agreed to help them develop training plans based on my running knowledge and expertise, as limited as it might be.

Glen was the first to jump into running after hearing about my Boston Marathon experience and how I planned to qualify for and run the New York City Marathon next. So, Glen proceeded to enter the NYC via the lottery process…ambitious to say the least…crazy is likely more accurate! 

Tackling a marathon without first running a few other races at 5k and 10k distances and building to a half marathon might be a recipe for disaster. 

So I have Glen training for the Forest City Half Marathon May 1^st in London, Ontario and we’ll try to fit in a shorter distance race sometime in late February or mid-March. And if by some miracle he gets a lottery spot in NYC, we'll develop a plan and race schedule from there.  

You can check out his progress at http://runjoggyrun.blogspot.com/.

Now Glen was in good physical condition before beginning a running regime, playing soccer on a regular basis, eating healthy and he has youth on his side, he’s only 36. In addition, he’s built like a runner - about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and lean. I’m confident with some consistent training and barring any injuries, he’ll be able to turn in a 1:40 or under time in May.

Now my other friend, Dave, is a different story!

I’d describe him as the polar opposite of Glen. He’s 50, out of shape, loves his beer and would rather watch most sports on TV in a pub than participate. However, he has played many sports in the past, is athletic and I feel has potential.

He's not planning to run a marathon, but I believe he’s motivated to get himself back in shape and sees running as a way to do that. My master plan is to build him up to running a 5k race in the spring or early summer and then a half marathon in the fall. 

And while I think he may be a bit overwhelmed by the thought of running 21.1 kilometres now, if he commits to the process I know he can do it....now I just have to get him to buy in! 

   

  

Why NYC?

I haven't really explained why I'm trying to qualify for the New York City Marathon.

In some ways I'm not really sure why either.

My last marathon was Boston in April. It was an amazing experience - the city, the history of the race, the challenging route and the crowds! However, I arrived in Boston less than 100%. I had injured my left hamstring in the Around the Bay Race (a 30k race in Hamilton, Ontario) just 3 weeks before race-day in Beantown.

Add to that being really sick for a few weeks in December and early January and the result is some very negative impacts to my training schedule.

I had easily qualified for Boston in November at the Road 2 Hope Marathon in Hamilton, besting the required time for my age group by almost 6 minutes, finishing in 3:24:45. I felt strong throughout that race and could have finished closer to 3 hours and 20 minutes, but decided to cruise in the last 7k to avoid any injuries that might prevent finishing.

My goal had been to qualify for Boston. There would be other opportunities to focus on speed and faster finish times.

So given my qualifying result in November, I thought with a good winter of training I'd be able to turn in a good time in Boston. That is until a few months later, back in the same city where I qualified for Boston (how ironic), I hurt my hamstring.

As I mentioned, the overall experience of the Boston Marathon exceeded my expectations, my performance however, did not. I struggled at times during the race, not just the usual stuff one experiences at various points of a marathon, but really struggled to the point I almost packed it in at about the 30k mark.

When I finally crossed the finish line in a very disappointing 3:46:34 I told myself, "never again!"

However, once I had a chance to recover, reflect and get over the disappointment, I realized I couldn't end my marathon career on that note! Then I read Liz Robbins' book "A Race Like No Other" which chronicled the 2007 New York City Marathon. Her descriptions of the crowds, the race route and the runners were truly inspirational.

I knew running NYC was a must. And I wanted to qualify for the race based on time, not through the lottery or running for a charity. However, a 3:10 or faster marathon time, required for qualifying in my age group, was not within immediate reach for me. So I chose another option available - use a half marathon time to qualify. it would require a 1:30 or faster time, something I thought I could accomplish. After all I had run a PR half time of 1:38....shaving 8 minutes off over a 6 month time period would be a breeze!

Yeah right! The best I could do was 1:34. So I decided to hire my friend Ian to coach me. He's a former professional tri-athlete, has run many marathons (including NYC) and has coached tri-athletes and runners for nearly 20 years.

So here I am, training for a half marathon in mid-January and setting my sights on NYC for November 2011.

After that who knows, but I hear they have a some good marathons in Chicago, Berlin and London....like golfers, we runners always come back for more!