When The Thrill Is Gone...

Here’s an update on my training for the 40 for 40 run on November 13. On Saturday I ran 24 miles on the Casey’s course all at goal pace. (Even paused for a moment to free a kid’s ball stuck in a tree) Each mile was a combination of running and walking with the intention of staying within a 30 second range.  My legs were feeling a little tired at the end, but felt good enough to continue for another loop. I’ll see how this week’s on course long run goes in terms of adjusting the pace, or keeping it the same.

The Thrill Is Gone

Over the past eight years I've had my share of great accomplishments in races. This includes seven marathons and many PR's. Along the way I made numerous friends and gained more confidence. However since the middle of 2012, I've seen a decline in PR's. After coming off a big year in 2011, I knew deep down it would be a tough act to follow. At the time a PR was the only thing I felt that could keep me relevant. I knew I didn't posses the talent that could gain entry into The Boston Marathon via qualification. (Not even close) Nor did I have the speed to earn top 3's in my age group. Having Asperger's, I was rather insecure about that. Kind of like being in a movie, but if you blink your eye, you miss my part.

I was also frustrated over my struggles to full fill some goals I wanted to accomplish. Among them were, a race longer than a mile at a sub 7 minute pace. A sub 1:50 1/2 marathon and a sub 4hr marathon. I sensed my window of opportunity was closing. Closing fast! At the start of the year I wanted to try once more to achieve my goal in a half this fall. I knew I needed to train at a high level over the summer to make that happen. I struggled, I was stressed. It seemed I was drawing dead for every hand of cards I played. I came to the realization that running wasn't fun anymore. By September I made the decision not to run the half marathon scheduled for last week. It was time to embark on a new journey.

An Ultra Vision

I've discovered a potential strength I might have. Run at a slower pace, but for longer distance. I began to see more room for opportunity to grow. Then it hit me, I want to focus on ultra marathon's. With that said, I'm announcing my retirement from racing 5k's through half marathon's for the foreseeable future. I'll still run some of those distances here and there. Just not the same way I have in the past. This summer I'm considering running in the 24 Hour Around The Lake as an endurance test. I'm hoping it could be a build up to run 100 miles in the future. Imagine in ten years from now if I achieved the triple crown of endurance sports. The Boston Marathon (check), a 100 miler, and a Iron Man triathlon. For now I'll focus on getting ready for my 40 mile run and take it from there.

A Special Shout Out

I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for a great group of people that gave me three years of memories I'll never forget. During my long runs I thought about the great experiences I had while a member of The Run for Research team. Believe me It hasn't been the same since I left. Miss you folks!

2011 Runners Council

That's it for now. 40 for 40...2 weeks!!

The Spectrum Road Is A Lonely One...Or Is It?

On World Autism Awareness Day in April I made the decision to share a fact about my life that I kept a secret for years. For the first time I revealed that I have Asperger syndrome.  The biggest challenge for me has been social interaction. I have come a long way from my childhood days. I’d stand at the end of my driveway hoping my neighbors would invite me over to play when I saw them playing in the yard. In those days, I was never comfortable just dropping in.

Today I no longer feel I need to be hand held or rely on one person that I'm comfortable with to act as my security blanket. Within the past 10 years I've made more strides socially than I've ever imagined. All because of one thing, running. To be brief, I took great interest to challenge myself to finish a marathon. Figuring it to be a one time thing, I have currently run 7. Mostly because of the relationships that I've built from the running community in the past 5 years.

Now I'd like to give something back to the community as a way to say thanks. On November 13, I'll attempt to run Casey's course 10 times!! Why am I doing this exactly? I suppose the time has come to let the cat out of the bag as it were. My 40th birthday is November 13. If you're keeping score, it falls on a Thursday. Every Thursday evening my running club (Somerville Road Runners) hosts a free run. The distance is 4.06 miles and if you do the math, the total is 40+ miles.  Call it 40 for 40. This was something I thought of a few years ago. I said to myself "Why not?" I don't figure a surprise party is coming my way. So I'll celebrate in a way that's unique and different.

For the record I'll be starting the run early in the morning . It figures to take the better part of the day to complete. I will definitely have updates in future posts of how my training is coming along and my game plan. As of now I just wanted to get the word out. 40 for 40, November 13. Stay tuned...