A few of you have asked if my marathon training this year has been formulated to help me qualify for the Boston Marathon.

Yes, yes it has. That's the plan. Run a 3:45:59 in Hartford and qualify for Boston.

For the uninitiated, the Boston Athletic Association requires that runners qualify to run in the Boston Marathon. That means, based on your age, you need to run a marathon, on a certified course, in certain amount of time. You can see the breakdown of age/times here. Once you've accomplished that, you can register for Boston. (There are others ways to get in to the Boston Marathon, but my personal preference is to qualify. We all have to run our own races, for our own reasons.)

Two years ago, after my first marathon, I swore that I would never, ever be interested in running a big marathon like New York or Boston. Especially Boston, with the qualifying times and all! Nope. Never. I was happy at my small, local marathon in Hartford.

But just like I swore I would never run *any* marathon...I have since changed my mind about Boston. I just have to know if I have what it takes to get there. Plus, having a goal keeps me focused and motivated. (And Boston is my favorite city, right in my backyard, and home to the Red Sox.) Thus, the addition of a coach and a new training schedule to my running regimen. So far, it's all working better than I expected!

One of my biggest concerns about Boston has always been the start time: Noon. That is probably my least favorite time of day to run. And let's not even get in to the 'What do I eat and when?' issue. But then, this week, it was announced that the start time has been moved to 10:00 a.m.

It must be fate. This will be my year.

Don't you crave that moment, when you realize that you've broken through to the next level? And isn't it incredibly sweet and delicious when you look around and suddenly realize that you *have* arrived at that moment?

I'm there. Right now. Today.
I'm trying to absorb every little ounce of this feeling, soak it up and make it count. (I know I'm in good company too, as it seems that one of my running partners, Michelle, is riding that same wave these days.)

All the forces of good in the universe have intersected for me: my ITB troubles are less and less each week; my coach and I have made marathon training fun, challenging, and with promising results; my fledgling writing efforts have earned me a place among great writers over at the Complete Running Network (CRN).

My interval workout this morning - 10x800 meters at 3:30-3:35 mpm each - was daunting, but not overwhelming. There was a momentary pause of 'Can I really do this?' as I pushed off the line for the first one, but 34:50 later the question was answered. I could and I did. Then, I arrived at work to see that my very first CRN article had been posted. All that, and it wasn't even 8:30 a.m.

So right now, at this moment, the part of my identity labeled 'runner' is experiencing a tremendous high. If you need me, I'll be the one glowing in the corner, with the ginormous grin on my face. It's good to be me.

Since April 2004, I have been babbling endlessly in this space about me, me, me and all things running (and swimming and biking) related. Almost immediately upon my arrival on the blog 'scene,' Mark and I stumbled across each other. I'm not sure who commented where first, but our friendship came easy and swift. At that time, Mark and Aaron had started a website called Complete Running, chock full of running resources, information and inspiration.

Shortly after that, Mark was nicknamed The Blogfather, and I beamed with pride. It was so fitting, so perfect.

And so, it really came as no surprise to me when Mark told me that he and Aaron were going to transform Complete Running into something bigger, better...more meaningful to the whole running community, not just targeted to running bloggers.

It's like they've set a PB (Personal Best) of sorts, reaching a whole new level.

Please go visit the new site. Oohhh and ahhhh over the new design. Read the very first set of articles posted. Bookmark it. Subscribe to it. Make it your homepage. Go back often for fresh, fun and relevant material. It's there for *you* - so use it! And be sure to give feedback, make suggestions and submit ideas!

Runners supporting runners. Sweet.

Exciting new changes are afoot (pun intended) at Complete Running. Mark your calendars, save the date and be sure to stop by for the big reveal on Monday, August 21st.

In other running-related news, it would seem that I have been living under a rock for the past two months. Apparently, not only is Sam Thompson wrapping up his 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, but Dean Karnazes is about to start a similar quest. Amazing running men, doing amazing things.

The cool part about Dean’s quest is that he will be running in the Hartford Marathon, which happens to be the very same marathon that I am running in! It’s a ‘small’ marathon with only a couple of thousand runners, so he'll be easy to spot...as I run *past* him. Heh. He’s also running Portland, Marine Corp, Chicago, and NYC for those of you planning to run those same races.

Also, did you know that Amby Burfoot has his very own running blog now? Neither did I! But he does, and his writing will draw you right in. Enjoy!

Speaking of new blogs...please welcome my friend Cyclopath to the blog family. He recently fell in love with cycling, and it's inspiring (and fun!) to read his posts.

That should keep you busy 'til Monday.

As I mentioned in Part I (in which I shared my 'running with The Crystal Method' music experience), I've received a few emails from marketing representatives inviting me (as well as other bloggers) to test their product(s).

I am a sucker for any form of flattery, so just feeling like *my* opinion matters to someone is enough to get me to try their products.

This time, it's the new flavor of Accelerade - lemonade. Being an Accelerade virgin, I had to approach this experiment with a little more thought and planning than I did with the music experiment. I didn't want to introduce a new product during a race, which I had two weeks in a row. And I didn't want to try it out on a run shorter than 7 miles because that just didn't seem like enough of a challenge.

But...I also didn't want to try it out for the first time on a long run only to discover that my body hates it and I would be seen dashing off to the nearest gas station/fast-food place/stand of trees for some relief.

Therefore, I tested it in stages.

*Note: I have been training exclusively with Gatorade Endurance for the past year. Accelerade shows a side-by-side comparison of the two drinks, but there’s an error in their calculations. In 12-oz of G-Endurance, there’s 21 g of carbs.*

Stage One:

Mixed up 24-ounces and taste-tested in kitchen.

Whoa. Weird. Very sweet and almost creamy...as if I had melted a creamsicle and made it into a drink. Didn't taste a whole lot of lemon-flavor. Wasn't really thrilled at first...was actually a bit nervous about trying it out while running, but it wasn’t fully ‘chilled’ yet so I was cautiously optimistic.

Stage Two:

8-mile mid-week run, 7-ounces.

First few sips were strange...it's a big change to go from the light and salty taste of Gatorade Endurance to the thick and sweet taste of Accelerade. Eventually became accustomed to the taste. My stomach was able to handle it without any problems. Not sure if it made a difference in my run and recovery, or not.

Stage Three:

18-mile long run; last three miles 30 seconds faster than MP (marathon pace).

I took three 7-oz bottles of Accelerade and three 7-oz bottles of Gatorade Endurance, to balance the sweet and salty. There's less sodium in the Accelerade than in the G-Endurance so I wanted to make sure I didn’t cut out too much all at once. Plus, I knew I'd need a flavor change once in a while.

My body handled the mix of different products without any trouble, and my run was near perfect. I hit all my paces exactly as planned, and didn't feel too spent at the end.

During the run, I climbed a killer hill and finished the run with a 7:58, 7:50 and 7:48 pace for the last three miles (overall pace was 9:24) therefore, I wasn’t surprised to find my quads a little sore the next day. It's not fair to expect too much out of 21-ounces of fluid during a training run like that. Besides, this was only one session.

That's the problem with my 'experiment' - too many variables to control.

My increased performance could have been because the weather was cooler; or because I've been training hard; or because of the new drink. Hard to say, really.

Why don't they ever ask me to be in the research studies in the first place? I mean honestly...how valid is the research if it's always done on college-aged athletes? Sigh. Until such time, I will continue to experiment with the new product(s) and will let you know if it offers the results I expect/desire.

Stay tuned for Marketing Whore, Part III and the Accelerade Gels.

Saturday was my first time running in the annual John J. Kelley Ocean Beach Road Race. My participation in this particular race was motivated by four things: 1) an opportunity to meet yet another running-blogger, Scooter 2) a chance to start and end a race at the beach 3) to run an aid supported 11.6 miles with April-Anne and 4) to take part in a race that honors a running legend (and attracts some too!).

New England Runner Magazine selected this race as "One of New England's Top Best of the Best Road Races" for 2006 and it was easy to see why. Registration was FREE and I was able to do it ahead of time, via snail mail. I'm nervous enough on race day, so having my bib number sent to me ahead of time meant that I had one less thing to worry about when I got to the race. Plus, the parking lot at the beach accommodates a large number of cars, which meant that I wouldn't have to worry about finding a space.

The first thing I did when I arrived at Ocean Beach Park was to drop off the two huge garbage bags full of old running shoes that I had gathered from my running club, running partners, friends and family. The race organizers were collecting the old shoes for a program sponsored by Nike. Once they collect 10,000 shoes, Nike will pay to have the shoes materials melted into some type of playground ground covering. I love when races incorporate some type of charity/community service into the day, so I was happy to help in my own small way.

After parking, I wandered over to the registration area to get a feel for the event. There was water readily available at the start line, and the bathrooms were clean, ample and well stocked. Please note that I used the word 'bathroom' and not 'port-a-potty.' That's right: indoor plumbing. Holding the race at the park really had its perks.

My primary goal for the day was to get in my long training run, so I headed out for a 4 mile warm-up. I know..I never thought I’d use “4-mile” and “warm-up” together in sentence either, but that was the reality. Blame my Coach, I was just following orders.

I had about 30 minutes between the end of the warm up and the start of the race, which gave me enough time to stumble across Scooter (almost literally), find April-Anne, pin my bib on, gear up with fuel and hydration and hit the bathroom one last time (and for the first time ever, there was a line for the men's room, but not for the women!)

In the moments before the race started, Mr. Kelley said a few words to inspire us before we headed out into the warm sunshine and salty ocean breeze. Specifically, he stirred the emotions of many of us as he requested that the name of the race include his late wife's name, Jessie. He was happy to get “second billing,” as long as she received the recognition she earned and deserved.

I got the lump out of my throat just in time for the gun to send us out onto the course. Although I was led to believe that the course was flat with one hill at mile 8, I learned once again that the definition of hills is relative to the person formulating that definition. No matter though, as the course was beautiful, winding it’s way through shady residential streets for the first half of the race. I managed to keep our pace between 8:30-8:45 as April-Anne and I swapped stories of our latest adventures.

After letting a lot of people pass us early on, around mile five I started to pull us past other runners. Slowly, we started to pick people off one by one. The shady areas were becoming less frequent as the road led us out of the residential area into a more developed stretch. April-Anne urged me on ahead, and I was hopeful that she would catch up later.

We ran through a very developed area, with no shade or relief from the sun to be found. It was, as one woman remarked ‘Hotter than blazes’ and I was becoming anxious about the ‘hill’ at mile eight. If none of the other hills were worth mentioning, then what would The Hill look like?

As I rounded the corner and started the ascent, I thought ‘This isn’t that bad!’ and then…it dipped down, and then right back up, up, up. It wasn’t as horrible as I thought it would be, since I’d spent the better part of 6 miles building it up to Mt. Washington type heights in my mind.

Once I crested the top of it, I felt a chill rush through my body…and then a small, panicked voice squeaked “Check your sweat!” I touched my arm and chest and noticed that I was no longer dripping in sweat like I had been…but I was still sweating somewhat. I took that as a warning shot, and started drinking more fluids. Plus, I ran through every water-spraying hose that was offered. One volunteer was actually even smart enough to spray down the back of my neck which provided instant relief.

Coach had instructed me to pick up the pace to 8:00 mpm for the last three miles, which is slightly faster than my anticipated marathon pace. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do it…but there it was, I was doing it without a struggle...and I was stunned.

I started passing people again. And runners were rooting for me as I went by, yelling out ‘Strong finish now!’…it was an amazing feeling. I was mostly interested in being finished so I could get out of the sun and cool off. I clicked off the last three full miles at 8:12, 7:55 and 7:44 respectively and felt strong while I was doing it. That was the goal for the day and I felt like I nailed the landing, so to speak.

Once I got through the chute, I waited for April-Anne to come in and then wandered over to stand underneath a cold water shower that the fire department had set up. It was the perfect way to cool off quick.

We changed into our swim suits and as we made our way down to the beach to cool our legs off in the ocean, we bumped into Scooter. He graciously introduced us to Mr. Kelley as he passed by. It was a humbling moment for me to be in the presence of such a legendary athlete.

After an hour on the beach, we called it a day and took our tired, salty, sandy, sunburned, satisfied selves back home. This race made it on to my “must-run-it” list, for sure.

Strange things have been happening to me lately.

Coincidences of sorts.

But a lot of them. All in a row. At least in a group of three because things always happen in threes.

First:

For instance, while driving last Saturday, I had my iPod shuffle playing in the car, and Clocks by Coldplay randomly came on (because 'life is random' and that's what shuffle is all about). A moment later, my phone rang...and my ringtone is Clocks by Coldplay. My phone and my stereo are playing the same song at the same time. Statistically speaking, it wasn't improbable. Just surprising.

Two days later (last Monday) at work, Clocks by Coldplay starts playing on my office-mate's computer. This reminds me of the car-phone incident and as I'm telling him the story of the incident ...my phone rings. Again with the double Clocks-Colplay. What the?

Second:

At the hotel last Saturday night (before the triathlon), a woman accidentally comes in to our room thinking that it is her room (our door wasn't shut all the way). She giggles, apologizes and leaves. We smile and shrug.

Ten minutes later, I go out into the hall at the very same moment that the woman and her friend are leaving their room - which happens to be right across from mine.

The woman looks at me and says 'You're in my scrapbook!'

I'm dumbfounded. Huh? How can that be?!

Turns out, last year I was exiting the water from the swim right behind her, so I was in the professional shot that she bought for her scrapbook.

Wild right? I mean, here we are...there's about 2000 participants in the race, plus all their friends and family...all staying at various hotels all over the area...and she and I wind up across the hall from each other?! Wow.

Third:

And then...THEN! ...I'm reading a.maria's post about selecting a name for her bike and solobreak leaves her a comment suggesting Pee Wee Herman as a name. I catch on to the reference to the movie, I chuckle and move on.

A few hours later, my friend 'johnny' and I are discussing bikes via IM. He's torn between a Specialized and an Orbea. He says...and I quote: The Orbea will turn me into Pee Wee Herman.

I damn near fell out of my chair.

What the heck is up with all the coincidences lately?

Crazy universe man. Must be trying to tell me something. Any interpretations?

Music thumping and throbbing, misty smokey air, lights blinking and flashing, sweat dripping off my brow...I reach down and touch my waist...and grab a Fuel Belt bottle from my 'hydration bandoleer' to quench my thirst.

No, I wasn't at a rave or a swanky night club with my Fuel Belt on...I was just running 8 miles on a warm, humid morning.

I was listening to a special CD mix by The Crystal Method (TCM) sent to me by a marketing rep for the band. They teamed up with the Nike+ iPod Nano system and developed a 45-minute CD specifically designed for a workout. According to their promotional materials, the CD, titled Drive: Nike+ Original Run, "follows the progression of a 45-minute work out. The tempo of the track begins at a slower pace to take the athlete through a gradual warm up, increases pace over the course of the run, and then gradually decreases tempo as part of the cool down."

I decided to give it a listen during my workout this morning, even though I knew I'd be running for longer than 45 minutes.

I was skeptical at first, as I usually prefer music with more lyrics and TCM can be described as more 'electronic/dance' style music. Singing along with the lyrics, or letting the lyrics take me places in my memory really helps to distract me, and some days, I really need that when I'm running.

Admittedly, I was pleasantly surprised when I found that the rhythm of TCM's CD was perfect. Instead of looking for distraction, I actually found myself focused more on my form and on maintaining a pace that meshed with the music. For the first 43:22 minutes of the run, my splits matched the music: 8:52, 8:32, 8:35, 8:21, 9:00. That last mile was up hill, the whole way. Really.

Once the CD ended, my iPod shuffle went on to random songs for the last 26 minutes of my workout. This led me to wonder what the future might hold for runners: requesting customized CDs/downloads to fit our workouts. For example, I could ask for a 'Race Ready' mix of 23 minutes for a 5K race. Or a 90 minute mix to keep me company on a 10-mile training run. The possibilities are endless.

For now though, I'll continue to enjoy my new mix. It gets 5 Orange Hats from this Running Chick.