P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E

This evening, my goal was to run 6 800 repeats and I exceeded my goal! The Bowditch track was crowded this evening, but it was all very good company. I meant to take a group picture, but became distracted with conversations. Anyway, I ran 3 repeats with Phyllis and Jim, but I really like to take a tiny walk break and they continue to truck down the track between each repeat. After my third, I walked around the track with Tom Abbott and Sue Ericson and chatted about pace. Pacing for the marathon is constantly on my mind!

Check this out! Amazing, right?

Now with all the numbers displayed - reaching the ultimate sub 4 hours seems reachable... Phew, we'll see though!

OH yes, the rest of the workout included a 1000 run with Bruce Daley and Mike Laing. They're working off a rigid Marathon program! I ran 2 repeats at my own pace - 3:05 finish!

This afternoon, I emailed my running club checking the numbers for the evening track workout. I like to gather support and excitement. Anyway, I ended the email with my signature and the countdown. - 26 days!! Is it okay that most of emails from today ended with that?

I received one particular email back from Wayne Buckley, a fellow GFRC runner. He's offered tons of great advice over the course of the training. From my first email/ call for desperate help, and follow ups with great encouragement and advice. With this email, all he said was, "PATIENCE". Wouldn't that be something to say back in November when I started training? I've been patient for 5 months! I've been careful with my mileage and working up to the speed workouts. I'm not saying this is bad advice, so I guess I'll try to stop being so excited and get back to focusing on rest... Being my young impatient self - it's probably my biggest flaw, I'm not sure if this is what Wayne meant.

I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I'm almost finish with "Last Pick" by David McGillivary. Check it out. It's the best book ever! Goodnight!

Marathon Fever - 20 Miles! - $10 Campaign Challenge

Good evening everyone! I know I should be in bed... but the Marathon Fever came over me as I discussed with my sister her logistical strategy for meeting me along the Marathon route. She might even run the last mile with me!!

As I talked about the upcoming marathon with my sister Molly, she said, “Wow, Katie! 20 Miles! You’re golden now!”

I definitely feel a sense of excitement and relief, and I know the students of Bottom Line feel the same way once they’re accepted into the Bottom Line program, perhaps even more excited!

Bottom Line offers guidance, mentoring, and support for disadvantaged students - for students that want to go to college, but don't know where to begin. Their guidance counselors are overwhelmed, their parents don't have the experience; the students don't have the necessary to support to navigate through the process, but with Bottom Line they're on their way to go far in life!

Please view this new short video (the end is the best part!) about Bottom Line: http://bottomline.org/about/mission.shtml
Bottom Line counselors give personalized attention, and the small gestures of help and attention are creating big results! Bottom Line students are earning college degrees at twice the rate of the national average in their peer group!

One recent study tracked eighth-graders who were high achievers in math over a 10-year period. Among those from high-income families, 99 percent went to college and 74 percent graduated. Among similarly high-achieving students from low-income families, 75 percent went to college but only 29 percent graduated. Even these high-achieving students were faced with obstacles throughout college that they did not have the means to deal with.

Whether a student has financial, academic, professional, or personal barriers to overcome, the one-on-one guidance and the network of support that Bottom Line provides gives our students the tools to graduate from college at high rates.



I haven’t trained for the marathon on my own and these students need our help to make it through the marathon of high education!

Please visit my Firstgiving.com/katierunsboston for the

$10 Campaign Challenge!

Help me Raise $1500 in the last Marathon Fever MONTH! Ask your friends, forward to your parents, mention it to your neighbors -

Let’s Gain Strength in Numbers! Don't miss the chance-

donating just $10 can help change the lives of the Bottom Line students. They have dreams of becoming doctors, teachers, accountants, orthodontist, scientists, designers, surgeons, and looking to make a difference in the world!

Thanks Everyone!

Spring Fever Will Hit You in the Middle of the Face

I ran 20 miles this morning, starting at 6:45am with Linda York from the Brophy school in Framingham, Ma. We trekked all around Framingham, Sudbury, and perhaps other towns to complete our loops of fun, thrills, and training. When I run, I'm thinking about last weeks events, upcoming plans, my goals, where I am in the route, how my body feels, the Boston Marathon, the Bottom Line students, and my surroundings. Oh and of course, the lovely chatter that occurs with my running partner. Today, the day focused mostly on my surroundings. I notice the numbers on the houses to gauge the length of the road. When running 20 miles, I have small goals of finishing one road or portion of the run. The day started out to be very chilly at 23 degrees and my body was tense. Linda and I tried a new style of running, our plan was to run for 10 miles and walk for 1 minute. You're suppose to feel so much better and have energy for the end of the run - it worked! I ran fast up the last hill and for the last stretch through the path to the parking lot. Exciting... perhaps I WILL be able to sprint the last mile of the marathon! I want reallly want to RUN the last mile! We clocked about 3 hours and 20 minutes. I felt not so hot after two hours, but then felt great after completing 3 hours. It is a huge relief completing 20 miles!

I immediately jumped in the shower, and jumped back in the car to head to the Bottom Line meeting in Jamaica Plain for a noon time meeting. We chatted for about two hours about fundraising, Bottom Line, and Rick talked about preparation and the Boston Marathon experience. We have 29 days and this is going to be the most exciting month... in my life!

Rick mentioned that "Spring Fever Will Hit You in the Middle of the Face!" Marathon Fever will hit soon and I have to admit it already has plagued my office and friends. Everyone is asking, how far, how long, how many days? I couldn't ask for anything more! Rick mentioned, and it's very true, as the weather changes and the days count down, the media coverage is going to gain momentum. The Boston Marathon is more elite than the Olympics for running, it's the MECCA of running! It's completely crazy that it's going to be my 1st marathon, but being this is my home state, I couldn't do it any other way. I have the privilege of running the Boston Marathon and having friends and family line the course.

Rick gave us all kinds of advice - fuel, clothing choice, Hopkinton throw away clothing choice(all the clothing that is thrown off in the first miles of the marathon are donated to a homeless shelter!), 9AM arrival time, ice is great along the marathon route (HINT HINT!) Helium Balloons held by visiting friends, red liquorish, and reminded us of all the great work that we're doing.

I'd like to plan a Pasta Party Fundraiser with Marathon Logistics Focus for April, but I'm not exactly sure of the date ... or location!

Okay, I want to lie down and rest before my Saturday night. I bought two new Boston Marathon books on my way home!

Please visit my Fundraising Webpageand forward the link to your friends. Thanks for your help! Nothing significant in life is ever achieved alone!

1 MONTH! 1 MONTH AWAY!

One month away and I could not be more excited.

19 miles to run tomorrow morning with my great running friend Linda York.

The website to track my progress during the marathon is the Boston Marathon website. The ability to track is not available yet because I'm fairly certain that's some kind of stalking crime, but when I'm running the actual marathon I will wear the Champion Chip and the website will be changed around for your tracking pleasure!

Fuel.

I'm fairly certain that I need to eat more. Glorious thought to many, right? It is to me as well, but I'm a little concerned. I ate like a champ when training for my half marathon, I couldn't stop eating, but I am not nearly as hungry during this training.

Tonight, I worked out at the gym and upon leaving at 7:30pm, I felt ready for bed vs eating dinner and relaxing with the Office. Maybe it was my long day at the office? Anyway, I was reading one of my many guides to Running a Marathon last night, and it dawned on me that I need to eat a lot more carbs. I've been eating more carbs than usually, but I think with my 19 mile run this weekend I need to "carbo load"?

With that in mind and not a lot of prep time, I grabbed my box of Rotini and dashed to work. It was a delightful lunch with Julie Smith homemade dressing to spice up the dish. Instead of skipping dinner tonight, I forced myself to enjoy an early burrito from Chipotle. How many carbs and fats are in a burrito, if the Chipotile website was more informational than I would tell you!

Okay, I'm going to sneak in a little more nutritional reading before the Office and bedtime. Any advice, please leave comments or send me an email! I'm afraid there isn't enough time to eat and store enough glycogen in 4.5 weeks to run an entire marathon!

Bib Number!!!!!!!!!!!

My Boston Marathon bib number is 21886.

Track me online during the marathon!

Third wave of Training - I feel like a marathon runner!

Welcome back to Massachusetts! Well, thank you kind Spring weather!

I woke up this morning with the goal of running in mind, and a few other errands. I set out of a short ...slow run. I couldn't pick up my feet to move and so began my reinvention. I took the run slow, and decided that I would try to make it to the GFRC track workout in the evening.

Reinvention. Third Wave of Training. My first wave of training was in the cold uncertain months of November, December, and January, where I was completely lost and confused in the marathon training. The second wave started with the Julie Jenkins marathon training suggestion and my consistency with the schedule of long runs and adding of strength training. The Third Wave started today. I'm coming off a very nice relaxing, ice cream and cotton candy filled vacation. I have about one month until the marathon. It's the big last push of training and focusing my mind and body for the marathon.

Reinvention. I bought a used iPod today so I'm back on track. As suggested by Rick, the running coach, I bought a new pair of sneakers. He wants the team to run about 15 or 20 miles on them, use them for the 21 mile run and then set them aside until the marathon. I ran in my new sneakers at the track this evening. They feel amazing. I had forgotten how nice new sneakers are, I wrote 'marathon' on the side of the shoes and now we're all set for April 20th!

Reinvention! I'm not only reinvented because I bought new things, but today I added the almighty track workout back into the mix! I love track workouts. It feels great to push hard and with the company of other GFRC members, I also receive the exciting Boston Marathon stories. I'm a little kid sitting back for story time. Anyway, I ran 4 800 repeats with Bruce Daley and Phyllis Lowry at an average of 3:14 per 800. Phyllis is a fast woman, her PR for a marathon is 3 hours and 46 minutes! Bruce is also a very fast gentleman. My favorite memory of Bruce was meeting the club out on Friday night at John Harvard's for drinks. Bruce came out, had two beers, and ran an amazing marathon the next morning with a ridiculous time of something like 3 hours 20 minutes? I wish I could do that, but I won't even make the attempt. Bruce, Phyllis and Katie, we're an unstoppable track workout team!

Third wave of training! With the great track workout done for the week, and the nice weather of the evening, I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel and it looks delightful. It's mid March, and I've made it through the nasty New England Boston Marathon winter training! The countdown is on - One month of training left, with four dedicated month of training behind me, along with $5000 of support of friends and family for Bottom Line. I feel like a marathon runner and I can't wait to run the race!