Heartbreak Hill

I have run Heartbreak Hill as part of a half marathon before, just once. It lives up to its name. I also know that although the hill is relatively moderate compared to where I live and train, more than half the problem is that it comes after 17 miles of running already, much of those downhill. I won't be running Boston for time.

The hard part of marathon are the miles in preparation. I did ten of those today (11 if you count the run back to the T), and I crushed them. I was so happy to reach the top of the sequence of hills comprising Heartbreak, I made some new friends on a group training run, but you should have been my heart as we came up Beacon Street into Kenmore Square - Back Bay buildings rising over the skyline, such campus as BU musters, and hey - that's Fenway over there, where on Marathon Monday the Red Sox play early so that the game will be over by the time I lumber in next April.

Now I can orient myself to the field - if you are looking at the Coca Cola sign from inside the park, you're looking towards the Pike and points slightly southwest, if I have that correct.

We ran past the spot on Comm Ave where the Samaritans Boston office will set up their cheering station (coordinate with me if you'd like to join them - or tell me where'll you'll be set up so I can look for you along the route). Cheering station?! They're going to cheer for me!?! And Samaritans staffer Erin already promised that she'd be handing out goody bags, as well. Goody bag? During a marathon?!? How cool is this!

I felt like such a tourist. And so blessed to be able to run.

Group run

Yesterday I ran 5 early morning miles with a bunch of heroes. Sure they might look like a group of young healthy mild-mannered professionals but really they are heroes.

It's true that promising to meet friends to run makes it harder to skip out on a workout...Which is why on one of the shortest days of the year I was out of bed at 5:35 to meet up with a bunch of teachers and school social workers.

After the run I coul honestly say "what five miles?" And, they are not only genius at teaching our kids, but they have fundraised for Boston, know why I'm running, and have way better ideas than my own for how to get there. Stay tuned!

#feelyoungerthanIam #inspired

117 days to go

Well, here goes nothing. Although I have run marathons before (three of 'em, and at least one time is recent enough to be on the 'net) I have never run Boston. On April 15, 2013, I will be honored to run the 26 mile long history lesson that is the Boston Marathon.

Because it is highly unlikely that I will ever qualify to run Boston, I am running to support a charity. Not just any charity. I am running in support of Samaritans, Inc. Samaritans answer the phones 24/7. Adult and teen volunteers support callers in need of a listening ear. Grief support groups and events like their 5K support communities in the aftermath of loss. I come out of such a community, mourning a local teenager who died by suicide last spring. On Marathon Monday.

Samaritans took more than 150,000 calls in 2011. But they are also coming at the mental health problem, and the problem of disconnection, from an entirely new angle with their Happier Boston campaign. Check them out.  As Mr. Roger's mother said, "Look for the helpers."

Boston has the best marathon spectators on the planet. I am thrilled beyond measure to support this organization (although really wishing that my awareness of the need for such a resource was more theoretical)...Stay tuned here for training updates, photos, etc.

If you've run Boston, please share your tips!