I’m a little disappointed. I’m really looking forward to my first ultra, and I thought I’d finally found one that was relatively nearby and fit into my schedule. But I’m still recovering from an injury. True, I’m making slow progress–see today’s run for example–but I doubt I’d really be ready to run 100 miles in time.

That’s not my big news, though.

I’m probably going to run the 50 mile Nashville Ultra Marathon in October. It’s the longest race they offer, and I’m certain I’ll be ready in time.

But that’s not the big news, either.

I also plan on running a few regular marathons in Nashville and in other cities around the state. Because I got a job at a school down in Tennessee, meaning goodbye graduate school.

That’s the big news.

Between finishing my dissertation, defending it, moving, and everything else, there just isn’t the time or the money for Kettle. And although that is disappointing–I wanted to start big with 100 miles, run it with Rob, etc.–I’m so excited about what’s coming instead.

Now to finish that other ultra… my dissertation…

In a new study … male recreational athletes who drank a syrup-flavored ice slurry just before running on a treadmill in hot room could keep going for an average of 50 minutes before they had to stop. When they drank only syrup-flavored cold water, they could run for an average of 40 minutes.

Should still work without the syrup, right? For the calorie-conscious, I mean.

[via Lifehacker]

Today I ran Boston, and I couldn’t do better than 3:41. And it was much harder (but not as hard as Grandma’s.)

But that wasn’t a result of anything but my piriformis injury. The weather was great–cool but not cold. The wind never became the issue the forecast seemed to suggest. The organization was top notch, the volunteers generous, and both fans and runners made for an awesome experience.

An experience is exactly what I was looking for. I knew I’d never run a particularly fast race, but I wanted to soak up the atmosphere of this historic race and earn the right to say “I ran Boston.” (But given the protracted recovery I’m very happy with my pace.)

What an experience it was. From the massive crowds of runners that somehow made it from Boston Common to Hopkinton for the start to the mob beyond the finish line. In between were great conversations with first-timers and veterans, including Faith from Ohio, running her first Boston 10 months after the birth of her first child. Along the way I encountered fellow Marathon Maniacs and a few runners from my neck of the woods.

The first few miles were pretty easy downhill stretches that I, despite warnings, ran pretty quickly all things considered. After that I eased off and found my groove. The crowds were amazing–so enthusiastic and so omnipresent: after a few early gaps they became a growing, nearly unbroken line of kids with oranges, friends and family with signs, and race fans with impressive noise-generating abilities.

At one point I was tempted by a giant “shortcut” sign, and the sight of the Green Line passing us reminded me both how slowly we were going and how far away Boston still was.

But really, I wouldn’t want to have missed a single mile. Finally so much I’d heard or read about became real. The students lining the course at Wellesly all-girls’ college, for instance, making a ruckus and waving signs inviting runners to give them a kiss because they were graduating, or were from Georgia, or were drunk, or just because.

And the Newton Hills. It’s not their size, but their location that make them so tough, and I’m glad to say I powered up them all, Heartbreak included. In fact, the climbs were some of the few times I was consistently passing people. (And towards the end we runners had our revenge, passing a Green Line train reduced by the crowds to little better than a crawl.)

Despite my recent injury, I was able to get by only walking twice, both times at water stops (near miles 22 and 24). And I finished strong, almost sprinting the last quarter mile or so. I didn’t start with my corral, since I knew I wouldn’t keep up, and even starting farther back there were people passing me most of the first half of the race, but I didn’t let it get me down (at least not too much.)

Part of my (relative) success, I think, was my pre-race massage. Originally I stepped inside the gym to get of the cold, but I got in line, told the guy I ended up with about my piriformis, and he went to work, stretching my legs up and across my body farther than I’d ever imagined possible.

The massage helped me loosen up, but so did the hours of waiting. But these hours weren’t without their downside. At home I’m usually on the road within an hour of getting out of bed. At other races, it’s more like 3 hours after waking up. Boston was five hours. Suddenly my usual routine wouldn’t work. I couldn’t wait until afterwards to eat, for instance.

Those hours before the race would have been a whole lot more stressful were it not for a little help from my friends. An old friend from way back in the day not only let me spend the night as his place and then woke up early on a day off from work to take me to the commuter rail station–he also came into the city and looked after my bag so I could make it to the airport without having to stash my luggage halfway across town. And my cousin put me up my first night in town, organizing a great get-together to visit relatives I haven’t seen in a while. And both of them made sure I was well-fed.

I couldn’t have done it without my wife, either. She couldn’t make the trip out, but she held down the fort back home and coordinated from her computer, helping me find phone numbers, addresses, and other information, and brainstorming with me when I ran into problems. It was stressful for her, but I hope by the time she was following the race online she was able to enjoy it.

I’m not sure I’ll run Boston again anytime soon. But not for lack of desire. Between scheduling issues and the cost, it’s hard to justify. And who knows if I’ll qualify this year–I still have some recovering to do, and I’m going to have a pretty light schedule… then again, I’m probably doing Berlin in the fall, a notoriously fast race.

Tomorrow’s probably a rest day. Ok, ok, definitely a rest day. But then I’ll be back at it, trying to figure out as soon as possible if I’ll be ready for the Kettle Morraine 100 this summer.

Ok, that’s not entirely accurate. I like passing slower runners and joggers. Even better than passing somebody quickly, though, is catching up with somebody over the course of a couple miles. That’s a sense of accomplishment. Or passing somebody on a big hill… that’s gotta be one of my favorite parts about running races.

But when somebody else passes me, I don’t care too much. Mostly because in non-race situations I rationalize it: I figure I’ve probably already run twice as far as the speedy guy or gal who passed me will run total!

The big surprise for Henrik? An honest-to-goodness prize! Kelly and Ben were kind enough to donate some dailymile stickers, so those will be on their way sometime soon!

Congrats again to Henrik, and to everybody who took part! Thanks, and keep on running!

After weeks of competition, starting with a field of more than 100 runners, moving through the round of 32, the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight, and the Final Four, it comes to this. One final challenge to determine the 2010 March Mile Madness champion. The best half marathon run today or tomorrow wins it all. Who will prevail?

Maybe Steven R. Steven dominated the distance rounds, placing first in the first round, the Sweet Sixteen, and the Final Four. But he’s struggled in the speed rounds, placing in the bottom half of the the round of 32 and escaping the Elite Eight only because other runners were forced to drop out due to injury. Still, don’t count him out: previous speed rounds featured shorter distances, and this distance specialist may just have what it takes to pull out a Cinderella-story-style win.

Or maybe Henrik W. has what it takes. Henrik got off to a shaky start, finishing the first round in the bottom half of runners moving on. Or maybe he was just getting warmed up. Since then he’s come on strong, placing 4th and 5th in the round of 32 and the Sweet Sixteen, and challenging for outright wins in the Elite Eight and the Final Four. His consistency in the later rounds proves he may have just the combination of speed and endurance needed for this final round.

Whoever wins, I hope everybody has enjoyed the tournament. I definitely plan to bring it back next year, but next time with a dedicated women’s division (shout-out to Kathy S., the top woman this year!) I also hope to organize some more multi-challenge events in the coming months, so stay tuned!

1. Andrew P. has been running very well so far. After 75 miles in the first round Andrew posted the fastest 5K, flying along at 5:34/mile.
2. Timothy D. really upped his game in the second round, coming out of the pack to run the second fastest 5K of the bunch.
3. Paul S. has been Mr. Consistency, with a solid 3rd place finish in each round so far. But he’ll have to improve on that to win the whole tournament.
4. Henrik W. is moving in the right direction; he jumped up to fourth place after coming out of the first round in the middle of the pack.
5. Matthew L. has been quietly making his way through the tournament, always within striking distance of the leaders.
6. Brad B. is a bit of a Cinderella story. After tying for the last spot to reach the round of 32, he’s made a strong showing, moving into the Sweet Sixteen in the upper half of the bracket.
7. Steve S. hasn’t been coasting, by any means; he’s been in the middle of the pack to move on each round, and if he does that in the Final Four then he’ll be one of the two facing off at the very end.
8. Steven W. is another runner moving up in the pack. After 44 miles in the first round he posted an impressive 5K in the round of 32. How will he fare in the Sweet Sixteen against the likes of Paul S. and Andrew P.?
9. Chris R. started the tournament off with a bang, posting (along with Steven R.) the most miles in the round of 64+. After a good showing in the round of 32 will he reclaim the top spot and win the Sweet Sixteen?
10. Steven R. tied Chris R. in the first round, and was hot on his heels this past round. Only time will tell if this budding rivalry will continue.
11. CoachEric is slowly making his way up the leaderboard. Hopefully he can continue to improve and secure a spot in the Elite Eight.
12. Adrian W. is also climbing, but with the tough competition ahead of him it won’t be easy.
13. James B. did well in the first round: his 50+ miles put him in the top half of those moving on. He held on in the 5K, and should do well in the Sweet Sixteen, but it looks like the 10K might be a challenge.
14. Ron W. joined the challenge despite the constraints of his taper, and despite that he’s doing well. Whether he dedicates himself to winning the tournament or just enjoys the ride remains to be seen.
15. Iain is doing well, especially considering all the cycling and swimming he’s been doing during the tournament. Can the triathlete focus on running for long enough to move on to the Elite Eight?
16. Chad K. is a self-proclaimed Cinderella story, just sneaking past Kathy S. to claim the last place in the Sweet Sixteen. He has his work cut out for him.

That’s our field for the Sweet Sixteen! Good luck to the participants, and I hope everybody else will cheer them on!