13 HOURS UNTIL THE 116th BOSTON MARATHON!

Hello family, friends and fellow runners!

As I sit here in my bed, 13 hours before the start of my 1st Boston Marathon, I am thinking about the challenge that lies ahead of me. Tomorrow, after waking up at 5:00am, I will head to Hokpinton, MA via bus. At 10:10am, I will exit the Athletes' Village and walk 0.7 miles to the Boston Marathon starting line. By that point, the elite women (starting at 9:30am) and the elite men (starting at 10:00am) will already be on their way to Boston. At 10:40, I will cross the starting line and begin my journey. From Hopkinton, I will run through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline and finally enter into Boston. Over those 26.2 miles, I will have net elevation drop of about 500 ft, and encounter both uphill and downhill regions that are notoriously known by runners worldwide - ex: heartbreak hill. Also, to top it all off, it will be a high of 87 degrees tomorrow.

Wow. I have a wide variety of feelings going through my head. I'm nervous for a new course, anxious for the pain that I know my body will feel and scared for the heat. But most of all, I am EXCITED. Despite the pain, weather and course (which is known by many as the world's most challenging marathon), tomorrow I know that I will be running THE Boston Marathon. Even more exciting, I am running on the 30th anniversary of women running as well as the 15th anniversary of the MGH Marathon Team. The Boston Marathon is not just a race, it is truly an experience, and I plan on enjoying every single step.

So to end my pre-race post, I want send out a final thank you. Currently, I have raised $7,608.00 and have already received numerous texts, e-mails and facebook posts from friends and family wishing me good luck for tomorrow. I cannot tell you how much this means to me and I promise that tomorrow, when I think I can't go any further, when I am cursing myself for signing up for such a physically exhausting and painful race, I will be thinking of every single one of you and will remind myself that I cannot let myself and my fans down :)

Peace, Love and RUNNING!

Valerie

3 Days to GO: 84 Degrees? REALLY WEATHER?!

Check out this forecast for Marathon Monday...84 degrees and partly cloudy! Granted, for those of you who have been checking the weather daily (as a certain blog writer/runner has been doing), you know that the predictions for Marathon Monday have ranged from 65-85 degrees and have included sunny, partly cloudy and isolated thunder storms. Needless to say, I am very anxious to see what the weather on Marathon Monday will actually have in store for the 27,000 runners headed for a nice little 26.2 mile jog! For anyone running, or spectating (which is a whole sport in itself) be sure to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate and be aware of the warning signs for heat stroke, heat exhaustion and heat cramping (which include dizziness, chills or nausea while running).

I had a nice little 3 mile jog yesterday and will run another 2-3 today. Tomorrow I am resting and enjoying myself at the Running Expo and then a little pasta dinner and RACE DAY!

Remember to set up your AT&T Athlete Alert if you haven't already done so (text RUNNER to 345678 - my bib# is 25476) and let me know where you'll be standing on race day.

Peace, Love and RUNNING!

Valerie

4 Days to go: MARATHON MOTIVATION!

Kenyan Caroline Kilel winning the 2011 Boston Marathon women's race (2:22:36):

What I tell myself on days I don't want to get out of bed:







Truth:

My all time FAVORITE quote:



Bring it on Marathon Monday!


Peace, Love and RUNNING!

5 Days to Go: MGH MARATHON TEAM JERSEY!

Check me outtttt!!!!




If you're planning on watching the Marathon, PLEASE e-mail or text me your estimated location so I can be on the lookout as I am SPRINTING for the finish line :) Also, don't forget to track me on your cell phone so you know when I'll be approaching (cow bells, blow-horns and excessive screaming will be very much appreciated)!

I LOVE TAPERING

A few of you have asked what my "training" regiment is for my week leading up to race day, well let me tell you, it is WONDERFUL. I think I may run marathons for the taper week. Not to brag, but I can run 2 or 3 miles in my sleep, so the fact that these are my "training" runs is heavenly. Below is my training schedule

Monday - 3 miles
Tuesday - 5 miles
Wednesday - 2 miles (WALK)
Thursday - 3 miles
Friday - 3 miles
Saturday - REST (1-2 mile walk)
Sunday - 2 miles (EASY), stretch, rest
Monday - RACE DAY: 26.2 from Hopkinton to Boston!

The point of the taper week is to keep your body loose while cutting back on distance and intensity. All of my runs will be at an 8:20 min/mile pace or LESS and will be accompanied by a lot of stretching. I am also hydrating like a camel - water and mango ZICO coconut water are my new best friends! For food, I am keeping pretty normal to my regular diet (nutritious and healthy), and staying clear of fatty foods. Starting on Friday I will begin the infamous carbo load (another reason why I love marathon running!) of pasta, potatoes and rice! I will add in veggies and protein, but will make carbs be my priority for lunch and dinner.

Keep up with me this week as I blog about my: MGH Marathon Team Jersey, Pre-Race jitters, Pre-Race Pasta Dinner and of course, one last final blog about RACE DAY!

Peace, Love and RUNNING!

How To: AT&T Athlete Alert (Bib #25476)

Good Morning!!!

With only ONE WEEK until Marathon Monday, I thought I'd share the AT&T Athlete Alert instructions with you. This wonderful tracking system will provide you with 4 updates during my race, so whether you're wondering when to head over to Boylston St or keeping track from Dallas, now everyone will know EXACTLY where I am!!!

Instructions below:

AT&T and the Boston Marathon are proud to introduce the AT&T Athlete Alert for the 2012 Boston Marathon. Whether you want updates on top runners leading this year's race, or want to track the progress of your friends and family as they make their way from Hopkinton to Boylston Street, the AT&T Athlete Alert is the easiest way for you to stay up on the latest from the 2012 Boston Marathon.
Beginning on March 20, there will be three different ways to sign up for the AT&T Athlete Alert.

Please note that you will need an athlete’s bib number to register:

* TEXT - Simply text the word RUNNER to 345678 using your US mobile phone. You will then receive an sms text response with instructions on how to submit a runner’s bib number. (You will be opted in to receive 4 messages during the race. Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to cancel, Text HELP for help. This program is available on the following carriers: AT&T, Boost, Nextel, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Verizon Wireless.)

* EMAIL - Continue to the registration page for the AT&T Athlete Alert on the race website. Sign-up using your mobile phone number for SMS text message updates, or by entering an email address for email updates. Click here to sign up now.

* ONSITE - If you prefer to register in person or have any questions, representatives will be available in the Bib Number Pick-Up area at the John Hancock Sports & Fitness Expo on Friday, April 13, from 2:00pm-7:00pm, and on Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15, from 9:00am-6:00pm.

If you register a mobile phone online, you will receive a message asking you to confirm your intention to receive updates from the 2012 Boston Marathon AT&T Athlete Alert. Once you’ve completed registration for AT&T Athlete Alert, you will receive text updates courtesy of AT&T and the Boston Marathon when your runner has crossed the following points on the course:

10K
Half-Marathon
30K
Finish

Registration through the BAA website will close on Sunday, April 15th, at 6:00pm. However, AT&T is pleased to announce that registration via mobile phone text messaging (for US mobile phones only) will remain open during the marathon.

Peace, Love and RUNNING!

YOU GO GIRL!

Hello Friends!

With only 12 days until the 116th Boston Marathon (AH!) I want to blog quickly on what has been motivating me recently. As a "seasoned" marathon runner (this is my 2nd) I can tell you that it is about this time that running gets tedious and often feels like a chore. Imagine you finish a busy day at work (even got out a little late), you didn't get your full 8 hours of sleep, and you need to grocery shop, make dinner and pay bills all before you go to bed. The last thing you want to do is run, right? That's the same way I feel, except, I HAVE to run. The most important part of marathon training is consistency, which means I have to get on my sneakers, stop complaining and run.

Yesterday was particularly bad. I left work at 6:30p and was super grouchy that I had stayed so late, tired from looking at the computer all day, and mad that the sun was going to set in an hour. I got home and had a letter waiting for me from the parents of my childhood friend. Inside was a donation towards my race and a note that had one sentence: You go girl!

I looked in the mirror and smiled. Why was I so grouchy? It was a beautiful day, I was going to run on the Charles River and I have more support and love than I know what to do with! I then went for an AMAZING 7 mile run to Harvard and back, which I ran at a comfortable 8:10 min/mile pace!

I don't know what motivates you to run, but for me, it is knowing that I am running to train for the Boston Marathon, running to honor my mom, and running to better myself! I saw this NPR article last night and wanted to pass it along to my readers. It is about Katherine Switzer, the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon in 1967 (unofficially). She started a revolution for women runners and helped campaign to include the women's marathon in the Olympic games. YOU GO GIRL!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/04/02/149876890/photo-the-first-woman-to-enter-the-boston-marathon?sc=fb&cc=fp

Peace, Love and RUNNING!