Sunday, May 1, 2011

Boston Marathon Pre Race Outlook

Friday, April 15 – Pre Race Report

The Boston Marathon is on Monday and it looks like it is going to be a perfect day to run 26.2 miles. My goal this year is exactly what it has been for the last 4 years…to run under 7:00 minutes per mile or to finish in 3 hours and 3 minutes. I have missed that goal by less than 2 minutes consistently for the past 4 years.

Some of you have asked me what I think about during a marathon. My standard answer is that I try to enjoy the journey and appreciate all the fans who are cheering for me and the 25,000+ other runners. However, this year, I will be thinking about something else.

I will be thinking about how fortunate I am to be able to do what I do. And I will also be thinking of my long time Ironman Mentor who has been the guy who helped me get ready for my first Ironman in 2004 and was there as I jumped into Kona Bay for the first time in 2006 to name a few. I received an e-mail from him the other day informing me that he had just been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and how he was going to try and schedule his cancer treatments into his summer triathlon schedule.

On Monday, I will be thinking of my Mentor and wishing him well for a speedy recovery and a very successful triathlon year in his new age group – 70 to 74. I will also be thinking how lucky I am to have such a wonderful role model for dealing with life’s challenges.

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