Rosswog Running Blog

Are you ready for tonight's game? Go Suns!

How fast is an 11??? I would fall off the treadmill. I can barely handle a 10 for a 1 minute sprint! Incredible.

Any tips for Boston for me? I will be there a week. What is a must see???

Kelli - that's a 5:27 pace. Smokin'!

Burt, I'm actually worried about this game; that is, my Jazz are a little banged up (AK is probably not going to play and D-Will probably will play, but is hurting). However, Go Jazz!!!

This is an important game. It could really set the tone for the playoff race. Kelli, who do you like more; the Suns or the Jazz?

In regards to my half-mile intervals, thanks! I use to be running the slow ones at 6.0 and fast ones at 9.0 just a few years ago (i.e., I've just been nudging up the speed).

Kelli, I'm so excited for you and have been tracking your impressive training progress. If you are like me before Boston, you are wishing for no injuries, but want to get in all the miles possible. Just make sure to do plenty of stretching, recovery, and preventative icing. Again, I'm so, so excited for you and you'll have so much fun.

One week, awesome! I only spent three days in Boston, so you'll get to truly experience Boston. I loved everything about Boston; however, these are the things I really enjoyed during my trip:

I stayed at the Westin Waterfront and flew into Logan, thus I took the water taxi across the Harbor to the hotel (www.citywatertaxi.com). The cost is a reasonable $10 and there is a free shuttle that picks you up at the airport and takes you to the dock. It was a fun experience and helped settle my nerves and take my mind off of the big race.

I would absolutely take the opportunity to tour the course (www.marathontours.com/index.cfm/page/Course-Tours/pid/10947). First, you will be able to walk around Hopkinton before all the madness (great way to get nice pictures on and around the starting line). Second, it's a great way to get a feel for the course. We were fortunate to have an excellent tour guide that was extremely passionate about running and seemed to know everything about the course. He grew up in Boston, went to school there, and once ran the course in 2:30, so he spent a large part of his running life on the course and told us about all the unknown inclines that you needed to be aware of and angles that that you need to take to get a fast time on the course.

I'm sure you will, but make sure to go to the pasta party, a very fun experience.

Even if you are not a baseball fan, make sure to go to Fenway Park for a tour and/or a game. I was just going to take a tour, but my buddy recommended that I attend a game and it was well worth it. Bleacher seats in the outfield are pretty reasonable even through a broker (I had to purchase them through an online broker). If you only want to go on the tour or take in a game, I would choose the game (the Sox are in town all that week playing the Rays, Rangers, and my O's) because the passion of the crowd is something that is unbelievable to experience.

My one tip would be to make sure you get an extremely early start to Hopkinton on the morning of the race. I started out about three-and-a-half hours before the race and made it with only 30 minutes to spare. Of course almost all of the runners are trying to get an early start and the bus ride to the start is just one slow caravan of yellow buses (so slow that people are just jumping off the bus to go to the bathroom on the side of the road then jumping back on).

Good luck and have a great weekend!

Burt, it's an important game (the Jazz need it to help get home court advantage) and I would love to see the Jazz and the Suns meet in the playoffs! :-)

THANKS FOR THE TIPS!!!! We were wondering about doing the tour beforehand, so we will do that now for sure! The pasta dinner is on, but I am not sure about a game. My husband does not like baseball, but I think it would be a very cool experience. We will see what I can convince him to do!

Kelli, you should try to convince Scott to go to a game at Fenway. I'm a very casual baseball fan (more into basketball and football) and my sister is not a baseball fan at all and we both completely loved the Fenway experience. Also, one of my colleagues at work dislikes baseball, but loved going to Sox games while living in Boston. The Fenway tour is more for baseball fans; however, the games seem to be for everyone. When (not if) I run Boston again, I absolutely want to attend another Sox game (the fans--especially in the bleachers--are so passionate, it is unlike any sporting event that I have ever attended). Lastly, nice 31-mile Saturday and freaking 90-mile week!!! I have never run close to 90 miles in a single week (72.8 is my weekly PR). Very inspiring and you will make short work of the trip from Hopkinton to Boston!

Thanks, I have taken a little flack for my 31 miler and 90 mile week, but my miles have been HIGH for going on two months now, so i do not think I am in danger of injury. However, i will be slowing down---I think it is time to taper!

I am going to look into a baseball game, I think it would be great fun!