The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-376 – Jonathan Runs his Race Part 2
(Audio: link) audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4376.mp3]
Link epi4376.mp3
MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks – http://www.marathonbq.com/qualify-for-the-boston-marathon-in-14-weeks/
Hello, and welcome to the RunRunLive Podcast episode 4-376
Today we follow up on Episode 4-374 where I interviewed Jonathan about his training and attempt to cut close to 30 minutes off his marathon time to qualify for Boston. He walks us through his first attempt and what he learned from it.
It turns out that by taking the longer commuter rail train into the city I can get some writing done in the morning and in the afternoon. As an added benefit it’s about a mile walk from North Station to my office. This is a nice add of a brisk 15-20 minute city walk past Government Center, the Old North Church and Fanueil Hall to start and end my day.
I could take the subway but it’s a nasty crowded ride that would take 15 minutes anyhow.
The net result is that I have a nice, long and very special race report from the Baystate Marathon for you. It’s north of 5,000 words. I’ll see how it fits, but it’s going to take up most of this show and I’ll be brief.
My training is good. My next events are the local Thanksgiving 5K and the Mill Cities Relay. It looks like Frank, Brian and I are going to be on a team. That means I probably won’t be the guy running the 10 mile leg. I’ll get one of the shorter legs which are 5 -6 miles. Hopefully I won’t be relegated to the 2.5 mile leg.
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Yesterday was my birthday. I turned, well I turned older. I jumped an age group. I took advantage of the time change and got the 5:30 train into the city. I ran down to the river and knocked out a set of 5 X 7 minute intervals at a hard effort with 2 minute rests.
The speed work averaged around a 7 minute mile. Which is neither here nor there, as they say. I could compare that to my Marathon PR pace of 7:08’s and be sad about those slow loss of ability. I choose not to. I see it as a gift. I see just being able to breath the bright morning air into my lungs and push the morning blood through my healthy heart as a gift.
And to be able to do it at a pretty good pace and effort is a bonus. That’s a gift to me on my birthday.
I also got some attention from the people who love me, and that’s a gift, to be part of someone’s life and to know you are loved.
And I got messages from c couple hundred of you my friends on the ever-efficient Facebook. (There’s some ironic, snarky comment about robot overlords and birthdays here but I’m going to take the high road.)
You thank you, all of you for the gift of your attention, your time and the gift of somehow fitting usefully into your firmament.
On with the Show.
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I’ll remind you that the RunRunLive podcast is ad free and listener supported. What does that mean? It means you don’t have to listen to me trying to sound sincere about Stamps.com or Audible.. (although, fyi, my MarathonBQ book is on audible) We do have a membership option where you can become a member and as a special thank you, you will get access to member’s only audio. There are book reviews, odd philosophical thoughts, zombie stories and I curate old episodes for you to listen to. I recently added that guy who cut off is foot so he could keep training and my first call with Geoff Galloway. “Curated” means I add some introductory comments and edit them up a bit. So anyhow – become a member so I can keep paying my bills.
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The RunRunLive podcast is Ad Free and listener supported. We do this by offering a membership option where members get Access to Exclusive Members Only audio and articles.
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Links are in the show notes and at RunRunLive.com
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Section one – BayState Marathon – Part one – https://runrunlive.com/baystate-marathon-2017
Voices of reason – the conversation
Jonathan Lieberman
My Story: During my residency I was 241 pounds, miserable, and knew something had to be done about my health. So I started slow and short, and revisited my past love for distance running and marathons. Eventually I was turned on to Ironman and found my new love! Teaching myself to swim in the hospital pool and riding a folding bike to work each day, I applied by lottery for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. On my 39th birthday, I was selected for and ultimately finished this race…having also completed my first Ironman in Lake Placid just 10 weeks earlier. Consequently, in 2012 I was honored to be chosen for the Runner’s World photo shoot issue (video).
Training and competing – with *myself* – is my ultimate passion. It has enabled me to face and conquer life’s toughest challenges. Ironman has taught me that it doesn’t matter what you think, how you feel, or what you say in life – only what you *do*. I live this motto for my children.
Section two – BayState Marathon- Part two – https://runrunlive.com/baystate-marathon-2017
Outro
Ok my friends you have trained hard a raced smart to the end of Episode 4-376 of the RunRunLive Podcast. Time to hang that medal on the rack and recover a bit.
This train into the city takes about an hour. A lot of people sleep. Supposedly there is internet access of a sort but I can never make it work. This is the express train but it’s running slower this morning. We don’t have real trains like Tokyo or London. Ours are slow and barely keeping their heads above water.
I took the early train yesterday and it’s a funny crowd. Those commuters all know each other. It’s like a family reunion of bureaucrats, slightly rumpled career office workers in comfortable shoes. They chat away like a sewing circle. Thank Steve Jobs for headphones.
Did you se Shalane won the New York City Marathon! That is amazing.
Amazing.
I have a funny story about the New York City marathon from my commuting experience. You folks may remember that I ran the NYC marathon in 2014 as a sponsored athlete with ASICS. One of the amazing things that has happened to me through RunRunLive.
I know, I still can’t believe it either. Why would anyone sponsor a journeyman marathoner like me? Well they apparently mistook ‘internet famous’ for actually famous and sponsored me. They gave me so much stuff. If you look at my current Facebook profile picture you’ll see the 3D statuette they created of me that sits on the mantle in my living room where they made me look like Will Weaton with a full head of hair.
One of my favorite stories is how I ended up on the front page of the Wall Street journal. True story.
But, I’m still working my way through all the schwag they gave me as a sponsored athlete. And since I’ve been commuting into the city I have been wearing the NYC jacket and carrying the NYC backpack for my gear.
I was on the red line train last week heading out of the city and the guy across from me says, “Man you have all the gear!”
I looked up from my book and said “What?”
“The New York City Marathon; you have all the gear.”
You see, he was running the NYC marathon that weekend, his first, and I just happened to stumble into his awareness zone. You know what I mean. It’s like when you buy a new thing and then start noticing that new thing everywhere.
So I said “Yeah, I ran it in 2014.” And we struck up a conversation. I did my best to fill him in on the overwhelming monstrosity that is the NYC Marathon.
At some point I said, “I was sponsored by Asics, because I’m internet famous, which isn’t actually famous…” (I know I tell the same jokes over and over and over) And I could see the recognition dawning in his eyes.
“RunRunLive!” he said, as both a statement and a question.
And I, proud and peacocky now stood to shake his hand.
So, Chris, if you’re out there. That was fun for me. Thanks for making my day.
And, to drag out the tired vehicle, occasionally, I do indeed ,see you out there.
MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks – http://www.marathonbq.com/qualify-for-the-boston-marathon-in-14-weeks/