Mind, Motion & Matter

Running, Essentially . . .

Category Archives: Boston Marathon


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If My Husband had a Tattoo

It might read “I ran a 2:36 marathon”.  I find his time impressive considering that while in his first year of university the three sports he chose for his mandatory physical education credit were fencing, bowling and swimming.  His discovery of long-distance running shortly after, was his first real foray into jockdom, if you can call it that.

Pat Deutscher, Patrick Deutscher

Finish Line Proof, Vancouver Marathon 1982

He ran his first marathon, the Ottawa marathon in 1977 in a time of 3:13.  His second was the Toronto marathon later that year where he qualified for Boston with a sub-three-hour effort, easily going under the qualifying mark of 3 hours.  At Boston on a very rainy day he ran 2:47 another P.B. despite making a pit stop in a restaurant where he ended up using the women’s washroom.  Porta potties were not as plentiful back in the day. His fourth consecutive P.B. was posted at a small marathon in England called the Milton Keynes marathon.  After that he took quite a few runs at going under 2:40 and then finally ran a 2:36 at Detroit his all-time P.B.

Pat Deutscher, Patrick Deutscher

Racing indoors at Hart House, U of T in the early eighties

Injuries, including knee problems, and fatherhood intervened and since then he has only run one marathon.  That was the Columbus marathon in 2000 to celebrate his 50th birthday in what for him was a hugely disappointing time of 3:14:03. I ran that same marathon and finished in 3:15:22.  It is a part of family lore that had the race been 800 meters longer, I would have passed him.  He was in fact, fitter than I was but went out too fast with a 1:30 half-marathon split and a very painful and plodding 1:44 second half. Had he paced himself more wisely, I think he would have gone under 3:10.

So that was yesteryear.  Yesterday my husband ran around Queen’s Park circle, a popular downtown running loop in Toronto and spotted a crew from the local news station.  He made a detour, worried that his knee doctor might spot him on TV, blatantly disobeying his orders to avoid any vigourous activity.  A blog or two ago, I inadvertently offended my husband by referring to the current state of his running as meager.  When he mentioned this to his boss, a long-time and often-injured runner himself, his boss laughed in commiseration. Well, at least my unintended insult had the positive effect of a lightening the workday with a laugh.

Yukon river run

Running together since 1985 (Yukon river run, June 2011)

As for lightening up, that is our current mantra as we are hoping and praying that physics will be on our side and a weight loss of 7-10 pounds might be all that is needed to  put his knee on the right track.

Incidentally, the 5 X 7 proof above was mailed to every finisher by Marathon Fotos, rubber-stamped lightly with the words, “PROOF ONLY Property of Marathon Fotos”.  Things change.


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Boston Marathon

Lucky Boston marathoners.  Conditions were fine with a tailwind and without the heat that often accompanies a Boston tailwind.  What a fine, fine feeling that must have been.  Congrats to all finishers.  Unbelievable times from the elite runners.

My day was busy with a lunch meeting and no time to have a peek at the action via the web.  I can’t believe that I missed five days of blogging!  But with 14 days to go for the gala I am working at light-speed.  I have been running.  I haven’t missed any running days although the Saturday longer run was shorter than usual due to the dismal conditions of very cold rain.  I ran about 9.5 miles on Saturday, then 5 miles on Sunday during which time the cake I had in the oven got a bit overdone.  Today, I had a very satisfying workout at U of T.  I had suggested that I should run 6 x 500 meters but my coach said I should do at least 8.  So I did eight and kept a consistent pace with the last two run run hard and faster than the previous ones.

I looked at the results from Boston for my category and boy are the women in my age category getting fast.  It will take a lot of hard work to place in the top five next year.  I’ve run Boston five times and all those times were into a headwind.  At least I never had to run it on one of the super hot days.  That would do me in.  I’ll take a headwind any day.

I look forward to more blogging after May 3rd.  Ciao!


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The Boston Marathon, a Run For All Reasons

The running of the Boston Marathon is fertile ground for stories to inspire, but most would be hard put to find one more compelling than that of Team Hoyt.  Rick Hoyt has cerebral palsy and the medical advice given to his parents on his birth was that he should be institutionalized, as there was no hope that he would have a “normal” life.  Nonetheless, his parents treated him like an ordinary child and with the help of a computer device Rick was eventually able to communicate to his family, his passion for sports.

Thus it was that Dick Hoyt began to enter charity runs and compete while pushing Rick in a wheelchair.  A source of much enjoyment, the pair began entering marathons and from there, progressed to triathlons. For the swim, Dick would tow Rick in a tiny boat and for the cycling portion would carry him on the front of his bike.  As of 2008, they had completed 229 triathlons and 66 marathons, often finishing in the top 10% of the field with a marathon personal best of 2 hours 40 minutes and 47 seconds.  A time, which is 3o minutes under the qualifying time for Open Men in the Boston Marathon.

In 2009 the duo completed their 27th Boston Marathon, Rick was 47 and Dick was 68 – sending a message to the world to include rather than exclude those with disabilities from activities that most of us have the good fortune to easily be a part of.

Never, ever give up! What does that mean to you?


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Around the Bay 30K

Kudos and congratulations to all those who took part in this historic road race today.  It is the Ontario road runner’s equivalent of a season-opener.

While out on Friday we ran into an acquaintance who asked if I was running on Sunday.  I drew a blank.  It was only on Saturday morning that it struck me that this was the weekend of one of Canada’s foremost long-distance races, the Around the Bay 30K in Hamilton.  How could I forget?! Many of those who have been training diligently through the winter have been driven by the goal of racing this 30K.

Last year a record I had established in 2006 was broken.  A new course (and Canadian) record for 30K of 2:07 was set by Jennifer Ditchfield.  My goal when I set the record was to run under 2 hours and 10 minutes.  I was disappointed to run 2:12 and that did not feel easy.

Around the Bay on a warmer day.

My friend Michal Kapral, a.k.a. the joggler jumped in around 25K and ran with me for awhile.  I told him that I was fading and wondered out loud whether any masters women were closing in on me.  He immediately started running backwards and let me know that I was in danger of being picked off.  That is when I learned that sometimes it is better not to know.  Ignorance is more blissful than having a set of eyes in the back of one’s head.  The rival masters runner did pass me and it felt worse knowing that this was a possibility so far in advance.

Michal at one time was considering trying to set a Guiness record for the backwards marathon.  He holds or held, the record for a marathon pushing a baby jogger and for running an entire marathon while juggling three balls.  He has also won the Toronto marathon in a time of 2:31.

With my plan to run Boston next year, it is doubtful that I can do the 30K as it is my view that many a runner has left their Boston best, down by the bay. It is a challenging 30K route that when raced to the full, is not far off the effort of running a marathon. With 3-4 weeks separating it from Boston, there is not much time to recover to put your best foot forward at Boston. This has been the subject of ongoing debate among long distance racers and their coaches over the past century.


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Back to the Track

Indoor Track – 3000 Meters – 2003?

I haven’t felt really perky this last week following my speed workout at U of T. And in the last leg of my 14.5 miles on Saturday I stumbled while running down Christie street and pitched forward completely sliding on my hands along the sidewalk. I was able to pick myself up and continue running but I had a bit of stiffness afterwards from the jolt. Then yesterday I did a bit of gardening which I find very hard on the lower back so this morning I was feeling quite stiff. When I hit the cold morning air, I decided to head straight for the treadmill at the YMCA where I did a very slow five miler.

My thoughts are coming together on the marathon I’m supposed to be training for. I’ve been doing a lot of research but have been unable to come up with a stand-in for Boston. I considered the London marathon but that sold out ages ago. I’m pumped for Boston 2012, and New York 2011 so I’m on the verge of deciding that I’ll start my training for the fall NOW and skip the spring marathon. The next 7 weeks are going to be crazy with gala work, so I won’t be in great shape this spring anyhow so fall marathon here I come.

A part of the decision to skip a spring marathon will be committing to regular speedwork with the Masters group at U of  T. For the first time in my life, I’m finding it hard to increase my mileage and increase the quality of my workouts in tandem. With the longer build-up I can take my time to get some speed back and then start building my mileage. So there you have it, my short-term goal. The medium term goal will be to run some shorter distance races once I get a bit of speed back. If things go well, maybe I’ll even do some outdoor track.


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The Bend at Boylston

Yesterday was the 3rd day of 2011 that I did not post.  And no, it was not because I was watching the Oscars.  Although I’ll jump on that theme and mention that  movies were something of a topic on the Saturday run.  The DVD of my favourite movie Ugetsu Monogatari by Kenji Mizoguchi is now making the rounds of our group  albeit slowly.  And next week, I’ll hand off another favourite, Johnny Guitar a Nicholas Ray film, beloved by Truffaut and Almodavor to name a few.  If you love film, you owe it to yourself to click on my links to information about these two classics.

Mainly the absence of a post was due to a thematic vacuum.  Jumping off from a point I made in my last post about how lovely those long straightaway marathon finishes are I’m going to assign a 5 star rating system to final mile of some of the marathons I’ve run.

Boston Marathon *****
Detroit Marathon ****1/2
California International Marathon (Sacramento) ****
Columbus Marathon ***1/2
National Capital Marathon (Ottawa) ***1/2
Chicago Marathon ***1/2
Mississauga Marathon **1/2
Toronto International Marathon **1/2

I like the finish on Ford Field of the Detroit Marathon and the separate finish for men and women and the California International Marathon but nothing beats the final mile of Boston with the final turn onto Boylston Street, a slight downhill grade and the stupendous crowd support with the finish line in sight. Check out the this footage of the turn on to Boylston.

And this exciting footage of Dire Tune and Alevtina Biktimirova battling it out in the 2008 Boston Marathon. I’ll be there in 14 months and counting!


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Mississauga Marathon, Head to Head with Toronto

A blogger in eastern Canada was wondering whether the downhills at the Mississauga Marathon are of the quad-pounding variety. I’ve run Mississauga twice, in 2004 (3:14) and 2005 (3:12) and found that the downhills are very evenly spread over the first half of the course. So no, this course does not beat up your quads.

I feel a time run on this course gives you a 2-3 minute advantage over a flat course even with the section of  rolling hills which comes in the last 10K, along with a somewhat winding lakefront path. In 2004 & 2005,  the path was crowded with back-of-the-pack finishers in the half-marathon although that may only affect runners finishing under 3 hours and 30 minutes.   In 2003, the inaugural year I ran the 10K in 39:39 a time which I am very proud of as the 10K is run on the slowest section of the marathon course.  In its entirety, the route is not especially scenic but it is fast and is a great community event  infused with a positive spirit.

Two noteworthy individuals associated with the event are Mayor Hazel McCallion and Olympic marathon runners, Peter Fonseca now MPP for Mississauga-East, Cooksville.

The Goodlife Toronto Marathon which will be on the same day as Mississauga this year, is also a net downhill course, but some of the downhills, like the Rosedale Valley Road section, are steep enough to beat you up, and after that downhill you face a stretch on one of the bleakest roads in Toronto, the southern section of the Bayview extension. A drawback of the finish, is that it is a very long and gradual uphill going north on University Avenue, with intersections often punctuated by by angry motorists.  I’ve often joked that the racers should wear t-shirts that read, Saving You Health Tax dollars! to appease these impatient citizens.

To finish you must run three-quarters of the way around Queen’s Park Circle, which means you only see the finish line when you are about 150 meters away.  Nothing beats a long straightaway to the finish line of a marathon, such as turning the corner onto Boylston Street with 800 meters to go in the Boston marathon.  I can feel myself getting a little teary as I remember and write about the sensation of seeing the finish line banner of the Boston Marathon.

In the battle of the Toronto fall marathons, Mississauga was most certainly the loser. Said Mississauga Mayor, now 90 year old, Hazel McCallion “That’s what you call co-operation.” in reference to the Goodlife Toronto Marathon being moved from the fall to the same day as the Mississauga Marathon, and as an indicator of the general process of coordination and cooperation between Toronto and Mississauga.

As a runner looking to run a spring marathon, I have not yet ruled out Mississauga.  However The Goodlife Toronto Marathon does not appear on my long list as the distribution of the downhills, makes it difficult to capitalize, time wise on the net downhill factor.  I ran the fall version of this marathon in 1996 when the course had fewer uphills and path running than it does now, so it is unlikely that I would give this newer version a try.  I do like the Toronto Marathon, 5K course run the same day as the marathon as it has only one turn.

For fast times, the Missisauga Marathon & half-marathon are my picks for running in the Greater Toronto Area the weekend of May 15, 2011.


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Boston Marathon 2012, Here I Come!

I started this blog to document  my return to marathon training after a break of almost three years.  My goal was to qualify for this years Boston Marathon.  To qualify, my plan was to run MY qualifying time at the California International Marathon, last December which I did successfully.  BUT WHOA . . . the Boston Marathon sold out in 8 hours and 3 minutes, on  October 18th, 2010, the first day of registration.  So much for the plan. A big rethink was in the works for the marathon and word was that the new plan would be unveiled in early January.  Finally on February 16th, the new plan was revealed with this headline.

B.A.A. to Offer Fastest Qualified Runners Early Acceptance into 2012 Boston Marathon With New Registration Process

BOSTON – The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced today a change in its registration process for the Boston Marathon, allowing the fastest qualifiers to enter the earliest and with a rolling admission system while also offering all eligible runners an increased registration period. The changes in registration are a response by the B.A.A. to greater than ever demand by runners to gain entry into the Boston Marathon and culminate more than three months of analysis, including input from the running industry. Rather than accepting runners who have met the qualifying standards on a first come, first served approach, a more systematic, performance-based process will be employed. READ MORE

Personally, I’m satisfied with the new process of staggered registration dates, with those exceeding the qualifying standards in larger increments given the opportunity to register first.  Since I exceeded the qualifying time for my age-group of 4 hours and 15 minutes by 33 minutes with my December time of 3:42.  I can register on day one and day two (all those who have surpassed the standard by at least 20 minutes) and rest assured that I won’t lose an online registration race.

More from the B.A.A.

“Those who qualify by the greatest amount of time to have the longest period to enter,” said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. “Our new registration process takes into consideration the many comments we received from runners this past fall and winter, most of whom urged the B.A.A. to institute a system which recognizes athletic performance above all else.”

As for the 2013 race, qualifying times will be tightened by 5 minutes. I’m disappointed to miss the 2011 race but it is probably for the best, given that my big focus for the spring is the Gala.  And speaking of the Gala, some late-breaking news . . . Peter Fonseca MPP and former Olympic marathoner has agreed to be an honourary Patron for the Gala, along with his wife Christina who recently was elected to the Mississauga City Council.

I have known Peter for a number years as a generous contributor to community events that I organized including a “Breakfast of Champions” that I held as coach of school cross-country team.  Peter a 2:12 marathoner, used to do live commentary of the Boston Marathon and placed 17th as top Canadian in the 1996 Olympics.

Lynn Kobayashi, Lynn Deutscher Kobayashi, Boston Marathon

Boston Marathon 2007 – Louise Voghel, 1st place age-grouper & Canadian marathon record holder (left) and me proud to be third.


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Ottawa Marathon, Some Memories

I had planned to tie in my afternoon as a tourist in Ottawa with the Ottawa marathon race route. However we are making a mad dash out to Scarborough this afternoon to check into a hotel, using Aeroplan points, close to the location of a Valentine’s dinner we are attending. The dinner is hosted by the marriage enrichment group that we are a part of. Last year we attended with my parents, as they attended a retreat organized by this same group, a few decades ago.  Perhaps “the boys” will have a party in our absence. The boys being our son who is home most weekends, and his friend, Alain who lives with us 24/7.

I have run the Ottawa marathon four times. It is tied with the Boston marathon for repeat outings.My first running of this marathon was in 1982 and I was wearing a t-shirt that read, No Nukes are Good Nukes. Those were the days. Here are my Ottawa marathon times.

# Ottawa Marathon, May 1982 — 3:37
# Ottawa Marathon, May 2002 — 3:07:02 (personal best, age 46)
# Ottawa Marathon, May 2003 — 3:11
# Ottawa Marathon, May 2004 –3:10

Speaking at Ottawa Marathon Race Expo

In 2005 I was a co-presenter at the Ottawa marathon race expo with Steve Boyd. Steve holds umpteen Canadian masters records and also has a doctorate, I think it is in the history of political thought from Queen’s University. Shortly after, I wrote an article on Steve Boyd which is somewhere on the hard drive of an old computer. I hope to retrieve this one day (so many things to do, so little time) and post it on my blog. I’ve added some award-ceremony photos and a bit about Steve Boyd to my post on Dylan Wykes the winner of the California International Marathon, as Steve is Dylan Wyke’s mentor-coach.

Have a wonderful evening all!


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About!

I’ve finally gotten round to writing an ABOUT tab for this blog. Here it is.

Detroit, Ford Field Finish

The choice to return to very active life I experienced while growing up, has brought many good things into my life. This journey began with a few runs, while still a smoker, fitness classes at the YMCA which led to quitting smoking, cold turkey. With all the excess energy of being more fit and tobacco-free I began to run regularly, first a mile and then a few months later, a marathon in 4 hours and 11 minutes. Recently, I celebrated 30 years of running for fitness, friendship with my 20th marathon, surpassing the Boston qualifying standard by 33 minutes.  One of the good things was meeting my husband over 25 years ago when he introduced himself in a YMCA cafeteria after the 1985 Peterborough Half-Marathon. He remains, my favourite running partner. We have a 23 year old son, 17 nieces and nephews and 4 grandnephews and grandnieces.

Highlights of my racing career came later in life; 1st place finish in the 50-54 category at the Chicago Marathon, 3rd place (50-54) at the Boston marathon and a time of 3 hours & 10 minutes at the Detroit Marathon, run at age 50. I like to refer (or brag) of having qualified for the Boston Marathon in the Open Men’s category at age 50. This time also qualified as an Ontario 50-54 age group record for the marathon. The time I am most proud of from my younger days is having run my 4th half-marathon in 1 hour & 23 minute after less than 3 years of running and with low-mileage training due to chronic ankle injuries.

Over the years I have learned that advising people about how to train is tricky business AND that there is no formula. We are, as George Sheehan put it, “An experiment of one.” I’ve run while pregnant, run good times on low mileage, run great times on high mileage and run purely for fitness for the first 9 years of my son’s life, returning with a vengeance by logging more than 100 miles a week at times, with high-intensity workouts thrown into the mix.

Along the way, I’ve had to learn and abide by the “laws of the body”, George Sheehan again. I hope that providing some insight into how running fits into my daily routine might encourage you to commit to habits that will enhance your quality of life. I find the benefits to be as much (if not a little more) about mental well-being as physical.

There is an abundance of information available on fitness and training for the motivated and curious, and it is not my goal to spend a lot of time on the details of which others have expertly written. I would caution however that discernment is required as there are obvious paralells between “getting fit quick” and “getting rich quick”. I hope my observations about what has worked for me, while running close to 60,000 miles or more in my lifetime, might arouse your curiosity and point you in the direction of finding out what routines work for you, be it running or your heart thumping activity of choice.

As for all the non-running chit chat, I think of it as my side of a conversation, were we to share each others company while on a run — that being the most companionable of spaces.  Consider this your invitation to comment and question.

All the best!

Lynn