Some final tips

Finally, the Big Sur International Marathon is less than a day away.

For all of you who have been diligently training for the race, I hope you are feeling good and ready to tackle the beast. For all you who are planning to wing it, like my husband, well, things could get interesting. Jon’s enthusiasm to run the Big Sur marathon started to wane as his work and travel schedule picked up. His prayers for a mudslide road closure were answered. He was disappointed to learn the race would still go on.

Whether you are a veteran or a first-timer, here a few tips for race day: Pack your bag the night before and check it twice.

Race bib, timing chip, shoes, dry clothes for afterward, these are just a few things you need. You will be getting up at an insanely early hour and will surely be asking yourself what possessed you to do this. Don’t worry if you are half asleep as you make your way to the buses. Once you get to the starting line, the excitement of the race and your own adrenaline will wake you up and you will be raring to go.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

If you have not been drinking a lot this week — and yes, I mean sports drinks and water, not beer and coffee — don’t make up for it on the morning of the race. Guzzling a water bottle or two just before the race will just make you feel terrible. Try to drink

about 8 ounces of water 2 1⁄2-3 hours before the race, then sip on a sports drink or water until the race starts. Take advantage of the aid stops along the course. If you need to stop and walk to make sure you drink and not just spill it all over you, do it. Staying hydrated will save you time in the end.

Your body needs fuel. Eat a normal breakfast and take a bagel or snack to munch on in case you are hungry before the race. After about an hour of hard exercise the body needs more fuel (carbohydrates). If some of your runs have included eating a gel along the way then do it during the race.

Make sure you take it with water to help your body absorb it. If you haven’t tried this before, you probably still need something, but be aware that gels can upset your stomach if you are not used to them. Remind yourself to refuel every hour you are running.

Don’t break out new shoes for race day, you’re risking a blister and miles of agony.

Your feet are going to be a bit beaten up anyway. Also, remember that Vaseline is your friend — use it.

Finally, enjoy the race. It’s one of the most beautiful marathons in the world, so take the time to appreciate the spectacular views. After you cross the finish line and enter marathon village, try and eat something with protein within 30 minutes of your finish. Continue hydrating with a sports drink to help with recovery. And relax — you deserve it.

Take time for a drink

A helpful hint for those embarking on Sunday's Big Sur Marathon: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. If you have not been drinking a lot this week — yes, I mean water and sports drinks, not beer and coffee — don’t make up for it on the morning of the race. Guzzling a water bottle or two just before the race will just make you feel terrible. Try and drink about 8 oz of water 2 1/2 to 3 hours before the race. Then sip on sports drink or water until the race starts. Take advantage of the aid stops along the course to take a drink. If you need to stop and walk to make sure you drink it, rather then just get it all over the front of your shirt, then do it. Staying hydrated will save you time in the end.
I'll have more tips in Saturday's column in the Herald.

Preparing for Big Sur Marathon

For all of you runners that have been diligently training for the Big Sur Marathon, I hope you are feeling good and ready to tackle the beast. For all you others, like my husband, who are planning to wing it, well, things could get interesting. Jon’s enthusiasm to run the Big Sur marathon started to wane as his work and travel schedule picked up. His prayers for a mudslide road closure were answered, but then they changed the course to get the race in.
In this week's column and some other posts here I'll be sharing a few tips for race day.

A familiar face at the big sur marathon

Attention Big Sur Marathon runners, at about Mile 12 you'll spot a familiar face. This week, Blake is working on some last minute advice for runners coming to her home grounds to take on the marathon.

Summing it all up

Saturday's column: Wo ell, I guess you could say the Boston Marathon got the better of me on Monday. Bob Sevene, my coach and a Boston Marathon veteran, had been saying for years that he was not sure if it was a good course for me given all the downhill, but I talked him into it. In hindsight I should have listened to his instincts and run a course that played to my strengths rather than my weaknesses.
We drove the course on the Thursday before the race, and I admit I was a little shocked at the really steep start and the downhill segments in the first 7 miles. We had a good plan of running conservative over that stretch. But as I came off these first miles I knew that my legs were not feeling right. I wasn't breathing hard, but I was having real difficulty picking up my feet. It was a feeling I have never experienced in the early stages of a marathon. Since my coach had said it was important to get to the hill section at mile 17 feeling good, I knew I was in trouble.
Deciding to drop out of a marathon you have worked so hard for is heartbreaking. There is no other way to put it. It sucks. The walk of shame by cheering fans to the medical tent at mile 12 was equally horrible. As I sat in the firestation waiting for a ride into town, I was thrilled to see Americans on the men’s and women’s side leading the races, but so disappointed that my opportunity was gone. It was a perfect day in Boston with cold temperatures and a tailwind that produced the fastest time for a marathon on the men’s side and some of the fastest times ever run by Americans.
Bad days happen. As an athlete you learn to wait a fews days before trying to assess what went wrong. My coach was comforting me after the race saying there is a a huge learning curve with the Boston Marathon. Even two-time Boston champion Bill Rogers, better know as “Billy Boston” dropped out twice before he won. Though I may not ever get a chance to race Boston again, I will keep going until I get it right. I have had my share of disappointments, but as Coach Sev always, “It’s the journey in the end.”

What's next

Bad days happen. As an athlete you learn to wait a fews days before trying to assess what went wrong. My coach was comforting me after the nightmare of Boston saying there is a a huge learning curve with the Boston Marathon. Even two-time Boston champion Bill Rogers, better know as “Billy Boston” dropped out twice before he won. Though I may not ever get a chance to race Boston again, I will keep going until I get it right. I have had my share of disappointments, but as Coach Sev always, “It’s the journey in the end.”

A running honor for Monterey Peninsula

The Monterey Peninsula, the place I live and train, has won the first Outstanding Runner Friendly Community in the United States award given by the Road Runners Club of America. Founded in 1958, the Road Runners Club of America is the oldest and largest national association of running clubs, running events, and runners dedicated to promoting running as a competitive sport and as healthy exercise. This year the RRCA opened nominations to every city in the United States based on an extensive application process and short video. I'm featured in the video, talking about how much I love it here.

When trouble started

We drove the Boston Marathon course on Thursday before the race, and I admit I was a little shocked at the really steep start and rolling downhill for the first 7 miles. We had a good plan of running conservative through that stretch, but as I came off these first miles I knew that my legs were not feeling right. I wasn't breathing hard, but I could not pick up my legs. It was a feeling I have never experienced in the early stages of a marathon. Since my coach had said it was important to get to the hill section at mile 17 feeling good, I knew I was in trouble.

More from Boston

Blake on the Boston debacle: Deciding to drop out of a marathon you have worked so hard for is heartbreaking. There is no other way to put it. It sucks.The walk of shame by cheering fans to the medical tent at mile 12 was equally horrible. As I sat in the firestation waiting for a ride into town, I was thrilled to see Americans on the men’s and women’s side leading the races, but so disappointed that my opportunity was gone.

- Later in the week, more on what went wrong and how Blake approaches the "journey" to the Olympic Trials from here.

Blake from Boston: 'Horrible'

Editor Dave here, Blake dropped me a text from Boston. She dropped out of the Marathon before the halfway mark. "Horrible. Quads were beat up after 7 miles from all the downhill. ...Yes, I'm still on for the Olympic Trials. This course was just bad for me."

boston update

Editor dave here, just tuned into to marathon. Kim Smith of new zealand with big lead a couple of miles in.
5K update:
Blake 17:12 through 5K, a 2:25 pace, that would be a pr
10K update:
34:30 through 10K
20K update:
1:10.39 through 20K she's about 2:30 behind Smith, who is out there on her own. Haven't spotted Blake on tv yet. With Smith way ahead, we're not seeing much of the pack. And the pack is dominated by African runners, although Kara Goucher's head peeks up over many of them.

Halfway point: Not getting any update on the boston marathon site, of course, no news other than leaders from television broadcast. worrisome.

On the eve of the Boston Marathon

I guess reality won’t really hit me until I board the bus with the other elite runners early Monday morning and head to the starting line of the Boston Marathon.

It will be a pretty quiet ride, we runners will be pretty focused. Once we get to Hopkinton, where the race starts, organizers will shuttle us into a local church where we can stay warm and cozy until race time.

My last race in Boston was the 2008 Olympic Trials, when I finished third to qualify for the team. This almost feels like my first marathon, it’s been so long since Beijing.

I’ve never done the Boston Marathon and it’s one I’ve wanted to do before I retire.

Back in 2008 I was having hip and knee pain issues and my focus was just to finish third, to survive and make the team. This year, I’m healthy. I feel a lot more focused on the race, on being competitive rather than just surviving. It’s good to know you’ll be in pain, but that it will just be the pain of racing, the pain of really pushing yourself, not injury pain.

We arrived in Boston early this week and, like the Olympic Trials, spent the first few days in Watham, just outside the city. It’s the old stomping grounds of my coach, Bob Sevene. There are some beautiful running trails and nice dirt roads perfect for those last training runs. I’m pretty sure I saw some of the Kenyans out there ­dark-skinned, very fit runners who look so effortless, but are so fast.

Unlike the Cross Country World Championships where it was just Sev and me, the whole family is with me on this trip. Quin, at nearly 2-years old, is quite the traveler now, so much so that he has his own frequent flyer number and gets credit card offers in the mail. He walked through airport security on his own, declaring “Shoes off!”

before going through the scanner.

Thursday we braved Boston traffic and came into downtown to check into the elite athlete’s hotel for Friday’s press conference. We’ll be staying here through the race.

Quin and my husband Jon are spending some time with his parents, who live in the region. We’re going to spend some time together today. Jon is a calming presence for me before I race. But this time around he’s on Quin duty and the two of them will probably need to go back to his parents on Sunday. Quin sometimes has trouble adjusting to the time change and his sleeping can be unpredictable. And obviously I’ll need a good night’s sleep Sunday.

Sunday I anticipate having an early dinner at the athletes area they’ve set up here, then it’ll be back to the hotel room to watch some television before I drift off to sleep. At 6:15 a.m. Monday I’ll board the bus to the start.

This is one of the best, deepest women’s fields, with lots of runners who can finish in the 2 hour, 22 minute range (the world record is 2:15.25 by Paula Radcliffe in 2003, my best is 2:29.5 in 2005).

Everything — my training, my health, my experience — tells me I’m going to have a solid, competitive race, although you never know what might happen. I’m hoping this gives me even more momentum, confidence and motivation for the big one, the 2012 Olympic Trials in January.

At Boston Marathon press conference

trying something here, this should be tape of blake's boston marathon interview.

Looking at the course

Sev and I made a field trip to Hopkinton on Thursday to take a look at the Boston Marathon course in preparation for Monday's race. It has a more drastic downhill then I thought. I'll have to concentrate on my form through that. It's going to be faster, especially the first half.

Checking in from Boston

Thursday night, just into Boston proper after spending a couple of days in nearby Waltham. That was where we stayed for the Olympic trials in 2008. There are a lot of beautiful running trails and it's away from the hustle and bustle.
But tonight we had to brave the traffic and come into the city. Tomorrow is a press conference here for the Boston Marathon elite runners. I'm not the big story here, I'm flying under the radar so I don't imagine I'll be asked many questions.
We came to the East Coast early in the week. Quin is such a champ now, almost 2, he has his own frequent flyer number and gets credit card offers in the mail. He walked through airport security on his own. "Shoes off," he announced before going through the scanner.
While I meet the press Friday, Quin and his dad will be enjoying the zoo.
I'll share some more thoughts later, there's lots to experience and lots to think about as the clock ticks down to Monday morning's starting gun.

From Runner's Web

Another preview of the women's field in Boston, this one from Runner's Web: Russell also could factor in. The only U.S. woman to finish the Olympic Marathon in Beijing, she hasn't run a marathon since 2008 having become a mother in April, 2009. But Russell is going into Boston with similar momentum to Goucher and Davila, having just run the World Cross Country Championships, where she finished a respectable 19th in the women's 8 km, helping score a team bronze medal for the U.S.

Watch out for this woman

The Boston Globe did an interesting profile of one the top women contenders in next week's Boston Marathon, Desiree Davila

Prepping for the Boston Marathon

If you’re a runner on the Monterey Peninsula you’ll always be asked if you have run the Big Sur International Marathon.

Likewise, when I lived in Boston and people always asked if I had run the Boston Marathon. On April 18, I’ll be able to say yes.

I have been itching to run Boston for years and am happy it has finally worked into my racing schedule. And for the record, I haven’t run the Big Sur Marathon, but hope to one day.

Just as the Big Sur Marathon has the jaw dropping climb of Hurricane Point most years, the Boston Marathon has Heartbreak Hill. When my husband Jon and I lived in Boston, we would meet our training group after work and do hill repeats up a section of Heartbreak Hill. At the time, I had nary a thought of running a marathon.

What puts the heartbreak into this hill is not only the climb but the miles you have to run before you make the climb. It starts around Mile 18 and ends about Mile 21, just as things are starting to get tough anyway. You hit a series of three hills during this section with the last being the toughest — Heartbreak Hill.

I have always considered myself a strong hill runner and training around the Monterey Peninsula has gotten me used to running long, gradual hills. I have been trying to simulate a lot of the Boston course on my daily runs. I often run up from the shoreline at Pebble Beach, past Spyglass Hill Golf Course. As I reach the top of Spyglass, I am always a little envious of the golfers on the putting green leisurely honing their games while my legs feel like they are on fire from the climb.

Believe it or not, another tough section of the Boston Marathon course is the first 7 miles. Large parts of this are downhill, which sounds nice but actually beats your legs up a little. When you get to a flat section or need to start running up hill it makes it feel tougher.

My coach, Bob Sevene, says my downhill running needs improvement — actually that it stinks, although he often uses more colorful language to describe it. Though I have been practicing running fast and relaxed downhill, I’m still not sure how I’ll do come race day. Among other things you have to factor in that I’ll be wearing light-weight racing shoes.

Before the race, Sev and I plan on driving the first half of the course, so I can be better prepared. Being from Boston he knows every inch of that course and has been talking about it for weeks. He even has some intricate car/subway system devised for watching the race unfold. I don’t care what he does the day of the race as long as he doesn’t pop up on the course with a cup of coffee in one hand and a glazed donut in the other — although I wouldn’t put it past him.

Running down the field

Here's a scouting report on the elite women's field at the Boston Marathon. Yep, Blake and Sev get a nod deeper in the story.

Finding Heartbreak Hill in Pebble Beach

In my training for the Boston Marathon, I've tried to simulate the course on my runs on the Monterey Peninsula. Yes, it's on the opposite coast, but Monterey's topography can provide the challenges to prepare for the worst Boston has to offer, including Heartbreak Hill.
I have always considered myself a strong hill runner and training around the Monterey Penninsula has gotten me used to running long, gradual uphills. One of those is the run up Spyglass Hill Road from the beach. The road cuts through Spyglass Hill Golf Course. If you haven't seen the Pebble Beach course in person, you're probably familiar with it from watching the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am every February on television. As I reach the top of Spyglass I am always a little envious of the golfers on the putting green, leisurely polishing their game. Meanwhile, my legs are on fire from the climb. After that, though, is a nice downhill run down Stevenson Drive.
More on my Boston Marathon preparations in this week's column in the Monterey County Herald.

New 2 oz. Reebok Racing shoes for Mama, new Zigs for Quin

Marathon strategy

This week Blake will be writing about her mental preparation for the Boston Marathon. We may get a peek into her strategy for the race. When it comes to making a scouting report on the course there are tools out there that make it pretty easy, like this interactive map of the course. Meanwhile, here on the Monterey Peninsula the Big Sur Marathon folks are still ironing out the details for the new out-and-back course that was made necessary by last month's landslide. There's a useful question-and-answer section on the marathon's website, www.bsim.org

Young, really young, runners

Boston Globe did an interesting article on children's running. Couldn't help but think of Quin doing nightly laps around the Russell household:

There are no set guidelines and a great variation in readiness, said Pierre d’Hemecourt, director of primary care sports medicine at Children’s Hospital Boston and director of Children’s Hospital Boston Running Program. But with proper training and parental attention to any discomfort, he said, children should be able to run the following distances:

▸Age 5: 100-200 meters.
▸Age 6-7: 3K race.
▸Age 8-10: Up to 5K race.
▸Age 11-14: From a 10K to a half marathon.

The Homestretch

The Boston Marathon on April 18 will by the seventh marathon of my career, and I can say I have never trained for one the same way twice. Basically, it’s all about getting as strong and as fit as possible, and there are so many different ways to get there. This marathon build-up has been probably the most different. Knowing that January 2012 and the Olympic Marathon Trials are most important, my coach and I decided to have a little more fun with workouts and change things up from our normal routine.

Normally, I would never consider overseas travel and racing during a marathon training phase, but the chance to compete at the Cross Country World Championships was too good to pass up. I had been training pretty hard for several months, so we factored in a down mileage week, so I would be a little fresh for the race. I felt great by the time the race rolled around and made it home with just a little jet-lag. Unfortunately, I was sidelined for a few days with food poisoning. Luckily, Quin missed me and sat with me or on me much of the time.

“Mama sick?”

Though it was frustrating to have almost everything go according to plan and get derailed at the end of my travels, I am finally picking up some momentum and feeling back to normal. I have two or three more hard workouts left until I start to taper for the marathon. I have always found these last few weeks before the marathon the toughest and the most likely time to get hurt or lose focus.

Usually, I am feeling physically and emotionally fatigued from all of the long runs and workouts, but this time I feel more refreshed having taken some time off ­both planned and forced.

No matter how well things go, as race day approaches I can’t help but wonder if I did enough. I have to keep reminding myself, it’s not one workout that makes the difference, but the combination of weeks and weeks of hard work. When my coach, Bob Sevene, coached Joan Benoit Samuelson to the 1984 Olympic Gold medal in the marathon, he said she always believed she was training harder than anyone in the world. The days before the race she was so intense and focused that Sevene didn’t let her do a press conference.

Joan’s ability to mentally prepare for a big race was like none he has ever seen since.

For a petite woman, she was a mental giant.

With roughly three weeks to go, the physical preparation is coming to an end, but the mental preparation is just revving up. Dealing with the nerves of race day, reminding myself that it will be painful, believing in my own training, and playing out several race scenarios are just a few things I will be thinking about on my runs until the gun goes off in Hopkington, Mass.