Race Report: Bennett Blazer Invitational Meet, May 17, 2026

I ran the Bennett Blazer Invitational Track Meet in Towson, MD this weekend - running the 3000m in 13:21.8 and the 800m in 3:25.4.

Towson is 70-80 minutes north of my home by car if there isn't any traffic, and so I left my house around 6:25 am (meant to leave at 6:10 am) so that I would arrive and have sufficient time to check in, stretch and mobilize, put my shoes and numbers on, and warm up before running the first race of the morning - a 3000m at 8:30 am.

I arrived about 7:30 - perfect timing, though I was surprised that nobody else was there yet and the doors to the stadium were still locked.  About 20 minutes later, someone clued me in that I was in the wrong place - I was currently parked outside of the baseball diamond, not the running track.  

So, the morning ended up more rushed than I would like.  I fortunately found a parking place at the real track quickly, yanked my racing shoes on, grabbed my bib and pinned it, and hit the track for an abbreviated warm-up.  

I usually warm up with 20-25 minutes easy, 3 minutes at tempo effort (90 second jog), 4x30 seconds hard with 30 seconds jog, and then 4x10 second strides with 20 second jog. I cut the initial easy jog to 10 minutes and managed to fit in the rest of the routine, but I very much felt not-quite-ready as I walked over to the start line for the 3000.

***

There were four athletes in this race - two ambulatory and two wheelchair.  Usually ambulatory runners and wheelchair athletes are in separate heats, but since there were only two athletes of each type and this race takes over 10 minutes to run, it made sense to combine the heats and conserve time in the schedule. 

I had some safety concerns about sharing the track with racing wheelchairs, but I was assured that it would be fine, so I put that worry to the side and focused on my race. The ambulatory runners - my friend Casey and myself - were in lanes 1-2, while the wheelchair racers were in lanes 5-6.  

The gun went off, and I actually wasn't in last place for a moment - this because wheelchair racers always need some distance to get up to speed. Wheelchair racers tend to be slower at the 100m distance than ambulatory sprinters.  But by the time you get to 400m, that difference has reversed, and then the gap grows as the distance lengthens.

About 80m into the race, both wheelchairs passed me and began to pull away slowly.  Casey tucked in behind me initially before dropping back (he had a specific time goal that he was trying to hit without destroying himself for later races).  And then I was alone, trying to loosen up and work into my rhythm, with the wheelchairs ahead.

For the first mile, I was pleasantly surprised that the wheelchair racers weren't too far ahead. This gave me something to chase, though I knew that the chances of me catching them were nil. 

7 1/2 laps went by both quickly and slowly, as I worked on staying as relaxed as possible while also using my lungs correctly and keeping my eyes up and rotating my torso (it likes to stay stiff and locked if I don't think about it).  I had no idea what pace I was running - I wasn't wearing a Garmin (to comply with US Adaptive Track & Field rules) and there was no clock in sight. But the fact that the wheelchairs weren't too far ahead of me told me that I was probably running pretty well.

Eventually both wheelchairs pulled far enough away that I couldn't see them without turning my head to the side and looking across the track. As the bell rang for my last lap, I heard the wheelchairs coming up behind for their finish and realized with a bit of satisfaction that they had never lapped me.  Excellent.

I pushed the last lap as hard as I could without straining and then hobbled around on the back side of the finish line, gasping for air. Upon request, one of the track officials informed me that I had run just over 13 minutes. I didn't know whether that meant 13:01 or something higher, but either way I was happy with it for a rust buster.  

***

I had about 12 minutes between the end of the 3000m and the start of the 800m.  Some people thought this was unfortunate, but I actually preferred it this way and had signed up for the 800m (rather than the 1500m to be held later) for just this reason.  Once I had mostly caught my breath, I checked in for the 800m (conveniently, I was in lane 1 for both, so no need to swap hip numbers) and then jogged on the infield with some strides right until we lined up for the 800m.

Standing on the line of the 800m, I could tell that my mind was not quite ready for another race effort.  But that was too bad, 'cuz we were going anyway.  I comforted myself with the knowledge that it was only two laps. And then the gun went off.

I was the only woman in this heat of the 800m - it was me and four male athletes in their mid to late teens.  I was expecting to be completely destroyed in this heat, and so was pleasantly surprised when my body and legs felt smooth, fluid, and strong from the start.  I've been joking for a while that I would run my best 800m if I could tack it onto the end of a longer race, and this certainly seemed to support that idea.

I stayed in contact with most of the other runners, and even traded places with some- pulling ahead on the straights and then tucking in on the curves.  As we hit 200m to go, I was in fourth place with second and third right ahead.

In retrospect, I should have swung wide at that point and just pushed all the way to the finish.  But instead, I tucked back into lane 1 for the final turn before beginning to kick to the finish (I suspect this decision was driven by mental fatigue). This essentially meant that I, a post-menopausal woman whose last race 4 weeks ago was a marathon, was now trying to outkick some teenage boys who primarily ran the 400m and 200m.

It played out exactly as you'd expect - I pulled ahead of one briefly and then got left in the dust of others' spikes to finish fourth out of five.  But, as I crossed the finish, I was still pretty happy with my race - I hadn't expected to be able to stay with the other runners at all in this heat.  And I'd given it my best shot.  And I was now done for the day and could relax and be social and cheer for others.

***

The meet was both short and efficient and was done by 11:30 am.  At the conclusion, certificates were handed to each athlete noting their times, and I finally got to see my times - 13:21.8 for the 3000m (so, on the slower side of "just over 13 minutes") and 3:25.4 for the 800m.  While the 3000m was technically my better performance, I was more excited about the 800m time.  That's my first time running a race of any distance in under 7:00 pace in about two years.  And doing that in my first race post-marathon is an indication that I have some room for improvement this summer.

Other notes:

• I really enjoy doing these para-athlete meets.  They are universally very well organized and held on high quality tracks.  And they have free food and snacks - rather than having to line up at a food truck or find a water fountain to fill a bottle, I could grab a cold water bottle out of cooler by the track entrance anytime I wanted, and grab chips, fruit, rice crispy treats, etc from a table of free food.  And these races also offer goody bags full of sunscreen and snacks - a very nice touch that you don't see at most races anymore.  These meets are retro in all of the right ways.
• The weather was pretty good for this meet - a bit hot for the 3000m at 75 degrees with bright sunshine and some humidity, but that same weather was perfect for the 800m.  For a Maryland race in late May, it was about as good as one could expect.
• I was the top T36 woman in both my races, and so in one sense won both.  Of course, I was also the only T36 woman in both races.
• I actually ran faster here than my official 3000m record of 13:57. However, this meet doesn't meet all the requirements for setting a record (type of timers, etc) so it didn't count. Not a problem, I knew this going into this meet.  it's still a fun meet to do.

Training log - week ending 5/3/2026

This week was 35 miles of running, 15 "miles" of pool-running, and 1000 yards of swimming.

This was my second week of Boston Marathon recovery/catching up on stuff. I kept things easy for the first part of the week before a "baby" workout on Thursday.  

My intent on Thursday was just to feel things out and reintroduce a bit of faster running, so I went with a mile at tempo effort followed by a few 100m repeats.  The 100m repeats were faster than I expected, especially since my shoes (the Asics Novablast 5) were slipping on the wet track.  The Novablast 5 is a great shoe, but only if you are running on dry surfaces.

I followed that with some strengthwork at the gym and then headed to the doctor to get some platelet lysate injections in my back/SI joint. This was a follow-up to the prolotherapy injections I had just before Boston - those injections were just a short term fix to get me through the marathon healthy; this was the longer term fix.

After the injections, I took a day off from aerobic exercise, limiting myself to upperbody weight machines that had pads to stabilize my back.  (I also caught Rabbit in the Moon and Infected Mushroom in Baltimore that night - maybe not the best idea, but I tried to not bounce too much at the show).

The second day was in the pool, and then I returned to normal activity with an easy run on Sunday.

I was pleasantly surprised by the pace of the Sunday run - much faster than I was expecting.  The weather was similar to what we had for Boston two weeks ago, and I was dressed warmly (tights, longsleeve, windbreaker), and I felt much better than I did during the marathon - just looser and less stiff.  I guess that's evidence that I really should have gone with at least a longsleeve shirt for that race. Noted for next time.

Dailies:

Monday: 7 miles very easy (9:52) and upperbody weights/core.

Tuesday: 7 "miles" pool-running and PT exercises. Foam rolling in evening.

Wednesday: 7 miles very easy (9:42) and 500 yards swimming.

Thursday:  8.5 miles, including a 1600 at tempo effort (7:48) followed by 4x100m in 26, 25, 25, 25.  Followed with leg strengthwork.  Platelet lysate injections in back in the afternoon.

Friday: Upperbody weights. Rabbit in the Moon/Infected Mushroom show at night.

Saturday: 8 "miles" pool-running and 500 yards swimming. Foam rolling at night.

Sunday: 12.5 miles easy (9:32), followed by core and PT exercises. Foam rolling at night.

Training log - Week ending 4/26/2026

This week was 32 miles of running and 12 "miles" of pool-running.

A marathon, marathon recovery, a head cold, and head cold recovery. I started running again at the end of the week but kept it on the trails so that I could start working on my dynamic balance as part of my return to running.

If there's ever a good time to get sick, it's right after your goal race.  My only real regret is that I ended up missing seeing Clan of Xymox - they played Baltimore on Friday, but I was both too contagious and too run down to go.

Dailies:

Monday: 1200m warm-up and then Boston Marathon in 3:43:54

Tuesday: Off - just travel home.

Wednesday: 6 "miles" pool-running. Foam rolling in evening.

Thursday:  6 "miles" pool-running. Foam rolling in evening.

Friday: Off. Sick.

Saturday: 1 hour walk/jog on trails.

Sunday: 5 miles very easy on trails (10:41) and streaming Pilates. Foam rolling at night.

Race Report: Boston Marathon, April 20, 2026

I ran the Boston Marathon last Monday, finishing in 3:43:54, which was good enough to with my para-athlete division again, though not sufficient to break my course record.

This year's Boston Marathon adventure started with a mixture of good and bad luck.  The bad luck was that my flight first boarded and then deplaned, due to a ground stop in Boston.

The good luck was that when I boarded for the second time, my seatmate recognized me, which in turn caused me to recognize her.  It was Lisa Levin - a talented local runner that I had formerly competed against for age group awards (the former is on my end, not hers - she is still quite competitive). She's also one half of a great coaching group that has a great podcast.

The box.  Gels, jogging clothes,
throwaway clothes, snacks.

It was pretty funny.  She hadn't recognized me before because I had a mask on for the flight. I didn't have that excuse; I hadn't recognized her because I was distracted thinking about everything I had on my plate for the upcoming weekend.

It was a quick flight once we were off the ground quickly (made even quicker by good company) and I made it to my hotel at 7:02 pm.  Unfortunately, the FedEx store embedded in the hotel closed at 7 pm, which meant that I would have to wait until 9 am the next morning to retrieve the box I had shipped to myself.  Not a huge issue, but I wouldn't be able to do a shake out jog until I had my box (with my shake out jog clothes, among other things).

I slept in on Saturday, then cheered at the Boston 5K before picking up my box. Then it was time for my para-athlete classification at the Convention Center.

***

For those who don't know, classification is the process through which a wannabe para-athlete is a) confirmed to be impaired enough to be eligible to be a para-athlete and b) assigned to a para-athlete class for competition.  USATF is now taking a larger role in the governance of American Para-Athletics, and they have a nice webpage that lays out the whole process.

Two years ago, I was classified as a T36 para-athlete. The T stands for “track” (which includes the roads); the 36 means that I am neurologically impaired in a specific way.

Some classifications are permanent, while others must be reviewed on a set interval.  Generally, impairments like missing limbs get a permanent classification, while impairments that can fluctuate or progress (e.g., neurodegenerative) are assigned a review year.  In 2024 I was assigned a review year of 2026, which meant that I had to redo my classification before I could compete in this year's Boston Marathon - my first para-athlete competition of 2026.

So here I was, once again, in a large conference room on the floor below bib pick-up.  Just like two years ago, most of the chairs and tables were stacked along the walls, leaving the vast room empty. There was one table with four chairs, two of which were occupied by the classifiers. Off to the side was a medical examining table identical to that in a doctor’s office.

***

The classification began with a brief interview - what were my best performances in the past two years?  How much did I train and how did I train? When was I diagnosed?  What medications was I currently on?  Did I use any braces or other devices when competing?

After that, I removed my shoes and moved to the examination table. They first flexed each of my joints in turn and assigned a number, before tapping some places with a rubber hammer (more numbers). Then came what I call the hokey-pokey/Macarena - touching my finger to my nose, touching my finger to their finger, tapping my feet on the ground quickly, rotating my wrists between palms up/palms down quickly, sliding my heel up and down my shin.  Yet more numbers and some muted conversation.

The next step (pun intended) was walking back and forth, followed by running back and forth. Then running in a zig zag pattern, some side steps and cariocas, and an extended period of shuffling from side to side, changing direction randomly as directed.  They also included some standing jumps, some heel and toe walking, and some tandem walking.  All of this barefoot on the hotel carpet.

By the end I was tired.  And relieved that I had once again made it through classification without an injury that would screw up my marathon.

They excused me outside the room for a few minutes and then called me back for the verdict. I had been classified T36 previously, but based on what they saw today, it was a close call between the more impaired T36 and the less impaired T38 (to answer the obvious question - there was never any question of whether I was a T37, because T37s have one good side and one bad side.  I have two bad sides - the question was how bad they were).

They were tentatively classifying me as a T36, but they would be watching me closely on Monday. After observing me on Monday they might reclassify me as a T38, or alternately keep me a T36, but require me to repeat classification as early as next year.

(This felt oddly like a colonoscopy - “we’ll take a look and then tell you when you need to go through this again.”  Fortunately, though I was tired, I retained sufficient tact to not say this out loud.)

I suspect they thought I would be upset about this decision. While the T36/T38 distinction was meaningless for this race (Boston currently combines T35, T36, T37, and T38 into one division) being reclassified to T38 came with serious competitive implications. T38s are minimally impaired, and so the T38 division is much faster than the T36 division and I would be less competitive. Similar to being moved from the 50+ age group to the 40+ age group.

At the same time, when you have a progressive neurodegenerative disease, and there are no medications that slow or reverse the progression, being told that you might look better than you did two years ago is huge.  HUGE.  So, I saw this situation as a win/win.  Either I'd keep my T36 classification, or I'd have evidence that a condition that is only supposed to worsen had done the opposite, while retaining eligibility for the T35-38 division on Monday.  Either outcome was cool.

*** 

After classification I picked up my bib from the para-athlete room.  My bib came with a lanyard and badge identifying me as a professional athlete.  I would spend the rest of the weekend debating when and where it was appropriate to show this off display this.

My preciousss

I was hungry by this time, so my next stop was Chipotle.  In a distressing reprisal of last year, the Boylston Street Chipotle was closed.  However, another one about 8 blocks east was open, so I was able to get what I needed, albeit with more walking than I would have liked.

The rest of the day was spent mostly resting, punctuated by repeated trips to the nearby CVS to panic-buy things that just a few days before I had been sure I wouldn't need.

*** 

Sunday began with a shakeout jog - my energy levels were great, though my hips were slightly sore from all the side shuffling yesterday. This was followed by a DoorDash Chipotle order (I decided that I preferred to pay someone else to wander Boston looking for Chipotle.

That afternoon I was scheduled to be part of a “professional para-athlete” panel. About 45 minutes before the panel was scheduled to begin, I wandered through the expo towards the stage, marveling at how the crowds would part anytime I waved my pro athlete badge.  I had the chance to meet up with a few friends before, who kindly stayed for the panel.

I thought the panel went well, though I noted that my habit of speaking like a lawyer when presented with a microphone (slow, measured words) was a contrast to the free flowing conversational style of the other panelists.  I did manage to demonstrate what life was like as a coordination impaired athlete by spilling water all over myself, so that was win. I think.

****

The official schedule for race morning looked like this:

• 5:00-5:30 am - para-athlete check-in (hotel lobby)
• 6:30 am - para-athlete bus departs for start line
• 7:20 am - para-athlete bus arrives at the start
• 9:35 am - para-athletes walked to start line
• 9:50 am - para-athlete start

Since a) I need my Rytary to function, b) I get about 4 hours from each Rytary dose, c) Rytary works best when spaced well apart from meals, and d) one needs to eat breakfast before a marathon, I structured my morning like this:

• 4:00 am - wake up, eat first breakfast
• 5:15 am - check in
• 5:30 am - take Rytary
• 6:30 am - bus to start
• 7:20 am - arrive at start, eat second breakfast, stretch
• 8:50 am - short jog
• 9:30 am - take Rytary
• 9:35 am - head to the start.

In between all of that, of course, were opportunities to reunite with old friends and connect with new ones. And several bathroom breaks.

***

The forecast was fantastic for marathoning - weather in the low 40s, increasing to around 50, with a tailwind.  I debated shorts versus light tights and singlet versus long sleeve. I briefly considered long sleeve over shorts, so that I'd have the option of removing the longsleeve if I got too warm.  But I had two bibs to wear - front and back - so that didn't seem like a good option.  Ultimately I went with singlet and shorts, plus arm-warmers, reasoning that a tailwind would be much warmer than a headwind.

Sooner than I expected (but right on schedule), we were walked to the start.  This was my third time standing at the start line and seeing nothing but empty road ahead, and it felt as surreal as the first time.  Then the gun fired, and we were off.

The first downhill mile went remarkably smoothly.  I've been working a lot on my downhill running this past year, and I felt the results.  I knew that the classifiers were also watching me run, and that my chances of retaining my T36 classification were slipping away with each smooth step, but it was what it was.  And it felt good to be running downhill mostly unafraid of falling on my face.

Of course, I knew what was coming from behind. It was heralded by a cyclist wearing a Boston jacket, who spoke to us of the arrival of Wave 1, and instructed that we (the para-athletes) were to stay to the right.

I wasn't thrilled about this.  As a para-athlete I've run Boston once on the far right and once on the far left.  I much prefer the left for all the same reasons someone else might prefer the right - the bigger crowds are on the right, as are the majority of the water stations.  Staying on the left means that I'm less likely to be squashed between faster runners on one side and people waving signs or holding water cups on the other.

But, when racing, you do what the race staff tells you to do, so I shifted to the right.  Soon after, Wave 1 began as a trickle that turned into a stream, and then a turbulent river, before becoming…washing machine-esque?  (The metaphor is admittedly strained).

I heard another para-athlete describe this part of the race as “intense,” and I can’t come up with a better word than that.  What was relatively serene becomes loud and almost overwhelming.  And while the wave 1 runners try to be careful, there is inevitably some physical contact.  I was elbowed a few times, and shoved hard from behind once.  The latter forced me to grab onto a water table to save my balance.

This is always the hardest part of this race for me - in these early miles I want to spend as little mental and physical energy as possible, but at the same time I'm continually bracing for impact.

Fortunately, the field thinned out early, so only miles 2 to 6 were truly sketchy. And some of this was balanced out by those who would cheer for me as they passed - reminding me of my teammates at home on the track.  

Every time a woman passed by (wave 1 was, of course, mostly men) I felt a wistful twinge of jealousy, remembering that one pre-Parkinsons Boston Marathon where I had been in Wave 1.  It seemed both fresh and a lifetime ago.

*** 

My plan was to stay really quiet and careful until the Newton hills, get up those hills without too much effort, and then hammer home the last 10K.  There was one problem.  I was cold.  And keeping my effort controlled wasn't warming me up any.

However, the fact that I was cold also meant that I couldn't really pick up the effort - I was too stiff.  So I went with what I had, hoping that things would literally warm up by the time I hit the hills.

Spoiler alert - the weather stayed cool, even chilly, all the way to the end.  And so I stayed stiff until the hills, which took their toll.  Rather than crushing the last 6 miles I struggled in, with an emergency caffeinated gel making things worse, not better.  I also noted the pollen in the last few miles (I'm not sure why I didn't before). Even with a puff from my emergency inhaler, my breathing still felt way off.  In retrospect, this might not have been asthma but my chest and neck muscles tightening - something that I am currently working on in PT.

***

I finally, painfully crossed the line. Then I checked my watch for the first time - 3:43. Not as bad as I had expected, given how rough I felt at the end. I didn't know how I had placed, but a check of my cell phone a bit later confirmed that I was the first woman in my division to cross the finish line, and I had successfully defended my title. A quick text to my coach confirmed that I had also run a negative split for the first time ever on this course, and I was pretty happy about that.

***

Splits were:

Miles 1-2: 18:26
5K mark: 9:33
Mile 4 (.89 mile): 8:03
Mile 5: 8:56
Mile 6: 8:31
Mile 7: 8:31
Mile 8-9: 16:45
Mile 10: 8:09
Mile 11: 8:17
Mile 12: 8:03
Mile 13: 8:09
Mile 14: 7:59
Mile 15: 8:18
Mile 16: 7:47
Mile 17: 8:24
Mile 18: 8:19
Mile 19: 8:00
Mile 20: 8:32
Mile 21: 9:05
Mile 22: 8:21
Mile 23: 8:57
Mile 24: 8:13
Mile 25: 9:12
Mile 26: 9:32
last bit: 1:51

I'm pretty happy with this, all the way up to the last 10K.  Those final miles don't look bad in the context of the rest of the race, but are far slower than I had hoped to close. 

On the bright side, I did negative split this course for the first time in four tries.  And, though this wasn't my fastest Boston, in some ways I feel like it is my best-executed Boston so far.  Though there's still a lot of room for improvement.

Other notes:

• The weather ended up being 43 degrees in Hopkinson, 48 degrees in Boston, with a 13 mph tailwind. Simply fantastic.  In retrospect, I really wish that I had dressed a bit more warmly.  I've known for a while that I need to dress much more warmly than I used to, and that I'm fine wearing longsleeves and tights into the 40s. I just didn't quite trust that knowledge this time.
• I flew home on Tuesday morning, surrounded by people wearing Boston Marathon medals.  I was slightly tempted to don my Boston Marathon Pro Athlete lanyard, but decided that doing so would just flag me as petty and shallow.  (I may indeed be petty and shallow, but I try not to broadcast it).
• A few days later, I checked the USATF Para-Athlete Classification Database. And whadya know, I am listed as a T36 with a review year of 2029 - 3 years from now.  I guess I didn't look as good as I thought I did.
• I say this every year because I feel it strongly every year - I am so incredibly grateful to the opportunity that the BAA gives to para-athletes to strive and shine.  In a culture where they message is so often that those with an impairment should be sheltered and protected from disappointment, the BAA treats us with respect, as athletes. This respect promotes a cultural shift, both within and outside the running community, in how those with impairments are perceived and treated.
• On that same note, several events and conversations over marathon weekend made me realize that I have a responsibility now - I need to do my part to promote athletic opportunities for those with impairments. It's not something I asked to take on, just like Parkinson's isn't something I ever wanted to deal with.  But the BAA and other organizations like Move United have provided me with literally life-changing opportunities. And I need to pay it forward. I've spent the past week giving a lot of thought as to how to do that.

Training log - Week ending 4/19/2026

This week was 28 miles of running, 4 "miles" of pool-running and 500 yards of swimming.

This is a placeholder for my last week of taper before the Boston Marathon.

Dailies:

Monday: 6.5 miles easy (9:07) in the morning; foam rolling in the evening.

Tuesday: 8.5 miles on the track, including 5x800 in 3:50, 3:43, 3:41, 3:39, 3:35 with 2:3x-2:4x recovery between each, followed by 4x100m strides (25 down to 23). Foam rolling in evening.

Wednesday: 6 miles very easy on the towpath (10:04). Foam rolling in evening.

Thursday:  4 "miles" pool-running and 500 yards swimming, followed by PT exercises and a sports massage.

Friday: 4 miles, including 800m in 4:19 and 2x100, each in 25.  Followed by travel to Boston.

Saturday: Classification appointment (to confirm my status as a para-athlete) and foam-rolling/stretching..

Sunday: 3 miles very easy (9:55).  Foam rolling at night.

Training log - Week ending 4/12/2026

This week was 37 miles of running, 18 "miles" of pool-running and 1000 yards of swimming.

I didn't do a great job of planning this week out.  By which I mean that I forgot a) that I had a massage scheduled on Thursday night, and b) that I planned to cheer at Cherry Blossom on Sunday (meaning no long run). Had I remembered those, I would have gone with a more significant track workout on Wednesday and a long run on Saturday.

But I didn't remember and thus my plan for the week was some very short fast stuff on Wednesday, a tempo on Friday, and then a long run on Sunday.  It wasn't ideal to do a tempo on Friday after a massage Thursday night, but we kept the massage light and focused on the upper body.  The tempo was still a bit slower than I would have liked - I'm not sure how much was the massage and how much was the fact that I overdressed, wearing black tights and longsleeve shirt on a morning that started cool and overcast but warmed up quickly.

As for Sunday, I ended up doing my "not so" long run in the pool.  I woke too late to run before cheering at Cherry Blossom.  While I could have done a mid-day run, I preferred not to - Parkinsons means that I have an increased risk of skin cancer, and so I try to avoid running more than a few miles outside when the sun is at its peak.  And yes, I know I have a marathon next week in the sun, but that's the exception to the rule, and also a good reason not to add more midday sun this week.

Given a choice between the pool and the treadmill, the pool made more sense given where I am in the training cycle, so I went with that.

The good news is that everything feels good and all systems are go for the marathon on 4/20. And I'm feeling far better about my fitness than I was at this time last year.

Dailies:

Monday: 8 "miles" pool-running in the morning; foam rolling in the evening.

Tuesday: 7.5 miles very easy outside (9:49) with 4x100m strides (26 down to 25) and two hill sprints, upperbody strength/core in the afternoon. Foam rolling in evening.

Wednesday: 9.5 miles, including 10x100m in 27 down to 25. Followed with 400 yards swimming. Foam rolling in evening.

Thursday:  4 miles very easy on the towpath (10:19), followed by PT exercises.  Pilates and sports massage at night.

Friday: 8 miles, including a 6400m tempo in 29:47 (7:38/7:29/7:25/7:17), followed by leg strengthwork. Foam rolling at night.

Saturday: 8 miles very easy on the towpath (9:29) including a Parkrun, followed by upperbody weights/core. Foam rolling at night.

Sunday: Cheering at Cherry Blossom and PT exercises. 10 "miles" pool-running and 600 meters of swimming.  Foam rolling at night.

Training log - Week ending 4/5/2026

This week was 43 miles of running, 16 "miles" of pool-running and 1500 yards of swimming.

After last week's long run, I decided I was still a bit worried about my right leg/hamstring.  It felt mostly fine, and I was able to run on it fine, but it felt like there was something still lurking there. Not painful or sore, just...lurking.

I reviewed my running log, and the last time I had this feeling was in early 2020.  Then, everything blew up (technical term) right before my marathon, and I ended up dropping out of the marathon early. I struggled with it for a few weeks after, and then got prolotherapy to tighten up loose ligaments in the SI joint and back.  Once I did that, everything cleared up within a week.

So...I called the doctor who did the 2020 prolotherapy, and he had an opening on Wednesday afternoon.  I played things carefully until that appointment, where he confirmed that I was again loose and unstable in my right SI joint. 

He offered to schedule me in a few weeks, but then generously fit me in immediately when I explained that I had an important marathon in 2 weeks (all marathons are important, but Boston is really important to me).  And once again, everything cleared up within a few days.  No more sense of lurking right leg doom.  (Some would argue that this was a placebo effect.  Perhaps so. I don't care. I got the result I wanted.)

Since I had missed the tempo workout planned for the middle of the week, I substituted it in for Sunday's planned 16 mile long run (I had also previously considered racing on Sunday but decided not to).  Of the various options, I felt like the tempo would benefit me the most and was also the least stress on my body.  

Sunday morning was more like summer than March - I ran the tempo in 73 degrees with a 21 mph wind blasting at me. This was not quite as bad as it sounds - the wind basically meant that half of each lap of the track was effortless, while the other half was hard work, but into a strong cooling fan.

I once again ran this one completely ignorant of my watch - since the weather was not great I wanted to ensure I stuck to the proper effort and didn't tense up in response to slow splits. And I was once again pleasantly surprised by my splits when I reviewed the watch later.  A 37:32 8K tempo indicates ~3:30 marathon fitness on a good weather day, and Sunday was unquestionably not great weather for fast running (though my muscles do seem to work better and be less rigid when it is warm).

Two weeks to go.  Time for bubble wrap!

Dailies:

Monday: 7 miles very easy (10:12), upperbody weights/core in afternoon; foam rolling in the evening.

Tuesday: 7.5 miles very easy outside (10:01) with 4 short hill sprints, followed by leg strengthwork. 2.5 miles very easy (10:00) in the afternoon.  Sports massage in evening.

Wednesday: 9 "miles" pool-running in the morning, including a workout of 20x70 seconds hard/20 seconds rest. Followed with 500 yards swimming. Prolotherapy injections in the afternoon.

Thursday:  Upper body weights/core + PT exercises in the morning (no running or aquatic exercise the day after the prolo). Foam rolling at night.

Friday: 7 miles very easy (9:59) in the morning; 500 yards of swimming and PT exercises in afternoon. Foam rolling at night.

Saturday: 9 miles (9:30) mostly very easy but with a brief fartlek (3:00 at tempo, 4x0:30 faster, 4x0:10 strides). Followed with 500 yards of swimming. Foam rolling at night.

Sunday: 10 miles, including an 8K track tempo in 37:32 (7:48/7:32/7:27/7:24/7:21). Followed with leg strengthwork and 7 "miles" pool-running.  Foam rolling at night.

Training log - week ending 3/28/2026

This week was 55 miles of running, 15 "miles" of pool-running and 1000 yards of swimming.

This was another uneven week.  On Wednesday, I warmed up in a jacket over my longsleeve shirt and tights, and felt good.  I took off the jacket for the workout and felt awful for the first two 3200s.My body was very stiff and I just couldn't move.  I decided to experiment and put the jacket back on for the third rep and felt much better.

It was only 39 degrees, so not that cold. But apparently 39 degrees is no longer longsleeve weather for me during a workout.  Noted.

I did my last 20 on Sunday, and was satisfied with it.  Like my previous 20, this one included climbing and descent on the last 7 miles, with the difference that rather than a rolling course, I just ran up and then down. The down involved dodging a number of walkers, but that was fine - good practice for a big race. I did have a few twinges of nerve/hamstring during the final miles, but nothing super concerning.

So that's my Boston training cycle done.  Now I just need to taper.

Dailies:

Monday: 9 "miles" pool-running in the morning; upperbody weights/core midday; foam rolling in the evening.

Tuesday: 6 miles very easy trail-running (11:11) plus PT exercises.  Yoga and foam rolling in evening.

Wednesday: 12 miles including a workout of 3x3200m in 15:47, 15:46, and 15:12, followed with leg strengthwork. Foam rolling in evening.

Thursday: 8 miles very easy (9:58) with four 100m strides in 28 down to 26. Yoga and foam rolling at night.

Friday: 8.5 miles very easy (10:13) with eight 100m strides in 30 down to 27.  500 yards swimming in afternoon. Foam rolling at night.

Saturday: 20 miles progressive, split as the first 7 miles averaging 10:00, the next 6 averaging 8:58, and the last 7 miles averaging 8:00.  Followed with a .5 mile cooldown.   Foam rolling at night.

Sunday: 6 "miles' pool-running and 500 yards swimming; foam rolling in evening.

Training log - Week ending 3/22/2026

This week was 56 miles of running, 15 "miles" of pool-running and ~1000 yards of swimming.

Since the low point of last weekend was me bailing on a Saturday marathon effort workout after my right hamstring cramped, this was a cautious week.  I pulled back on mileage and pace for the first half, while also getting the knots worked out of the hammy and doing some strengthening work on my hip rotators. (This was because I suspect that irritated and tense hip rotators pressing on the sciatic nerve were a significant factor in the hammy cramping.) I also emphasized mobilization work on my ankles, since they seemed to play a role as well.

I was supposed to race Shamrock Half-Marathon this weekend but decided early in the week to skip it due to my hamstring/hip blip. By the second half of the week, things were better, but I stayed home anyway. Being healthy at Boston is my top priority, and I didn't need to do a half-marathon as a tune-up, given that I did one three weeks ago.

I tested the hamstring with a very cautious track workout - about 2 miles of work - most at tempo pace but with some strides at the end.  My objective was simply to check how things felt without ever working too hard, since I hoped to get some sort of long run in on Sunday.

As for how I felt on Friday?  The hamstring was fine, but my gait was definitely off - when I don't do fast strides regularly, I lose the muscle memory for fast running.  Fortunately, by the time I got to the strides, I had "remembered."

My plan for Sunday was 12-14 miles with 2x4 miles at marathon effort. The first mile at marathon effort was influenced by my paranoia - sometimes a tweak or injury can be gone, but one is so hyperfocused and worried about it that the muscle in question tightens up in response.  After that mile, I got my groove back, and felt better with every mile.  About a mile into the second rep, I decided to swap from 2x4 to 4, 3, 2, 1 at marathon effort. That went well (admittedly a bit too fast at the end), and no pain, tightness, or cramping during or after, so yay.  

Perhaps I could have done Shamrock after all, and I'm sad to have missed it.  OTOH, if I had reaggravated the hamstring/hip racing Shamrock, I'd be very upset right now. And doing a marathon effort workout is nowhere near the physical stress of a half-marathon raced all out.

Related - in case anyone else ever has the issue of weak hip rotators triggering sciatic pain and cramping, here is how I strengthen those muscles (keep in mind that I have no medical training or expertise, and what works for me may very well not work for you.  Caveat lectoris.):

• Program your Garmin to time intervals of 10-15 seconds, with recovery until you lap the watch.
• Lie on your stomach.  Your legs should be straight behind you; your hands can be under your forehead or wherever.
• Bend one knee and bring it out to the side, with the inside of the knee touching the floor.  Your ankle should be lying on the back of your other knee (that leg stays straight).  Basically, your two legs should make a triangle, with the three points being your hip, your knee, and your ankle on top of the back of the other knee.
• The exercise:
• 1) Isometrically press the front of your hip into the floor, as hard as you can tolerate (if your hip rotators are weak, you may have some cramping), for 10-15 seconds.  This works some hip rotators.
• 2) Isometrically press the inside of your knee into the floor, as hard as you can tolerate, for 10-15 seconds. This works other hip rotators.
• 3) Isometrically press the inside of your ankle into the back of your other knee, as hard as you can tolerate, for 10-15 seconds.  This works yet other hip rotators.
• Now, slide your ankle down your leg, to the bottom of your gastroc (the thick muscle at the top of your calf).  Repeat the three steps above (for the third isometric, press the inside of your ankle into your calf.
• Now, slide your ankle down more, so it's on top of your other ankle.  Your legs are still making a triangle - it's just a longer, flatter triangle. Repeat the three steps above again (for the third isometric, press the side of your top ankle into the back of your other ankle).
• Now, switch legs, and repeat the whole thing again on the other side.  This will be 18 isometric holds in total (9 each side), each lasting about 10-15 seconds.

This exercise takes about 6 minutes to do and can be done anywhere there is floor space.  I'm not making any promises or representations about whether this can help others, and I expressly disclaim responsibility if someone gets hurt doing this.  Again, I'm not a PT, and PTs are the experts on this sort of thing. However, this is the exercise that has cleared up things for me any time I've had hip rotator pain, or sciatic pain and cramping down my leg that I suspect is caused by tight hip rotators.

Dailies:

Monday: 6.5 miles very easy (10:08) with 2 untimed strides in the morning; foam rolling in the evening.

Tuesday: 8 miles on the treadmill, including 6x3:00/2:00 - intervals at 7.6 mph with 6 mph jogs.  Followed with leg strengthwork.  Sports massage in evening.

Wednesday: 12 "miles" pool-running in the morning; upper body weights/core in afternoon.  Foam rolling in evening.

Thursday:  7 miles very easy on a muddy towpath (10:23).  500 yards swimming at lunch. Foam rolling at night.

Friday: 9 miles, including testing the hamstring/hip with 2000m at tempo effort (7:53), 3x400m at tempo effort (1:54, 1:55, 1:54) with full recovery, and 4x100m strides (25, 25, 24, 24) with full recovery . Foam rolling at night.

Saturday: 8.5 miles easy on a muddy towpath (9:50), including a Park Run in 29:56. Followed with PT exercises and 500m of swimming.   Foam rolling at night.

Sunday: 17 miles, including a workout of 4, 3, 2, 1 miles at marathon effort with 1 mile float in between.  Splits were: 36:08 (8:02 pace), 23:27 (7:49 pace), 15:23 (7:41 pace), and 7:37.  Floats were 8:51-8:53.  Followed with 3 "miles" pool-running and leg strengthwork.  Foam rolling at night.

Training Log - Week ending 3/15/2026

This week was 44 miles of running, 21 "miles" of pool-running and 1000 yards of swimming.

Two workouts this week - one good and one not quite as good.

Wednesday's workout was a 4 mile tempo - in years past I've done 3x3200 as a slightly less-stressful alternative to my coach's preferred 25x400m at 10K pace. Being a bit older now (and having two half-marathons on the schedule), I decided to go even more conservative, with a simple 4 mile tempo. Better to undertrain than overtrain at this age and point in the training cycle.

The tempo went extremely well - I was expecting to run around 30 minutes, which would have been a big jump from 6 weeks ago, when I ran 30:44. Instead, I ran just over 29 minutes, which was a real shock. (I ignored my watch during the tempo, and so I didn't know what my splits were until I finished). Training is working.  Cool!

On Saturday, I hit Anacostia Park for my second 2x5 miles in fairly windy conditions. The effort during the workout felt remarkably easy,  Unfortunately, my right hamstring began to spasm during the second 5 mile set, so I shut things down before a spasm turned into a hamstring pull.

I'm pretty I know what caused this.  My hip rotators like to get tight sometimes and press on my sciatic nerve, which causes spasms and tightness down the leg. On Saturday my ankles were really tight (it happens sometimes), there was a strong crosswind which forced me to stabilize with my hip rotators, and my legs were cold (and thus rigid) due to a poor choice of shorts over tights. All of these combined to irritate the hip rotators on the right side, and...spasming hamstring.

Since I stopped rather than run myself into actual injury, this shouldn't take too long to fix.  Heck, if I was 20 or 30, it might have already vanished. But I'm 51, so it'll take slightly longer. As for the fix, I need to:

1. reduce my running but not stop altogether (both because it's harder to come back from zero and because running is the best tool I have for keeping my hips and ankles somewhat flexible)
2. work out the knots in my hamstring and hip rotators
3. mobilize and strengthen the hamstring and hip rotators.

So that's the plan for the upcoming week.

Dailies:

Monday: 8 "miles" pool-running; foam rolling, yoga, and PT exercises in afternoon.

Tuesday: 8 miles very easy (9:59), followed by 500 yards of swimming.  Foam rolling in evening.

Wednesday: 12 miles, including a 6400m tempo on the track in 29:01 (7:24/7:15/7:14/7:08) plus 4x200m in 54, 55, 53, and 52. Followed with leg strengthwork.  Foam rolling in evening.

Thursday:  5.5 miles very easy on the towpath (10:42) followed by upperbody weights/core and PT work. Foam rolling at night.

Friday: 6.5 miles very easy (10:14) and 500 yards swiming. Foam rolling at night.

Saturday: 12 miles, including a workout of 5 miles at marathon effort (40:06), 1 mile jog, and 1.5 miles at marathon effort (8:03).   Foam rolling at night.

Sunday: Upperbody weights/core and 13 "miles" of pool-running.