My Favorites
Without getting too gushy over things, here are a few running websites/podcasts that I think are great.
www.usatf.org/routes Great for mapping and measuring new routes. The tulips are in bloom and I steer all of my runs through the park to see them. The site will also let you save your route information in a public catalogue, so you can reference it again.
www.djsteveboy.com He does a great running podcast once a week. The podcast is generally a little more than an hour. It is electronic music and he let's you know at the beginning of the podcast the speed of the music. So, if you are doing a short quick run or a longer slower run he has got something to match your speed. It is always important to have good music when running.
www.halhigdon.com I think Hal is great. There is a good amount of information for free on this site. I can personally speak for the half-marathon and 10k training programs. From what I can tell he has been running for most of his life. His bio is inspiring. To celebrate his 60th birthday he ran 6 marathons in 6 weeks. Hal celebrated his 70th by doing 7 marathons in 7 months. He has stamina I may never know. He is very knowledgeable and it is a great place to find a comprehensive training program.
Enjoy!
Goose Poop
Don't misunderstand, bird poop is not something that I contemplate often, but goose poop does require special attention.
First, I must admit geese hate me. They puff up, hiss and act more like angry guard-dogs than lovely birds or potential holiday dinners. So I have reason to avoid them already. Add to that the fact that Goose poop is a serious issue. It is huge, shaped like a hot dog in a curly q and it is everywhere.
The birds travel in flocks and although they were once migrating birds I think they have settled in Boston permanently. No longer are they Canadian geese, these are New England geese and anything that resides in New England is going to be more aggressive and leave more of a mess than its Canadian counterpart.
There are a couple of significant poop mine fields that provide a natural feces obstacle course. There is a stretch between the Mass Ave bridge and the Hatch Shell that is the worst. To avoid all of the droppings one must keep their eyes to the ground, ready to quickly change course to protect their shoe integrity.
It is not just fouling of the shoes that poses a problem. The stuff is slippery. You step in one of these piles and your foot shoots out from under you and the pavement suddenly comes rushing up.
Rowers have a harder time. Geese love the crew docks and rowers end up barefoot on the docks. I have no idea how many hours goes into cleaning those docks. I do know that there is not enough manpower or time to keep the running loop clean. So the geese will remain and only the rain will come to wash away their droppings.
The Goal
For the past couple of years I have been running. First, I was happy when I ran a mile in less than 10 minutes. Then I wanted to run a 5K, and then came the 10k, the half-marathon and now I think 26.2 sounds like the greatest thing ever.
That is a bit of an exaggeration, but it is a challenge and that sounds fun.
After watching the Boston Marathon for 13 years and finally going to the pre-race expo this year I have decided that Boston is a runner's Mecca. We have several scenic, well-marked, and measured paths. Jubilant tourists nod and wave, all of them thinking, "I wonder, did she run the marathon?" Several running clubs call Boston home. Most of them have runs that originate or conclude at bars. People here run then drink beer and eat pizza. This is my kindof sport in my kindof town.
This blog will record my life as I work, drink beer and eat pizza towards my goal: Boston 2007.
