Charles Krupa/AP

The 2011 Boston Marathon was one of the more historic races in recent history. The men’s wheelchair division was decided by a mere 1 second, the woman’s marathon by 2 seconds and the men’s marathon by 4 seconds. Are you serious?

The men’s marathon champion, Geoffrey Mutai, shattered the course record and shaved :58 seconds off the marathon world record (Haile Gebrselassie in Berlin 2008) there is now a storm brewing.

The Boston Marathon is not considered a a world record qualifying course because the marathon route is “downhill” and too “straight.” Throw it a predomently tailwind and all hell has broken loose. The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) is asking the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to certify Mutai’s performance as the world record.

As fellow Lobe, Troy Schrenk can attest, Boston is no walk/run in the park. Besides the net loss of elevation, there are many rolling hills that make the race one of the more difficult marathons on the major marathon circuit.

There’s a reason that elite marathoners opt for races like the Berlin Marathon, Chicago Marathon and London Marathon to attack world records. They’re easier. Also, Boston (along with the New York City Marathon) don’t allow pace setters. This means that the athlete has to actually get the record based on their own talent and determination.

TANGENT ALERT!!! I don’t have any problem with pace setters. They make for a less tactical race and make the elites throw it down from the start. What I do have a problem with is the fact that the pace setters are contractual obligated to bow out at a specific point of the race. If a pace setter can lead a pack out on record pace and then hold that pace for the entire race…I say let them go for it!!! During the Rotterdam Marathon, Sammy Kitwara set the pace for the marathon field. He was constantly egging the field to keep up with him during his reign at the front of the pack. He should have been allowed to throw down the hammer and finish the race. From the look of it, he could have wiped the rest of the elites out that day.

The majority of the running community is standing by Mutai’s record and I for one hope that the IAAF certify’s it as one of runnings great accomplishments.

RMFR

Just wanted to give a quick shout out to fellow lobe, Troy Schrenk, who will be running in the Boston Marathon this Monday. I know it’s been a goal of his for quite awhile and have lived his highs and lows along the way. It’s a long time coming “Forrest” and we’ll be there with you every stride of the way.

Also, if you can’t wait to get your fix of Boston, check out Universal Sports this weekend as the replay the 2009 and 2010 races. I already have mine set to record and am planning a couple late nights this weekend staying up to watch them.

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It was announced yesterday that the 2011 Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas Marathon will now be run at night. Aiming to become the world’s largest nighttime running event, I think Rock-n-Roll has to take a look at some of the details to make this thing work.

The first issue I have are the costs of registration for both the marathon and half marathon. If you register before March 10th you’ll ONLY be paying $121 for either event. If you happen to wait until later in the year, you could end up forking over $155 for the half marathon and $175 for the full marathon. Seriously? $175!!! I can tell you one thing, if these prices do not change, last year was my last year running the marathon in Las Vegas.

The second issue I have is that they put a time limit of 4:30 on the marathon. The marathon starts at 4:00 pm and the half at 5:30 pm. The half time limit has been set at 4 hours. This makes no sense. Not only are you alienating a ton of marathon runners but the math doesn’t add up. Based on these times, the marathon would end at 8:3o pm and the half at 9:30 pm. Why is the cutoff for the full marathon not 9:30 pm? This isn’t the Boston Marathon…never will be.

The final thing that needs to be fixed is the marathon route. If they don’t fix the jigsaw puzzle that constituted last year’s route, they’ll have a hard time retaining any repeat runners to this event in the future. I understand the excitement for first time runners. The strip is quite a site and even more so at night but isn’t worth the hassle if these issues aren’t addressed.

Stay tuned.

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If you’re like me a have no chance of qualifying for the Boston Marathon or want to fulfill a New Year’s resolution by giving back, here’s your chance!!! Hurry though, they only have about 8 slots to fill on their 50 member team.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear still has numbers for the 2011 Boston Marathon. Join Team Eye and Ear and run for a cause that brings hope and a healthier future to people everywhere who battle loss of sight, hearing, voice, balance, taste, smell or head and neck cancer.

Since 2006, Massachusetts Eye and Ear’s marathon team has cumulatively raised over $1 million for research and patient care. In 2011, our goal is to raise $300,000. We ask each team member to make a fundraising commitment of at least $5,000.

If you or someone you know is interested in running with Team Eye and Ear, please contact Kristina Sym at kristina_sym@meei.harvard.edu or (617) 573-6364.  For more information visit www.MassEyeAndEar.org/TeamEyeAndEar.

“Hunker down, keep your eyes fixed ahead, and run like hell.”
– Paul Spangler, advice to Sister Marion Irvine before a race. Spangler set 85 national age group records prior to his death at 95.

Can’t you visualize this guy? No BS with ol’ Paul. Weathered from years under the sun, old New Balance shoes, slight limp, wearing a 1983 Boston Marathon shirt and nothing but vigor in his eyes.

Regarding the previous (2 Marathons in 36 Days) brings up a question. Should I throw in another marathon in the next 54 days to qualify as a Marathon Maniac?

For those of you who don’t know, you probably have seen them. You can’t miss them at races in their red and gold singlets – many of them declaring how many marathons they’ve run. At the Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas Marathon I saw at least 5 Maniacs and one was running his 100th marathon.

The Marathon Maniacs are exactly that. Runner’s that are maniacs about running marathons. The group was started by Steve Yee, Chris Warren and Tony Phillipi in 2003 and now boasts more than 2,000 members. Like the Boston Marathon though, there are certain criteria that need to be met. You can check out the entire list HERE but for the purposes of this post, we’ll examine the bare minimum to become a member.

BRONZE LEVEL

Now I probably don’t qualify mentally as a Marathon Maniac – maybe a Running Rube – but if the timing works out, this is definitely within my reach. What do you think, go for the gold (Bronze) or is it time to take some time off?

There’s a book out that I can’t wait to read. The title is “A Race Like No Other” by Liz Robbins and the paperback hits the shelves September 22nd.

When you think of iconic marathons, the New York City Marathon and Boston Marathon have to be right on the top of your list. Since it’s pretty much a given that I will never qualify for the Boston Marathon, that only leaves me one option. I’ve never really thought about running in New York and to be brutally honest with myself, I’ve never really thought of myself as worthy enough to run in the race.

After reading the reviews on Amazon and reading Liz’s blog on the book, I think this might be the very thing I need to kick start my dreaming for running New York.

I love reading about running but I hate reading about the technical side of running. I enjoy the human interest stories that relate to running. When I get my Runner’s World every month, I skip to the feature story towards the back. Sure, I’ll take a peak at nutrition, running tips and shoe reviews but it’s the inspiring stories that I’m thinking about when I run.

That’s what’s so intriguing about this book. Not only does it look like to capture the spirit of the New York City Marathon but it also takes a look thru the eyes of regular runners like you and I that have stories to tell. Time will only tell if I ever run in New York but until that time, I’ll have to rely on Liz’s account.

Nearly one year ago I decided to try my go at running a “marathon”. I admit, I was one of those guys that asks the infamous question, “how far is a marathon?” On May 17, 2008, I started, and yes, FINISHED my first full marathon (26.2 miles) for those of you who are still wondering what the answer is to my earlier question. It was a quiet finish for the most part, a modest time just over 3 hours and 30 some minutes. With a few congratulations, hugs and high fives, I knew immediately upon crossing the finish line that I was not satisfied. Don’t get me wrong, I was internally proud that I had FINISHED a marathon, but my hunger for the MARATHON was not satisfied. 

With in a day, I began experiencing symptoms…strange symptoms (felt a little down, slightly defeated, without purpose). Through some due dilligence within my running circles I determined I was experiencing the post race blues. I knew that the only cure was to run another race and SOON! So, literally the day after my first marathon, I signed up for the Portland Marathon. Not only did I sign up for that marathon, I signed up for a third marathon called California International (CIM). If that wasn’t enough, I decided to raise the bar a bit…chantings of “Boston, Boston, Boston” rang through my head. Yep, that’s right, after one lousy marathon finish I set the goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, and gave myself two opportunities in 2008 (October and December) to accomplish the task.

I then made one mistake every runner should avoid (I actually made several, but one very important one). I TOLD PEOPLE. Never, never, never, tell people that you are trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon. The pressure in itself is hard enough to burden, but to bring added pressure to yourself by mentioning to others that your goal is to qualify for Boston is another. Do you know what that means, Troy? You are saying you are going to shave 27 minutes off of your first marathon time and run a SUB 3:10 marathon? That’s right, I was going to prove the nay sayers wrong (believe me, there are plenty of nay sayers out there, and they just love to see you fail; I actually love the nay sayers, without them, my fire may not burn as hot as it does).

Portland Marathon - October 5, 2008, arrives… I run, I finish, I set a PR (Personal Record) AND…I miss my BQT (Boston Qualifying Time) by approximately 98 seconds!  The nay sayers, got me.  They proved that I couldn’t do it. They were right, I was too old, too slow, and too new to running. 

 Yeah right. You think for a moment I believed any of that? I admit, after the race, I again experienced severe post race blues (among many other symptoms that require a separate post). There wasn’t time for the blues. CIM was just 8 weeks away. All those people that had known I was trying to qualify began calling, texting, and emailing me to see if I had accomplished the goal. The answer, a humble “no”. I would quickly respond to each inquiry with, “I have another marathon in a few weeks, and I will try and have a better race”. Their reply, “Oh, is that a Boston Qualifier?” Oh, no I did it again, I set myself up! I made it public for a second time that I was trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I am a competitor by default. The competition drive is mostly with myself. I can handle pressure, but I had created a real pressure cooker and it was my own fault. 

California International Marathon - December 5, 2008, I run, I finish, I set a PR, AND…I miss my BQT by approximately 33 seconds! The nay sayers, got me again. They proved that I couldn’t do it. They were right, I was too old, too slow, and too new to running.

WOW! “Again?” I asked myself. I was embarassed, disappointed, defeated and down right humbled. At this point, I knew I had to do two things: 

1. Sign up for another marathon and

2. Don’t tell anyone except for my wife (and a select few of my inner running circle).

Utah Valley Marathon - June 13, 2009 arrives. Just 10 days before my 35th birthday, I quietly set out on my mission for a 3rd time. Racing at 5,700 above sea level, on 3 hours of sleep, with severe thunderstorms in the forecast…

Will this run be different from the others?

Is Boston in my future? 

Here’s a clue…on mile 4, severe runner’s drag has already set in. My feet feel like they have magnets taped to the bottom and the earth is a huge U shaped magnet.  I think to myself, “This is going to be a long day”….

- RITN, Schritter

When ORB started, I was running it alone – I am alone no longer. Troy Schrenk, one of my running comrades and an inspiration for ORB has joined me on this narrative journey. Troy brings another competitive level to this running blog. A couple of years ago, I gave him a push in the right direction and he’s taken it to the Nth level. For those of you “Boston Qualifier” types, Troy’s your guy. He’ll share his serious mileage and insight as well as off-the-wall brain type stuff ORB is noted for.

Since most of us don’t have Monday off I’ve set the DVR to record the 113th Boston Marathon. For those of you that would like to do the same, it’s being broadcast on NBC’s Universal Sports.

There site has a bunch of interviews and support pieces. I suggest checking it out when you have time. Click here for the Boston Marathon site.

Big running events need to be broadcast nationally. Here’s to hoping that the big five (Boston, Chicago, NYC, London and Berlin) will all be on for us to celebrate in the achievements of our sports best.

RMFR