It's Official!

Dear Stephanie:

If you are receiving this email, you have been identified as a participant who, due to the heat warnings issued by the Boston Athletic Association prior to this year's Boston Marathon, followed the B.A.A.'s deferment procedure and chose to defer your entry to the 2013 Boston Marathon, which will be held on Monday, April 15, 2013.

If, during the adjudication process of the 2012 Boston Marathon, your bib number is identified as being on the course at any location, a deferment to 2013 will not be issued.

Your deferment makes you eligible for an early registration opportunity. On August 20, 2012, you will be sent a personalized email with a secure link containing a password/waiver combination that will allow you to submit your registration electronically. To ensure that you continue to receive information about this process, please be sure to keep the B.A.A. informed of any changes to your personal information (such as your email address).

This special registration period will be held from Monday, August 20 at 10 a.m. through Thursday, August 30 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time in the United States. You will need to pay a 2013 entry fee.

Shown below is data related to your 2012 entry:

Name	Stephanie L. K...............
Bib	12591
Qualifying Time	3:28:59

This preregistration invitation is exclusively for your use and may not be transferred. The August email and the associated secure link and password combination may not be transferred and will be deemed invalid for use by any other individual than for whom it was intended.

If you do not register during the 11-day period in August, your deferment entry may no longer be guaranteed through the open registration period.

If you have any questions, please contact the B.A.A. Registration Office at registration@baa.org or 508-436-6905.

Sincerely,
Boston Athletic Association

Boston 2012, Dad's race results

A quick recap of my dad and our friend Mike's Boston experience.  I am so glad the two of them had each other to run with.  When you train through winter in the mid-west and get slapped with close to 90 degree temps on race day, it's a shock to the system!  I followed their times closely through-out the day and watched them get progressively slower and slower as they went on.  Due to the high heat warning, they were just going to make this an enjoyable "fun" run.  The only goal was to not see 4 hours on the clock.  My dad said he started sweating just making the .70 mile walk from athletes village to the starting corral.  He took water at each stop (they had water every mile) and would dump a cup over his head.  He said he was soaking wet with water and sweat, head to toe!   He watched someone get hauled off on a stretcher at mile 8.  MILE 8!!! 

Dad (on left) and Mike 16.5 miles into the marathon, looking strong!



Just after this photo was taken my dad started to fade, and fast.  He said it took all he had to shuffle along between miles 18 and 20.  Mike helped him along those 2 miles while he took in fuel, hydrated and began to catch his 2nd wind.  Then it was Mike's turn.  Mike's legs and feet began to cramp up.  They walked a bit when needed.  They finally made the turn on to Boylston.  Mike tried to push the pace a bit, but my dad told him don't bother, they were not going to make 4 hours.  They crossed the finish line in 4:01:27.  A personal best for my dad... his slowest marathon ever!  But that's ok.  Considering what they endured, that is a great time!!  

A couple post race photos....

What's next?  Well, they intend to take a week off and then hammer back at it to run a marathon on May 20th.  They both need to BQ this year so that they can run with me in 2013!

I am so proud of my dad, and Mike too!!

Boston Deferment

I received this email Saturday afternoon:

BOSTON MARATHON UPDATE

Due to warm weather in Monday's forecast, a deferment option has been introduced.

Due to the unusually warm weather forecast for the Boston area on Monday, the B.A.A. will defer the entry of those official entrants to the 2013 Boston Marathon for participants who decide not to race.

This applies to official entrants only who either have claimed or will claim their bib number packet at the John Hancock Sports & Fitness Expo through Sunday evening at the Seaport World Trade Center in South Boston. Runners must claim their bib number for deferment to be an option.

In order to receive a deferment for 2013, race participants may not start the race.


No refund for the 2012 entry will be given. All entry fees for 2013 must be paid.

In addition, the B.A.A. will keep the finish systems open an additional hour on race day. Whereas the finish systems generally cease just prior to 5:00 p.m., this year the finish systems will remain open until approximately 6:00 p.m.


Please go to the B.A.A.'s web site - www.baa.org or www.bostonmarathon.org - for the latest information.
 
The B.A.A. thanks all participants for their cooperation in this matter.
 
Your bib number MUST be claimed to receive the deferment into 2013's Boston Marathon.  I am lucky enough to have signed my packet pick up card over to my dad who is running the Boston marathon as I type this.  So my bib number was claimed, it did not cross the start line and I will be running the 2013 Boston Marathon!!! 
 
I am sure they will be some controversy surrounding the B.A.A.'s decision to implement a deferment policy.  But, if you look back at previous years, they used to allow deferments.  This would have been the first year that absolutely no deferments are allowed.  That is, until mother nature made them change their mind. I am glad they are taking this heat wave so seriously.  I hope that everyone who has chosen to run, runs smart! 
 

Cutting back and Monthly Miles

I am still here. Just not too much going on to blog about.  I am still running as often as I can but I am done with races until after the baby is born.  It's rather difficult to get start when I head out the door or hit the treadmill for a run.  The first few miles I am uncomfortable and feel like I need to pee but once I get past that, I feel great and could go forever.  Of course, it's a super slow pace to what I am compared to running at but a friend pointed out that this could be great heart rate training for me. 

I've also decided not to obsess over running so much.  I only have 2 months left of this pregnancy and, although I love to run, I need to step back and really enjoy the time I have left being pregnant.  If I run, I run.  If I don't, I am not going to beat myself up over it.  Yesterday I had plenty of time to get a run in but decided to force myself to do other forms of exercise.  I spent 50 minutes doing intervals on the AMT machine (45 minutes w/ every 2 minutes going from 20% to 6% and 5 minute cool down at 16%), 10 minutes on the stationary bike and lifted for shoulders.  It felt good to get in a hard work out other than running.  I went back to the gym this morning and ran 5 miles on the treadmill.  I didn't care about my pace, just how I felt and how much I could fit in during the allocated time. 

Do I miss running hard and racing hard?  Yes, very much so.  But it will always be there. This pregnancy will not.  So I need to stop stressing over not reaching a certain amount of miles each week or running a certain number of days and focus on the pregnancy and what is left of it. 

On another note, I don't think I have updated my month miles at all this year.  So unlike me.  Anyway, here are the totals. 

January: 131.77 miles
February: 138 miles
March: 138.02 miles