What massage can do for you

Is it safe to assume that anyone who has ever had a massage has loved it? Sure, anyone who visits a massage parlor on a regular basis has probably had a massage that wasn't "deep" enough, or was too rough, or may not have hit the "spots" that you were hoping would get worked on. If you find a massage therapist who you really like, then I highly recommend sticking with them and to pay them a visit on a somewhat regular basis. Let's take a quick look at a few types of massages and what kind of benefits you might enjoy from them.

Deep Tissue Massage
This type of massage targets deep, chronically tight muscles and connective tissue. If you are generally tight, have postural issues, or are in recovery from an injury, then this could be the massage for you.

Hot Stone Massage
Just as it sounds, smooth, heated stones are placed on the body in way to help relax and comfort a person. You might seek this type of massage if you have tension but prefer a lighter-touch massage, or have poor circulation and are generally a cold person.

Swedish Massage
Otherwise known as the classic massage, Swedish massage uses five different strokes to help relax and energize you. It's been shown that Swedish massage can increase the amount of oxygen in the blood, decrease toxins, and decrease the stress hormone known as cortisol.

Sports Massage
Sports massage is just that -- a sports specific massage. Whether you're a weekend warrior or a professional athlete, any athlete can benefit from a sports massage. Specifically designed sports massage has been shown to promote flexibility, reduce fatigue, and reduce recovery time within athletes.

Trigger Point Therapy
This type of massage can help deactivate trigger points that cause localized pain, such as headaches, by releasing distal pain that may be occurring in other parts of the body. For instance, your headache may be caused by neck pain. By alleviating any knots in your neck, your headache may also disappear as a result.

Obviously this is a short list of all the many types of massages that are out there. My point is to go schedule yourself a massage with your local spa or massage parlor and to take care of yourself! Groupon often has massages at reduced rates, so that could be a good place to start. Personally, I enjoy Hara here in Portland, Maine. I try to visit Kellie at Hara a couple of times a year, especially after long training cycles for a sports/Swedish combo-type massage. It's simply an essential part of my training, like hitting the reset button for my legs and lower back.

Resistance training, cardio training, flexibility training -- it's all absolutely necessary, but sometimes the body requires just a little more. Don't be afraid to pamper yourself!

Exploding shins!

Exploding shins everywhere! The indoor track high school triple jumpers and long jumpers I coach, some of the sprinters on the team, a client of mine at the Y… they all have exploding shins! What is going on? I’ve been fortunate throughout my running “career” to never have had shin splints, and have had to deal with them on a one-on-one basis with clients and athletes only a few times. But why did it seem like so many shin splint injuries were happening all of a sudden? I am certainly not an expert in the area, so it was time to look into what might be happening here…

As anyone who is reading this may know, shin splints are a lower leg injury that is fairly common in runners. You may also know that shin splints are more likely to occur when excess stress is put on the legs – such as going from being a couch potato to doing a fair amount of running or higher intensity-higher impact training. They may also be caused by muscle imbalances in the lower extremities, or tightness in the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantar muscles. While shin splints themselves are very painful, they can lead to stress fractures if ignored. This actually happened to a member at the Y: while training for the 2013 Boston Marathon, she developed shin splints. She ignored them, kept on running high mileage, and eventually was diagnosed with a stress fracture in the early spring of 2013. She ended up missing the 2013 Boston Marathon (maybe not the worst thing in the world) and is still rehabbing it to this day.

That was one incident and one person, however. Why did it seem like everyone but the distance runners on the track team were developing shin splints?

Well, the indoor track season started with about three weeks of general conditioning. Then the kids went on Christmas vacation, which ended up being extended due to snow storms and ice storms and wintery northeastern things like that. After two weeks off, which very few of the jumpers did anything during, they came back to the hard-surfaced runway of the indoor track and went right back into practicing something they may not have been quite ready for. Running and jumping on the hard surface is probably what caused their shin splints, along with many of the kids wearing improper or broken down footwear, which will contribute to shin splints as well. Other causes of shin splints could be pronation of the heal joint (subtalar joint), tight calf muscles, and flat feet, which is certainly possible with any of these kids.

As for my client whose shins seem to hurt every time she increases the speed on the treadmill, well, after examining her and talking with her I am led to believe that her calves are probably causing the problem. She has had the flu so she has been out a while, but when she returns I plan on assessing her with an overhead squat assessment to see if I can find any muscle imbalances in her legs.

The most basic and age-old ways to treat shin splints are as follows: ice, rest, and good footwear. However, while those treatments can help, strengthening the tibialis anterior is possibly the best thing to do to make sure shin splints go away and stay away.

One of the best and most simple exercises you can do for shin splints is heel walks. This is just as it sounds... Walk on your heels until fatigue sets in. This exercise can also be done while sitting in a chair by keeping your heels on the floor and raising your toes up. We've included this exercise in the dynamic warm-up part of practices, but don't do it as a true strengthening exercise. Maybe it's time to reconsider that...

Tight calf muscles can be corrected with static stretching and foam rolling, which is something we have been focusing on moreso this year than perhaps any other year. And of course proper footwear is a must. One of the jumpers had awful footwear...shoes that wear completely broken down and several years old. I recommended he somehow invest in a new pair and he (suprisingly!) listened. Time will tell if that makes any kind of difference...

So, proper footwear, strengthening, and stretching should alleviate any shin problems you may have. And of course, resting doesn't hurt either. Hopefully we as coaches can get the kids' shins healthy again. 

2013: A year of running in review

2013, you have been AWESOME. This has honestly been one of the best years of my life. There have been so many good things that have happened throughout the year that it would take days of typing to capture it all. So let's keep it relatively simple by highlighting one of my favorite subjects: running.

As you may recall, I challenged myself to run 31 5k races this year. I really dedicated myself to running this year because I wanted to see what kind of success I could have if I focused just on running. Let's take a peek back at the action.

Scarborough Frozen 5k

January (1)
#1: Scarborough Frozen 5k. It was the first month of the year, so that must mean there was plenty of time to spare. I only needed to average 2.5 races per month throughout the year, so what's the hurry? It was January, and it was cold. So really there was no hurry.

February (0)
My January attitude trickled into February. There was plenty of time, so why freeze my ass off running when I could freeze my ass off while ice fishing with friends? Or better yet, why not just stay inside? I'm not really sure what I did, but running races wasn't it.

March (2)
With the weather warming a bit and 5ks becoming a little more plentiful, I decided to get running. I also started marathon training towards the end of the month. 
#2: The Irish Road Rover 5k: The first race I'd done in awhile that had a decent hill. The run up Munjoy Hill crushed me as I felt heavy and slow. Other people must have felt the same way because I still won my age group. Definitely wasn't pretty.
#3: The Great Scot Trot 5k: A 5k to support the Bonny Eagle High School cross-country team. Flat out-and-back course that saw me beating the brother of an old high school nemesis. Also got the age group win. Take the victories when you can get 'em.

April (1)
#4: Save Our Swinging Bridge 5k: This was a fun race in Topsham, Maine. We ran over a historic swinging bridge and looped through some neighborhoods. The prizes consisted of gift cards to local places which was really nice.

May (5)

Patriot 5k. On the right, with cheese.

This is where things start to pick up. I'm in the middle of marathon training so my fitness is getting much better. Tessa also started working for a new company that conveniently had a corporate track team, which would allow me to relive the glory days of old. The track meets started in June, but there was a fundraiser 5k in May.
#5: ERA for MDA 5k: A fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association put on by my Dad's company. Nice and flat out and back course along the Kennebec River in Augusta, Maine.

#6: Sea Dog Mother's Day 5k: The first race of the year that had plenty of excellent competition. Pleased with my 17:09 as it was closer to the 17-minute barrier.
#7: Patriot 5k: One of my all-time favorite races. It takes place in Gray, Maine right in the middle of
track season. There is always a great turnout of kids I coach, their parents, and people from the Gray community. The course is relatively flat and loops around Crystal Lake. Good stuff.
#8: Maine Corporate Track Association 5k: The fundraiser for the corporate track program. Got to meet my coach and future teammates while running a 17:03, which was my fastest time to date.
#9: Back Cove Series, Week 1: During the summer, there is a weekly race around the Back Cove in Portland. It runs 14 weeks and only costs $20 for the entire series. Definitely a no-brainer as I try to run 31 5ks this year.

June (2)
#10: Back Cove Series, Week 2: Never fast on the dirt path, but a good way to "practice."
#11: Sea Dog Father's Day 5k: Same course as the Mother's Day race in May but for prostate cancer instead. These are fun races as you finish inside the Portland Sea Dog's Stadium.

July (4)
#12: Back Cove Series, Week 6: The one and only of these weekly races I won this summer, in large part due to all the "studs" taking the day off for the following day's Fourth of July races.
#13: Back Cove Series, Week 9: Not much to report here. Same ole' same ole.
#14: Maine Corporate Track Association State Meet: The 5k was the first event of the day, and I intended to run it relatively easy. But I was challenged so the effort was a good one in the early morning heat. I finished the day running the 800m, 1600m, and various distance medley relays. Maybe the most fun I've ever had racing as the team was incredible in so many ways. Not to mention we took home the corporate state championship!
#15 Back Cove Series, Week 10: Four days after the state meet, this was more of a recovery run of sorts.

August (4)
#16: Back Cove Series, Week 11: Not much to report other than the Back Bay was getting a little boring.
#17: Back Cove Series, Week 12: A tempo-paced run getting me ready for the next 5k...
#18: Breakaway 5k: You can read the race report here, but this was the race I finally broke the 17-minute barrier in 16:58. Just an awesome race.
#19: Back Cove Series, Week 14: The last week of the Back Cove Series. I finished 5th overall in the standings, meaning I had the 5th fastest average time (minimum 6 races). Glad that this was the last one of these races for awhile, but it also meant summer was soon over.

September (3)

Susan G. Komen 5k. Bibbed and ready to go

#20: Susan G. Komen 5k: I was very fortunate to run a few free races this year, and this was one of
them. Tessa's work paid my entrance fee (how did that work, anyways?) and I was very grateful. This was an extremely flat and fast and 5k that saw me run the first mile in 5:03, which was wayyyyy too fast. I managed the second mile okay but died during the third mile. Got a little carried away during that pancake-flat first mile. Tessa also ran it and ran a PR!
#21: Mustang 5k: This was to support the Massabesic High School cross-country team. It was also the day before the Trail to Ale 10k, so I decided as we went through the first mile that the effort wouldn't be all out.
#22: Tim's Run: This was on a beautiful and sunny late September day on a course that was flat and fast. Problem was, according to my Garmin, the course was 3.2 and not 3.1. Didn't help that the Sebago Brewfest was the day before, so pizza and beer were still kinda fresh in the belly...

October (3)

Reiche International 5k

October was probably the greatest month of running I have ever had in my life. First, and most importantly, the Gray-New Gloucester boys cross-country team I help coach qualified for the state meet for the first time since 1994. They went on to finish 5th in the state in Class B in what was just a remarkable season. Second, each 5k I ran this month I won. And third, I ran the third and fifth fastest times I've ever run 
#23: Bug Light 5k: The final event of the Maine corporate track season. Took home the win for Team Unum and ran a personal third-best 16:59. Couldn't have asked for a better race in South Portland.
#24: Reiche International 5k: Put on by some amazing people and friends at the YMCA. They asked
if I would run it if they covered the cost. I argued that I'd be happy to pay but they went ahead and registered me. A modest course with a nice climb at the 2 mile mark. Not only did I win the race, but took home some unbelievable prizes. Definitely will do this one again.
#25: Spooky 5k: A lot of people dressed up for this casual 5k, but I did not. This race was also the day after the boys qualified for states. Quite a weekend!

November (4)

Bayside Trail 5k. Hair dyed blonde from states!

#26: Bayside Trail 5k: The first race I ever ran with my dog, Lucy. I do a fair amount of fall, winter,
and spring running with her, but had never done a race with her before. I figured what the hell and signed us up. She usually bonks around mile 2 of our runs, but she managed to gut out the dog-victory and won herself and Tessa's dog a gift card to Planet Dog.
#27: Billerica Turkey Trot for Education 5k: I had every intention of keeping the 5ks in Maine, but this particular weekend just didn't have much to offer and it was starting to get down to the wire, so Tessa and I headed to Billerica for my first out-of-state race since high school. I nabbed 4th overall on the Garmin-read 3.2 mile course. If it wasn't for the extra .1 mile, I have little doubt my PR of 16:58 would have fallen.
#28: Maine Track Club Turkey Trot: One of the coldest races I've ever run. The wind was absolutely brutal. Every time we crested a hill it was like running into an icy wind tunnel. Not fun.
#29: Gasping Gobbler 5k: On Thanksgiving, I have to give thanks to a new PR! Who knew you could PR after sitting in a tree stand for a week while deer hunting. I came through in a surprising 16:57 and won an apple pie in the process. November is a great month for racing.

December (2)

Portland Brewer's Holiday Dash. It was snowy!

#30: Portland Brewer's 5k Holiday Dash: Well, this was certainly one I'll never forget. I spent the
prior week vacationing in 85-degree Cancun only to return home to 10-degree weather and a snowstorm. The race was held without fail as Maine endured its first snowstorm of the winter. We "raced" along an unplowed Eastern Trail in Portland, running most of the way through shin-deep snow and the occasional knee-deep snow drift. I didn't even wear a watch because, well, it really wouldn't have mattered. I slipped and skated my way to a 5th place finish in 28-something minutes. Brutal.
#31: Polar Bear Dip and Dash: Here it is, 31 out of 31. This was a

Polar Bear Dip and Dash. 31 down, 0 to go.

cold, icy, slippery run around Back Cove in Portland that finished at the East End Beach where the truly hearty could jump into the ocean after finishing. Race-time temp was right around 5 degrees, so I graciously passed on the "dip" part of this race. My number one fan Tessa came to watch, freeze, and get some great pictures of #31.

What a crazy year! Thinking back to all the races I ran this year, I can't help but think of how much I've learned about running and racing. I met a lot of people and made some new friends along the way, and learned some tricks of the trade that I can't wait to work on in 2014.

As for the challenge itself, I couldn't be happier I did it. There was a time in mid-July, while racing the Back Cove Series, that I started thinking how I didn't want to do this anymore. I wasn't even halfway through the challenge, meaning I was going to have to do what I had already done plus some if I was to complete this by the end of the year. But I stuck it out and got a huge boost during the Breakaway 5k in August, when I broke the 17-minute barrier for the first time ever. It was game on after that!

Here are a few stats:
-Total races this year: 31 5ks, a marathon, a half marathon, and a 10k, along with various shorter distances during track season.
-Fastest and slowest 5k: 16:57 at the Gasping Gobbler and 28:17 at the Portland Brewers Holiday Dash.
-Total money spent on 5ks: $404.68 (a far cry from the $800 I had predicted)
-Total in prizes (gift cards, money, etc): $345+. The "+" would be food and other goods such as the baguette and calendar I won at the Reiche International 5k. Came fairly close to breaking even...not bad!
-Most expensive 5k: $35 for the Polar Bear Dip and Dash.
-Least expensive 5k: Other than the very generous "free" entries and the one-time $20 Back Cove Series payment, it was the $10 MECTA 5k in May.

Well there ya have it. The next planned race is the Irish Road Rover in March of 2014. Until then, I plan to get lots of rest, get stronger, and enjoy some downtime from running. As for goals for 2014, I'd like to run 16:45 or better in the 5k, run sub 4:40 in the mile during track season, and build a stronger core.

What are your goals for 2014?

Happy New Year!

20 (More) Random Health and Fitness Facts

Last year I wrote a post giving you twenty random health and fitness facts. Well, I figured it was about time I gave you twenty more. Take a look...

1. If all 600 muscles in your body could pull in one direction, they could pull 25 tons. Better get working on those pull-ups and lat pulldowns!

2. The word gymnasium comes from the Greek word gymnazein, which means "to exercise naked."

3. The human brain stops growing at the age of 18.

4. About 22% of America adults engage in regular, sustained physical activity for at least 30 minutes, 5 days per week.

5. According to one study, exercisers can improve their performance as much as 15% if they listen to music while working out.

6. Number of deaths attributed annually to diabetes: 280,000

7. Number of annual physician office visits related to obesity: 62.7 million

8. Number of obesity-related missed workdays every year: 39.3 million

9. Americans spend approximately $33 billion annually on weight-loss products and services.

10. In the early 1970's, there was not a single state in the U.S. with an obesity rate above 25%. By 2011, 42 states had reached that level of obesity.

11. The strongest muscle in your body is your heart.

12. After the age of 30, women lose at least .5% of their muscle mass every year.

13. About 90% of Americans eat more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet.

14. According to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, 27% of young Americans are too overweight to serve in the United States military. On top of this, approximately 15,000 recruits fail their physicals every year because they are too unfit.

15. Also according the the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, by the year 2018 obesity will cost the U.S. approximately 21% of our total health care costs-- $344 billion annually.

16. Physical activity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality, according to the World Health Organization.

17. If you were to sit less, you could live longer. One study showed that sitting less than three hours per day could increase your life expectancy by two years.

18. The adult human heart weighs approximately 10 ounces.

19. In 2011, Maine residents filled their pharmaceutical prescriptions 20,578,961 times. The United States filled their prescriptions 3,764,698,318 times that year.

20. Studies show that approximately 30% of women are sedentary by the time they turn 44 years old.

Now what are you going to do? How about get up and take a walk...that's what I'm about to do!

The spice of fall

Fall is fast approaching, which is completely okay because it's undoubtedly my favorite time of year. I love summer and all that comes with it here in Maine, but autumn in New England just can't be beat. The warm days and cool nights of September are a nice relief from the humidity of August, and the crisp days and foliage in October make me want to be outside as much as possible. Not to mention fall also brings cross-country season, football season, and hunting season. What's not to love?

And then you have the food. Every food you cook or every beer you drink during the fall seems to have some sort of spice or flavor in it that define the season. We've all seen them or tasted them, but do we really know what they are or how they can benefit us? Some will be familiar, while others may seem new. Take a look and don't be afraid to try some of these spices in your favorite fall spices--

Cinnamon
We've all seen it and tasted it, but what does it actually do? Well, aside from making bland food taste better (oatmeal, anyone?) it can help lower cholesterol, aid in digestion, and balance blood sugar. Try adding cinnamon to the aforementioned oatmeal, sliced apples, or tea.

Nutmeg
Try sprinkling some nutmeg on your soup to reduce nausea, indigestion, anxiety, and even toothaches. Be sure to only sprinkle the nutmeg though as it is known to be toxic if consumed in large amounts. Not to mention you can also find nutmeg, along with cinnamon, in many fall beers.

Ginger
We've all enjoyed ginger ale at one point, perhaps when we're sick or have a stomach ache? That's because ginger has the ability to eliminate gastrointestinal gas while relaxing the intestinal tract. Studies have actually shown that ginger is superior to the over-the-counter drug Dramamine when combating motion sickness. Ginger is also an excellent anti-inflammatory, which has been shown to lead to a reduction in arthritic pain and swelling and an increase in mobility in arthritic joints. Not to mention one teaspoon of ginger has been shown to have similar antioxidant levels as a cup of spinach. Available in several different forms from several different markets, ginger is a common ingredient in apple pie, apple sauce, Asian stir-fry, and of course, gingerbread.

Cloves
While cloves are available throughout the year, they tend to be more widely used during the holiday seasons. They offer a sweet, warm taste to pumpkin pie, gingerbread, curries, marinades, and even certain types of soups. Cloves offer many health benefits such as reduction in joint inflammation and a decrease in the risk for digestive tract cancers. Clove oil has even been known to relieve toothaches!

Tumeric
Probably lesser known than the four mentioned above, tumeric is full of antioxidants and is great in stews, chilis, and soups. Not only is tumeric a cancer fighter, especially within the digestive system, but it can also help treat respiratory illnesses, liver illnesses, and arthritis.

The sub-17:00 5k

I may or may not have broken the 17-minute barrier in high school. The old Belfast High School course here in Maine was really flat and even had some parking lot running. That was 15 or so years ago, and when I went though all my old cross-country and track and field pictures and results from my high school days at Maranacook, I apparently never kept those results. For some reason I thought I went under 17:00 minutes in that particular 5k, but without any kind of proof I guess it's impossible to know.

Enter the Breakaway 5k in Old Orchard Beach. The date was August 17th, 2013. This date also coincides with The Great Adventure Challenge, which I have done the past three years but was unable to this year because of my first family reunion in thirty years. A race every year or a reunion every thirty? Easy. The reunion was later in the day, which allowed me some time to go to Old Orchard Beach and run on a very flat, very fast 5k course. Added incentive was that my fellow cross-country coach at Gray-New Gloucester High School would be running, along with our top guy on the team. Neither of these guys had gone below 17:00 for a 5k, but both were gunning for it too. Not to mention one of my clients--Karen, of International Bay of Fundy Marathon fame--had offered to make peanut butter chocolate chunk (my weakness) cookies if I broke 17:00. Lots of reasons to run and to run fast!

In years past I have spent most of my summer preparing for The Great Adventure Challenge. Coming out of primarily strength training during the winter, I would usually start running in March. I'd run a few 5ks during the spring, then buckle down on the bike and in the gym through June and July, then start seriously running again in September when cross-country started up. However, I learned in February that the family reunion would be on the same day as The Great Adventure Challenge, so I decided then that this summer would be devoted exclusively to running and to see what I could do if I only focused on one discipline. Not to mention I had a marathon planned for June, a half marathon planned for July, and the somewhat insane goal of 31 5ks this year. So why not see what could happen with a lot of mileage?

So after months of training and averaging a modest (in the running world) 35-45 miles a week, I decided to try something a little different the week prior to the sub-17:00 attempt. Half of my runs that week were tempo or track work, and I through in a couple of double run days too. My mileage was still in the low-40's, so there was no increase there. Just a real emphasis on speed. Hey, I'd never broken 17:00 before, so why not try something different?

Race day came and I was feeling pretty good. My girlfriend (and number one fan) Tessa and I got there a little later than I had hoped, as I still needed to fight the lines and pick up my bib. After getting my bib and a free t-shirt from a grumpy old man, I set off on my warm-up. In the past I have warmed up by mixing in slow running, a few pick ups, some static stretching, and some dynamic stretching. With time running out to get to the starting line, all I did was about 10 minutes of tempo-paced running (5:55/mile pace) and some dynamic stretching. I wish there had been more time but there simply wasn't.

I got to the line, saw our coach and our runner, a few other good runners, and a whole lot of people on one little street. We were at the line, heard the whistle or horn or whatever it was (no gun), I started my Garmin, and we were off. There are occasional races where as soon as you get off the line you can tell if you have "it" or don't have "it." I immediately felt like I had "it."

My first mile clocked at 5:22. This was fast, no doubt about it. Depending on the course, I usually anticipate a first mile at 5:28-5:32. Not today. Today was different.

But then my Garmin lost its satellite connection. The only thing running on it was the stopwatch. No pace, no mileage, nothing. Uh oh.

All I could do now was run hard and go by feel. The second mile felt long (turns out it was), and according to the guy yelling out times I came through at 10:58. I tried doing a quick calculation in my head but quickly scrapped the idea because the guy I was running behind was capable of a sub-17:00. So I glued myself to him and ran entirely by feel.

As we went, the fast first mile started catching up to me. I felt myself slow a little. All I could do was focus on form and keep clinging to the guy in front of me, and fully expect my fellow coach to fly by me. Our high school guy was well ahead and on his way to a sub-17:00, by a lot.

Then we started coming up by Palace Playland. I knew the finish was in there somewhere but thought it was further off than it was, so I held onto my kick longer than I should have. When I suddenly realized where I was and where the finish was, I didn't have much room for unleashing what I had left. I heard Karen yell from the crowd "C'mon Nate!" I glanced up and saw 16:55 tick to 16:56 on the clock. I crossed 2 seconds later in 16:58. Similar to my Boston Marathon qualifying-by-9-seconds time at the Bay of Fundy International Marathon, there wasn't much room for error.

I gotta say, those cookies tasted like peanut butter, chocolate, and some pride. I can't wait to take another crack at a 16-something time in the near future.

The Bay of Fundy International Marathon

It was 8:00 AM on Sunday, June 23, 2013, and I was standing at the starting line at West Quoddy Head Lighthouse. The 450 some-odd runners just listened to a lady sing O Canada, followed by another lady singing the National Anthem. Once the two lovely renditions of the songs were complete, the starter said a few words. The runners then crowded up to the starting line, or as close to it as 450 people can possibly get on a narrow state park entrance road. The starter said a few more words, blew his horn, and we were off. We were about to run six miles in America, ten miles on Campobello Island in Canada to Head Harbour Lighthouse, turn around, and run retrace the ten miles back to America, with the final quarter mile or so in downtown Lubec, Maine. Breaking three hours was goal number one. Goal number two was to at least break 3:05, which was the qualifying time for the Boston Marathon for my age group.

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse

Let's rewind to August 2012. I was doing a fitness assessment at the YMCA in Portland on a client of mine. Now mind you, this isn't an any average client. This client, Karen, is an avid triathlete and has also completed in many 5ks and half marathons, the Boston Marathon, the Maine Marathon, and so on. An impressive resume no doubt! However, she has also been battling rheumatoid arthritis (RA) since 2007. To say Karen is as tough as nails is a huge understatement. Her body may have slowed down since she was diagnosed with RA, but her mind has not. A few days prior to the assessment, she had sent me an email saying that she had something big up her sleeve.

So there we were, doing the fitness assessment, when she told me she wanted to do this international marathon that went from Lubec, Maine and into Campobello Island, Canada (by the way, she told me this only days after completing an Olympic distance triathlon). At first I thought she was kidding, but then realized who I was talking to. This wasn't a 5k that most people can show up to and either run it or walk it. This was a marathon she was putting on the table! People with arthritis should move and exercise in order to keep things as loose as possible, but no doctor would ever prescribe a marathon (although her doctor never discouraged her, which is awesome)! Not to mention she hadn't done anything like that since before she was diagnosed with RA. Wowzas.

My style as a trainer is to never discourage, no matter how far-fetched something may seem. Where there's a will, there's a way. Karen certainly has the will, so no doubt she would find a way. So we talked about it and decided that she was most likely going to do it. She signed up for it a few weeks later on September 24th, and started training for it shortly thereafter.

As she got into the training, she would talk about the marathon. Honestly, it sounded intriguing. You start in Maine, run to Canada, turn around, and run back? So my mind started going there: There aren't many races like that anywhere, let alone in our own back yard...And I love to race...And I've never been to that part of Maine, but always wanted to go...And I've never really properly trained for a marathon even when I did Boston (unofficially) in 2007...And if Karen is putting in all this effort then I should probably be there to support her....And if I'm going all the way up there I might as well run...Hmmmmmmm.

Next thing I know, I was signed up for the damn race. It was October 4th. Hell, I even got my girlfriend to sign up for the 10k that was happening in Lubec.

I proceeded to take the winter off from running, save for a few twenty-minute treadmill sessions in January and February and a couple of 5ks. But that was it. Come March, I put together a 15-week training program that had me starting on March 10th. There were a few snowstorms, a few really cold, windy days, and one 96-degree training day. Lubec experiences some volatile weather, and I'm pretty sure I trained in every type of weather that Lubec could possibly have had when race day arrived. One thing was for sure, the weather wasn't going to get me...

...All this was coming back to me as I kept telling myself to hold back during the first three miles of the race. Stick with the plan. First three miles at 7:10-7:20, next twenty at 6:50, and last three was going to be given whatever was left in the tank It was hard as hell to hold back in the first three miles as old dudes, some women, and several non-runner types went cruising by. But I had to stick to it as I knew, having driven the course two days before, that Campobello Island was going to have some nasty hills.

The first 6 miles went down with ease. They were flat and gentle and there were a lot of local folks out on their lawns and in their driveways cheering us on. We passed through Lubec to a crowd of cheering people, then crossed through Customs (we had to check our passports ahead of time) and into Canada. The miles continued to fall with such ease that I stepped up my 6:50 miles to 6:40 miles and felt great about it. The hills weren't here yet, and things were feeling good.

I was able to pass quite a few of the heroes that went out thinking they were running the 10k. As they faded back, I came up onto Karen, who took the early start of 6:00 AM. We shared a few words of encouragement to each other as I passed by, and she told me there were six or seven in front of me. The 6:40 miles were still happening, but they weren't feeling great anymore, probably in part due to the hills that started becoming relentless. You'd go up, then immediately back down, then immediately up again. No time for recovery whatsoever.

By about Mile 14 things started getting pretty tender. My legs didn't have the same bounce in them and my breathing was becoming a little more labored. 6:40's turned into 6:50's. About a quarter mile after Mile 15 I saw Santa Claus. Or was I hallucinating already? A quick wipe of the brow and a squint of the eyes proved that I wasn't hallucinating yet, and that the jolly red elf himself was sitting on the side of the road.

"Three quarters of a mile to the turnaround!" he yelled.Old Saint Nick was providing cheer even in June. Turns out that Santa would play a pivotal role in Karen's race a little later on, so he certainly was in the right place at the right time.

So I hit Head Harbour Lighthouse, grabbed an extra Gu pack, turned around, and headed back in the opposite direction, 10 miles from the finish line. My legs were starting to cramp, but I just kept trying to push those negative thoughts out of my mind. As I approached the turnaround, I noted that I was in 7th place, with the next three guys spread out roughly a half mile ahead, and the 6th place guy a little more than a quarter mile ahead. I could catch at least one of these guys, I thought. All I had to do was remain focused.

Easier said than done. Those hills were absolutely relentless. What seemed tough on the way to the turnaround point seemed almost impossible to run on the way back. My legs started seizing up around Mile 18 and I could tell my form was starting to fall apart. What helped take my mind off the oncoming pain was that a lot of the runners behind me, who were still heading to the turnaround point, were sparing a breath by wishing me a good job and good luck. I saw a couple other of my friends on the way out (although I didn't see Karen, who was in a group of people) and they still looked upbeat and positive. I found myself thriving off of their positive energy.

As the miles and hills wore on, I laid eyes on the 6th place guy. He was barely moving. I mean barely freaking moving. I passed him feeling like I was running a 5k and he was a bystander, and felt bad and great about it all at the same time. About 4 more miles to go.

Qualifying for the 2014 Boston Marathon was really important to me. After I bandit ran the 2007 marathon, the two friends (who ran it with me) and I made a pact that we would never do another marathon again. All that went out the window when the bombs blew up at the finish line at the 2013 marathon. My friends and family have come to dozens of my races, cheering as spectators and taking in the event...needless to say it really hit home with me.

As I passed each mile marker, I would look at my watch and calculate in my head about what pace I would need to maintain in order to come in under 3:05. Given my intense leg pain, labored breathing, left hip pain, and overall fatigue, finishing sub-3:00 was virtually impossible at this point, but sub-3:05 was still in the cards.

But the last 4 miles were absolutely brutal. All of the runners had passed in the opposite direction, so there was no longer shouts of encouragement from them. Campobello is pretty desolate, so there was a whole lot of trees and not a whole lot of people for large stretches of road. This allowed for plenty of time for self-doubt and negative thoughts.

The road straightened out as I approached the sign for Mile 25. The 5th place guy was within sight, maybe 300 yards ahead. He suddenly jumped off the road, went to a telephone pole, and started stretching his calves. Could I get him? He looked back, saw me, then jumped back on the road towards the bridge that would take us back to the USA.

So we rounded through Customs, and back onto the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Bridge. The guy was maybe 150 yards in front at this point. As we climbed back over the bridge and passed the sign for Mile 26, he stopped again, went over to a light post, and started stretching his calves again. Maybe I can get him and finish top 5! He stretched for a few seconds, jumped back on the road, and headed down the bridge and back into America. I was maybe 50 yards off him as we rounded the corner past customs, and took a right onto Water Street in Lubec. I could hear the crowd and the announcer but couldn't yet see them. Maybe 200 yards? I glanced at 5th place, who had stopped to stretch again, I think. Who knows, who cares. He stopped and I went by him. I glanced at my watch, then glanced up and saw my girlfriend, Tessa, standing on the right side of the road, screaming.

"You gotta go! You gotta go!" she yelled as she started running next to me. I glanced at my watch again and saw the time as 3:04 and something seconds. Time was running out. I poured what little fumes I had into my kick and just went. It hurt so bad but didn't hurt at the same time. The red digits on the clock said 3:04 40-something, and there were maybe 50 yards to go.

I crossed the finish line in 3:04:51, 9 seconds on the good side of a Boston qualifying time.

Checking the watch one last time before the final "sprint"

I felt terrible, maybe the worse I've ever felt. Certainly the worst I've ever felt after a run. I went to a nearby picnic table and sat with a thud. Tessa, my girlfriend, came running over yelling something about that I did it. She also said she finished her 10k in under an hour, which was her goal for herself. Delirious, I mustered a smile and muttered some words of how awesome she did. 3:04:51 still hadn't sunk in.

The medic came over to check on me. After convincing him I was okay, Tessa grabbed me a bunch of Gatorade that I wouldn't have traded for gold. Feeling a little better, we walked from the finish area to meet up with my parents, who had made a 4-plus hour trip to watch me torture myself. We walked to the library to warm up (the weather started at a warm 70 degrees, then dipped to the 50's with a cold rain and fog).

After a little rest and warmth, I limped back out to the finish line to see Karen and other friends finish what we had talked about and planned for so long. They finished, and before we knew it the inaugural International Bay of Fundy Marathon was over. Although the race had concluded and our adventure was about over, the memories were made that will last a lifetime.

Even though an event like this tends to push one to his or her physical and mental limits, it usually doesn't take long to draw upon the strength gained, lessons learned, and barriers broken to before you start thinking and talking about what to do next.

A few days of rest later and we were doing just that...