the audacity to lope

Setting Goals & Managing Expectations

With a little more than 6 weeks to go before the 2011 Boston Marathon, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my goals and expectations for the upcoming race. Up until recently, the mental framework I’ve used to approach this year’s marathon was that the only thing that mattered was not getting hurt. Last year’s disappointment sits in my stomach like a lead weight, and that weight will not be gone until I finish the marathon. However, now that we are getting closer to race day, I’ve begun to wonder whether I shouldn’t strive for just a little more than simply finishing the race.

Last Sunday, I ran the Hyannis Half Marathon and finished with a time of 1:41:50. For those of you who aren’t runners, that is actually a pretty good time. In truth, it’s actually WAY faster than I would have ever imagined I could run. Friends of mine are now telling me it projects out to a 3:35 marathon time. If somebody had told me 6 months ago that I was “projecting” to a 3:35 marathon, I would have recommended that he kindly remove his head from his ass. REALLY. That is a number that real runners strive for. Not me.

There are two reasons why I don’t think the projections are realistic for me. The first is that this will be my first marathon, where any number of crazy things can and will happen to my body. You simply can’t predict when or how things will go bad during a 26 mile run, but inevitably they will. Most people need at least 1 or 2 marathons before they really approach a time that is consistent with their shorter distance-based projection. The second reason is that I’ve been running WAY less mileage than most people training for the marathon because of the injury history. So far, my approach has worked. But when I ask my body to go those extra miles on race day, it may not be prepared to respond. I may end up crawling across the finish line. Which would still be OK.

Now that I’ve hedged my position fairly well, I’ll say what my gut is telling me. I’m a competitive person, and I’ll probably try to run the damn thing as fast as my body allows. I may cramp up, barf, collapse, etc. - but it won’t be because I wasn’t giving 100%. If I do something like this, I want to do my absolute best. To use an old cliche, I sure as hell don’t want to leave anything on the field. So with that said, I give you my goals, in order of importance (and likelihood), for this year’s Boston Marathon:

1a. I will start AND finish the 2011 Boston Marathon.
1b. I will raise a substantial sum of money for the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge.
2. I will continue to find a balance my life between work, play, and running for these last 6 weeks of training.
3. I will push myself to run the best race I can run.
4. I will run a sub-4 hour marathon.
5. I will run a sub-3:50 marathon.
6. I will run a sub-3:45 marathon.

Mark’s Blog Has Been Hijacked

For the mere price of being the first donor to Mark’s 2011 fundraising, I get the privilege of talking about Mark, and there’s not a thing he can do about it. Because he knows that if he edits this post, or takes it down early, I’ll kick his a$$.

So, for those of you who are regular readers of the Audacity to Lope, or infrequent visitors, here are three things about Mark Loranger that you should know and that he would never write himself:

1. Mark is hysterically funny. And unfortunately for you readers, that humor only occasionally slips into the blog. He can drip sarcasm better than just about anyone I know, and I think you – his loyal readers – should demand more from him. Write on his facebook wall, post a comment here, and ask for more of this (and more pictures…). Tell Mark to stop worrying about offending people he may not have ever met who might be reading the blog, and to be himself.

2. Exactly a year ago this weekend, Mark’s doctor confirmed the stress fracture that would take him out of the running (pun intended) for the 2010 Boston Marathon. His disappointment was, well, I can’t think of a word that can sufficiently explain. Yet, as upset as he was, Mark still stood outside in the cold, watching training runs, cheering on his Dana-Farber teammates. His support meant the world to us, and you should be proud and honored to support a guy like this.

3. Mark is hard core, or at least puts on a good show: when he picked out Tuck, he got a dog that likes to run – on purpose! He cut his ice fishing trip short in order to run 18 miles in freezing, windy weather. He ran overnight this summer. He runs in TIGHTS (with courtesy shorts, of course). He doesn’t let a little snow, wind, or rain slow his training.

Mark is the most quietly committed person to running and fundraising for Dana-Farber that I know. He had his 2011 Boston Marathon bib number and could have run with anyone, but he chose Dana-Farber again, despite steep fundraising minimums, memories of a painful 2010 season, and a handful of friends like me who just won’t leave him alone. He wants this bad. For his Mom, for his donors, for Dana-Farber, and for himself.

Show your faith, confidence, and pride in Mark by getting him closer to his $10,000 goal. This is his website:www.rundfmc.org/2011/markl.

And then please tell him to write more funny blogs, with pictures.

-A fellow runner and Dana-Farber supporter.

Pittsburg!

I’m pretty pumped to be heading up to Pittsburg, NH for an annual ice fishing trip I’ve been doing with my UNH buddies since our college days. I’ve missed the past two trips due to my Mom’s illness two years ago and my marathon training last year. This year, I’m making a point of getting up there again despite the training schedule. I’ll run Thursday morning, then head out of of Boston Thursday afternoon for the 4 hour drive to the northernmost town in NH. The only real sacrifice I’m making is that I’m cutting the trip short and heading back to Boston on Saturday evening. The training schedule on Sunday calls for a long one - 18 miles. We’ll see how my body handles the shock of running 18 miles after a few days of ice fishing (and of course, the requisite imbibing for warmth’s sake).



I guess the reason I’m mentioning this on my “running” blog is that I’m finding it much easier this year to manage the training while keeping a balance in the rest of my life. Training for a marathon necessitates a rigor and commitment that includes some personal sacrifice, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of living a normal and happy life. For those of you who have considered running a marathon, keep that in mind. And if you do decide to give it a shot, pick a good charity to raise money for in the process. It’s an entirely gratifying experience.

Oh yeah, I’ve got to raise money too

With less than three months left before the marathon, I’m feeling really good about my fitness and training. I ran the Boston Prep 16 miler last weekend and felt great; at this point I just need to maintain my health and run a few more long runs and I’ll be ready for the marathon. Now comes the second challenge - raising money again for the Barr Program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

I’ve been really hesitant to begin fundraising this year, primarily because I’ve been nervous about getting injured again. I can’t imagine how crappy it would be for this endeavor to get sidelined for a second year. The worst part would be to tell my sponsors that I failed to honor their donations yet again. However, I’ve committed to raising money for a good cause, and the running really is a secondary piece of the story. I drafted the letter below specifically for last year’s sponsors. While it was tough to go back to the well and ask them for money when I never actually earned their donations last year, I was reassured by many that they were thrilled to support me again this year. If you are so inclined, I’d certainly appreciate your support. I’ll be sending out a letter for other potential donors as well, hopefully early next week.

—————————————————————————————————————————-

First of all, I want to thank you again for your generous donation last year to my 2010 Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. Thanks in part to your sponsorship I was able to raise $5,612 for the Claudia Adams Barr Program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In sum, the 2010 DFMC Team raised over $4,000,000; it’s worth mentioning again that every single dollar of that total went directly to funding the world’s most innovative cancer research.

Continuing the theme of marathons and cancer research, two things of note did not happen last year: I didn’t run the 2010 Boston Marathon, and as far as I can tell, a cure for cancer was not discovered. That’s not intended to sound depressing or defeatist, it is simply a fact. At the most fundamental level, those two non-events are the reasons I’m back again this year. Of course, my Mom’s memory continues to command a large portion of my motivation as well.

As you know, my 2010 Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge was derailed last February by a severe stress fracture that left me in a walking boot for 2 months. I was disappointed that I couldn’t run the marathon, but I was equally frustrated by the fact that I wouldn’t be honoring your sponsorship. Rationally speaking, I knew that your donation was ultimately intended for cancer research and not for me, but I still felt a sense of obligation. So in June - as soon as I got the doctor’s permission to begin running again - I signed up for two races to at least partially earn those sponsorship dollars. Fortunately, I was able to run both races: the B.A.A. Half Marathon and the Reach the Beach Relay, a 200 mile relay race that begins in Franconia Notch, NH and ends at Hampton Beach (I ran about 17 of those 200 miles). At the very least, I hope this effort demonstrates my commitment.

But enough about me. I want to tell you one specific story about how the Barr Program at the DFCI specifically impacted the fight against cancer. Fourteen years ago, Dr. William Sellers (a Barr Investigator) got a grant from the Barr Program that came directly from DFMC runners’ fundraising. Labeled the “Kinome Project”, Dr. Sellers and his colleagues discovered mutations in a family of genes called “kinases” that prevent cell growth stimulators from being turned off, resulting in cancer cells that replicate uncontrollably. This discovery enabled the development of drugs that specifically target these kinases and successfully eliminate or slow the growth of cancer cells. An example of widely-used drugs that resulted from insights gained in part from the Kinome Project includes Iressa and Taraceva for lung cancer. Maybe you know someone who was treated with these drugs. Now you know how where they came from. In 21 years of the DFMC and $47 million dollars raised, there are tens more stories just like this one. But there is always room for more.

In closing, I’d like to ask that you imagine a year – a single year – when you don’t hear about a family member, friend or colleague who has to deal with cancer. Wouldn’t that be nice? I’m only 31 and I can’t remember the last full year where there wasn’t someone I know who was fighting this disease. The reality is that we probably won’t cure cancer in our lifetimes, but I do believe that we can continue to make positive strides towards that ultimate goal. And maybe, in the near future, we’ll each have a year where we don’t have a friend or loved one who is affected by cancer.

On April 18th, 2011, I’ll be making my 2nd attempt at running the Boston Marathon for the DFMC. If you’d like to support me again this year, you can donate online at DFMC Link. To donate by check, please make it payable to the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge and mail it directly to my home address listed below. Feel free to call or email me with any questions or comments.

Sincerely,
Mark Loranger

Derry: Done.

Clock time: 2:21:22. I don’t think this was adjusted for the delayed start, so I’ll say our actual time was about 2:20:30. All in a day’s work!

Dirty Derry

I’m headed to Derry, NH tomorrow for the Boston Prep 16 miler. The forecast at Weather.com has the temperature at race time hovering around 10 degrees F. Click the “view elevation” icon on the map below to see why this race’s motto is “Moderately Challenging”.



Essentially, miles 8-12 are entirely uphill. It’s like the Newton Hills along the Boston Marathon route, except the elevation gain is substantially larger in Derry than it is in Newton. Should be miserable!

Running in Winter - Things that are Awesome

As we continue to get pummeled by winter weather here in Boston, I thought I’d brainstorm things that are awesome about running at this time of year. Really, this is just an exercise in positive thinking for my own benefit; for most of you, my list will sound a bit absurd. So here goes:

Running Tights
I never thought in a million years I’d wear (or even admit to wearing) running tights. But the truth is, they are great. They provide warmth, support, and are tailored to provide the right compression around the muscle groups in your legs. For a guy who gets sore calves, these things are indispensable. They only caveat is that when you wear the tights, it’s imperative that you wear a pair of “courtesy shorts” on top of the tights. Even the girls appreciate the extra effort in preservation of a little modesty. *Note that there are no courtesy shorts in the picture below; I took this picture last year before I realized the error in my ways…

Gross Winter Running Beard
My beard, if you can call it that (see here), has been quite enjoyable to cultivate. I don’t have to shave every day, and I have a perfectly legitimate excuse for looking like a bum. If anyone comments on it, I tell them I’m just trying to keep my face warm when I run - FOR CANCER RESEARCH! I haven’t yet heard a good comeback for that one. In full disclosure, the beard doesn’t seem to make a difference against the cold, but that’s my excuse and I’m sticking by it.

Seeing other People Fall
Anyone who doesn’t admit to thinking it’s funny when other people fall is lying. Particularly the falls that don’t actually hurt, because then you don’t have to feel bad afterwards. Last year, I was running behind a lady who fell twice going up the Newton Hills. Both times, I thought it was funny because she got up no worse for the wear. But then I realized that an older lady running in front of me had fallen twice and was still in front of me. That was a bit demoralizing. Anyway, I personally take special pleasure in seeing other people fall because I’m probably one of the most clumsy people alive. In fact, I fall all the time. I’m pretty sure my friends will comment on this topic below.

“Eye-cicles”
You know it’s cold when you’ve got icicles hanging from your eyelashes. My friend Justin Bourassa coined the term in a blog post last year. Eyecicles are pretty badass.

An Air of Superiority
Bear with me on this one. For non-runners, this might just sound like ridiculous self-inflation, of which I certainly don’t need any extra. But there really is something to be said for running by some person bundled up with 15 layers when you’ve just run 10+ miles in spandex pants and a shell. As you run by and they look at you, they’re definitely thinking “what an a-hole”. And they’re probably right. But somehow, it just makes you (the runner) feel even better about what you’re out there accomplishing. Again, my friends will probably rip me apart in the comments section for this one…Bring it on!

SO, my fellow winter runners, what else is awesome about running in the winter?

Another Farewell to 2010 Blog Post

It seems like writing a “farewell to 2010” blog post is a bit cliche, but what the hell - I’m indulgent like that. Nobody’s forcing you to read this.

For the few occasional readers of my blog and for those of you who saw me regularly during 2010, you may be expecting a long-winded woe-is-me tale of the past year. Unfortunately, I feel like that’s what people have come to expect from me (for good reason). Not this time though. This is all I’ll say: 2010 (and 2009, for that matter) are both thankfully over and so are the challenges that were presented during those years. Instead, I’ll mention that there were several awesome things that happened in 2010. These include:
- Raising $5,612 for the 2010 Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. Thanks!!
- Getting Tuck.
- Running the RTB Relay and BAA Half Marathon.
- Running a total of 475 miles, in spite of the injuries.
- And, of course, meeting new friends, colleagues, and clients. Too many to name here but you know who you are. If you’re reading this. Which admittedly is doubtful.

Now that we’ve entered 2011, I’m ready to start running a LITTLE more and fundraising a LOT more. At this time last year, I was way ahead of where I am today in mileage and fundraising. But that’s OK. I’ve purposely held back on both fronts up until now, but I’m ready to get on my horse and start kicking ass. Hopefully, you’ll stick around to help support me through this process. I sincerely appreciated the kind words, comments, facebook messages, etc. I received last year. Please keep them coming. If you are wealthy, which some of you are, donate lots of money. And for those of you of more modest means, a little goes a long way too. Thanks.

PS - If you’re a Facebook user, please click on the “Follow this blog” button on the right. Promise I won’t drive you crazy with endless blather. Maybe you’ll even find some meaning in all of this nonsense.