Boston....Here I Come....

Why was I talking about Boston in the previous post? Well, I am IN! I have been accepted to run the 2012 Boston Marathon. Finally get to live my American dream.... : )

Considered as the Holy Grail for most marathon runners, it attracts thousands of applications each year but only about 30,000 runners selected. It's a lot less than some of the major runs, i.e. Berlin, London, New York & Chicago, but it's the only run where you do need to meet the qualifying time and hope for the best that you'll get picked. In another way, you can also get in by way of donations.

The course

Explore the interactive course & course elevations.

Looks like I got to put on my shoe and hit the roads! Got to get ready for the Heartbreak Hill!

Boston Marathon Registration Closed

This is what you get when you logged into the Boston Marathon Official website:

2012 BOSTON MARATHON ATHLETE REGISTRATION 

We appreciate your interest in running the 2012 Boston Marathon, but registration has now closed.

The Boston Marathon does not have a waiting list, late registration on race weekend, or race day registration.

The names of all official entrants are posted on the B.A.A. web site as application information and qualifying performances are verified.

Please note that bib numbers are not transferable. Those attempting to transfer their bib numbers, as well as those in receipt of a transfered entry, will be disqualified.

The Boston Athletic Association thanks you for your cooperation.

The 117th Boston Marathon will be run on Monday, April 15, 2013; tentatively, applications will begin to be accepted in September 2012. 

****************************************************************************************************

So how do you qualify for Boston? 

For next year's edition they have changed the registration process. Here's the link to their official registration process page. 

For the 2012 Boston Marathon, registration will begin on Monday, September 12 at 10:00 (ET) and will close on Friday, September 23 (5:00 p.m.)

The qualifying times for the 2012 Boston Marathon are the same as previous years, but the new registration process will accommodate those who are the fastest qualifiers first.

 

Registration will occur on a “rolling admission” schedule, beginning with the fastest qualifiers. On the first day of registration for the 2012 Boston Marathon, those who are eligible for entry by having met the qualifying standards for their age and gender group by 20 minutes or more will be able to enter on September 12 at 10:00 a.m. (ET).  On September 14 at 10:00 a.m., (if space remains) registration will open for those who have met their qualifying standards by 10 minutes or more. On September 16 at 10:00 a.m., (if space remains) registration will open for those who have met their qualifying standards by five minutes or more. During this first week of registration, applicants will be notified as their qualifying performance verified.  

 

Registration will close from Saturday, September 17 at 10:00 p.m., ET and, (if space remains) will re-open on Monday, September 19 at 10:00 a.m. ET to all qualifiers until September 23 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Those who are the fastest among the pool of applicants in their age and gender will be accepted. Accepted athletes will be notified by September 28.

 

Important Note:  the 59 seconds allowed for qualifying times aren't applicable for those registering before Monday, September 19. 

Those registering as BQ-20, BQ-10, or BQ-5 must be at least 20, 10, or 5 minutes below 3:50:00, not 3:50:59. 

The entry fee for the 2012 Boston Marathon is $150 USD for United States residents, and $200 USD for international residents. 

  

The field size for the 2012 Boston Marathon will not represent a significant increase from recent years.

It  is going to be harder to qualify for the 2013 edition.

No Updates, No Runs...

To be honest, I have not done much running since I got injured and that is almost 8 months ago. Still run once a while just to keep myself in a little bit of shape. My foot seems to be getting better, doesn't hurt as much as it used to, but am taking it light and easy!

I will join in a few runs just to get myself back into racing mentality, but it's mainly to gain race fitness. I'm still far away from full fitness but I am doing at least 2 runs a week. OK, I know it's far away from my used-to-be 6 days a week training, but at least I'm trying to get back. It's a long road though. Can't even maintain a 4:30 pace for too long right now.

Well now, what have I got in store in the coming weeks?

1. 02 Oct - Adidas King of The Road (16.8km)

2. 30 Oct - PJ Half Marathon (21.1km)

3. 20 Nov - Allianz Penang Bridge International Marathon (21.1km)

Well this one is kind of a last minute event. I hated running Penang Bridge but a free entrance and lots of friends heading there equals to fun!

4. 27 Nov - Park City Run  (10km)

5. 18 Dec - Malakoff Run (12km)

That's a lot of races I've got myself into! Paid a hefty fee for it too. Long gone the days where runs used to be RM10-20! I'll take this as part of my training runs, my LSD! Ok....it's not really long for some, but it is for me now.

Dutamas Runners gang has gone places, participated in many races in recent months and in the upcoming races too! This weekend, there will be a few runners doing their virgin full marathon, i.e. Yvonne & Bin, the running couple. Some will be heading for Siemens, while some Pudu Charity Run. There could be some doing the OCBC bike ride. As for me, I'll be doing my Not So Long Slow Distance.....

Preparation For Upcoming Races

There are couple races to prepare for this year. Not much I can do to clock a good time in the coming months as I have not recovered fully from my injury on my left foot. Anyway, I was more than happy to help the others to prepare for their races. Some to better their time, some running for the first time.

Key races:

1. Adidas King of The Road - 2 October 2011(Official website, click here)

2. Malakoff KL Run - 18 December 2011(Registration open: Click here)

Dutamas Runners group have been training hard and recently had their first group circuit training. This is where we did 10 forms of exercises. We couldn't find an indoor place and our plan to have it inside the outdoor tennis court in Anggunpuri Condo was foiled by heavy rain that started late evening. However, we made the most of it by having the training done in the basement carpark of the condo. It was torturous but I felt that everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves (HOPEFULLY!).

Here's a video posted in facebook by Andrew Hsien. Click here.

There will be a training run this Wednesday at Desa Park City (DPC) at 8.30pm. For anyone who wants to join, please meet us at the carpark next to the clubhouse of DPC. Distance will be around 8km, 4 loops around DPC.

Some of the other activities we did:

1. A trekking adventure to Sg Kanching

2. Participation in Pacemaker Anniversary Run 7 - Taman Metropolitan Kepong

The Porklings

3. And as always, when you run, there's always good food waiting for you at the end.

So join the Dutamas Runners Revolution.....

2 Races In 2 Weekends

It doesn't seem like much to run a total of 17.2km in two races over two weekends but with my current fitness, it seems like a daunting task. Glad that I got through both races fine. Foot does hurt at times but after a few kms it's not as bad, but I just hope I am not making it any worse off.

Good to have a few of the Dutamas Runners finishing their first marathon and also first ever running race.

Congrats Melvin, Lynn, Azam and Kenny on their first marathon debut. And congrats to Geoffery for his first ever running race.

For the rest, well done as some of you did their PBs. For me, I'm just glad that I finished both races in one piece.

Run No. 1

Run No. 2

Have not registered for any runs in the next coming months but hopefully to get back into training mode soon. Somehow I think it's going to be tougher than my past comebacks.

Long Time No Updates!

It's been a while since I last updated this blog. I am just feeling excited about tomorrow, cos I have not been to a big race event since Energizer (which is pretty F$%& up! by the organisers). My foot injury has not heal so am going to take it easy tomorrow and probably walk if I must. I am more excited about a few friends of mine who are doing their first.....Azam, Kenny, Lynn and Melvin - doing their first full marathon & Geoff who will be doing his first running race. Hope he comes back with a medal in his hands. At least can give him a little boost in running morale. 

Some of the runners taking part tomorrow......

Chae Yin, Seng Chor, Yin, Melvin, Yvonne, Lynn & Bin

Kenny

Geoff

As for me....I wasn't supposed to run tomorrow, but Geoff managed to get me a free entry into the 10km run, courtesy of MSIG insurance. Got to wear their shirt though, which looks like DiGi colours! 

Good luck to everyone tomorrow!

Li Na Wins 2011 French Open

Li Na who came close of becoming the first Asian to win a grand slam early in the year at the Australian Open, finally came true at the French Open final last night. She has had an amazing 2 weeks and winning the French Open title really made us Asians feel proud especially the Chinese. Of course, we can always remember Michael Chang winning the title back in 1989 as a 17-year old. However, he is an American Chinese so the impact was not as great as what Li Na did last night.

What is so amazing is that she has lost in a lot of first round match after the dream final in Australia. She had four successive first round defeats that prompted her to bring in Thomas Hogstedt and Michael Mortensen as coaches to replace her husband who became the hitting partner instead. 

Last night's final also saw one of the oldest cumulative age in a grand slam final. Li Na is 29 and Schiavone is 30. These shows older players are not to be written off in tennis seemingly dominated by the young players.

So well done Li Na!

Li Na of China after winning the French Open final against 

Francesca Schiavone of Italy. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters

 Li Na raises the French Open trophy after winning the French Open title

Corinne Dubreuil/MCT

Shocking News.......Samuel Wanjiru is DEAD!

I can't believe that Samuel Wanjiru is dead. Wanjiru who won the Beijing Olympic Gold, becoming the first Kenyan runner to ever win an Olympic Gold medal. Surprisingly, Kenya boast the best distance runners in the world but has never won the full marathon gold up until Beijing. Wanjiru did it in style by smashing the Olympic record in 2:06:32.

He went on to win the London and Chicago marathon in 2009 and defended his Chicago title again in 2010. You will usually see runners progress to marathon later in their career such as Haile Gebreselassie and Paul Tergat but Wanjiru broke the senior ranks in marathon at a young age. He won the Beijing gold at the age of 21.

It's a mystery how he died, rumoured to have jumped to his death. He was a man without controversy.

More links on Samuel Wanjiru's death:

1. London 2012 Olympics: could athletics have done more for troubled Kenyan Sammy Wanjiru? - Telegraph UK

2. Kenya marathon star Wanjiru dies - The Independent

3. Wanjiru was also mine, woman claims - Capital FM Kenya

4. Olympic champion killed in fall - The Sun UK

5. Samuel Wanjiru: How did we miss the danger signs? - Daily Nation, Kenya

Samuel Wanjiru's training:

1. Samuel Wanjiru Shares the Secret of Training to Win - Japan Running News

2. Samuel Wanjiru : How He Won Beijing Olympic Marathon Gold - Daily Running Tips

A biography on Samuel Wanjiru:

1. Samuel Wanjiru - Wikipedia

Now I feel my medal from Berlin Marathon is really worth something though I've always asked why his face appears on the medal when he has never competed in the Berlin Marathon before.

real Berlin Marathon 2010 Finisher's Medal