Boston Marathon with Shannon.

 Good, Bad, Ugly

Well let’s start with the bad, six weeks out from Boston Shannon got back into town after a business trip went for a run that was going ok until about 4mls in when she started to feel pain in her ankle. By the end of her 6mls run the pain had gotten worse. Sunday was to be a 20mls run day but that did not happen even though Shannon wanted to try run a few miles, I had her run on the treadmill for about a minute and shut it down a run was not going to happen. On Monday Shannon made an appointment with Dr. Fields and was lucky enough to get in to see him that morning, diagnosis was bursitis in the ankle. With only five weeks to go until the Marathon things where not looking good. So she was allowed to bike which was good so for the next 3 weeks Shannon was on the bike, some days twice doing up to 2 hour workouts.

The Good, then 16 days out from the marathon she did her first 2 mile jog which went well, the next day we did a 4 mile run starting at 7:40, 7:20, 7:05 and finished with a 6:45, all was well. By this time we had made the decision that if we were to run it was going to be for fun and not race.

The next 14 day went well, with some medium long runs and one 14 miler. We arrived in Boston on Friday, mid-morning, checked into the hotel, had lunch then went to the expo pick up numbers. Then it was out for a light six mile run. Saturday a short run before some walking around and back to the hotel to meet Shannon's parents . Sunday another short run, then to service and then to Fenway park which was my first pro baseball game. Sunday night Lori and Suzanne, Shannon’s friends, invited us over for dinner which was very nice, chicken and rice some good carbs and protein.

            Monday, race day, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly all in one. The Good, the plan was to get to start line about 90 minutes before the start which worked out great thanks to Cristina’s mom who picked us up at the hotel and dropped us at the start line. Were able to sleep in a little longer and had no queuing for buses. By 9am it was already 70 degrees, by 10am start time it was in the upper 70s.

The plan was to just run and have fun in the sun and not worry about time as the temperature was to get into the upper 80s by noon and Shannon was coming off an injury. The first ten miles went great we were having fun but then it started to get ugly for me, by now it was well into the 80s, Shannon was still cruising along and running well within herself. By 13 miles I had enough, I was done all I wanted to do was stop.

            This is where our roles changed instead of me being the one giving the encouragement to Shannon, she was giving it to me. The next 13 miles where Ugly for me, but Shannon stayed with me even though I told her to go ahead. I think she knew if she left me I was stopping. Over the last six miles I had cramps in both calf muscles and by the last mile they had moved up into by hamstrings As we rounded the corner unto Boylston Street I told Shannon to go “ I think I can make it from here”  So we made it to the finish, yes we had fun. What’s next??

Well it’s been to long since I updated this blog, but here we go, first of all two new members to the Dugganelite team, they are Richard McDonnell and Sara Day. Let’s start with Richard first: From Egg Harbor City, New Jersey now living in Greensboro and working for Lincoln Financial Group. I started working with Richard back in February almost a year after her started running. Richard is new to the sport but has already showed he can win races, the first time I raced against Richard was the Free to Breathe 5km race in Greensboro last November which was part of the Greensboro race series. He showed that day he was willing to give it everything to win as he battled with Tommy Boles over the last 200 meters for his first win  and spent the next 5 minutes on the ground trying to catch his wind after the race.

Richard called me early February and asked if I would coach him, I agreed, already two more first place finishes and he leads the Greensboro series, but that is only the start and we have a long way to go.

Sara Day on the other hand has been running since high school, a stand-out at Ledford high school, 1995 and 1997 North Carolina state champion in both 1,600m and 800m,  placed 3rd in state in cross country in 1994, Four-time all-state selection. Went to High Point University and before transferring to Wake Forest was 1999 Big South Champion in both 3,000m and 5,000m.

At Wake

Placed 5th at 2001 World University Games in Beijing, China in the 10,000m in a time of 33:21. Broke school record in 10,000m at 2001 US Outdoor Nationals, taking 10th place overall, and was the second collegian to cross the finish line, qualifying for the US National Team competing in the World University Games. Runner-up in 10,000m at 2001 NCAA Championships, earning All-American honors. Finished third in the 5,000m at the 2001 ACC Outdoor Championships, earning All-ACC honors and provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Placed eighth in the 3,000m at the 2001 NCAA Indoor Championships, earning All-American honors and breaking the school record. Ran the anchor leg of the Distance Medley Relay team that finished fourth at the NCAA Championships, earning All-American honors and breaking the school record. 2001 ACC Champion in both the indoor 3,000m and 5,000m, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championships in both.

Since her college days. Sara Day has been serving the military for the past 10 years, and is an Army Captain in the United States Army.  She is a two-time combat veteran, serving during both Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08 and currently serving during Operation Enduring Freedom 11-12.

Last November Sara emailed me and asked if I would coach her again. I had worked with Sara while she was at High Point, known her talent back then and how hard she is willing to work I agreed but this was a new adventure for me as Sara is in Kuwait. So we talk every other week via Skype and I send her schedules each week. We have not set any goals yet but I already know what Sara’s goal is.

Next up the good, bad and Ugly