Let’s talk about what Phedippidations is, what I believe in, whether I am delusional, what running means to me, and what this podcast means to me. These are the thoughts that go through my head during a long run in the back country roads where these Phedippidations are born. Thoughts, opinions, observations and rambling diatribes are all composed while we’re out on these long distance runs across the planets surface.

You need to experiment with what you use to fuel yourself before, during and after a marathon. It is as important as stretching, and following your training schedule as you prepare your body for the miles you have before you.

These rules of running etiquette are common sense items that most runners follow without much thought. They can all fit under the single heading of “being respectful of our fellow runners‿ whether we’re out training, in a race, or just getting a few miles in with friends. It really comes down to that ol’ phrase “Do unto others as you as you would have done unto you‿.

Monitoring the rate at which your heart pumps blood around your body is one way to measure your cardiac fitness, but having a feel for your body’s perceived exertion is just as important. A heart rate monitor device may give you some useful information you can use to help improve your running performance.

Just as it is with any recipe, the one that will comprise your existence as a distance runner will be varied and unique. But just as you require eggs for an omelet, flour for cake and potatoes for making French fries…you will have basic ingredients required of you as you re-create yourself into an endurance athlete.

The stories about a runner’s first marathon are filled with emotion,well deserved pride, and a sense of satisfied accomplishment. You will hear how they set themselves a seemingly impossible goal that,through hard work, persistence, and an indomitable spirit they were able to achieve. These are changed people who have come to understand that nothing is impossible if they have the desire and dedication to run, quite literally, towards their goal.

There are 20,348 stories, from 20,348 runners who ran the 111th Boston Marathon this year, and each one is special, unique, inspirational, entertaining, and worthy of your interest. In this episode we hear from a few of our fellow runners, who ran 26.2 miles in a New England Nor’Easter.

The 111th Boston Marathon took place during a Nor’Easter, with major flooding, driving rains, cool to cold temperatures and a sustained wind of twenty miles per hour with gusts up to forty miles per hour. A record number of qualified entrant chose not to run the race, but the hearty few who accepted the challenge experienced the race of their lives. This podcast was recorded as I ran the Boston Marathon.

Thank you, fellow runners, for all of your kindness. In this episode of Intervals; I thank many of the people who helped me in small and large ways; I get some last minute advice from John Ellis and a surprise guest who formulated the plan that I followed to prepare for the 111th Boston Marathon; and we talk about the Nor'easter that I'll be running the race in (something I like to think of as a perfect condition rather than a perfect storm). Have a great Patriots Day everyone! As you listen to this, I'll be out there: running down a dream!

The story of the 1982 Boston Marathon is more than just a story about two elite athletes and a closely contested race. It is the story of the underdog facing the champion, and was one of the most intensely exciting finishes in modern race history. This is the story about Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardsley in the 86th Boston Marathon.