The 2025 Boston Diaries: Chapter 12
Moving
Three years ago, I found myself nostalgic for my old trail, just weeks after moving away from it.
My time running the Field Club Trail, at least on a regular basis, was done. As I often am, I was in my head; worried my next spot wouldn’t have the same magic. Just over two years into my true running journey, daily running was now who I was and there was no going back. But there’s a difference between running and truly enjoying the surroundings. Field Club? That place was special. I made huge gains, essentially culminating in my first true marathon, months before I moved.
And wouldn’t you know it, my next spot1 would bring about more of the same.
I moved from said spot over this past weekend. Three years of living in an apartment now brings Riss and I to our first house together. Even in the midst of time away from running because of the injury I’ve been dealing with, it was hard not to think back to all the running, all the miles, and all the races I’ve been able to put together.
My first sub-90 half just a couple months after moving.
Breaking three hours later that year in Chicago.
The heartbreak of the Lincoln Marathon in May of 2023.
The triumph of leaving no doubt in Des Moines the following October.
And a 2024 that saw my PR in Eugene, a mentally strong sub-2:50 in Chicago, and finally, finally, locking up my spot for the Boston Marathon.
To say I put together my best stretch of running while living in that apartment would be an understatement. I changed how I trained. I changed how I approached the sport. I threw myself into things at a higher level than I ever expected.
And now, I’ve moved. But, nothing is changing at all. Well, mostly. I’ll still head to Flanagan; I’ll still head to West Papio. I’ll see connect with my trail friends and my trail “friends,” saying hi and waving in the process.
That this move is coming in the midst of my biggest mental (and physical) battle yet isn’t lost on me. As much as I wanted to really soak in the last three years and unpack things, I couldn’t. I was literally packing and unpacking, for starters, but I was giving my body extra rest.
After the gains of the previous week, I bumped into the all familiar ceiling of my injury. I rode the bike Friday and took Saturday and Sunday off2 completely. I’m hoping it’s what I need as the calendar flips to March.
The Boston Marathon is now next month.
Guess I better get moving!
This week in podcasting:
Huge thanks to Tommy Aicher for joining me on the pod for a really fun and enjoyable conversation. Like so many in this space, he’s hoping to run a marathon in all 50 states. We discussed how that came to be, why he trains the way he does, and so, so much more.
As always, Fleet Feet Omaha is the title sponsor of Chasing Three Hours! Spring time means an uptick in races in the midwest. How are those shoes of yours doing? If you’re in need of a new pair or want to make sure you’re all dialed in for race day, stop by one of the three locations in Omaha or Lincoln, mention the pod, and you can get $15 off your first pair!
The log:
February 24th: 5 miles
February 25th: 8 miles
February 26th: 6 miles
February 27th: 5 miles
Total: 24 miles
February total: 170.99 miles
Year to date: 413.24 miles
February 24th: The good vibes of the weekend rolled on into Monday. Biggest issue was trying to keep my shoes from getting too gross, as the snow melting continued with higher temps. I averaged 8:16-per mile with my heart rate at 133 over the course of the five miles. I felt pretty good and decided to go a little bit longer on Tuesday.
February 25th: I thought Tuesday’s run was another one to celebrate. First weekday run of at least eight miles in a few weeks and my HR was at a nice spot. 8:07-per mile with the aforementioned HR at 136 throughout.
My frustrations with my left leg aside, I’m just happy my fitness has remained relatively in check. I certainly don’t know what kind of pop I have in my legs right now — I haven’t ran a hard pace in weeks — let alone what would happen if I tried for 15 miles tomorrow, but I’m doing ok.
February 26th: That said, the more Tuesday went on, the more I felt the pains I have lately, so I decided to slow things down a little bit going into Wednesday. Six miles, 9:09-per, with my HR at 125 throughout. With a lot of wind to deal with, I was pretty happy with how this one felt.
February 27th: Not so much on Thursday though. Five miles, 8:18-per, with the HR averaging 136. I had hit a ceiling again and needed a few days off.
Here’s hoping those days off will help moving forward.
Though the funny part about my next spot is it turned into spots. West Papio was my go-to throughout much of the last three years, but of course I hit Flanagan a ton, and when that closed, found myself driving to Cunningham or other spots.
As much as you can take a day or two off where you’re moving, lifting boxes, and constantly unpacking things.