This can be fun exercise, but don't just swing your leg with abandon.  Make each swing

a deliberate motion and think about the muscles that you are activating.  You'll

strengthen your abdominals and stretch your hamstrings, pelvis, and hips in the

process.

Using the foam roller might hurt a little at first, but keep at it!  Over time, you will see

what a difference this "self massage" technique can make.  Foam rollers are a runner's

best friends!

Greg is 46 years old, and with his wife, runs a commercial and residential fencing business in Cibolo, Texas (near San Antonio). Umsted has three kids, aged 10,8, and 6.  After growing up near Tacoma, Washington and attending Fife High School, Greg moved to the Houston area before eventually settling in Cibolo. Greg hit a Boston qualifying time in January’s Chevron Houston Marathon, and then recently completed the 114^th Boston Marathon in 3:26, his third effort ever over 26.2 miles.

 

I love Boston! The rain, the cold and the chance of snow flurries tonight!! I prefer running in cool weather but really snow?! No matter what the weatherman says I am keeping my hopes high that Monday will be perfect running weather; high 40’s, low 50’s, even a light mist would be ok at the start. The hard part with marathons is that you can make it through months of training but come race day there are so few factors that you can actually control. Weather, wind, water stations, your stomach, and other runners are just some of the many factors that you must deal with on race day but none of which you can really control.

As a perfect example, I am amazed that I can make it through months of training with only minor aches and pains and then my second to last run before race day I am running a few miles of the course and take a spill on a set of train tracks. A few cuts and bruises later I am back up and running and doing ok but it is a strong reminder that the first goal of running a marathon is making it to the starting line. Sometimes I forget that concept and get too focused on my paces and miles logged. No matter what level runner you are, making it the start is the most important part of race. Despite my fight with the railroad tracks today, I am ready and excited for Monday. Honestly, it cannot get here soon enough. I am ready to race and ready to feel the energy of the race! The Boston marathon has an energy that is unlike any other and a crowd that makes heartbreak hill worth the sweat, tears and pain. I look forward to sharing my race story with you next week!