kbecker57

Remembering 4/15/13 – Jerel’s story

Jerel Calzo was a runner last year. He was stopped on Comm Ave just before the turn onto Hereford Street. This is his story.

It’s 9:46pm on 4/15/14. A year ago today, probably at this same time, I was lying in bed, unsure of how I felt about my Boston Marathon experience, feeling too exhausted physically, mentally, and spiritually to organize that mixture of emotions into something meaningful. A year later I’m still not sure how to process the events of last year. I wore my marathon jacket today in solidarity on the anniversary of this tragedy, but I still feel ambivalent about whether I’ve earned the right to wear it. I didn’t finish that race that I had spent so many weeks fundraising and training for. I expected to feel triumphant today, but instead the feeling I kept returning to was that sickening, two-hour-long period where I waited and wandered through the eerily still, but packed streets of Back Bay and the South End wondering when I would ever get to see Michael and Cora again.

But I also remember beautiful little snapshots from throughout that day. The nervous excitement of boarding the buses in Boston Common and how lucky I felt to sit next to a four-time Boston Marathon runner who urged me to just enjoy the race. My surprise at being able to find and sit with Fred and Gina in Athlete’s village as we waited for our waves to get called into the corrals. Realizing that people weren’t joking when they said that there would be spectators every inch of the course. How the first 10 miles passed in a blink. That perfect combination of 50-degree weather and abundant sunshine. The joy of seeing Kara and Kendrin at mile 17. That minor heartbreak of missing Michael, Cora, and Deborah on that same stretch of the course. I remember feeling so disappointed at that point, and somewhat angry at Michael for not being where I thought he should be (even though I never told him exactly where to wait). That resentment probably contributed to the horrible cramping I experienced on the Newton Hills, and that terrible moment of self-doubt when I thought that I might not be able to finish the race. Then I remembered the crowds, the unbelievable number of people who cheered my name (and said it correctly!) and all those children who gave me candy, bananas, and Dixie cups of water to renew my leg muscles and my resolve to finish the race. I remember the BC college students who were surprisingly supportive and who encouraged me to press on despite my humbling run-walk. And then I remember seeing the CITGO sign and feeling that sense of pride that I was actually going to finish. But I didn’t.

When I finally got in touch with Michael he told me that he and Cora were at Club Café. I was so delirious I didn’t even remember where it was. I felt so guilty for having those negative thoughts about him on the course. The relief I felt when I saw Michael and Cora is something that I still can’t describe. Looking back on it now, though, it’s a reminder of how running isn’t a solitary sport, and that the Boston Marathon is really about love, family, and community. The tragedy brought Bostonians (stereotypically cold and hard to read) together. Although I know the “Boston Strong” sentiment has since received criticism, this one-year anniversary was an opportunity to remember how we all united in our compassion for the victims and our courage to press on. Preparing for the Boston Marathon helped me reconnect with so many people and to forge new friendships. And this process continues as I prepare to run again this year. This year I will be running with close friends. This year I will be running with Michael.

In the taper madness leading up to 4/21/14, I find myself watching footage of last year’s events, reading the testimonies of survivors, and praying that everyone is able to run a safe race Monday. I know it’s a new year and a new marathon, but I feel like this year will give me closure. Who knows how I’ll feel when I run that final .40 miles of the course. I’ll be an emotional mess, most likely. I’ll probably be so dehydrated I won’t shed any tears. I’ve also accepted that I may never feel closure about 4/15/13. Healing is a process. Luckily, running is a great way to work through pain, growth, and complicated emotions. Running makes you stronger in every respect. And running helps you connect.

Remembering 4/15/13 – Kendrin’s story

Kendrin and I were together on Marathon Monday last year. This is her story.

I was spectating at the corner of Hereford and Newbury with my friend Kara when I heard the first explosion. A stranger standing next to us nervously asked, “What was that?”. I assumed the noise was related to the festivities of the day and responded, “Don’t know, it’s too late in the day for a flyover.” Just moments later, we heard the second explosion. This time we were silent. Within seconds we knew something was terribly wrong. Spectators were fleeing from Boylston and police officers were waving for us to clear the area. A feeling of terror set in. I feared the worst and worried that our city was under attack, that the two explosions may have been the first of many more to come. In an effort to escape the area quickly, Kara and I got on Hubway bikes that were parked nearby. We biked away from the smoke and the panic, desperate to find the runners we had been waiting to cheer on, our friend Jerel and my boyfriend Dave. We biked along the course and I seemed to have superhuman vision as we approached the sea of runners who had been stopped at Mass Ave. Among the masses, I quickly spotted Jerel and another friend I didn’t even know would be running as a bandit that day. I called out for them and told them there had been explosions. I continued to bike along the course frantically yelling for Dave until I spotted him as he approached the bottleneck of runners, all 25.7 miles into their journey at that point. As more runners accumulated, they questioned why the race was at a standstill. Although Kara and I were mostly clueless about what had happened, we were more informed than most, so we notified the runners that there had been explosions at the finish–our announcements met with anger, confusion, and tears.

Kendrin and Dave at the liver walk
to the finish line

For every story of tragedy and loss, there are thousands more stories of near misses, people who made last minute decisions that kept them out of harm’s way that day. On our way to Hereford, Kara and I had walked along the course on Boylston, pushing through the crowds near the finish line and both bombing sites. The walk along the crowded sidewalk was slow-going, though, so we made a decision to backtrack to get to an alley near the finish line, which allowed us to run along the back of the buildings to get to Hereford. We had been waiting less than 5 minutes when we heard the first explosion. By all accounts, I was extremely lucky that day, but that hasn’t made the healing easy. Although I have never run a marathon before, running has always been therapeutic to me and I can’t think of a better way to heal from the events of that day than to “run it out.” I am so honored to be running the 2014 Boston Marathon with the American Liver Foundation’s Run for Research team. I will run those 26.2 miles to support an amazing cause and also as a tribute to the awesome strength of the City of Boston and to honor those who lost life and limb that day.

There is a superstition among Boston Marathon runners that, although you can train on the course, you should not run across the finish line on Boylston until race day. I, respectfully, do not abide by this superstition. I like to think that the finish line belongs to all of us who were forever changed that day—victims, survivors, first responders, spectators, Bostonians, the running community at large, and so many others. Something was taken from us on April 15, 2013 and I like to think that I take a little bit of it back every time I run across that finish line on a training run. I am counting the days until I, along with the other 35,999 runners and the City of Boston, get to proudly take back that finish line for real on April 21, 2014.

Boston Marathon training – Week 19

SI cover models!
Photo credit: James Lin

The countdown to the Boston Marathon is in single digits…holy moly! On Saturday, my Liver teammates and what looked like hundreds of other runners and supporters had the opportunity to be part of the Sports Illustrated cover photo shoot at the finish line on Boylston Street. Don’t they look like fantastic cover models?

Boylston Street
Photo credit: James Lin

I did my last long run (10 miles) in NY this weekend. I was there for a family visit and for a wedding. It was fun to see that the wedding colors just so happened to be “Boston Strong”. The favors were also one of my favorite running snacks – M&Ms.

Boston Strong wedding favors

I also ordered my official Adidas “celebration jacket”. There has been some controversy about this jacket in the running community, but I will still wear it proudly (but not until after the race).

In the final week of taper madness I plan to put my feet up as much as possible, wear only flat shoes, and not drink (or maybe just drink less). Here is what else is on my to do list:

Take my orange Run for Research singlet out for a test run (must open my mail first)
Arts and crafts with iron-on letters
Stalk the Wellesley FB page for the sign I requested
Figure out a spectator plan for B&C (here’s a good spectator guide)
BAA 5K, followed by team brunch, followed by picking up bib on Saturday

My bib number is 25751 and I will be in Wave 3 (start time 11 AM) and Corral 8 (which means I will be starting well after 11 AM). You can follow me on the BAA web site or through the AT&T Athlete Alert.

Text 26752 to 345678 using your US mobile phone and follow the instructions
Email: Go to the registration page and enter an email address for updates

Wish me luck!

Total distance covered
19.5 miles

Donors of the week
The Lebowitz Family
The Lawson Family
Carol Sullivan
Ruthie Chiasson

Visit my web site for more information or if you’d like to make a donation!

Shrimp avocado salad

Choppin’ ingredients

This is not your grandmother’s shrimp salad. It’s also more of a chopping and mixing recipe, not a “cooking” recipe. But it’s the most I have been able to manage lately – it’s been a super busy month so far! After I had purchased all of the ingredients for the recipe, I realized that I should have cut the recipe in half…though two of my lucky coworkers benefited from the surplus.

The salad is dressed

The Greek yogurt dressing was delicious, and so easy. I blended it up in the Ninja in one of the single-serve containers. Hopefully my next smoothie will not taste like garlic! I have to remember this for when I get bored of plain ol’ olive oil and balsamic vinegar on my salads. I made the dressing first and let it rest while I chopped all of the veggies.

Shrimp avocado salad
Serves: 8
Source: adapted from ifoodreal via Pinterest

Ingredients
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice (juice from 1/2 a lemon)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 ounces cooked shrimp, cut in half
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in halves
2 medium bell peppers, chopped
2 medium avocados, cubed
1/2 English cucumber, cubed
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions
1. Add Greek yogurt, cider vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to small food processor (or Ninja!) and process until smooth. Set aside.

2. Chop veggies, shrimp, and cilantro and add them to a large bowl. Mix in dressing and stir to combine. Serve chilled.

Boston Marathon training – Week 18

My Liver team people!
Photo credit: Maria Kontos

Hello taper! I am taking this very seriously, as in “whoops I may have skipped a couple of runs this week”. Here’s a few articles I found on tapering – like life, it’s all about moderation. Too much or too little is no bueno.

The Art of the Marathon Taper (Competitor.com)
It’s Taper Time (Runner’s World)

Pretty day on the Chestnut Hill Reservoir

In other news this week, Taper Madness (the party) was a great success. Huge kudos goes out to Lisa Linard, Royale, Bearfight, and the American Liver Foundation for putting on such a fantastic event. I do love me a good cover band, and we realized that Kendrin and I shared our birthday cupcakes with the same band five years ago at the Landsdowne Pub. Thanks to Facebook for helping us remember just how long ago that was!

I also like winning stuff! I won a dinner for two to Barcelona Wine Bar! Who wants to be my date? Our crew also won a registration for Reach the Beach, a pair of Red Sox tickets, and a few cases of Hint water. Thanks to Dylan for donating his Sox tickets to me…it was a fun, but COLD night for the game.

Let’s make excellent happen

Saturday was my last long run with the team. It was a pretty day for a run, and I was excited that I “only” had to run 13 miles. That was a piece of cake compared to last week’s distance! Boston is definitely starting to get marathon-ready…I am loving the New Balance advertisements.

Total distance covered
21 miles

Donors of the week
Paetra Sampson
EBSCO Information Services
Michael Woods

Goals for next week
Just the right amount of taper

Visit my web site for more information or if you’d like to make a donation!

March RC – M.C. Spiedo

Market cart

M.C. Spiedo (pronounced Spee-aido) is the newest venture by Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier. Mark and Clark are James Beard Best Chefs of the Northeast 2010 and the duo behind Arrows and MC Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Maine. Also, I dare you to try saying “Mark and Clark” without smiling.

The inspiration behind the menu is the chefs love of the Italian Renaissance, especially the old world flavors of Florence, Bologna, and Venice. The restaurant is named for the style of spit-roasting or rotisserie cooking that was popular at that time. This apparently translates to “no sauce”.

Beautiful burrata

One of the other “concepts” of the restaurant is the “market cart”, which they bring table-side with a variety of items from their antipasti menu. This way you can have a little snack before you order. We snagged the deviled eggs, burrata, and prosciutto from the cart. But since we were a table of seven, we wanted two orders of everything and then had to wait for them to bring over the second order. We also decided to try the sparkling rose that was on the cart, but we wanted a bottle. So the cart concept didn’t work so well for us. And yes, the server did use the word “concept” when explaining all of this to us.

We were very intrigued by the meat pie, described as:

Grand Pie

Pies such of these were served at the royal courts of central Italy and built to inspire and display culinary talent. Our pie is from original recipes of the time, and with its mixture of spices, sweet and savory flavors, it exemplifies the grand creations of this era.

Meat pie

Tagliatelle with guinea hen

We were going to order one pie for the table to share as an appetizer. Our server convinced us to order two (plus two additional Leonardo’s notebook salads) since the portion was “only” half a pie and each person would only get a couple of bites if we only ordered one. I guess she didn’t realize that we were also planning to order entrees and a few bites was all we really wanted. Also, “half a pie” is actually quite large. So one order would have been more than sufficient and I would not have missed the salad. Julie and I both wanted salt and pepper for the salad, which were nowhere to be found on the table and we felt bad asking. The meat pie was an interesting dish, with layers of meat and tortellini. As someone said, “I’ve never had tortellini in a crust before”. There was little sauce to be found, and the spices made it slightly sweet, which turned out to be a recurrent theme.

Schiacciatta pizza

Since we were up-sold on the meat pie, I liked that the pasta dishes had two size options. I also love to see homemade pasta on the menu! I ordered the half portion of M.C. tagliatelle with guinea hen, oranges, cipollini onion, almonds, and lacinato kale. I think it was too sweet and had a little too much going on. It was a telling sign when I didn’t feel like eating my leftovers the next day, because I heart leftovers! Two people ordered the spit roasted suckling pig with house sausage, shelling bean macaroni, and a farm egg which I heard needed more pig and more sauce. The tagliatelle Bolognese was reported to be perfect though. The lasagna was also sweet, but “delicious” and “really really good”…it might have been the winner (a toss-up between the lasagna and the meat pie).

For the non-pasta people, Leonardo’s veal burger (with Fontina cheese, prosciutto, and golden raisin mostarda) was dry and not memorable, though the French fries were delicious. The Schiacciatta pizza had a greasy crust, but otherwise Claire felt like she was in 18th century Italy. The walnut paste really looked like sausage.

Chocolate hazelnut torte

We also ordered the oven baked crepes with gorgonzola dolce stuffing and arugula (under the small plates section of the menu) to share, which I really liked. The other sides were ordered were a bit underwhelming. The polenta fries were yummy and came with housemade ketchup, though the jury was out on the housemade ketchup…I didn’t really like it but some people enjoyed it. The brick oven Brussels sprouts “look like they’ve been beaten to death”.

For dessert (where I like my sweets), we tried the chocolate hazelnut torte and the orange granita with anise seed cookies.

Overall, except for the company, everything was a little too sweet. Sweet pick Mark!

Table faves

Burrata (melts in your mouth like butta)

Deviled eggs (if you like truffle oil!)

Meat pie

Lasagna

The damage
$70 each

The rundown
M.S. Spiedo
606 Congress Street, Boston
@MCSpiedo

Boston Marathon training – Week 17

#BostonFire

This week there are a few things to celebrate and some brave firefighters to honor and remember. On Wednesday, March 26, Engine 33/Ladder 15 responded to a 9-alarm fire in the Back Bay and Boston lost two heroes: Firefighter Michael R. Kennedy and Lieutenant Edward J. Walsh Jr. Kennedy was planning to run the Boston Marathon this year (#29384). It was so touching to see so many runners out on the course honoring these brave men.

The Liver team surpassed the $1 million fundraising mark, which is such an amazing accomplishment! I am so proud to be part of this team. I also surpassed my $4K fundraising minimum. But who wants to go through life achieving the minimum? I’m still reaching toward my goal of $5K!

Team photo in Hopkinton – can you find me?
Photo credit: Run for Research

Oh yeah, and I completed my longest training run ever…ever ever. In 2010 I only went up to 20 miles during training. I am also super proud of Jimmy and Kendrin for rocking their longest runs ever! Here are a few lessons I learned:

Probably not smart to go out drinking Thursday night (but super fun!)
Cut your toenails as short as possible; blister block is your friend
Basta Pasta is open the day before the marathon (had to check since it’s Easter Sunday) and my pre-race meal is definitely going to be Bolognese with homemade fusilli and garlic bread with cheese! I was picking up a to go order on Friday night and met another girl who always orders Basta Pasta before long runs and the marathon. Her favorite meal is chicken Marsala with penne.

I should have taken more photos!

Where are all the goldfish?

Goldfish are a hot commodity these days!

It was a lot of fun to be out on the course on Saturday – a big thank you to all of the volunteers (from all of the teams) and cheerleaders! I loved the DJ and “10 miles to taper sign” at mile 10 and high-fiving kids from cars as they drove by. And that’s just a fraction of the energy that will be out there in just 21 days!

Total distance covered
36 miles

Donors of the week
The Laffeys
Jamie Sheldon
The Wiese Family
Vanessa Cavallaro

Goals for next week
Taper Madness on April 3

Visit my web site for more information or if you’d like to make a donation!

Penne with mushrooms, tomatoes, and canellini beans

On a recent weeknight, I had planned to pick up takeout on my way home. Mexican was the plan…but then I grabbed a quick after work drink at Ithaki, a terrific Greek restaurant in Ipswich, and that made me hungry for everything that the people around me were ordering for dinner. This included anything with tzatziki or a big bowl of pasta with olive oil and Parmesan. I got on the commuter rail and finally decided I wanted pasta with heaps of garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan. I ended up stopping into Harvest to pick up a box of pasta and ended up with this recipe – a quick, weeknight penne.

I’m typically a penne girl, unless homemade pasta is an option. But there is more to picking your pasta than just a favorite shape…and after reading a few articles (Bon Appetit, fine cooking, Food52), I realized I “should” have made this with a “rod” pasta like spaghetti. Maybe next time.

Penne with mushrooms, tomatoes, and cannellini beans

Mushrooms and tomatoes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 Tbsp butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (I used Baby Bellas)

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp oregano

1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup cannellini beans

8 ounces pasta

1 Tbsp olive oil

Reserved pasta water as needed

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Weeknight penne

Directions

1. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Before draining, reserve 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pasta water.

2. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large saute pan and add garlic, cooking on medium heat until fragrant but not browned. Add sliced mushrooms, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, and oregano. Stir, then cover pan just until the mushrooms release their moisture. Uncover and stir in grape tomatoes and cannellini beans. Reduce heat to low.

3. Add pasta, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese to pan with garlic, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Add pasta water if more “sauce” needed. Enjoy!

Eggplant pizza

Getting ready for the broiler

I think I have Pinterest to thank (again) for the inspiration to make these eggplant pizzas. I was excited to break open both of my Julia Child cookbooks to see what she had to say about the aubergine (Mastering te Art of French Cooking, volumes 1 and 2). I also knew it would be easy because I had some breaded, pre-baked eggplant slices in my freezer from CSA season, which allowed me to skip all of the eggplant steps in the recipe. I added some sauteed baby spinach to the pizza, between the sauce and the cheese.

The finished product

Tranches d’aubergine á l’italienne
Makes 3-4 servings
Source: Julia Child (the one and only), via Kalyn’s Kitchen

Ingredients
1 globe eggplant (about 1/2 pound)
Salt
Olive oil
~2 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14.5-ounces) petite diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/3 cup finely grated mozzarella cheese (or Italian blend)
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions
1. Cut off both ends of the eggplant, then cut it into thick slices (about 3/4-inch thick). Place the eggplant slices on a double layer of paper towels and sprinkle both sides generously with salt. Let the eggplant sit for about 30 minutes to draw out the liquid. While the eggplant is sitting, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. While the eggplant sits, heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil on the stove over medium heat and saute the garlic just until it becomes fragrant, without browning. Add the petite diced tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning, and the oregano and simmer until it’s thickened. Add water as needed, a few Tablespoons at a time, and keep the sauce at a low simmer until the eggplant slices are ready.

3. Back to the eggplant. After 30 minutes, wipe the eggplant dry with paper towels (this also removes most of the salt). Spray a roasting sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray, and place the eggplant slices on the sheet in a single layer. Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining Italian seasoning (~2 teaspoons, or to taste). Roast the eggplant for about 25 minutes, until they are cooked but not mushy.

4. When the eggplant slices are done, remove from the oven and set the oven to broil. Spread a few tablespoons of sauce on top of each eggplant slice and top with cheese. Put pizzas under the broiler until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Keep an eye on it – it just took a few minutes. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes (if desired) and enjoy!

Boston Marathon training – Week 16

Jamaica Pond

What did I do with my unexpected week of rest? Well, I slept a lot, and then had insomnia. I ate an entire bag of almond M&M’s…no rhyme or reason for that, they just sounded good at the time of my Rite Aid tissue/medication visit. I studied for and took a midterm in a DayQuil/Mucinex haze. I did a little cooking (red lentil, tomato, spinach soup, Eggplant “pizza”, and a quick weeknight penne).

What did I not do? I did not run or do any PA. On one hand it was amazing how easy it was to slip back into a habit of non-activity. On the other hand, I found myself starting to get a little jealous of people who I saw out running. A bit of a contradiction, I know.

Liver love on the marathon banners

Today was my first day back out there and other than having a constantly drippy nose and wishing I had brought gloves, no major complaints. I took my run out to the Jamaica Pond and once back in the city, I made the infamous “right on Hereford, left on Boylston” to see the marathon banners that went up this week.

I also received a fantastic care package this week, full of my favorite running snacks (Honey Stingers, Probar energy chews, and Swedish fish). Thanks so much Kir!

Total distance covered
14 miles (supposed to be 33!)

Donors of the week
Helen and Jack Dong

Goals for next week
21-miler with the team, Hopkinton to BC

Visit my web site for more information or if you’d like to make a donation!