GET OFF THE ROAD!

Whether you are a beginning runner or a seasoned veteran, I'm willing to bet that, at one time or another, a beer-bellied driver, a young punk, an elderly gentleman, or a sweet old lady has, rather unkindly told you to "Get off the road!"

Well, the next time they do, don't flash them an obscene gesture. Don't challenge them. If fact, don't allow yourself to become upset.

Rather, consider their verbal abuse as sound advice.

Following are a dozen reasons why, at least sometimes, we should get off the roads.

1. Longevity-Paved streets are very unkind to our legs. Persistent pounding on blacktop surfaces stresses our feet, knees, hips, and lower back. Concrete surfaces are even worse. Get off the streets a couple of days a week and you'll stay healthy longer. It's that simple.

2. iPods-We love 'em, but they do take away a valuable weapon that helps to keep us safe on city streets and country roads: our ears. Now, running through nature AND listening to our favorite music is sweet stimulation for several senses.

3. Rest-Sometimes, trails force us to run slower, and that can be a good thing. If you're training intensely for an important race, a workout on a trail will allow you to run slower, giving you the rest you need for the big race.

4. Peace-All of us realize that there are more distracted drivers on the road today. We've read about tragic accidents involving runners and distracted drivers. On days when you don't want to think too much about the dangers of running in traffic, find the nearest trail.

5. Roots-Yeah, that's what our ancestors did. They didn't have $100 shoes or GPS watches, but they communed with nature by running through the woods. Get back to your roots an do what they did. Heck, there weren't too many fat cavemen or women!

6. Become a wolfpack-Call your friends and make your next trail run a group run. Surprise the cyclists coming toward you with a show of runner force. Running with your friends on a trail together is a lot of fun.

7. Ratchet it up-Find the nearest trail race. Running a trail race breaks up the intensity of road racing. It can be fun as well as challenging.

8. See the country-My oldest daughter, Kelly, attended the University of South Carolina. After a visit or two to Columbia, I discovered Sesquicentennial State Park, a maze of hard-packed, sandy trails. There was plenty of shade, and the running was magnificent.

9. Shade-Speaking of shade, on hot summer days, trails usually provide large amounts of shade, and are often 10 degrees cooler than hot, sunny city streets. Wherever you go across this great country, a secluded trail can be found if you do a little research.

10. Beaches-Ideal off-road venues. No shade here, but there's often a pleasant ocean breeze, and no hills.

11. Mountains-Rocks, thorns, a snake or two. Nothing more challenging than a mountain trail.

12. Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter-If you really want to experience the beauty of the four seasons, take the beer-bellied guy's advice and get off the road once in a while. There are few better ways to truly appreciate nature's true beauty.

The next time you are told by grandma in the Delta 88 to "Get off the road," tell her, "Thanks. I should do that!"

TAKING BACK OUR FINISH LINE

On Patriot's Day of 2013, two immigrants, who came to America, enjoyed the benefits of freedom, while reaping the many opportunities this country has to offer, performed one of the most heinous acts in American history. They took advantage of America's good will. They feebly attempted to strip us of an iconic event, a World Series of our sport, enjoyed equally by both participants and spectators alike.

"Why?" We asked.

Many of us, in anger, lashed out. We rued the idea that the United States of America opens its arms to those who come to our country, yet fail to appreciate our ideals and values.

"Ingrates!" We cried.

But we are a nation of immigrants. My ancestors escaped a potato famine to work in the Pennsylvania coal mines. The actions of a few are not representative of the immigrant spirit on which this nation was built.

So, on Patriot's Day 2014, it was an immigrant who strode down the same Boylston Street that, a year ago, had been defiled by a senseless act.

It was a hard-working immigrant, who represented what this country is all about: hard work, dedication, empathy, and a will to win. It was an adopted son of America who was the leader of over 32,000 runners who, on April 21, took back our finish line.

Meb Keflezighi, who immigrated to America from Eritrea as a boy, became the first American man to win the Boston marathon in 31-years, clocking a time of 2:08:37. He did so with elegance, class, and a unique sense of patriotism.

The names of last year's three bombing victims, as well as the MIT police officer who was killed in the manhunt, were written on his bib.

"At the end, I just kept thinking, 'Boston Strong. Boston Strong,'" he said. "I was thinking, 'Give it everything you have. If you get beat, that's it.'"

"I'm blessed to be an American and God bless America and God bless Boston for this special day," said Keflezighi.

"I came here as a refugee, and the United States gave me hope," Meb said. "This is probably the most meaningful victory for an American because of what happened last year."

On Monday, Meb Keflezighi restored OUR hope.

He took back our finish line.

A HALF MARATHON OF BOSTON MARATHON TRIVIA

To the over 36,000 runners who will run tomorrow's 118th Boston Marathon, we all wish you good luck for an enjoyable, fast race. It looks as though the weather is going to cooperate, and a slight tailwind should prevail.

For the rest of us, who wish we were joining you tomorrow, here are some Boston Marathon facts with which we can amaze our family and friends as we think about the iconic race.

1. THE STARTING LINE-The Boston Marathon began in 1897, as a 24.5 mile footrace. The original starting line was in Ashland. The B.A.A. moved the starting line back to Hopkinton in order to conform to the internationally recognized marathon distance of 26.2 miles.

2. 1897-In 1897, 18 men ran the inaugural Boston Marathon on the same 39-foot wide road that 36,000 runners will occupy tomorrow.

3. THE CENTENNIAL-In 1996, 38,708 runners, from 84 countries, registered for the centennial race, the largest marathon field in history. Over 35,000 runners finished the race.

4. PATRIOT'S DAY-In Massachusetts and Maine, folks celebrate Patriot's Day, a commemoration of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first skirmishes of the American Revolutionary War, which occurred on April 19, 1775. Patriot's Day is celebrated on the third Monday of  April. The Boston Marathon has been held on Patriot's Day since 1897.

5. TRADITION-The Boston Marathon tradition has not always been runner-friendly. Through 2005, the Boston Marathon began at noon. Since 2007, the race has begun at 10:00 a.m.

6. THE 'RUN FOR THE HOSES'-In 1976, the noon start was particularly unfriendly to the runners. Temperatures at the starting line reached 100 degrees. Jack Fultz won the war of attrition, with a time of 2:20:19. All along the route, spectators cooled down the runners with their garden hoses.

7. THE CHAMP-Clarence DeMar holds the record for Boston Marathon victories. From 1911 to 1930, he won the Boston Marathon 7 times, earning him the nickname, "Mr. DeMarathon."

8. DOMINANCE-Since 1988, Kenyan men have won the Boston Marathon 20 times. That's 20 out of the past 28 years.

9. RECORD-A Kenyan runner, Geoffrey Mutai, holds the Boston Marathon record, turning in a time of 2:03:02 at the 2011 Boston Marathon.

10. AMERICAN DROUGHT (MEN)-Greg Meyer is the last American man to win the Boston Marathon. He ran a 2:09:00 at the 1983 race.

11. AMERICAN DROUGHT (WOMEN)-The last American woman to win the Boston Marathon was Lisa Larsen Weidenbach, who won the 1985 race, with a time of 2:34:06.

12. ARE THEY CHEERING FOR ME?-At the 1983 race, I was cruising to the finish line on my way to a personal best of marathon time of 2:22:54. The roar of the crowd was deafening. Were they cheering for me?...Nah! The cheers were for Joan Benoit (Samuelson), who was crushing the world women's marathon record, with a time of 2:22:43. Joan Benoit went on to win the inaugural women's Olympic Marathon in 1984.

13. WHY HEARTBREAK HILL-In 1936, on the fourth and final Newton Hill, Johnny Kelley passed Tarzan Brown, offering a conciliatory pat on the shoulder to Brown. On the subsequent downhill, a reenergized Brown passed Kelly, going on to win the race. It was a "Heartbreak" to Kelley, and the term stuck.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF TOMORROW'S BOSTON MARATHON RUNNERS!

THE TOP TEN BOSTON MARATHON MILE MARKS

Marathon runners look forward to mile marks during the race like a thirsty man looks for an oasis in the desert.

Mile markers at the Boston Marathon, however, are iconic and special.. So, based on my sixteen Boston Marathon appearances, I have selected my choices for the top ten Boston Marathon mile marks.

10. MILE 0-The greatest start of the greatest marathon in the world. The town of Hopkinton says it all with the sign, "It all starts here."

9. MILE 4-The Ashland Clock Tower-After running through the countryside, runners encounter get their first taste of the incredible Boston Marathon crowds, as the Ashland Clock Tower is a favorite viewing venue among local spectators.

8. MILE 6-The Framingham Train Depot-The next town along the way seems to attempt to outshine Ashland. In Framingham, crowds are large and enthusiastic. Mostly downhill so far, runners have completed their first 10K in the town of Framingham.

7. MILES 12&13-It's been called the "Tunnel of Love," and the "Screech Tunnel." Thousands of coeds from Wellesley College show love to each and every runner. No marathon can boast a finer half marathon point confidence booster.

6. MILE 17-The Newton Hills-The race begins now. Legs, which have enjoyed over 16 miles of gentle slopes, along with many downhills, will now be punished by the four Newton Hills.

5. MILE 20-'It's a Heartbreak'-"I've climbed some hills. Have I climbed Heartbreak Hill yet?" The answer is, "No." It's crest is at about 20.5 miles.

4. MILE 21-You've done it! Heartbreak Hill has been conquered. Students at Boston College cheer loudly as you glide down the hill.

3. MILE 25-Fenway Park's beautiful Citgo sign approaches. It is to your left at 25.2 miles. One mile to go.

2. MILE 26-Indescribable crowds on Boylston Street. Goosebumps, chills, raw emotions envelop you. You laugh, you cry, you wave, you ham it up. And...you should!!

1. MILE 26.2-The finish line of the Boston Marathon. For runners, It's the World Series, the Super Bowl, The Masters all rolled into one, and you have conquered it.

You have finished the Boston Marathon.

THE CROWD

The 118th running of the Boston Marathon, which will be contested on the latest possible day, April 21, the third Monday of April, is a mere five days away.

Yesterday, runners, victims of last year's senseless acts, first responders, and other heroes of April 15, 2013, commemorated the day, and pledged to, beginning with next Monday's race, show the world that runners, and the city of Boston, are determined to continue the fine tradition of the world's oldest continuous marathon.

But the most important element of the Boston Marathon, and tragically, the victim of last year's heinous acts is the crowd.

Five days out, I'm not going to predict the winners of the race, but I am going to predict this: The greatest marathon spectators, at the world's greatest marathon, are going to be greater than ever next Monday. They will raise the roof off the place. Participants better be ready for some goose bump moments, because the crowd will provide many.

Of course, spectators will be twenty-deep at the starting line, and the roar that will begin with the wheel chair runners, will continue for the fleet-footed elite athletes, and will increase, as wave after wave, an estimated 36,000 runners, cross the start stripe.

In quaint New England towns of Ashland, Framingham, and Natick, spectators, some of whom reserved a spot with their lawn chairs the night before, will be raucous.

Hand slaps, fist bumps, and orange slices will abound. Spectators will call the runners by name, or by the moniker on their singlet. Last year, I frequently heard, "Go Oregon."

The girls of Wellesley can be identified by their high-pitched cheers, audible from a quarter mile away. Women runners get the loudest cheers. Some male runners receive coed kisses.

The crowds on the Newton Hills help ease the pain of the inclines, positioned at a nasty place in the race.

At Boston College, I incited last year's crowd by yelling, "Go Jesuits." The reaction was deafening.

Along the long stretch of Commonwealth Avenue, it sounds like one continuous clap. At Fenway, crowds are thick.

Finally, the right turn on Hereford Street is the "tunnel." You know, the one in which the players wait, as their names are being called for the game. It is almost eerily quiet.

Runners explode out of the tunnel when they make the left onto Boylston Street. It's the Rose Bowl, Michigan's Big House, and Fenway Park all rolled into one. Each runner is greeted with hoots and cheers, as though he or she has won the race.

In fact, each runner IS a winner.

Because the crowd, the incredible spectators, make the Boston Marathon what it is.

SOMETHING DIDN'T SEEM RIGHT

On April 15, 2013, fifty-two weeks ago, I ran my 16th Boston Marathon

In 2012, near-record temperatures turned my race into a death march.

But April 15, 2013 was different. Skies were clear, the air was crisp, and conditions were near perfect.

For the first time in my 16 Boston races, rather than take the bus, I was dropped off at the athlete's village by my wife.

As she drove away, though, something didn't seem right.

I'm no longer a young runner, and my best marathon times are behind me. Perhaps I thought that I would drop out somewhere along the way, or shuffle across the finish line, embarrassing myself with a poor time.

As the race developed, however, the crowds seemed more enthusiastic, the hills less steep, the finish on Boylston sweeter than ever. An older gentleman sat perched above the finish line, chanting at regular intervals, "Great race. Welcome to Boston."

At age 59, I had turned in a 3:04 marathon time. It was time to meet up with my wife and celebrate.

In my gear bag I had forgotten to pack an extra pair of shoes, so my bloodied, blistered feet would be ensconced in my racing flats for some 12 hours.

At Legal Seafood, in the Lord and Taylor Mall, across Boylston Street, I ordered a Guinness, took a sip, then snapped a picture, which I posted with the caption, "A great day in Boston."

As the waitress arrived to take food our order, we heard the sound of a muffled cannon blast, which reverberated through the building. The waitress asked, "Was that thunder?"

I replied, "It couldn't be. It's sunny outside."

Then, hell was unleashed.

Quickly, we evacuated the building. My wife walked briskly, while I struggled to move on tired, wobbly legs.

Dazed and a bit bewildered, when my wife said, "What do you think that was?" I incoherently responded, "It was probably kids."

Fifteen minutes later, as we boarded a chaotic subway car, we heard the word, "bombs." I simply couldn't wrap my mind around the concept.

 Someone informed us that the race had been suspended.

What about our friends?

How about that guy perched above the finish line? "Is he dead?" I mused aloud.

At a restaurant/bar near Faneuil Hall, our phones beep incessantly, as concerned family and friends inquired about our safety.The world seemed to know more about the situation than we did.

A year later, I still don't understand the reason why someone would attempt to destroy a celebration of life with death and devastation.

Injury will keep me from running this year's race, but runners and spectators will make this year's Boston a celebration of life like none other.

Running transcends terror, it knows no borders, it rises above political pettiness.

Runners banded together all over the world to lend a hand to those who support them as spectators, the very ones who suffered the most from this senseless act.

Runners and their followers are bigger and more united than any person or group that spews hatred.

We are more than strong.

We are "Boston Strong."

BOOM

There was a time when my hometown of Pottsville, Pennsylvania was a boom town. "Black Gold," anthracite coal, fueled a population boom, providing jobs to European immigrants, and turning the coal barons into millionaires. During the early part of the 20th century the city's population peaked at over 30,000 residents. Bob Hope and Ella Fitzgerald performed in local theaters.

Oil replaced coal, textile mills moved offshore, and Pottsville became another Rust Belt statistic. Today, our city's population is around 15,000.

Since 1829, however, the Yuengling family has been brewing beer in Pottsville.

Runners like beer.

Runners like Yuengling beer.

Yuengling sponsors the wildly successful Yuengling Virginia Beach Shamrock Marathon, and last year decided to host a race in the city in which the original brewery still produces large quantities of beer.

Today's Yuengling Light Lager Jogger 5K attracted 3,000 runners to our town of 15,000.

Elite runners were few, but this morning's Yuengling Light Lager Jogger 5K reflected the universal appeal of today's running boom. More runners, of all ages and abilities, are running more races than ever. Add a theme, like a race starting and finishing at America's Oldest Brewery, and you have a winning recipe as successful as Yuengling Lager.

Races can be win-win situations for all involved. Runners enjoy participating in unique events, a race can provide an economic boost for a community, as well as publicity for the race sponsors.

A boom for everyone.