By Jeff Slovin, Contributing Writer
Region – Jim Kane of Northborough, 41, is running his second Boston marathon and 15th marathon overall.
How many marathons have you run?? How many times have you run Boston?
I’ve run 14 marathons – Hyannis, Providence, Keane (NH), New Orleans, Dallas, Baltimore, Burlington (VT), New York City, Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, Disney, Hartford and Phoenix.
I ran Boston in 2011.
Has this winter's weather affected your training routine?? If so, what have you done to cope with it?
Training this winter has been fine. ?The winter is what it is and being from New England I’m used to the cold. ?My training is slightly different than most as Boston is not my primary focus as I’m actually training for the Boulder, Colo. Ironman in August. ?Therefore while I run in the freezing cold, I am also cross training with biking, swimming and weight lifting indoors. ?One thing slightly different in my training this year over prior years has been running with a very experienced running group in Northborough. ?We meet every Saturday morning and run together. Running with slightly faster runners has made me a faster runner as well.
Why are you running Boston this year?
While I fundraised during my 2011 run, my approach this year is somewhat different. ?In October 2013, my father passed away, which was extremely difficult. ?Roughly around the same time, a good friend of mine Jim Bruce's 26- year-old son Matt was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ?Jim was born and raised in Northborough and is a sergeant with the Northborough Police. ?When I broke into triathlons, Jim took me under his wing and taught me a lot about the sport, which my entire family came to love due to the “can do” attitude of the participants. While I lost my Dad, Jim is dealing with a similar yet very different traumatic family situation.*
Don’t get me wrong, I am completely excited to have another shot at Boston as I’m running at my absolute best right now. ?Being that I will most likely be fundraising in the summer as a tribute to my dad, the idea of running Boston this year was more about supporting my friend and ?giving him something to focus on over a few months and release any sort of stress. ?If I can also raise some funds for ALS in the process, that is a bonus.
Kane will be fundraising for Compassionate Care ALS, a nonprofit organization that offers individualized support to those currently living with ALS, their families and caregivers. For more information visit? http://www.ccals.org/home.php.