Reflections: by Ryan K. Beck

New Ambitions In Week 3 of my Baystate Marathon training block, I eclipsed 60 miles for the first time since my 63 mile peak week during my first marathon training block. To date, 63 miles is the furthest I have gone in one week. To prepare for Baystate, I am planning to peak at 80 miles, including eleven 70+ mile weeks.  Running at high mileage is a true test of discipline and mental resolve. It requires sacrifice; a devotion to running beyond what is convenient. Yet, the more I run, the more my world seems to open up in front of me.  MCRT, Damon Rd entrance I have always discounted the notion that I am too busy to accomplish my goals. When I find myself responding in conversation with "I don't have time for that" or "I am too busy," I pause and consider if that is really true. Do I really not have time, or will I have to replace something I am currently doing to make time for something else?  Since I began running, I have made numerous alterations that open up...

Vanessa Marcotte 5K Race Recap 3.1 Miles. 5 kilometers. What was once a daunting distance has become a routine fitness check during Week 2 of my Baystate Marathon training block, where I have set the goal of running a 2:48:00. This Saturday, I raced the Vanessa Marcotte 5K for the second year in a row.  Last year:  I was three weeks into my first ever training block for a Spartan 10K. I ran a 19:45 , which was three seconds off my PR at the time, placing fifth. It was a rainy yet cool day, especially for June.  2025 Vanessa Marcotte 5K (Finish line) This year:  I was coming off a 3:07:10 marathon and gearing back up for my second attempt at achieving a Boston Qualifying time. The weather was not ideal: sunny and 70s. Yet, I was undeterred, as I have been training in these conditions for the past few weeks. I ran a 17:30 , two seconds off my PR of 17:28, placing fourth (first in my age group). If I had ran that time last year, I would have won the race handily.  ...

During my first marathon training block, I meal prepped a pasta dinner nearly every week. This led me to refine the art of making the perfect pasta sauce. The key is to use peeled San Marzano tomatoes  (canned) and use a potato masher  to crush the tomatoes. Then, after cooking the garlic in olive oil, pour in the crushed tomatoes, add tomato paste and herbs/spices, and simmer. Stirring in regular intervals ensures the sauce doesn't get stuck to the bottom. The pot you use is also important. I use an old  Le Creuset cast iron dutch oven that my grandmother gave me and it works great.  Adjusting the heat throughout ensures the sauce breaks down and thickens appropriately. Start by heating the olive oil over medium-low heat (4), then reduce heat to low (2). Add minced garlic and let it infuse the oil for 1 minute or until fragrant. Pour in crushed tomatoes and add tomato paste, adjust heat to medium (5) immediately, wait for sauce to begin simmering, then adjust heat ...

Each Sunday (Jun 14 - Oct 11), I plan to share insights into my 19-week training plan for the Baystate Marathon. Follow my blog (www.ryankbeck.com) for updates in my pursuit of a 2:48:00 marathon on October 19th, 2026.  The Monarch Butterfly As I trampled through the tall grass into an open clearing, I spotted a speck of orange out of the corner of my eye. I reared to a halt, jerking my head backward to absorb what I thought I saw. It was a monarch butterfly. I paused, not for the first time this run, to witness the flight of the monarch. It was pollinating what I assumed to be milkweed, when I reached for my phone in my zippered pocket, creeping closer to the butterfly. Just as I was about to take a photo, it sprang to life, floating in circles across the meadow, as if each gust of wind commanded a change in direction. I stood, entranced, watching carefully as it danced delicately in the wind, and then back to the milkweed, until it eventually escaped from view.  Monarch butt...

  In my life, music and running have become synonymous with one another. There is a rhythm—an art—to running, a certain poetry that describes an ongoing journey to better oneself. When I began running consistently, I couldn’t imagine running without music blaring from my AirPods. Now, I appreciate the art of running enough to forgo headphones on speed days and long runs, which require more mental focus. Still, music remains one of the best supplements in a runner’s toolbox. Training can be monotonous, and alternative sources of entertainment lessen the boredom.  When running, I would place the songs I frequently listen to in two categories: running songs and songs about running. Running songs often have energetic, danceable beats, with catchy lyrics that aren’t overly thought provoking. Songs about running often approach a deeper subject, something that the songwriter is literally or figuratively running from. The beauty of running is in the very principle that you are a bett...

Over the past year, I have committed to a consistent running routine, gradually progressing from running my first 10K in August 2025 to completing a marathon in May 2026 in 3 hours and 7 minutes. During this time, I learned the importance of three critical components that have propelled my training forward. I call them “The Three C’s of Marathon Training.” Marathon training in Winter 2026 Commitment Signing up for a marathon is a commitment to your health and wellbeing. Training for a marathon is following through on your commitment.  By virtue of running multiple days a week, you are bound to become a healthier version of you. Depending on your goal (crossing the finish line, Boston Qualifier, personal record, etc.) your training will vary. Nonetheless, it is training all the same. Your commitment begins every time you lace up your shoes to go for a run. Simply stepping outside becomes putting one foot in front of the other repeatedly for miles on end. When you complete each run, ...

  Sunset in Downtown Austin, TX A Respite From Training Three days after running my first marathon, I traveled to Austin, Texas for six days (Wednesday 5/27 to Tuesday 6/2) to visit three of my college friends who recently moved there. Another one of my college friends came for five of those days, and it was a reunion of sorts. After investing heavily in marathon training over the four months prior, I knew that I would inevitably fall out of the routines I had built when traveling. My body is recovering from the hardest physical feat I have ever accomplished, with large, oval-shaped blisters on both arches of my feet as proof. For recovery purposes, the itinerary we had planned was not ideal. For enjoyment, it certainly was.  The three activities I did most frequently were eating out, exercise, and going out at night. Over my six days in Austin, I went to eight different eateries; went to two run clubs, played two hours of pickleball, and two rounds of golf; and went to ten di...