Boston Marathon 2012 (Read 2370 times)


Kalsarikännit

     

    I also agree with your comment about the hills.  The first year when I reached the top of Heartbreak I had to ask some spectators "Was that it?"  I envisioned them being bigger.  Don't get me wrong when I ran for time in 2011 they got my attention, but manageable.

     

    I guess the first time Joanie ran Boston she asked someone when Heartbreak Hill was.  They explained that she had already passed it.

     

    I agree with everything srl said in his list.  I ran it, not raced it because of a big upcoming race I was trying to save myself for, but I had an amazing experience.  I really loved the crowd.  I loved the kids, I loved the college students, I loved the pack of bikers that we passed by almost immediately.  I really loved Wellesley.  I really, really do not like city marathons.  This was different, though.  I wonder if I was to race it and not be out there hugging people with "Hug Me" signs, if I would feel different.  I will have to try again.  After I win the lotto.

    I want to do it because I want to do it.  -Amelia Earhart

     

    runnerclay


    Consistently Slow

       I really loved Wellesley.

       +1 They give me a real boost.

      Run until the trail runs out.

       SCHEDULE 2016--

       The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

      unsolicited chatter

      http://bkclay.blogspot.com/

      cstlrnr


        More observations... Saw lots of popsicles beong offered to runners and ran along side pink tutu guy for a stretch. Boy, he seemed happy. I wonder if they sell shoes that color or if he does it himself. What I need more than ever right now is to recover, run another race, and forget Boston.

         

        Definitely enjoyed reading all of the Boston posts.  This is exactly how I felt after I finished this race.  I'm still trying to forget about it.  I ran with a friend (srlopez- I think we finished at the same time, I finished 3:53, I also enjoyed your list of 10).  I  stopped to talk to Keith Straw (pink tutu) before the start of the race and we talked about him meeting my husband in the hot tub.  Super nice guy.  Anyway, this race did me in.  I had a strong race a month ago so didn't feel any pressure at Boston.  I figured the heat would be bearable coming from the South so adjusted my time to 3:30-3:40 range (I had just run a 3:12, so thought this was manageable).  First half was 1:48, right on track for a 3:36.  My friend that I was running with got a side stitch right around the halfway point, but we bumped into a friend who just happened to have some sort of magic electrolyte pill for her to take.  I wouldn't have taken it, but she did and within two miles she was fine.  I however, went downhill badly.  I think it was around mile 17 or so.  My friend kept telling me I wasn't sweating even though I had been taking fluids and gels and pouring water over my head nonstop.  I think I overcompensated and my stomach ended up getting bloated to the point that I looked like I was 5 months pregnant, someone actually asked me if I was.  I thought it was going to explode.  I must have stopped at the porta potties 5 or 6 times, but maybe three drops came out.  I don't know how I couldn't urinate after drinking so much.  It was miserable. I felt so sick.   I was so close to going into one of those medical tents.  Instead I finished.  The porta potty stops did me in as far as my time goes, I was running much slower too, but stopping did me in.  When I finished I was on the verge of tears and when I called my husband I broke down.  I ended up flying home that night and having to head to the bathroom on the plane dry heaving.  I was in the biggest funk when I finished.  My friend stayed by my side, which was great, I did feel bad for slowing her down though.  I think she was worried I was going to pass out.  I will definitely NOT be one of those people with a monogrammed Boston jacket that has every year I did Boston.   I'm not sure I even want to wear the shirt that came with the race pack.  Don't need to be reminded of that day.  Like I said though, great crowd, very organized, great volunteers.  It just wasn't a good race for me.  Reminded me of my debacle at NY a few years back.

        runnerclay


        Consistently Slow

          Everyone has to run boston, it was incredible, not just ANOTHER marathon

           

          +1. I BQ'ed and was thinking if I did not get in it would be ok. With the hotel and airfare being extreme I started not to come. Would have been a mistake. PW marathon (2 slower pacing friends) 5:01:19. One hour over normal marathon time. BQ force yourself to run Boston.

          Run until the trail runs out.

           SCHEDULE 2016--

           The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

          unsolicited chatter

          http://bkclay.blogspot.com/

          runnerclay


          Consistently Slow

            Run until the trail runs out.

             SCHEDULE 2016--

             The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

            unsolicited chatter

            http://bkclay.blogspot.com/

              I kind of had the opposite reaction that cstlrnr. Though the heat sucked, and I ran 45 minutes slower than 2011, I wouldn't mind doing that again (though if it takes 30 years to be that hot again I will not complain). I thought it was a very memorable experience in the positive way, and really showed the greatness of the Boston Marathon. The fans and volunteers that come out to support us, especially in those tough conditions. I think you probably could have made it all the way to Boston without stopping at a water stop there was so much stuff on the course....

               

              Here's what I learned.

               

              1. Sunscreen is key.

              2. You can't eat an entire ice pop while running. It's tough. The first few bites are awesome, then the next few just get annoying because, you do have to breath while "running" and that's hard to do with an ice pop in your mouth.

              3. A crappy cold beer (Miller Lite) is rather refreshing at mile 25.5

              4. On days like this, you not only need to pace yourself. You need to pace your drinking so you don't over do it. I carried a handheld that carried 22oz of fluid. I filled this up with Gatorade, pre-race and during the race. I limited myself to only drinking the entire bottle once during an hour. I did go through 3 full bottles but I did run 3:33. I switched to H2O when taking a gel.

              5. Gels at 85-90F are even  more disgusting.

              6. The whole don't try anything new on race day usually goes out the window in these conditions. I had my first salt pill around mile 23.

              7. Boston College students were fenced in this year.

              8. Hot weather does have its pluses. As in scantily clad runners and spectators.

              9. Vasoline all over  your feet help not get blisters when your are water-logged and soaked.

              10. The BAA did a great job. Tremendous is probably a better one. I didn't run Chicago 2007, I did run Chicago 2008 where I believe they learned there lessons, but the BAA know what they are doing.

               

              I will be one of those people who will go back to Boston every year (health willing). I will be back in 2013 and hopefully this fall I'll get my qualifier for 2014.

              kcam


                I kind of had the opposite reaction that cstlrnr. Though the heat sucked, and I ran 45 minutes slower than 2011, I wouldn't mind doing that again (though if it takes 30 years to be that hot again I will not complain). I thought it was a very memorable experience in the positive way, and really showed the greatness of the Boston Marathon. The fans and volunteers that come out to support us, especially in those tough conditions. I think you probably could have made it all the way to Boston without stopping at a water stop there was so much stuff on the course....

                 

                Here's what I learned.

                 

                1. Sunscreen is key.

                2. You can't eat an entire ice pop while running. It's tough. The first few bites are awesome, then the next few just get annoying because, you do have to breath while "running" and that's hard to do with an ice pop in your mouth.

                3. A crappy cold beer (Miller Lite) is rather refreshing at mile 25.5

                4. On days like this, you not only need to pace yourself. You need to pace your drinking so you don't over do it. I carried a handheld that carried 22oz of fluid. I filled this up with Gatorade, pre-race and during the race. I limited myself to only drinking the entire bottle once during an hour. I did go through 3 full bottles but I did run 3:33. I switched to H2O when taking a gel.

                5. Gels at 85-90F are even  more disgusting.

                6. The whole don't try anything new on race day usually goes out the window in these conditions. I had my first salt pill around mile 23.

                7. Boston College students were fenced in this year.

                8. Hot weather does have its pluses. As in scantily clad runners and spectators.

                9. Vasoline all over  your feet help not get blisters when your are water-logged and soaked.

                10. The BAA did a great job. Tremendous is probably a better one. I didn't run Chicago 2007, I did run Chicago 2008 where I believe they learned there lessons, but the BAA know what they are doing.

                 

                I will be one of those people who will go back to Boston every year (health willing). I will be back in 2013 and hopefully this fall I'll get my qualifier for 2014.

                 

                #7 above is a crime!  One of my best memories of Boston was the very first time I ran it I just couldn't believe how many people were out there cheering on us midpackers.  I don't remember the exact location but at one point the BC students and spectators were so jammed up, at least 7 or 8 deep, that we had to run through a tunnel of cheering, yelling students that couldn't have been wider than about 10feet.  I felt like I was Bill Rodgers in the 70's marathon races. To me it totally blew away the Wellesley thing.  Unforgettable.


                Kalsarikännit

                  One thing that I thought was very cool was the lunch bag.  I don't know if they did it again, but in 2010 in the finishers corral, rather than having to wait in an unending line behind the people that need twenty minutes to peer over the bagel selection and debate exactly which bagel would be absolutely perfect to suit their particular needs, taking into account symmetry, circumference, color, possible imperfections, and possible flavor options, then moving on to find the perfect banana, not too green, not too brown, no visible bruising, perfect size...

                   

                  Boom!  Reuseable Boston Marathon lunch bag filled with food goodies.  Done.  Take your bag, move the hell along.

                   

                  Genius.  It was almost like someone who organized the race had actually run a race before.  I'm not used to that. 

                   

                  (Also, it stops people from collecting for the family buffet so the slower runners aren't stuck with scraps).

                  I want to do it because I want to do it.  -Amelia Earhart

                   

                  Trent


                  Good Bad & The Monkey

                    They appeared to have lunch bags this year.  But I am not certain since I jumped the barricade immediately after crossing the finish line, and then disappeared into the crowd.

                    HermosaBoy


                      They appeared to have lunch bags this year.  But I am not certain since I jumped the barricade immediately after crossing the finish line, and then disappeared into the crowd.

                       

                      Who was that masked man???

                      And you can quote me as saying I was mis-quoted. Groucho Marx

                       

                      Rob

                      runnerclay


                      Consistently Slow

                        Boston was tremendous. One and Done! Back to the Ultra World I go.

                        Run until the trail runs out.

                         SCHEDULE 2016--

                         The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

                        unsolicited chatter

                        http://bkclay.blogspot.com/

                        jpdeaux


                          The lunch bag was actually sensible this year. Potato chips, Hawaiian sweet bread, a cup of Mandarin oranges, optional bananas, other stuff I forget. Easygoing, soft, sugary, salty food. Not like the sugar-free yogurt they served a few years ago. And the syrupy Gatorade 03 recovery drink irrigated surprisingly well.

                           

                          Another thing that surprised me was how open it was immediately behind the finish line. With no chairs or hordes of volunteers trying to untie chips from shoes, it was wide open for a couple of hundred feet. Of course at 3:05pm it might have been wide open because everyone was already finished.

                            One thing that I thought was very cool was the lunch bag.  I don't know if they did it again, but in 2010 in the finishers corral, rather than having to wait in an unending line behind the people that need twenty minutes to peer over the bagel selection and debate exactly which bagel would be absolutely perfect to suit their particular needs, taking into account symmetry, circumference, color, possible imperfections, and possible flavor options, then moving on to find the perfect banana, not too green, not too brown, no visible bruising, perfect size...

                             

                            Boom!  Reuseable Boston Marathon lunch bag filled with food goodies.  Done.  Take your bag, move the hell along.

                             

                            Genius.  It was almost like someone who organized the race had actually run a race before.  I'm not used to that. 

                             

                            (Also, it stops people from collecting for the family buffet so the slower runners aren't stuck with scraps).

                             

                            Nope.  It was great, they haven't done it since then.  If I recall correctly, it had John Hancock and Nissan printed on it (along with the unicorn of course).  Just a plastic bag, but it was still welcome.  I had no interest in the potato chips other than the salt, but I jammed 'em into my mouth for medicinal purposes.

                            E.J.
                            Greater Lowell Road Runners
                            Cry havoc and let slip the dawgs of war!

                            May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your SPF30, may the rains fall soft upon your sweat-wicking hat, and until you hit the finish line may The Flying Spaghetti Monster hold you in the hollow of His Noodly Appendage.

                            xhristopher


                              Genius.  It was almost like someone who organized the race had actually run a race before.

                               

                              If only they had a few kegs you could have said "exactly like..."

                              bhearn


                                Nope.  It was great, they haven't done it since then.  If I recall correctly, it had John Hancock and Nissan printed on it (along with the unicorn of course).  Just a plastic bag, but it was still welcome.  I had no interest in the potato chips other than the salt, but I jammed 'em into my mouth for medicinal purposes.

                                 

                                Huh? They do that every year. Did you miss it?