Forums >Racing>Wondering if I should run Boston in my declining years...
Fight The Future
It's been 5 months since I've done any real running at all. I wonder if it would be at all fun to run Boston one last time.
The only time I've run Boston before was in 2013. I thought it was pretty good, but not quite as fantastic as I had hoped. In part, the late start time threw me off, because I didn't eat enough breakfast. I still managed to run a BQ - 16 time. Then, the bombs put a big damper on the entire experience. I promised myself I would go back this year, but had so many different injuries that I had to cancel. First it was plantar fasciitis, then peroneal tendon pain, and finally what seemed like a mild stress fracture, all on the left side (not officially diagnosed, but couldn't hop on that leg for 10 days). I decided to take off 3 months to let everything heal. The gap extended to 5 months, due to a broken arm (ortho pod said I couldn't run during the first 6 weeks of repair). So now I have no endurance or legs, but I realized I do still have a qualifying time from an October race (that race sucked for me, due to foot pain, but I did make it in BQ - 8 min).
I was talking to Jeff Galloway at an event a few weeks ago, and he was waxing on about how wonderful walk breaks are, and I started thinking it might be worth a try for my crappy old legs. Have been running with walk breaks for a week or so, and I do think it feels better, and no pain. It's tempting to go back and do a final victory lap at Boston before completely hanging up the marathon shoes, but on the other hand, what a loser I would be if I would actually Gallowalk Boston, eh? What do other old runners think? Is there much satisfaction running a race that you know will have no chance of being a PR?
King of PhotoShop
Sometimes I think the way you do, but then optimism and joy end up prevailing. One thing I remind my fellow runners who are now past their speed prime is this: All your fastest times occurred long ago. You'll never have them back. But you don't need to. Now you have a chance to enjoy the spirit and camaraderie of racing, and at Boston especially because it's a venue of great history and tradition.
After the 2013 bombing incident, in which I was stopped, I got an invite to go back, but I declined, thinking it would be better to let someone else have my place because of the crowded field. I'm 68 now, and could qualify again, and I'm not at all bothered by my age or my 4+ hour finish times. We've earned our spots and we're as welcome there as anywhere else.
Your situation is a bit different from mine in that you have had some really debilitating injuries, but assuming you are healed up, and no matter whether you can run or jog/walk, why not go and enjoy the Boston experience one more time. I hope you go, and if you do I hope you start another thread in which you tell us how joyous it was for you as a runner to go to Boston. Don't listen to those elitists who tell you that Gallo-walking isn't real running. You earned your place. Go and have fun. Spareribs
I think you should. I think you'll regret NOT doing it. And to not do it because of what other people think is a bad reason not to do it. Plus, I don't think 2013 should be your lasting memory of the race. Post-race Boston Marathon is so much fun.
Sorry it's been such a rough year for running.
My blog is JT Running DC. It's awesome. Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes. Guide to the New York City Marathon. Guide to the Boston Marathon. Guide to Running Gear. Guide to Running Clothes.
We've earned our spots and we're as welcome there as anywhere else.
This.
A list of my PRs in a misguided attempt to impress people that do not care.
Consistently Slow
Is there much satisfaction running a race that you know will have no chance of being a PR?
You are kidding? I would not go to any races if a PR was the goal. 50 miler 13:29: x x. Next to last finisher. More than Satisfied with finishing.
PS: BQ qualifier was a 19 year PR 2012. Injured and hottest Boston ever. 1:45x off PR. Unbelievably satisfied!!!
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
http://bkclay.blogspot.com/
Is there much satisfaction running a race that you know will have no chance of being a PR? You are kidding? I would not go to any races if a PR was the goal. 50 miler 13:29: x x. Next to last finisher. More than Satisfied with finishing. PS: BQ qualifier was a 19 year PR 2012. Injured and hottest Boston ever. 1:45x off PR. Unbelievably satisfied!!!
Agree with runnerclay.
I'm glad you used the word 'satisfaction' in that question. I may not PR much, if at all, anymore but wow, do I get a whole lot of satisfaction out of crossing the line knowing I trained and raced to the best of my ability on that day. If you feel like Mick Jagger did then maybe you should hang up the marathon shoes.
Hey northernman! I was hoping to meet up with you at THIS year's Boston. Sorry to hear about the injuries. I agree with everyone else (that you should do it, and PR's aren't the end-all), but I will add one thing about "Gallowalking" at Boston. I did not intend to walk at Boston this year, but leg cramps around mile 18 forced me to walk/jog the rest of the way to the finish. My PR hopes vanished, so I soaked up the love from the crowds. I had an incredible time high-fiving people along the course, and they seemed to cheer harder for those, like me, who were struggling. It got very emotional for me, in a good way. It was very satisfying.
I'd like to do it again some day, and hopefully have a better performance. But I wouldn't hesitate to mix in some walking. It might have postponed the onset of leg cramps in my case. One up-side of walking near the finish: MarathonFoto took like a zillion pictures of me.
not bad for mile 25
... soaked up the love from the crowds...
This may be what Boston is all about. Go for it!
Wow, not much controversy about it out there in runner land! OK, I'm in! Just please pardon the complaints from others about people who stop to walk. (I'm thinking maybe I can rig up a stop light on my butt or something that goes off every few minutes to warn people behind me.)
Thanks all
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Joanie has been running for decades, and appears to enjoy it. Obviously she's not chasing PRs.
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
The qualifiing standards and rules are supposed to remove that wonder and make it easy for you. Either you are in or you are out.
If you are recovered enough to run ANY marathon next spring is a different question.
Hey northernman! I was hoping to meet up with you at THIS year's Boston.
Hey, Subdood! Good to hear from you. Sorry I missed you at Boston. Hang in there, you haven't reached your peak yet
I never ran Boston when I was a good (and young) runner. Ran in 2013 the first and the only time and will go back in 2015. I was in for 2014 but I was injured and I really want to do it again. If you need to run/walk so what? It's your race, do what you need to do and enjoy it.
Slow and steady never wins anything.
...What do other old runners think? Is there much satisfaction running a race that you know will have no chance of being a PR?
Lagat is still running the 1500, and his chance of getting a PR at that is essentially zero.
MTA: Unless he uses that jetpack from ASU that everybody keeps reposting about...
Lagat is still running the 1500, and his chance of getting a PR at that is essentially zero. MTA: Unless he uses that jetpack from ASU that everybody keeps reposting about...
Only people who set PRs in older years (lets say over 40) are the ones who never ran at decent competitive level. That is just a fact of aging, no matter how awesome and incredible some older runners are.
My PRs mean absolutely nothing now. I'd be OK with my marathon PR + 30 minutes, but as I get older and older, just the fact that I can still run a few miles almost every day is good enough for me.