Notes
First half: 1:25:02
Second half: 1:20:34
This was so much fun and I'm really happy with how it went. Beckerman found me around 1.5 miles in so we ran together for almost the entire race. Also saw Mesplay which was crazy. I definitely felt the rolling hills in my quads but I felt smooth and controlled the whole race. We were hitting 6:20s so comfortably and the crowds were much bigger in the towns than I was expecting. It was just so enjoyable and I really tried to take it all in.
I saw my grandparents and brother a little after mile 16 then my parents and Grace were just before 24. It was great seeing them and it was really fun pumping up the crowds, especially in the last 10 miles. The Newton hills were not as bad as I was expecting and Heartbreak really isn't terrible it's just that it's long and 20 miles in. Feeding off the crowd and having Beckerman next to me made it feel pretty easy because once we got over it we knew it was all downhill.
I pretty much started kicking with 5 miles left because I felt so good and knew I'd be able to pick it up and hold it. No wall whatsoever. I got moving and felt so strong and smooth and had a smile on my face for most of the last 5 miles. I knew I was going to PR and was excited to see how far under 2:50 I could get.
Fueling went really well. Gels at 6, 13, and 21 and water and/or Gatorade at most aid stations, especially in the second half. I grabbed a Maurten gel at 21 and put it in my pocket just because I wanted to try it later on.
I must've passed hundreds of people in the finals miles. It almost felt like I was in a different race than everyone with how much faster I was moving. My legs were tired but not screaming and I was just having so much fun. I remember my stomach started cramping and my legs were finally kinda dying taking the right turn before the left turn onto Boylston but then I could see the finish and knew I was almost there. 8 minute PR on a "hard course." Shout out to Beckerman too for an amazing race.
I sunburned really badly on my right shoulder which I should've thought about. There was sunscreen before the start but I didn't think I needed it so that was a terrible decision. I guess it's not horrible if that's the worst thing I came away with. Also there was an error with my chip so for awhile my official time was 2:47 but I requested a review and thankfully it was fixed.
Automatic qualifying for Berlin is 2:45 so I just missed that unfortunately but I'll figure out what's next. For now, I'm gonna take a good break and run for fun for awhile.