2018 Boston Marathon Thread (Read 554 times)

I would add a few things.

1.  You all make me laugh out loud, for real, not "LOL" kinda funny, but I'm really enjoying catching up on this thread this afternoon.

2.  @ilanarama and LedLincoln....  Yeah, she does love me anyway, but I'm sure I don't deserve it.  I've compared her to velociraptors, goats and other things over the years, but always in an affectionate way.  :-)

3.  On the NYCM versus Boston Marathon controversy -- It's hard not to trust a guy's opinion who can pace a marathon down to sub-second mile split precision, so I'm going with bhearn until I get the chance to run NY someday and judge for myself.

4.  Yes, yes.  I saw the horny unicorn as well!  But I missed any clever or suggestive signs at Wellesley because I always steer clear to the left after my 2004 debacle when I decided thenceforth I would do *everything* differently.

BTW, you guys, I think I am going to get a top 20 AG T-shirt from the BAA.  I can't hardly believe it.  I *never* would have dared to dream I would land on any sort of podium at the Boston Marathon, even if it is just the 50-54 age group T-shirt podium.  I might have to hermetically seal that thing up until the apocalypse like my beautiful wife did with her wedding dress when we got married last century.

2.  @ilanarama and LedLincoln....  Yeah, she does love me anyway, but I'm sure I don't deserve it.  I've compared her to velociraptors, goats and other things over the years, but always in an affectionate way.  :-)

 BTW, you guys, I think I am going to get a top 20 AG T-shirt from the BAA.  I can't hardly believe it.  I *never* would have dared to dream I would land on any sort of podium at the Boston Marathon, even if it is just the 50-54 age group T-shirt podium.  I might have to hermetically seal that thing up until the apocalypse like my beautiful wife did with her wedding dress when we got married last century.

Fantastic!! Big congrats!

Congrats to all!  MichaelMarty, WOW!

Great times by others in adverse conditions.

My take from everything I read is if you didn't push the limits to the point of hypothermia and were able to keep running, the average time penalty from the conditions was around 5 minutes.

I made it, and snuck in just under 3 hours.  This was my 5th Boston, but the first where I was acutely aware of "Right on Hereford, Left on Boylston."  I think in years past I was looking for family and really not paying attention to the moment.  This was also the first year I think I could see the clock at the finish line from so far away, painfully ticking up the precious seconds as I pathetically tried to kick and keep the first digit of my time as a 2.

Like others have mentioned, I think I'm done with the big city marathons.  Boston is a great experience, but it's expensive with logistics that are a beating.

The conditions were less than ideal, but i enjoyed it as much as humanly possible.

Last year i had a PF injury that had kept me from running from may 1 through most of July. Then whatever mileage i had sucked as i couldn't shake the foot pain i still had. I almost didn't register but did so after my wife and other runners in our group said that i might regret it if i didn't.

I was able to keep mileage up and got my training in. I was just interested in finishing since all other training before january was non existent.

AS April neared i had enough mileage and speed to do decently. But like most runners my times sucked.

I started out trying to hold a 7:20-30 and that worked for the 1st 7 miles until my Garmin went apeshit from the rain. I couldn't mess with it as my hands were cold.

I decided to run by feel and conserve so i could get up those hills. Boston really is a fast course without the heavy rain. I did walk about 1/4 mile or so combined. I wanted to enjoy the race and not kill myself doing it. Late in the run i had to adjust the bags that were on my feet. This required taking off a soaked glove and putting it back on. This process took about 2-3 minutes.

After mile 7 i stopped at every other water stop and drank some water. I could have been about 5 minutes faster but i was interested in finishing and enjoying the experience, and i did.

Once i saw the turn for Boyleston i started to hyperventilate. I was so excited and emotional i was wondering WTF was wrong with me. Never has that happened.

my bq time was 3:10 and my finish was 3:33. It was pretty far off, but a was really happy to finish.Some weren't so fortunate.

I turn 45 in 2 years and i could bq with a 3:20 and that should be pretty easy for me.

I started out trying to hold a 7:20-30 and that worked for the 1st 7 miles until my Garmin went apeshit from the rain. I couldn't mess with it as my hands were cold.

 

Good job, man, and congratulations.  Very emotional that first finish.  I totally get it.

BTW, what Garmin model went crazy on you?

I don’t know if you’re still reading but this was my 3rd time staying at the park plaza...reserve through Marathon tours and it was $312/night. Still a lot but perfect location. They also offered private bus transportation to the start($55)  where you could stay aboard as long as you like. I’m betting next year people will jump on that. Also, this was the year they moved the expo...they do this every 5 years because of some preset conflict with JHConvention center but it will return there next year and it’s walking distance from BPP.

congrats to all of the finishers! #11 for me and as always, Boston chews me up and spits me out 😂

Thinking back through the whole experience after describing it to coworkers and friends several times over the last few days one of the most memorable things about it to me was after the finish.

 

I was staying at the Boston Park Plaza and after the race met up with my family and then walked back to the hotel.  As we came into the lobby there was a line of hotel employees on each side of the entry way cheering and clapping very loudly.  They were screaming like I had just crossed the finish line.  They were doing this for each runner as they came back in the hotel wet, cold and tired.  It was really neat and very unexpected.  (now I've ruined it if someone else stays there and comes in after the race).

 

As far as hotels to stay at, I really did like staying there and felt like it was a great location.  It did cost $500ish per night booked on hotwire back in August or September.  It was about 1/4 mile from where we loaded the buses that morning and it was 4/10 of a mile from the finish line.  In retrospect it would have been easier to just meet my family at the hotel after the finish line instead of going to met them at the designated meeting area for our last name.  I think the way to the meeting area was almost the same distance as it would have been to get to the hotel the way you had to go back and around to the meeting area.

 

On my destination races, I haven't ever really wanted to do the same race more than once, but I do want to do this again and will hope for a more spectator friendly day because everyone kept talking about how extremely thin the crowds were this year (and I don't blame them, I wouldn't have wanted to stand out there in the wind and rain either).  From what people were saying it is a very different race when the weather is good and the spectators are out in full force.

 

I would like to experience that.

 

My 2 cents.  Nathan

I don’t know if you’re still reading but this was my 3rd time staying at the park plaza...reserve through Marathon tours and it was $312/night. Still a lot but perfect location. They also offered private bus transportation to the start($55)  where you could stay aboard as long as you like. I’m betting next year people will jump on that. Also, this was the year they moved the expo...they do this every 5 years because of some preset conflict with JHConvention center but it will return there next year and it’s walking distance from BPP.

 

congrats to all of the finishers! #11 for me and as always, Boston chews me up and spits me out 😂

it's interesting, it seems like I'm only seeing crazy high prices ($500+) for hotels, not at this level. Do these tour groups get some super special rate?