Sub-3:30 Marathon in 2012 Goal Thread (Read 4592 times)

xor


    good luck Monday in Boston!

     

    chuckstone

    EGH3

    j_d

    Julia1971
    srlopez

    TMacky22

     

    I've been half a$$ing it to some extent, I guess I'll predict to come in around 3:35, which is where I was in October for my last marathon.  Maybe a little better, but probably nothing to write home about.

     

    Thanks for the luck, but previously posted, I'm not going for sub 3:30.  Though I have not been half assing.

     

      Thanks for the luck, but previously posted, I'm not going for sub 3:30.  Though I have not been half assing.

       oh I know,  I read how sick that you had been, but also noticed you were going for a decent time that many could never achieve, so you can take my good luck and you can like it  Wink

      flauta


        I am all in - Providence Marathon 5/6/12!
        Julia1971


          Pre-Race

           

          The Heat.  As you all know, the forecast was calling for an 80+ degree day.  Gradually, I realized that my sub-3:20 goal would probably not happen that day.

           

          Revised "Motivators".  Reading online, people were reporting running 10-30 minutes slower in that kind of heat.  I felt like I needed some kind of "motivator", so I picked a couple things in that range - maybe I can give the sub-3:30 thread a graduate or maybe I can NYQ with a 3:38.  (New York uses the age when you ran the race and I was 39 when I ran my 3:27 last year).

           

          Race Day

           

          The day started with a walk to the buses at Boston Common to take us to Hopkinton.  It was kind of chilly so I was hoping maybe they messed up the forecast and it wouldn’t be so bad.  I’ve run some pretty big races and even I was amazed by the crowds.  But, the police and volunteers had everything in control.  It took about a half hour for me to get on a bus.  I ended up sitting next to a nice local and we gabbed the whole way to Hopkinton.

           

          I arrive at the Athlete’s Village a little before 9am maybe and it's no longer chilly.  It's hot.  I’ve been drinking a lot of fluids so I immediately had to the port-a potties and then find a spot of shade to get myself ready to run.  I decide to just go with a sports bra and compression shorts.  (I begin to think I should have done some sit-ups at some point in those last 18 weeks).  I carry a water bottle with me and stash Shot Blocks and 2 Nuun tables in my bra straps.  The call to the start was kind of confusing and I end up arriving at my corral with about two minutes to spare.

           

          Race

           

          Early Miles.  The start is crowded.  It was really hard to get any speed but I tried to keep in mind some of the advice I’d read online about not going to fast early.  Still, I found myself slightly annoyed by all the weaving and jockeying.  I would say people didn’t settle down until Mile 8ish.

           

          I’d been debating whether to start take the Nuun early or late in the race.  I decide if I don’t take them early, I may not need them late so I plop the first tab in my hand held bottle.  The first water stop was mayhem as was pretty much every water stop thereafter.  I guess people hadn’t read that the water stops were staggered – there would be water and Gatorade on both sides – so there were runners veering from one side of the course to the other.  It was pretty dangerous.  I decide to run through some of the early ones since I have my Nuun but soon realize that plan is not going to work since I went through that first bottle pretty quickly.

           

          I’d texted a couple RAers hoping for a meet up at some point.  SRLopez and I exchanged details on what we’d be wearing so we could spot each other.  So, I’m running behind a guy in a singlet that has the word “cancer”, a number of years, and “I win” and remember being happy for that guy.  I pull along side to pass and notice the details of what he’s wearing.  I tentatively ask, “Robert?” and it’s him!  We chit chat for a little bit and then I take off – I can run or talk, I can’t do both.

           

          I did a fair amount of high-fiving during this section of the race.  The kids were adorable - some of them were concentrating so hard hoping for a high five or that someone would take their cup of water.  There was cute overload all race long.

           

          Middle Miles.  I tend to struggle in the middle miles, so I was really trying to stay strong and focused.  I’d been running with my iPod.  I planned to listen through the hills and enjoy the crowds a the end.  But by Mile 11 or so, it dies.  In retrospect, it was probably a good thing because I would have been tempted to listen to music at the end.

           

          I was feeling great coming out of Wellesley.  I hit the mid-way point at 1:44:something.  (Officially, it was 1:44:55).  I think, “Maybe I can go sub-3:30”?  I am queen of the even marathon splits.  But, those thoughts vanish pretty quickly.  At Mile 15 or so I start feeling like my breathing was really off and got a little dizzy.  Oh no, I might be in trouble.  As I hit the first incline into Newton, I consider walking but I know if I started walking I wouldn’t want to run again.  So, I decide to just go very slow.  I take the entire Newton Hills stretch easy and start taking two cups of fluids at the water stations - one in and one on. 

           

          This is also where a lot of runners did start walking.  It became crazy trying to avoid the walker, particularly at water stops.  The crowds in Newton were amazing, though.  They knew how hard it was for us and were really trying to encourage us, so I tried to soak that up.  I crest Heart Break Hill and tell myself the worst is over.  I began to think, if I could just get re-hydrated, I can finish this strong.  Sub-3:30 is out but my NYQ is still in play.

           

          End Miles.  This section is mostly flat and downhill.  My pace is all over the place.  I would surge on the downhills and then slow down on the flats and uphills.  I would swing from feeling pretty good to wanting to stop from minute to minute.  I felt no matter how much water I took in, I never felt like it was enough.  The crowds at Boston College really gave me a boost, though.  I pounded out a 7:49 split during that section.  It was non-stop cheering from then on.  This is also the point when I “got” why people love this race.

           

          The Citgo sign!  One mile to go!  But, I hit bottom once again and consider walking.  I can’t believe I’m this close and wanting to quit.  How is that possible?  I keep telling myself, “You have your NYQ if you just finish this out.  A 10 minute mile is all you need”.  We turn onto Boyston and I’m expecting another boost but it doesn’t happen.  The finish looked so far away.  I slogged my way to the end and (hopefully) remembered not to look down at my watch so I'll have a great finish photo.

           

          Post Race

           

          Official time was 3:36:49.  That’s a BQ by 8 minutes if I want to run this thing again next year.  (Given the conditions, I think I should be given a lifetime BQ).  It’s also a NYQ for 2012 by a minute if I decide to run that this fall.  (I did not get into Marine Corps and can only hope for bib transfer at this point).

           

          Epilogue

           

          (As if anyone is still reading this).  Thank you all for following me on this ride.  Feeling accountable to a group of people really did motivate me during this training cycle and I really appreciated your support.  Happy running everyone!

          j_d


            Boston Marathon Race Report:

             

            Given the conditions, I had thrown my race plan out the window and decided to run at or a little above my training pace.

            I started pretty much dead last in corral 9 of wave 3, so it was late and already getting hot. I worked up a pretty good sweat just walking to the starting line. The first 5K was slow due to the crowds, but I managed to get past some people and was able to find some running room and get on pace for the second 5K. I ran mid 8:30's through 25K and was feeling pretty good. Hydrating regularly, running through the hoses, ice cubes under my hat and salty cliff blocks. The heat was tough but manageable. Then I got a pretty bad abdominal cramp. Tried to run through it; no luck. Slowed down, walked. It went away. Great! Until I started running again. My quads had tightened up quite a bit, but I hoped I could run through that. Not a chance. Walked (as fast as possible) two or three minutes each mile from there on out, which increased my pace to 10-11 min miles. It became increasingly difficult and painful to start running after each walking break, but I managed to run all of the Newton hills from deep inside the pain cave, which was a huge mental victory. By this point in the race there was some pretty serious carnage on the course; every medical tent I passed had runners in it getting treatment and people were literally falling off the course around me. I took some comfort in the fact that I was still moving forward and stayed focused on that. It was run-walk-run the rest of the way to Boylston with a sub 4:00 time slowly slipping away. Turning the corner and seeing the finish line was like seeing a mirage in the desert. It looked SO far away. I walked for a block and then dug deep to run out the rest to the finish. 4:04:09  Overall: 9426 out of 22480 starters

             

            A little disappointed that I missed breaking 4:00 by only 4 minutes, but I didn't leave anything on the course and all in all it was an absolutely amazing experience. It was my first marathon and will no doubt be the most memorable. And the title of this thread is Sub 3:30 Marathon in 2012, so there's still time...

            Julia1971


              It looked SO far away. 

               

              So happy to know it wasn't just me.  LOL! 

              kcam


                That is an excellent race in those conditions - Congratulations.  

                Just wanted to comment on "the Citgo" sign - I've run Boston a number of times (though I've never run it in the conditions y'all experienced yesterday) and, without fail, the hardest part of the course for me has been negotiating that overpass on Beacon that takes you over I-90.  In good years and bad that overpass is when I've felt my worst.  You are staring at the Citgo sign knowing you're almost there but you've got that itty bitty overpass to negotiate - to me it's much worse than the Newton Hills.  Anyway .... congrats to you and everyone else who raced yesterday.

                 

                PS - nice race report

                 


                The Citgo sign!  One mile to go!  But, I hit bottom once again and consider walking.  I can’t believe I’m this close and wanting to quit.  How is that possible?  I keep telling myself, “You have your NYQ if you just finish this out.  A 10 minute mile is all you need”.  We turn onto Boyston and I’m expecting another boost but it doesn’t happen.  The finish looked so far away.  I slogged my way to the end and (hopefully) remembered not to look down at my watch so I'll have a great finish photo.

                 

                  Race report: everyone who can, should run boston, it was wild, the crowds were wild, incredible experience, worth every cent
                  j_d


                    Race report: everyone who can, should run boston, it was wild, the crowds were wild, incredible experience, worth every cent

                     +1

                    lewisk3


                       Just started using RunningAHEAD this weekend to plan my BQ training plan and came across this post. I've ran 6 marathons to date with most sub-4hrs and PR of 3:43 on April 1, 2012 in Knoxville.

                       

                      To BQ I need to run a 3:30 and I've signed up for the Wineglass Marathon on Sept 30, 2012 to try and achieve this -- but given my time how realistic is this goal -- cut 13 minutes or 30 sec/mi off my time?

                        Great report Julia! You ran a smart race CONGRATS on a great time in that heat!

                         

                         

                        Nice job as well aussie girl!  

                        Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

                        Julia1971


                          Great report Julia! You ran a smart race CONGRATS on a great time in that heat!

                           

                           

                          Nice job as well aussie girl!  

                           

                          Thanks!  And, I'll be back for another attempt this fall.  Thoughts of qualifying for New York got me through this race, so I think I have to run it now.

                          chuckstone


                            No 3:30 for me - 4:30:29.

                            Considering the conditions I started at a pace for 3:45; by 5k I realized that would not work.

                            Progressively slowed by taking more time at water stops and then walking some between stops and then walking when I was too hot.

                            Each mile took longer and was more uncomfortable for me.  Stopped to talk with family and friends at mile 22.

                            Managed to run without walking from the end of Boyleston the last whatever that is (half mile?) at about 9 minute pace.

                            Still very glad to have done the Boston Marathon.  Awesome support from race workers and unoffical volunteers!

                              No 3:30 for me - 4:30:29.

                               

                              It was absolutely a test of heat tolerance.  I come from a country that is mostly desert, I figured I could take it.  Never in my life have I seen so many elite looking bodies walking and you really did go from one minute of 'I can do this' to absolute dispair.  All it took was a cube of ice or a water spray from a resident, but then after that you're back to direct sunlight. 

                               

                              I just returned from the store with four kinds of whole wheat bread, some kind of slow cooked chilli that I inhaled and ingredients to make minestrone.  Are you guys craving anything or is it just me?

                              Julia1971


                                I just returned from the store with four kinds of whole wheat bread, some kind of slow cooked chilli that I inhaled and ingredients to make minestrone.  Are you guys craving anything or is it just me?

                                 

                                No cravings really for me.  I have been treating myself to all the foods I didn't have during training for fear they'd upset my stomach - sushi, Thai, a milk shake.  (Not all at the same time).  And, I did have a nightmare on Tuesday night about trying to get water from one of those stand pipe things, which was troubling.  Oh, and the skin on my face and neck feels terrible.  Like it's burned but won't peel.  Otherwise, quads are still pretty sore.  Going down stairs is not fun.