2021 Boston Marathon Thread (Read 267 times)

Julia1971


    I am registered!  Excited by the prospect of finally getting a blue and yellow jacket.  Smile

     

    I have lost a lot of fitness in the past two years so I am not excited at the idea of running London on October 3rd and then trying to run Boston a week later.  I went ahead and bought the insurance because injury seems likely.

    CalBears


      Ha-ha - I had the same thoughts about the jacket. I have orange one, I have a purple one, gave up on buying the green one and looking forward to classic colors Smile Registered few minutes ago - strangely enough, the system found CIM race but didn't find my name and time there. Oh, well - hopefully they figure it out. Hope to collect enough points in Abbott Marathons Series - maybe to sneak in to London? Or Tokyo? Smile Not sure what the rules are.

      paces PRs - 5K - 5:48  /  10K - 6:05  /  HM - 6:14  /  FM - 6:26 per mile

      JMac11


      RIP Milkman

        Cal - I had problems with CIM for Boston too. Not sure what it is about that race that they have trouble getting the names verified.

        5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

         

         

        CalBears


          Cal - I had problems with CIM for Boston too. Not sure what it is about that race that they have trouble getting the names verified.

           

          Hey, JMac - you are not supposed to run Boston - you are the Indy guy Smile

          paces PRs - 5K - 5:48  /  10K - 6:05  /  HM - 6:14  /  FM - 6:26 per mile

          JMac11


          RIP Milkman

             

            Hey, JMac - you are not supposed to run Boston - you are the Indy guy Smile

             

            Definitely not running it in October heat! Don't know why they couldn't do it in mid to late November after all of the other majors were over. Why go earlier? Makes no sense.

            5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

             

             

            CalBears


               

              Definitely not running it in October heat! Don't know why they couldn't do it in mid to late November after all of the other majors were over. Why go earlier? Makes no sense.

               

              You know, I noticed - it's always either too warm, or too cold, or rain or snow, or wind or thunderstorm. The weather will be the same for all runners. So, just change your priorities - go for placement, not for time. That's what I will do. I know I will not beat my PR, so, I will run to be placed as high as possible. That's what kayry did - he finished 1st in his AG in a terrible Boston weather - it was awfully cold, rainy and windy. But he finished 1st AG - in my books it is way bigger achievement than beating your PR in a good weather, when everybody is beating it. Just find positive.

               

              And honestly - I just miss racing, running races with people - it doesn't matter to me right now what the weather will be - not a factor for now...

              paces PRs - 5K - 5:48  /  10K - 6:05  /  HM - 6:14  /  FM - 6:26 per mile

              JMac11


              RIP Milkman

                I agree with that approach if you have no real shot at a PR - why not just go an enjoy a good race vs. CIM again? I still think I have one more PR in these legs if I hit everything perfectly the rest of this year, so I'm not bothering with Boston.

                 

                Once I feel like lifetime PRs are done, then it's all just having fun at all races. Although I will never beat that guy who ran the NYC Half in a full business suit in 1:11. That was absurd.

                5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

                 

                 

                CalBears


                  I agree with that approach if you have no real shot at a PR - why not just go an enjoy a good race vs. CIM again? I still think I have one more PR in these legs if I hit everything perfectly the rest of this year, so I'm not bothering with Boston.

                   

                  Once I feel like lifetime PRs are done, then it's all just having fun at all races. Although I will never beat that guy who ran the NYC Half in a full business suit in 1:11. That was absurd.

                   

                  Wait... Where did I mention running just for fun? Placing high on the finishers board is going to be really tough (especially if you run in a heat, for example, or in freezing rain). Though, it's definitely fun if you are placed at the top (at the top of AG of course, just to sound sane) Smile

                  paces PRs - 5K - 5:48  /  10K - 6:05  /  HM - 6:14  /  FM - 6:26 per mile

                  Andres1045


                    Signed up using my Houston 2020 time. But it didn't find my name either. I didn't know it was supposed to. Hopefully I filled it all out correctly.

                     

                    I agree with that approach if you have no real shot at a PR - why not just go an enjoy a good race vs. CIM again? I still think I have one more PR in these legs if I hit everything perfectly the rest of this year, so I'm not bothering with Boston.

                     

                    Once I feel like lifetime PRs are done, then it's all just having fun at all races. Although I will never beat that guy who ran the NYC Half in a full business suit in 1:11. That was absurd.

                    I do think you're missing Cal's point a little. He wasn't suggesting just go out and drink a beer with the Boston College guys and enjoy the day.

                     

                    The downside of your "going all in for one last PR" at any race is that if the weather sucks, and it's not going to happen, you feel your race is ruined before you even start. You've thrown away all of your training. With Cal's strategy--setting some other goal like placement in AG in a big race--the weather is irrelevant. It doesn't have to be Boston. CIM is just as good for that. Tons of fast people run that. If you set your goal as "top XX" then weather isn't much of a factor.

                     

                    Also, you still have plenty of time to PR. I'd expect you to be within PR reach until your early to mid 40s, at very least. If you want to keep running serious long term, which you've hinted at before that you don't really want to, it could help to move away from setting so much importance in the PR. Find other goals and you'll still manage a PR.

                    Upcoming races: Boston

                    JMac11


                    RIP Milkman

                      I perhaps didn't word my post correctly. When I said enjoy, I meant not be so stressed about PR and therefore weather.

                       

                      I think I'd only go for placing if I know that the PR is out the window, due to training or weather. I'd also go for placing at a place like Boston or NYC. Placing in other races just doesn't do it for me.

                       

                      In terms of getting PRs, I don't think getting them into your mid 40s is really standard. Marathons peaks seem to be in early to mid 30s. A lot of people on this forum can probably get them into their 40s or even later, but that's because they started running much later in life. I'm a firm believer in the idea that you only have so many good marathons / years in your legs of running. Not that your legs somehow stop working if you put too many races in, but most people throw around 7ish years of snagging PRs and I think that's about right unless I was willing to start training for 100 mile weeks. .

                       

                      Maybe my perspective will change once I know the PR days are over. I'm not trying to predict how I will feel in the future. But right now, I'd rather train for that than some arbitrary placement number.

                      5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

                       

                       

                      CalBears


                        I perhaps didn't word my post correctly. When I said enjoy, I meant not be so stressed about PR and therefore weather.

                         

                        I think I'd only go for placing if I know that the PR is out the window, due to training or weather. I'd also go for placing at a place like Boston or NYC. Placing in other races just doesn't do it for me.

                         

                        In terms of getting PRs, I don't think getting them into your mid 40s is really standard. Marathons peaks seem to be in early to mid 30s. A lot of people on this forum can probably get them into their 40s or even later, but that's because they started running much later in life. I'm a firm believer in the idea that you only have so many good marathons / years in your legs of running. Not that your legs somehow stop working if you put too many races in, but most people throw around 7ish years of snagging PRs and I think that's about right unless I was willing to start training for 100 mile weeks. .

                         

                        Maybe my perspective will change once I know the PR days are over. I'm not trying to predict how I will feel in the future. But right now, I'd rather train for that than some arbitrary placement number.

                         

                        I am not sure if that is the age difference or something else? Training for a PR is mostly a very risky (loser?) game. Too many factors you can't control. Like weather for any given race. Even CIM can have bad weather from time to time (2012??). What about training? Let's say you have 12 weeks cycle and you missed one week due to twisted ankle and another - due to some flu. What then? If you are training for a PR, you basically can throw a white flag in that situation. I think, from all my training cycles maybe two or three were kind of ideal - without any issues (and one of them was a PR cycle). I would still change your wording (and probably more than wording) - you should train for the best you could do in any particular training cycle. In that case you won't be whining at the end of the most cycles how unfortunate you are - either because you missed few workouts for different reasons or weather is not too perfect for you .

                         

                        Just try to imagine that most of the marathoners here are not running/training for PRs (for different reasons - age, attitude, wisdom, etc...) and they still find something that drives them in that training year after year (rivalry with some virtual friend from far away island? Smile, points to get to World Marathons series, AG results - yes, believe me, that is something that will be valuable to you in 15-20 years Smile.

                        paces PRs - 5K - 5:48  /  10K - 6:05  /  HM - 6:14  /  FM - 6:26 per mile

                        CalBears


                          Interesting... It has been a week since the registration closed and still no notifications or any update. I wonder why it takes so long - they have all the data, I would guess 7 days is more than enough to filter those 20,000 runners out. As I said - interesting...

                          paces PRs - 5K - 5:48  /  10K - 6:05  /  HM - 6:14  /  FM - 6:26 per mile

                          Running Problem


                          Problem Child

                             

                            To be honest it's much better than: "Is that the year they blew up the finish-line?"

                             

                            Take what you can get.

                             

                            I don’t think they’ll make a movie about covid 19 and the great pandemic. I get....to train for another year.

                            Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.

                            VDOT 53.37 

                            5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22

                            Running Problem


                            Problem Child

                              Interesting... It has been a week since the registration closed and still no notifications or any update. I wonder why it takes so long - they have all the data, I would guess 7 days is more than enough to filter those 20,000 runners out. As I said - interesting...

                               

                              Early May is what they’re saying on their website. Burning man was canceled so I’m not sure how Boston will allow 20,000 people  in town even requiring vaccination.

                              Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.

                              VDOT 53.37 

                              5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22

                              CalBears


                                 Early May is what they’re saying on their website. Burning man was canceled so I’m not sure how Boston will allow 20,000 people  in town even requiring vaccination.

                                 

                                Ha! So, potentially they might cancel this Boston too (yeah, I know, I know - it's always a possibility but I was looking at the data, at the fact that very high percentage of people will be vaccinated by October - pretty sure it will be more than half, so I thought the race is a very strong 'yes'), looks like - darn - I hope not. I forgot - did they have refunds for 2020 race? Or did they just converted it automatically to Virtual Run? I don't want any virtual runs.

                                paces PRs - 5K - 5:48  /  10K - 6:05  /  HM - 6:14  /  FM - 6:26 per mile