dnephin Boston report (Read 655 times)

RA is the BEST! Sadly, I didn't meet any RAers in Boston. This is essentially a layman's report that I also sent to nonrunning family and friends, so there's some "Yeah, I knew that" stuff in it. Hotel: Rodeway in Revere, a bit north of Boston. Not the best sleep. Bed around 10:30 Sun. Sleep? Much later. Wake? Which time? Bathroom, or the people who needed the 4 a.m. shuttle (Why?) So, I was up well before the 5:15 alarm. 6 a.m. shuttle from hotel to T, 20 min. ride to where I got the shuttle to the start. Kathleen could only come to that part, not to the start. More on that in a min. The bus line was huge, so I got in it and wife Kathleen ran, literally, and got me a Dunkin Donuts coffee ("America runs on Dunkin Donuts".) Got on the bus, which is supposed to be about a 45 min drive to the start in Hopkinton, a town -- guess what? -- about 26 miles outside of Boston. Well, our school bus looked funky and new - aerodynamic front, even - but it dogged. EVERYTHING was passing us - other buses, Pintos, Yugos, mopeds. So, that took about 1:15 to get to Hopkinton. I was looking forward to chilling a bit in the Athlete's Village, but basically, I had time only to hit a toilet, eat my energy bar (in line BEFORE the toilet, not after) grab a water and then, my "wave" was called (Boston is divided into two wave starts of about 12,000 each. I was wave 1 for the 10 a.m. start.) Dropped my bag off at the bus (this race has a bazillion volunteers and all great!) and walked the roughly three-quarters of a mile to the starting corrals (you are assigned a corral based on your qualifying time: faster ones closer to the front, slower ones toward the back.) One more bathroom stop (I was intent on not having to stop in this race. In my last marathon, a pit stop cost me about a minute.) While on queue, two fighter jets streaked overhead. Cool. Five people ahead of me and the time was 9:53 a.m. Got in, got done and headed to my corral. Shed my $2 cheapo hoody. As I was walking to the corral, the gun went off. I squeezed in and waited a couple minutes until I shuffled along toward the starting line. We had chips on our shoes linked to sensors, so the wait didn’t count against me. I wish I could remember all the details, but it’s almost like a blur. One thing that was disappointing was how many people lined up in faster corrals than they should have. Had to navigate around some slower people early on. This is a problem in most races, but I didn’t quite expect it as much as I encountered here. Not that it cost me, say, a minute, but still. That’s my only gripe. It’s a downhill start and the smart advice is: don’t be fooled into thinking you can let it rip, because your quads will get you back. I followed that as much as I could. Took about 4 miles to settle into what I felt was a comfortable pace. First mile was very slow because of the crowds. I had a couple fast make up miles in the early part, then settled down. I quickly realized that breaking 3 hours wasn’t going to happen. Partially the crowded start and just how I was feeling. I didn’t really talk with anyone. Couple words here and there. I gave some hand slaps to, oh jeez, maybe 50 or 100 spectators. Had I done it at every opportunity, I’d still be on the course and my hands would be blistered. I did slap hands with a guy dressed like Santa. It was just amazing to see all the spectators. I had read there was a spot or two on the course where the crowds were thin. I have no idea where that was. People were everywhere and it was awesome. Gave you the chills at times. The grey skies in the morning soon gave way to bright sun. It was also breezy. I wouldn’t say I felt a strong headwind, but others said it was windy. Though it wasn’t hot, the sun pounded. My pasty Irish skin got sunburned. Bad. Felt strong at the half, but I also knew I was pushing it. My average pace dropped to around 7:00/7:01 around mile 6 and stayed there til past the halfway point. My strategy was to try to hold it and if I felt good after the hills, open it up. “Treat it as a 5 mile race,” I told myself. I have to say, I found the hills to be not much of a problem. True, they slowed me down somewhat, but I guess running in Pittsburgh prepared me well. After the hills, it’s a downhill finish. But I was starting to tire. “Scrap the finish it as a five mile race plan,” I thought. “Pick it up in the last 5K.” That came and went. “Hold it and pick it up the last two miles.” Then, “Last mile, let it rip.” Nope. Basically, I just hung on and gutted it out. I thought I was picking it up, but I was still slowing down. Down the home stretch, oh, a hundred yards or so from the finish, I saw Kathleen, who had recruited a cheering squad for me. That was nice. I lifted my arms for them, then focused on the finish line. I may have been slowing down, but I was passing people and wasn’t getting passed. I was immediately spent, but as I walked through the post-race area to get my medal and hand in my chip, I started feeling better. Met Kathleen, had a recovery shake, then a beer (I had her carry some in her backpack) and was feeling great. Over to Legal Seafoods for a post race lunch of oysters and Guinness. Still feeling great. Great all night. Tuesday, quads quite sore. Pounded much Scotch and beer Tuesday night. Quads actually more sore Wednesday morning. Even took two Tylenol Wednesdy morning -- and I never take pills (I once snapped my ACL and broke my tibia and took only one Vicodan. Chucked the rest.) Feeling better now. Lot of car time Tuesday probably didn't help. Official time: 3:07:23, a pace of 7:09. Not too shabby. Didn’t hit the A++++ goal of <3 hours, but as i said, i realized that wasn’t going to happen early on. partially the crowds and all, but also, i’m just not at that level. yet. it was a personal record, which i’m told is difficult to do at boston. beat it by more than 5 minutes. (you might see my previous pr was 3:13:13, but, if you knock off a minute spent peeing, i think it's more accurate to count feet moving time for comparison's sake.) 25,283 entered, 22,375 started, 21,963 finished. i finished 2,013, so, in the top 10 percent. 481 in my division of males, 40-49. don’t know how many were in that division. so, i guess i’ll save up for next year. i'd like to do a few more. one to break three (hey, a boy can dream,) one with kathleen (she can make it!) and one taking it easy, maybe with a camera. thanks for reading. hours,="" but="" as="" i="" said,="" i="" realized="" that="" wasn’t="" going="" to="" happen="" early="" on.="" partially="" the="" crowds="" and="" all,="" but="" also,="" i’m="" just="" not="" at="" that="" level.="" yet.="" it="" was="" a="" personal="" record,="" which="" i’m="" told="" is="" difficult="" to="" do="" at="" boston.="" beat="" it="" by="" more="" than="" 5="" minutes.="" (you="" might="" see="" my="" previous="" pr="" was="" 3:13:13,="" but,="" if="" you="" knock="" off="" a="" minute="" spent="" peeing,="" i="" think="" it's="" more="" accurate="" to="" count="" feet="" moving="" time="" for="" comparison's="" sake.)="" 25,283="" entered,="" 22,375="" started,="" 21,963="" finished.="" i="" finished="" 2,013,="" so,="" in="" the="" top="" 10="" percent.="" 481="" in="" my="" division="" of="" males,="" 40-49.="" don’t="" know="" how="" many="" were="" in="" that="" division.="" so,="" i="" guess="" i’ll="" save="" up="" for="" next="" year.="" i'd="" like="" to="" do="" a="" few="" more.="" one="" to="" break="" three="" (hey,="" a="" boy="" can="" dream,)="" one="" with="" kathleen="" (she="" can="" make="" it!)="" and="" one="" taking="" it="" easy,="" maybe="" with="" a="" camera.="" thanks="" for=""></3 hours, but as i said, i realized that wasn’t going to happen early on. partially the crowds and all, but also, i’m just not at that level. yet. it was a personal record, which i’m told is difficult to do at boston. beat it by more than 5 minutes. (you might see my previous pr was 3:13:13, but, if you knock off a minute spent peeing, i think it's more accurate to count feet moving time for comparison's sake.) 25,283 entered, 22,375 started, 21,963 finished. i finished 2,013, so, in the top 10 percent. 481 in my division of males, 40-49. don’t know how many were in that division. so, i guess i’ll save up for next year. i'd like to do a few more. one to break three (hey, a boy can dream,) one with kathleen (she can make it!) and one taking it easy, maybe with a camera. thanks for reading.>

Great report on a great run. I hope to experience running Boston some day, until then I live vicariously through those that have. Everything I've read says that Boston sets you up and knocks you down, which doesn't exactly sound ideal for getting a PR. Well done, your legs are just confirming that you put in a certified HTFU effort. I hope you recover quickly and well. MTA:

Felt strong at the half, but I also knew I was pushing it. My average pace dropped to around 7:00/7:01 around mile 6 and stayed there til past the halfway point.

I'm guessing my clapping and yelling at the six mile mark is responsible for your elevated pace.

Nicely done! Congrats on a great race.

Kudos to you for a great race, Dan. Reports like these (and the many others that have been posted) make it feel even more like I was actually there. That'll come someday, but until then...Thanks and Congrats!

Couldn't have said it better myself. Awesome read and great race.

Just got a chance to read your report Dan....that is an awesome time....you are waaaaaaaay faster than I'll ever be! Congratulations on a terrific BOSTON MARATHON!!!! (now the real question is did you catch any fish on the way back to the "Burg"?) Tim

COngrats!! Great race! I know you didn't sub 3 but dayum. no shame in that still-awesome PR time!

Thanks both of you, Tim & Life's! Now, lifesabeach, I just have to work on the finish line photo op. You lucked out in that the other person isn't terribly in your frame, which would have messed up your awesome pose.

and if I could run as fast as you, I wouldn't have the sun to my back and the shadow over my face. I was totally vying for position, I must admit. I had pictured that finish during every single training run...it had to happen.