My lame ass Boston Marathon race report. (Read 1533 times)

The flu is truly evil--and you guys had it BAD in you house. That can definitely take the wind out of a person's sails, especially with all of the other obstacles you had to perfect training. I think you still did awesomely (hey, that's apparently a word, as my browser is not tagging it for spelling...woot!).

I'll post. Travelling. Will read and post.Promised. I missed this place. In short: PR met. Super A++++ goal not met. But, pleased. Crowd/fans were the effin shanizzle. Yeah, I'm that dorky. Fishing tomorrow. And driving a couple/few hundred tomorrow. Wish me luck fishing.

Very nice Mike. I'm gonna have time to catch up on reading some threads today because today (Wednesday) I am the sorest that I've ever been and I'm having trouble walking.

I haven't posted a race report before, but got really into writing about Boston for all the friends and family who were so supportive. I didn't know I'd be running the race until about 6 weeks prior. I found out I'd won the Margaret Bradley Award in honor of my college teammate who passed away in 2004. My goal was to a) honor her memory and enjoy the marathon & surrounding experience b) not go out in 1:31 and come back in 1:54 (true story, Vermont City 2006) c) break 3:20 in the process if possible. I managed to get 1 19 miler in, 2 18 milers, 1 17 miler and 2 15 milers. Without further ado, here is the report: n Monday morning, I kept dropping things and running into doors (a sure sign of early morning grogginess combined with nervous jitters). My dad drove us BACK out to Hopkinton where Cary disguised herself as a racer (not very difficult) and kept me company in the Athletes' Village. We made friends with a Canadian man named George by sharing our permanent marker with him. Lots of people were sitting alone looking nervous, so I was glad to have Cary to distract me until she had to heat off to mile 1 where she was going to jump in to keep me from going out too hard for the first 10 miles. After she left, I wandered around looking for the other friends I had running the race and I warmed up a little. I stood in my coral and tried to avoid the spots of pee collecting from fellow runners using garbage bags to "discreetly" relieve themselves before the start. Having Cary was great. I knew the beginning would be faster than the end, but having her at my side kept me from going crazy on the down-hills. Considering how much my quads hurt now, I can't imagine what would have happened if I'd let loose with all the 7:00 miles I desired. Cary kept me calm, we made fun of the guy with a shirt reading "< 3 hours = sex every day for 3 weeks" running well over 3:00 pace, and she encouraged me to get water even when i didn't think i needed it (thank you). she jumped out of the race at mile 10 where my parents were cheering in natick. they were relieved to see me smiling and waving (as opposed to the scowl-panic hybrid look on my face at mile 10 in vermont) and i tried not to let it bother me that, until yesterday, my primary association with natick was that it was the rest stop kinda far outside boston on the mass pike that served ben and jerry's ice cream. the worst part of the race came almost immediately after natick. my quads were starting to burn from the downhill miles and i knew it was way too early to feel bad. when we went through wellesley, all the men crowded over to the right side of the course where the famous (and underwhelming) "tunnel of love" (which was not a tunnel?) of wellesley women stood screaming and holding signs like "kiss me i'm asian" or "kiss me i'm a senior." at mile 14.5 emily jumped in with me to hand off some gatorade and help me up the hills. i wasn't talking much, but she was wonderful, just occasionally saying, "you look great," (though i'm sure the bloody armpits of my singlet suggested otherwise). in almost all long races, there's a point where i like to say to myself, "you could drop out now and everyone would understand. it would be kind of embarrassing, but your family would still love you and life would go on." i knew i didn't have that option yesterday, so having those "what if..." thoughts were kind of panic-inducing rather than comforting. when i stopped to stretch right after heartbreak hill, a drunk bc student pleaded with me to keep going, saying, "come on, amanda, you're the best runner i know," which i thought was funny since a few thousand runners had just gone past me. i did manage to rally after the hills, though, and somehow, despite walking through the water stops at this point, and stretching out my quads a few times, bring it home in 3:19. i think i even did that arms raised thing when i crossed the finish line (although i was also really concerned with stopping my watch, so i think i my arms were raised as i stopped my watch the second my foot hit the timing pad at the finish--that ought to be an awesome picture.) it was pretty exciting. ten days ago when i still didn't know if i'd get into the race or not, i told myself that boston was over-rated and the new jersey shore marathon would be just as awesome. i'm sure the topography of the new jersey shore marathon would have been even more awesome, but the crowds at boston really were as cool as i remembered from when i used to go watch in high school. the whole city was involved--runners congratulating each other at the finish, faces caked in salt, and legs stiff like zombies, recognizable even far from the finish line as we walked down the stairs to the t backwards. even when we stopped at a gas station an hour west of boston on the way home, the parking lot was filled with limping runners wearing jeans and their race shirts, smiling at each other and grimacing as they slowly made their ways to the bathroom. so now i'm home, and i'm tired, and i want to do another one. 3="" hours="sex" every="" day="" for="" 3="" weeks"="" running="" well="" over="" 3:00="" pace,="" and="" she="" encouraged="" me="" to="" get="" water="" even="" when="" i="" didn't="" think="" i="" needed="" it="" (thank="" you).="" she="" jumped="" out="" of="" the="" race="" at="" mile="" 10="" where="" my="" parents="" were="" cheering="" in="" natick.="" they="" were="" relieved="" to="" see="" me="" smiling="" and="" waving="" (as="" opposed="" to="" the="" scowl-panic="" hybrid="" look="" on="" my="" face="" at="" mile="" 10="" in="" vermont)="" and="" i="" tried="" not="" to="" let="" it="" bother="" me="" that,="" until="" yesterday,="" my="" primary="" association="" with="" natick="" was="" that="" it="" was="" the="" rest="" stop="" kinda="" far="" outside="" boston="" on="" the="" mass="" pike="" that="" served="" ben="" and="" jerry's="" ice="" cream.="" the="" worst="" part="" of="" the="" race="" came="" almost="" immediately="" after="" natick.="" my="" quads="" were="" starting="" to="" burn="" from="" the="" downhill="" miles="" and="" i="" knew="" it="" was="" way="" too="" early="" to="" feel="" bad.="" when="" we="" went="" through="" wellesley,="" all="" the="" men="" crowded="" over="" to="" the="" right="" side="" of="" the="" course="" where="" the="" famous="" (and="" underwhelming)="" "tunnel="" of="" love"="" (which="" was="" not="" a="" tunnel?)="" of="" wellesley="" women="" stood="" screaming="" and="" holding="" signs="" like="" "kiss="" me="" i'm="" asian"="" or="" "kiss="" me="" i'm="" a="" senior."="" at="" mile="" 14.5="" emily="" jumped="" in="" with="" me="" to="" hand="" off="" some="" gatorade="" and="" help="" me="" up="" the="" hills.="" i="" wasn't="" talking="" much,="" but="" she="" was="" wonderful,="" just="" occasionally="" saying,="" "you="" look="" great,"="" (though="" i'm="" sure="" the="" bloody="" armpits="" of="" my="" singlet="" suggested="" otherwise).="" in="" almost="" all="" long="" races,="" there's="" a="" point="" where="" i="" like="" to="" say="" to="" myself,="" "you="" could="" drop="" out="" now="" and="" everyone="" would="" understand.="" it="" would="" be="" kind="" of="" embarrassing,="" but="" your="" family="" would="" still="" love="" you="" and="" life="" would="" go="" on."="" i="" knew="" i="" didn't="" have="" that="" option="" yesterday,="" so="" having="" those="" "what="" if..."="" thoughts="" were="" kind="" of="" panic-inducing="" rather="" than="" comforting.="" when="" i="" stopped="" to="" stretch="" right="" after="" heartbreak="" hill,="" a="" drunk="" bc="" student="" pleaded="" with="" me="" to="" keep="" going,="" saying,="" "come="" on,="" amanda,="" you're="" the="" best="" runner="" i="" know,"="" which="" i="" thought="" was="" funny="" since="" a="" few="" thousand="" runners="" had="" just="" gone="" past="" me.="" i="" did="" manage="" to="" rally="" after="" the="" hills,="" though,="" and="" somehow,="" despite="" walking="" through="" the="" water="" stops="" at="" this="" point,="" and="" stretching="" out="" my="" quads="" a="" few="" times,="" bring="" it="" home="" in="" 3:19.="" i="" think="" i="" even="" did="" that="" arms="" raised="" thing="" when="" i="" crossed="" the="" finish="" line="" (although="" i="" was="" also="" really="" concerned="" with="" stopping="" my="" watch,="" so="" i="" think="" i="" my="" arms="" were="" raised="" as="" i="" stopped="" my="" watch="" the="" second="" my="" foot="" hit="" the="" timing="" pad="" at="" the="" finish--that="" ought="" to="" be="" an="" awesome="" picture.)="" it="" was="" pretty="" exciting.="" ten="" days="" ago="" when="" i="" still="" didn't="" know="" if="" i'd="" get="" into="" the="" race="" or="" not,="" i="" told="" myself="" that="" boston="" was="" over-rated="" and="" the="" new="" jersey="" shore="" marathon="" would="" be="" just="" as="" awesome.="" i'm="" sure="" the="" topography="" of="" the="" new="" jersey="" shore="" marathon="" would="" have="" been="" even="" more="" awesome,="" but="" the="" crowds="" at="" boston="" really="" were="" as="" cool="" as="" i="" remembered="" from="" when="" i="" used="" to="" go="" watch="" in="" high="" school.="" the="" whole="" city="" was="" involved--runners="" congratulating="" each="" other="" at="" the="" finish,="" faces="" caked="" in="" salt,="" and="" legs="" stiff="" like="" zombies,="" recognizable="" even="" far="" from="" the="" finish="" line="" as="" we="" walked="" down="" the="" stairs="" to="" the="" t="" backwards.="" even="" when="" we="" stopped="" at="" a="" gas="" station="" an="" hour="" west="" of="" boston="" on="" the="" way="" home,="" the="" parking="" lot="" was="" filled="" with="" limping="" runners="" wearing="" jeans="" and="" their="" race="" shirts,="" smiling="" at="" each="" other="" and="" grimacing="" as="" they="" slowly="" made="" their="" ways="" to="" the="" bathroom.="" so="" now="" i'm="" home,="" and="" i'm="" tired,="" and="" i="" want="" to="" do="" another="" one.=""></ 3 hours = sex every day for 3 weeks" running well over 3:00 pace, and she encouraged me to get water even when i didn't think i needed it (thank you). she jumped out of the race at mile 10 where my parents were cheering in natick. they were relieved to see me smiling and waving (as opposed to the scowl-panic hybrid look on my face at mile 10 in vermont) and i tried not to let it bother me that, until yesterday, my primary association with natick was that it was the rest stop kinda far outside boston on the mass pike that served ben and jerry's ice cream. the worst part of the race came almost immediately after natick. my quads were starting to burn from the downhill miles and i knew it was way too early to feel bad. when we went through wellesley, all the men crowded over to the right side of the course where the famous (and underwhelming) "tunnel of love" (which was not a tunnel?) of wellesley women stood screaming and holding signs like "kiss me i'm asian" or "kiss me i'm a senior." at mile 14.5 emily jumped in with me to hand off some gatorade and help me up the hills. i wasn't talking much, but she was wonderful, just occasionally saying, "you look great," (though i'm sure the bloody armpits of my singlet suggested otherwise). in almost all long races, there's a point where i like to say to myself, "you could drop out now and everyone would understand. it would be kind of embarrassing, but your family would still love you and life would go on." i knew i didn't have that option yesterday, so having those "what if..." thoughts were kind of panic-inducing rather than comforting. when i stopped to stretch right after heartbreak hill, a drunk bc student pleaded with me to keep going, saying, "come on, amanda, you're the best runner i know," which i thought was funny since a few thousand runners had just gone past me. i did manage to rally after the hills, though, and somehow, despite walking through the water stops at this point, and stretching out my quads a few times, bring it home in 3:19. i think i even did that arms raised thing when i crossed the finish line (although i was also really concerned with stopping my watch, so i think i my arms were raised as i stopped my watch the second my foot hit the timing pad at the finish--that ought to be an awesome picture.) it was pretty exciting. ten days ago when i still didn't know if i'd get into the race or not, i told myself that boston was over-rated and the new jersey shore marathon would be just as awesome. i'm sure the topography of the new jersey shore marathon would have been even more awesome, but the crowds at boston really were as cool as i remembered from when i used to go watch in high school. the whole city was involved--runners congratulating each other at the finish, faces caked in salt, and legs stiff like zombies, recognizable even far from the finish line as we walked down the stairs to the t backwards. even when we stopped at a gas station an hour west of boston on the way home, the parking lot was filled with limping runners wearing jeans and their race shirts, smiling at each other and grimacing as they slowly made their ways to the bathroom. so now i'm home, and i'm tired, and i want to do another one. >

Awesome reports!! Great pace, Amanda !!!! You are unbelievable !

Great reports everyone, thanks for sharing! Reading the reports truly does make me wish I could have been there in person to cheer everyone on. Mikeymike, no gloves?

Thanks for posting. It was a ton of fun tracking all of you guys.

Just want to tell you that I LOVE your 'blue steel' shot or is that 'magnum'? That is seriously one of my favorite movies - I've watched it with people who don't think it's funny ... can you believe that? I will never get sick of that movie!