Mediocrity is not a word I would use to describe your race on Monday. Despite horrible conditions, you ran a BQ at Boston, which is very impressive! I know it’s not what you wanted, but being within a minute of a PR in those conditions is remarkable and sets you up later for a PR in better conditions. 3:30 is damn fast and something to be proud of IMO. Congratulations!

Almost everyone at that race can BQ, though -- I was in the slower half of participants!  And now I have to run a marathon in better conditions, which I really did not want to have to do.

A BQ under those conditions turned out to be impossible for a lot of elites, and most other runners, too.   When not injured, I have had to do runs in those conditions in the winter here so know them and frankly there is no way to perform really well.  Yet you not only did a BQ, but also put a scare in your PR.  Plus you stuck it out when a lot of folks bailed.  There's a lot to take away on the positive side.

 

Headwinds like that suck the life out of a runner in a hurry.  Even Desi mentioned that the wind nearly stopped her more than once.  I personally think that on a 44 degree, overcast, dry day with only a slight breeze that you would have a nice new PR on that same course.

The elites did relatively worse than a lot of laypeople, it seems... and most of the laypeople I know did PR!  So many people tell me that I should be proud I didn't drop out, but honestly, it never even occurred to me.  It was miserable and it sucked but I knew that I would finish eventually and the misery would end.  I am many unfavorable things, but I am not a quitter; so long as I was conscious, I would keep going.

I don't think I'm going to PR on this course, ever... the weather is always terrible.  Because I'd rather run on a hot day than one like this, but I wouldn't be able to run a very fast race, I'd just be a lot less uncomfortable in running a slower one!

Good race, great RR.  If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.

Great RR Blue. You had some terrible conditions out there and still ran a fantastic race. Like Baboon said; you finished in the top 3rd. That is something to be proud of.

I stopped at Goodwill the day before the race, when the forecast temperature dropped by about 10 degrees, to get something to cover my legs before the race. The store was full of runners looking for clothes to wear either during the race of before.  I had two throw away layers - a jacket and a raincoat, plus the warm-up pants I picked up at Goodwill. The recommendation on the Boston Marathon Training FB page was to wear throw away shoes at the Athlete's Village. A lot of people did. The rest just wrapped their feet in plastic bags or duct tape or just decided like me that the feet were going to be soaked within five minutes anyway, so why make life more difficult by trying to maneuver in the mud with plastic bag feet. (Not a lot of traction there.)

Great RR Blue. You had some terrible conditions out there and still ran a fantastic race. Like Baboon said; you finished in the top 3rd. That is something to be proud of.

It’s a little less impressive when you consider that so many people just up and quit — WAS it the top third? — and that a lot of people don’t race Boston (though running to enjoy an experience seems like an odd thing to do given the weather).  But beggars, choosers...