Boston 2011

Why run Boston:
First of all, everything is so well organized. I'm sure mistakes are made, but heck if I ever found out about it. Plenty of pre race Power Bars, coffee, bagels, bananas, and port-o-johns. In addition that that, the city revolves around the race for that week. Billboards, subway ads, hotels, vendors, everything and everyone knows why you are visiting, and they show it. They want to know how many times you ran Boston, where you came from, and what time you expect to run.

Crowds were encouraging those that looked like they were struggling, and cheering and
congratulating everyone. These people were not your typical family and friends that usually line the crowded parts of a race. These were professional marathon spectators. They had music, noise makers, cold sponges, orange slices, and bananas. I heard a dad yell, "Get those cups of water out there, these runners are thirsty." Right outside of Hopkinton there is a huge biker group (not the ones with spandex, the ones with leather) making all kinds of noise and blairing Highway to Hell. Kids are out of school for Patriots Day, so what better thing for them to do but but come out to and party along the course.

If you enjoy sports, last weekend was the time to be in Boston. Besides the marathon, the Bruins and Celtics were both playing home playoff games between Saturday and Wednesday (the days my family was there), and of course the Red Sox are always in town during Marathon week. Playoff tickets are too expensive for my blood, but we did get to Fenway for a Red Sox game.

About my race:
On Thursday before the race, someone told me that the Boston Marathon starts at mile 17. With that on my mind, I got excited entering the town of Newton. One year earlier, the hill after the fire station took a lot out of me, and the other Newton hills really killed me.

I waited 52 weeks to run the last 10 miles of Boston. As I crested the bridge that went over I-95, I felt ready to start my race. That feeling lasted all the way to mile 24 when everything caught up to me at once. I tried to walk, but my legs just wouldn't do the walking motion, so I kept shuffling. The race was beating me mentally, and I was looking for excuses to slow down. At mile 25 I needed to run the last 1.2 miles in 6 minutes for a sub 3 hour time. Obviously that was NOT going to happen, so I relaxed and told myself to enjoy the last few minutes of the race. Unless I slowed down to a 10 minute pace, I'd still get a PR.

Looking back I wonder if I was mentally tougher, could I of pushed the pain aside and not
lost two and a half minutes over the last 2 miles? Is it just me, or does everything think
that after just missing a goal? Even if I could of broken 3 hours, I'm still equally proud
of my training and execution. Running 3:02:14 at Boston is something I never thought
possible just a few years ago. I remember running around 24 minutes for a 5k back in 2007. Good grief have I come a long way.

Numbers:
average weekly miles 14 weeks before race = 49.5
5k Splits: 21:24, 21:03, 21:09, 21:10, 21:01, 21:36, 21:48, 21:56
15k race 10 weeks before marathon 56:14
5k race 5 weeks before marathon 18:07
consumed during race:
gels - 4
cups of water - 25
Hammer Endurolytes - 15
1 orange slice (best thing I ever tasted)
1/2 banana (took it because I thought it was wet sponge. ate it anyway)
Race morning:
2 power bars
48 oz water
1 banana
2 Endurolytes
Gatorade Prime (it was free, and I always try something new on race day)