Hooray! Marathon Monday is upon us again! The Boston marathon is a revered race in the running
community. The 119th running was my third consecutive time running
it. It didn’t disappoint…of course, it can be cathartic to complain about something and the weather forecast provided such catharsis. The race was still super
fun! A few days before, this was the forecast.
Burr! Needless to say, there was a lot of moaning and groaning within the online running community.
Exited to get going on my race weekend, I left Tampa, FL early Friday morning, flying into Manchester, NH.
I
am fortunate my parents live pretty close to Boston so I can stay with them. This has so many
benefits above being able to combine a family visit with a race; I get to eat
my normal food and stick to a fairly similar routine, which is something that
can be lacking when you travel for a race! I had mailed some food items to cut down on food preparation time and to ensure I
had exactly what I wanted. Some may
call this “rigid” or “fussy,” I call it rigid AND fussy, but I also call it
being well-prepared. It makes me happy, reduces stress, and makes me happy. Who is against happiness?
Like every runner before a big race, I had been checking the
weather, compulsively. In a nutshell and as you can see from the forecast above, it didn’t look good. However, the weather in the three
days leading up to the race were beautiful: sunny skies and mild temperatures.
But, really, who cares about the weather before a race? It’s race day that matters.This was a video I made on my Sunday shake out run, the day before the race. Look how beautiful the weather is!
The taper ought to be a time of celebration. It's when your hard work and preparation get rewarded with tons of rest. Although I walked quite a bit in the days leading up to the race, I had reduced my mileage and eliminated any additional cardio activity (elliptical, Stairmaster, bike) in the two weeks leading up to the race. Although I know I have rested, I struggled with not feeling as rested as I'd like. Why were my legs a little achy the day before? There were little feelings of discomfort on my shakeout that had me worried in the beginning, although they soon went away.
Race day arrived and I had slept well, which can be unusual
before a big race. I made it to the drop off point in a light rain …
…but by the time the bus reached Athlete’s Village it had
stopped. I only had about 30 minutes before I had to walk down to the start
line and in that time I had another banana (my fifth of the morning) and a spot
of coffee. It’s about ¾ of a mile from Athlete’s Village down to the start line
and, as usual, the atmosphere was thick with excitement with runners making
their way. I was still wearing my warm clothes, which I was grateful to have;
the temperature was 41 without any wind-chill. About 5 minutes before the start
I shed my sweat pants and trash bag rain jacket, keeping my sweatshirt, hat and
gloves on. Unfortunately, the planned Army helicopter flyover was cancelled due to a low ceiling, which was funny; the news helicopters’ had
no trouble flying over the crowd. Oh well. 10am arrived quickly and we were
off. For those who don’t know, the first miles of the course are downhill.
After a taper, and with extreme excitement and eagerness to run, it almost
feels like you’re falling. Below is the course profile with my pace (the dip in pace at mile 14 came courtesy of a potty break)!
Early running is easy but IT’S A TRAP! Going too fast
here can cost you later in the race. I managed to hold back and was quite
pleased with the restraint of my first three 5K splits: 20:45, 20:29, and
20:40. I felt good and could have gone way too fast! At mile 8 the rain began
and at mile 11 is was a complete deluge. I was soaked and, worst of all, my
shoes were soaked. I cannot emphasize enough how miserable I was between miles
11 and 13. It was so cold. My face felt frozen. In short, it was very
uncomfortable! My metal game went out the window with the downpour and I had to
battle to get it back. I kept on and when I checked my watch at mile 16, saw a
6:31 split, and felt good, I knew I had made it through the worst. I would not
allow any mental weakness for the remainder of the race! Next up was the Newton
hills, culminating with Heartbreak hill. I knew the hills started at mile 16
and ended around mile 21. I told myself I was up for 5 miles of work and my
reward would be an easy 5 (mostly downhill) to the finish. I used a few mantras
during the hill climbs including “run within yourself” and “do what you can do
in this moment.” Furthermore, I refused to look up the hill. I kept my gaze
about 20 feet in front and hammered it out. The final 5 were not as easy as I
told myself they would be, due to the pounding my legs took in the hills, but
it was nice knowing I was so close to the finish. At this point, I saw my
average pace, up until this point, was 6:44 and I knew, barring anything
unforeseen, I would be achieving my primary goal time: under 3 hours. I was very happy
but I tried not to focus on the finish, yet. “Do what you can do in this moment!” I
ran as hard as I dared (could?) in the last 5 miles and I felt great! Turning
onto Boylston is a real treat; you can see the finish line in the distance and
the crowds really motivate you to go all out!
I crossed the line in 2:57:39. This was my third time
running Boston and I had made it a goal to go under 3.
It turned out, in spite
of, or perhaps because of the weather, to be a fantastic day…until I stopped
running. Wow, that is when the cold hit me. Luckily, my parents were quickly on
scene and had a sweater and jacket for me but it was still SOO cold. I knew I’d
be posting about the race so I took a few (freezing) minutes to take some photos.
The walk to the car was brutal but I made it to the sweet warm cocoon. Speaking
of sweet warmth. This review is being written on an insanely turbulent flight
back to Tampa but I have warm temps to look forward to upon my arrival.
Congrats to all runners who ran today! You’re all amazing athletes!
No comments:
Post a Comment