Boston Marathon - RunMarathon


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Boston, Massachusetts
United States
Boston Athletic Association
45F / 7C
Precipitation
 		Total Time = 3h 01m 44s
Overall Rank = 1063/
Age Group = 25-29
Age Group Rank = 764/
Pre-race routine:

Pre-Race was different than normal...being a point to point I was up over 4 hours before the race. But still, bars, bathroom, stretching.
Event warmup:

Not much...there wasn't much room to warm up. Luckily we got a place inside the hopkinton school and didn't have to stay outside the muddy rain soaked field and tents. Stretching in the gym, hydration, and a little food.
Run
  • 3h 01m 44s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 06m 56s  min/mile
Comments:

After crossing the line I was pretty overwhelmed. Light headed and drained. I thought I would be upset not breaking three hours, I was at a loss just PR'ing in Boston, something so many people said "no one does that, the course is too rough." Shortly after that and still somewhat out of it, I could here my naming coming from somewhere...looking around I finally saw "Matt's Pit Crew" (Becky, Ross, Jenny, and Kathy) standing on the right side of the road where no spectators were allowed to be (it's amazing where you can go with a volunteer jacket). Hugs and congratulations from all of them made finishing the race that much more emotional...It was so awesome having them there at the finish line, not to mention the rest of the weekend. After lots of walking, and searching in the 40mph wind I was reunited with the group and we all headed back to the hotel. I couldn't have asked for a better experience at my first Boston Marathon.
What would you do differently?:

Differently??? Mostly my left leg...It's time to take some time off, cross train and rebuild. Strength training is in order. And in a month I will get back into another training program.
Okay, so the weather...It really wasn't that bad. Somehow I was able to stay in a hole in the radar. After mile two I really didn't get rained on. There was 10 minutes of hard rain and wind, but other than that it was 45 and wet. So the temperature was exactly what I wanted. The winds were on and off, sometimes not noticeable, and sometimes 30mph across. The wind picked up as I approached Boston and were a sustained headwind from 21 to the end.
Hydration/Nutrition was right on..Gatorade 1-6, water/gel at 7, water at 8, gatorade 9-13, water/gel at 14, water at 15, gatorade 16 -24, water at 25.
Post race
Warm down:

Lots of walking trying to find my family: Becky, Ross, Jenny, and Kathy. Walked halfway back to the hotel, lounged for a while, and a short walk to dinner and dessert. One day later, my legs feel suprisingly great...sore, but great.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Aahh...The excuse box :) I did what I could do yesterday. Yes there was a headwind, a little rain, and my previously injured leg felt like it was going to blow up, but I talked myself thru it, relied on my training, and pushed as hard as I could. 3:01:44 is everything I had yesterday. Sub-3 and 2:50 will have to wait until the next race!

Event comments:

Dinner: we ended up at a longhorn steakhouse, we felt it best to not go back into downtown plus we were too hungry to wait and too tire to walk that far. The 20oz porterhouse was righ, perfect! Coldstone's "chocolate devotion" followed dinner...haven't had ice cream in weeks (months) and it was awesome. After walking back to the hotel and packing, I went to Chris's room (another running companion) and recapped the day over a couple beers!




Last updated: 2006-10-17 12:00 AM
Running
03:01:44 | 26.2 miles | 06m 56s  min/mile
Age Group: 764/
Overall: 1063/
Performance: Good
Average HR: 168 (Also better than Las Vegas and Chicago) HR Max: 184 Splits: 5k: 20:51, 10k: 41:48, 15k: 1:02:54, 20k: 1:24:05, 1/2: 1:28:33, 25k: 1:45:09, 30k: 2:07:29, 35k: 2:07:29, 35k: 2:29:57, 40k: 2:52:03, Finish: 3:01:44
Course: Okay...From the starts: The corrals were wet but well organized and had volunteers with water lining one side. From the start the first 4 miles were downhill. This caused my previously twice injured left quad to feel like it was about to break again, the next 5 miles were mostly flat and slightly uphill which allowed me to recover. Lots of talking to myself and my legs. Somewhere in there one of the lenses fell out of my sunglasses at a water stop and I quickly discarded the frames and other lens (luckily they were old and cheaper). 10 - 12 were not bad, there was lots of people on the course tons of support. At the 12 mile marker a could hear a shrieking roar of the 1000's of wellesly girls that were still a half mile away, Passing by the college made me feel like a pro, my pace quickened, pain disappeared, I ran very close the fences with several thousand screaming girls hanging over with outstretched arms. I did not stop for any kisses (I was on a mission afterall), but made my way through in stride. At the end of the college...Silence...with 13 insight and the renewed fire in my legs and chest I pushed onto the 1/2 mark. Everything was solid until 15 when the steep downhill sections to newton falls returned the feeling of destruction to my left leg. I slowed my pace and quickened my stride to eliminate as much shock as I could. The first of the newton falls hills really felt like nothing...it removed the pain in my legs and allowed to me to catch many of the people that passed me in the downhill. Long story short, 2 more hills, and then heartbreak, it's steep and long, but nothing like running the wild turkey trail at umstead (N. Turkey Creek). These hills again allowed me to pass many more people that blew by me in the downhill and I reeled in a few more that had pulled away earlier on. Mile 20.5-22 I got excited and was back down in the low 6:40 range (after running 7:15 to 7:20 up the hills, why not). At mile 23 I kept telling myself "it's just a 5k" and "you can still break 3" and I pushed on. At mile 24 I had 14 minutes to get in under three...that damn ".2" gets you every time. I stayed steady as I was feeling shots of pain and cramps in both quads. The last mile was packed with screaming spectators...keep pushing. As I rounded the final turn and code see the finish line about .2 miles away I looked at my watch and saw 3:00:19...finish strong is all I could think. With a crowd line 5 people deep the noise was second only to wellesly, running with all I had left I put my arms in the air and crossed the finish at 3:01:44.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %0
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 2
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5