Boston Marathon - RunMarathon


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Boston, Massachusetts
United States
Boston Athletic Association
 		Total Time = 3h 45m 12s
Overall Rank = /
Age Group = 45-49
Age Group Rank = 1740/
Pre-race routine:

Woke up at 4:00ish, showered, ate a bagel, then drove downtown with Dime. We got a cup o' joe at the 7/11 then boarded the bus to the start at Hopkinton.
Event warmup:

Froze our butts off for a couple of hours before the start. Ate another bagel and had more coffee. A couple of toilet stops, then off to the start line.
Run
  • 3h 45m 12s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 08m 36s  min/mile
Comments:

I spent Thursday - Sunday in Vermont visiting my family and friends. Unfortunately, Rachel had to cancel her trip to New England due to Milo's cancer (we put her down today, 4/22). It was the right decision to stay behind and spend the last week pampering the little purr ball. I picked up my race packet late on Sunday, met with my friend Franny from SF (PB of 3:27 for her, woohoo!!), then called Dick Dime and got the room key at the Holiday Inn. Had a great time with Dime before and after the race... great guy to hook up with.

I was unable to run during the month of March because of a calf and achilles injury, only had 1 long run of 17 miles in February, so Boston seemed like a pipe dream this year. My qualifying marathon in December allows me to run next year, so I was willing to pull the plug on this one. For whatever reason my injury improved at the beginning of April and I got in a 40 mile week with an 18 miler, so decided to line up and treat it as a long run.

Boston is amazing! The entire course is lined with screaming fans... unreal. I was high fiving kids and adults alike, feeding off their energy and hopefully they off mine. This really wasn't a "race" for me, but rather a Boston Marathon experience. My sister, niece and nephew came down from Vt & NH to cheer me on. It was great to see them on Heartbreak Hill!

I kept my heart rate in the low 160's with an average pace between 8:15 and 8:45 the entire race. The last 5 miles were tough and my quads weren't real happy, but my injury never really affected me. Still, I had no umph in my legs from lack of training, and the downhills after Heartbreak truly sucked (I wouldn't have it any other way).

I crossed the finish line very content, though I wish Rachel could have been there to experience this incredible venue. There's nothing like Boston!

One final note: I was flying out of Manchester NH on Tuesday and I had the pleasure of meeting Karen Smyers...very cool! We talked for a few minutes and she's a quality gal, and a great inspiration. Unfortunately, she's battling a bit of Plantar Fascitis and other foot maladies now, but she'll back racing soon. Heal well!
What would you do differently?:

Nothing really. I played it safe and ran the entire course with the goal of not re-injuring my calf. Very happy with the effort and pulling in the reigns from the get go.
Post race
Warm down:

Got my medal, threw on some warm clothes, drank beer with Dime, Dills, Bridget and friends. Then it was off to dinner with Dime, Bridget & her friends. A bit of wine flowed and some general debauchery as well. I had a blast! You guys/gals RULE HARD!!!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Injury, 5 weeks of bronchitis, and genetics... but mostly genetics.

Event comments:

I coming back next year, hopefully injury free. I love this event!!




Last updated: 2009-03-27 12:00 AM
Running
03:45:12 | 26.2 miles | 08m 36s  min/mile
Age Group: 1740/
Overall: 0/
Performance:
Course:
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
Evaluation
Course challenge
Organized?
Events on-time?
Lots of volunteers?
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5]