I had a great training cycle going into this race, starting at the end of November. I followed the Pfitz 18/70 plan, and the only speed-bump along the way was a mysterious pain on the top of my left foot that subsided after 10 days of not running. Other than that the training went very well, and I felt I was well prepared to run a sub 3:00 marathon.

My last tune-up race, two weeks ago was a 10k where I ran 36:34, leaving me feeling very positive for Boston. However, as the race drew near the forecast began looking quite problematic. About ten days out from the race forecasts were either calling for extremely high temps or normal (upper 50's) temps. It was dependent on a cold front pushing south, but that never materialized, and the race turned out to be one of the hottest on record.

The temperature at the start in Hopkinton was already near 80, and it only got warmer from there, peaking at 90 in the afternoon. Needless to say, my original time goal was thrown out the window, and the race turned into survival mode.

I was still holding an outside chance of sneaking in under 3:05 to qualify for Boston 2013. The first four miles out of Hopkinton into Ashland and then Framingham have a steep descent. I made a point of really holding back, running around a 7:05 pace. Even at this pace on a downhill my HR was above what my normal marathon pace HR should be (mid to upper 160's), so I knew it was going to be a rough day.

The first four miles were pretty uneventful, and I carried a water bottle for the first few miles to avoid congestion at the aid stations. Through six miles it was still quite congested, and I was still running in the low 7's and feeling pretty good.

From mile 7 to the half way point I ran in the 6:50's, again feeling pretty solid. At every aid station I drank a cup of Gatorade, some water, and dumped at least one cup of water on my head and body. I think this helped me feel cool. Tons of fans along the way had hoses to spray people and the fire stations all had 'spray tents' that we could run through. I even saw some kids with a garbage can filled with water using plastic buckets to toss on people. Spectators were also handing out cold sponges, popsicles, oranges, and water along the way.

Soon after the half way point I met up the Katie in Wellesley. Her parents have friends who live on the course and have an annual party. So, at mile 15 I got a new frozen towel, bag of ice, and some flat Coke with added salt. Around this point I realized that I didn't have a shot of qualifying for next year, so I decided to enjoy the remainder of the race. I gave some kids along the way high fives, and didn't even mind the Newton Hills, going through them at around a 7:30 pace.

It was around the Newton Hills that my quads began to become a bit sore and I was actually enjoying the uphills, and thinking of the descent past Boston College with a bit of dread. I crested Heart Break to the cheering of the crowds, then began to head down towards Boston. At this point things became kind of a blur. The heat really seemed to pick up and my pace began to fade a bit more. By around mile 24 I really just wanted the race to be over. The heat was oppressive and my quads were not happy.

I managed to trudge through Kenmore Square, head down Commonwealth, and make the infamous right onto Hereford St. When I turned onto Boylston I had a hard time even hearing myself think. I attempted to 'sprint' down Boylston St, but my pace there was 6:54 - quite a bit slower than my original goal pace of the low 6:40's.

I crossed the finish line, realizing I had just run one of the most storied races in the world. I began to walk through downtown, getting some water, food, and my medal. It took me about 45 minutes to make it through everyone and get to the Westin, where the charity I was running for had reserved a ballroom. It turns out that I was the first charity runner to finish for the Marathon Coalition (out of 130 runners). Katie actually happened to meet me right out front and we went inside. We had some good food, and we rested for close to an hour, before making our way back outside and to the subway. My big toe nails hurt quite a bit and I think they'll both fall off. I didn't have nail issues in my last marathon or ironman, so I was a bit surprised by this - maybe the added water from dousing myself contributed to this???

Katie had parked at Alewife, and taken the Red Line into the city, so we had to retrace her steps to get back to her car. Going down into the subway I had to hold onto the railing. We ended up getting home around 4:30, and then began preparing for our dinner party. My cousin from California had run the race, and she and her husband along with my family and Katie's family were coming over for dinner. I didn't end up getting to bed until after 11:00, but I slept amazingly well.

I ended up with 26.48 on my Garmin, about what I expected.



5k 10k 15k 20k Half 25k 30k 35k
21:57 44:09 1:05:50 1:27:42 1:32:26 1:49:49 2:12:46 2:36:31

40k Finish Pace Overall Division
3:01:17 3:12:13 7:20 1154/21,554 790


Make it about 30-35 degrees cooler!!!

I probably shuffled well over a mile to get to the Westin to meet up with Katie and get reyhdrated and get in some nutrition.


The heat turned out to be the real limiting factor. The winning time this year was nearly 10 minutes slower than last year. My placing (1154th) last year was good for a 2:57 marathon. I'd still love to run under 3:00, but I don't think it will happen this year.


My first Boston is done! It was one of the hottest on record, but I still had a blast. The crowds were amazing, and the volunteers were fantastic. The aid stations were well stocked and I was able to keep relatively cool. I'd love to run Boston again, but I'd love to do it when the conditions are just a bit cooler!