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Boston Marathon - Run


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Boston, Massachusetts
United States
Boston Athletic Association
48F / 9C
Precipitation
Total Time = 2h 59m 47s
Overall Rank = 4075/26608
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 661/2240
Pre-race routine:

- I got a ride from the hotel to Boston commons at 6am.
-At Boston commons I dropped off my post race bag then made my way to the buses.
- at 6:45 we loaded bussed for Wave 1 runners to the Athlete village at the starting line.
- I got to athlete's Village around 8am and made my first trip to the port-a-potties (no line yet)
- I went to the tents and found a place with minimal draft.
- Had brought a bottle of gator aid, one of ESF, and a half bottle of water along with a honey stinger waffle and a cliff bar. worked slowly through the food starting at 6am and finished everything over the 4 hours to the 10 am start.
- I got a 30 minute lie down/nap.
- at 9:10 I went to the port-a-potty again. This time with a line.
- Coral 4 got to make the .75 mile walk to the start at 9:15 but it was about 9;25 before I got through the potty line.
-I got to the starting coral #4 about 9:50am.
Event warmup:

Well laying down in the tent I got a shiver so after my nap I sat up with my knees pulled to the chest and my arms wrapped around my legs. That stopped the shiver until I had to go out to stand in the line to the potty. I though the walk to the start would warm me up, but it didn't so I went tot eh back of coral #4 to jog in place even though the volunteers get trying to move everyone as far forward in the coral as possible. I warmed up and stretched until 9:59. Then I tore off my disposable poncho. Drank my half bottle of water and lined up for the start.
Run
  • 2h 59m 47s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 06m 52s  min/mile
Comments:

I was supposed to take my first Gu between mile 7 and 11, but my stomach felt heavy. I though I got enough before the run started to hold off. I started to take water at the stops (only did gator aid at the beginning) to see if that would help ease my upset stomach. Stomach was in really bad shape by mile 16. I was worried by that point. I didn't take any the 5 gues or honey stinger walffle that I carried with my on the course. I took the three Maurten gus that were offered at miles 12, 18, 23. A spectator had orange quarters. That was a life saver. It got my stomach settled enough to get the 18 & 23 mile Gels down.
What would you do differently?:

I ran aggressive to mile 15, then eased off to recover for the hills. I slowed down on the hills to save something in the tank for miles 22-26. I crashed at mile 21 even though I slowed a lot on the hills to keep the effort even. So...I guess I would have run conservative earlier in the race, I would have taken more water early in the race, and I would have eaten less in the 4hours I was waiting for the race to start. I am not sure it would have made a difference through. Pacing and fulling looked good by the books. I may have just been undertrained for the 26.2 distance or for hill running.
Post race
Warm down:

No warm down required. I needed to warm up at the finish line. I was hypothermic and about everyone else was too. I saw lots of blue lips and lot of people shivering uncontrollably. I got my dry close as soon as i could and got to the warming busses to hear up.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I crashed at mile 21. It didn't feel like a refueling issue, but it may have been since I took in half the calories that I did at The Woodlands. O may have needed to push through the wall for 10 minutes to get my second wind. As it was I let my HR drop and never got the second wind. It didn't feel like a nutrition thing though and when I went to walking in the last 3 miles My legs crippled up walking so it felt mor like an endurance limit on the muscles than an energy system limit. I think I needed more than the 1hr 35min long runs that the TriDot training subscribed.

Event comments:

This is the first race I have crash at since 2018. I thought I had everything figured out with nutrition and pacing. So...the 9-minute positive split is time I think I could all make up if things had gone slightly different. I did go sub-3 so I shouldn't be beating myself up. Sub-3 and a BQ were my goals when I started marathons in 2008. I hit both of those. I just wish I could have finish strong and felt well at the finish line rather than crashing and feeling like death at the finish line.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2023-04-23 12:00 AM
Running
02:59:47 | 26.2 miles | 06m 52s  min/mile
Age Group: 661/2240
Overall: 4075/26608
Performance: Below average
145 Avg HR 151 Max HR 6:19 best mile split 1:25ish half marathon split 2:02ish 30K split (evey 5K was right around 20:00 until I crashed at mile 21)
Course: -No room to pass for the first 12 miles. - Hills from mile 16-21 -Down hill starts and finishes
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %?
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Ok
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

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2023-04-23 6:06 PM

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1508
1000500
Cypress, Texas
Subject: Boston Marathon


2023-04-23 9:22 PM
in reply to: #5285158

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1508
1000500
Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: Boston Marathon

I bonked at mile 21.  This is the first race I have bonked at since 2018.  I thought I had figured out all the pacing and nutrition, so I expected to be able to run strong to the end and to feel good after crossing the finish line but that was not the case.   Despite a 9-minute positive split I still pulled off a sub-3 hour time so I guess you can bank time.  I wouldn't ever recommend it though.  The last 5 miles were painful and I felt half dead after finishing.  

I went back and analyzed my race data so see what went wrong.  I can't really say.  My pacing looks to be on point with other races.  I did get an upset stomach which required some adjustments to the nutrition plan, but I am not sure that was the problem.  I think I may have just been undertrained.  

There two things that really stood out to me.  1) there was no room to pass anyone for the first 12 miles.  That was pretty crazy to be boxed in for that many miles.  2) the last five miles I was passed by more than 1,000 people.  That was when it really hit me what it meant to be at the Boston Marathon.  At my qualifying Marathon a year ago I passed about 20 people after mile 18.  That was half the field that was in front of me so it was huge.  I felt like I was picking off people right and left.  No one caught me in those miles.  The same was true for the half marathon I did in March.  In the last 5 miles I just pulled them in one by one passing half the field that was ahead of me.  This was the opposite.  I had about 2,500 people ahead of me then had half that many people pass me at the end of the race. I was getting passed by rows of people 4-5 people wide and they were all going a minute a mile faster than me.  I felt like I was drifting wood floating in white water rapids. There was a furious flow moving passing all around me.  

So...this was defiantly a cool experience.   Next time I go to Boston it will not be for the experience.  It will be to race. 

2023-04-24 11:20 AM
in reply to: BlueBoy26

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Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: Boston Marathon

Despite your feelings on how the race played out (and I get it), it is still hella impressive to have made it there in the first place AND to come in under 3 hours!  Wow!!  Like you said, you learned some possible areas that could be improved upon and I can't wait until you cross this historic line again.    Big congrats!

2023-04-25 12:03 PM
in reply to: melbo55

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Expert
4594
20002000500252525
Middle River, Maryland
Silver member
Subject: RE: Boston Marathon

I'm with Melanie on this, Curtis.  I was half-expecting to see a 4-hour time after reading your report then saw sub-3.  Nice work managing through all the obstacles and I'm sure you learned a ton for next time.

2023-04-25 1:56 PM
in reply to: BlueBoy26

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Master
2479
2000100100100100252525
Atlanta, Georgia
Gold member
Subject: RE: Boston Marathon
Sub-3 on that course? That's pretty stout; well done! I picked up some course intel from your RR and I'm kinda hoping I can avoid the rainy weather when I get to run next year.

Congrats on your day!
2023-04-25 1:57 PM
in reply to: melbo55

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1508
1000500
Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: Boston Marathon

Originally posted by melbo55

Despite your feelings on how the race played out (and I get it), it is still hella impressive to have made it there in the first place AND to come in under 3 hours!  Wow!!  Like you said, you learned some possible areas that could be improved upon and I can't wait until you cross this historic line again.    Big congrats!

Thanks! 



2023-04-25 2:02 PM
in reply to: 0

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1508
1000500
Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: Boston Marathon

Originally posted by BlueBoy26

Originally posted by melbo55

Despite your feelings on how the race played out (and I get it), it is still hella impressive to have made it there in the first place AND to come in under 3 hours!  Wow!!  Like you said, you learned some possible areas that could be improved upon and I can't wait until you cross this historic line again.    Big congrats!

Thanks! 

Originally posted by jmhpsu93

I'm with Melanie on this, Curtis.  I was half-expecting to see a 4-hour time after reading your report then saw sub-3.  Nice work managing through all the obstacles and I'm sure you learned a ton for next time.

The truth is I was surprised myself.  The last time I walked at the end of a marathon I finished in 3:14.  I needed a 3:10 that day to BQ that day.  I was expecting to be something like that at Boston too.  All those long & hot afternoon run legs in triathlons have taught me something. If you keep those walk breaks short and strategic you can still pull out a good race if you have banked some time. 

Originally posted by alltom1 Sub-3 on that course? That's pretty stout; well done! I picked up some course intel from your RR and I'm kinda hoping I can avoid the rainy weather when I get to run next year. Congrats on your day!

I think there is about a 12 volume encyclopedia on racing Boston.  I skipped all of them because I had no frame of reference for anything on the course.  Now I have done it once I think that the race intel from others would be more helpful.  Around town all people talked about were the years when in was really hot and how lucky we were to have a cool day.  I just wish they would have had a drop bag at the starting line because I didn't have any throw-a-way warm up gear.  Sitting for 2 hours in 48 deg F would have been more fun in long sleeves and pants. :-



Edited by BlueBoy26 2023-04-25 2:12 PM
2023-04-26 7:28 PM
in reply to: BlueBoy26

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Expert
2811
2000500100100100
Subject: RE: Boston Marathon
Curtis GREAT JOB! Congratulations on qualifying and the finish. Nothing worse than a crash, but you pushed through and and finished with a very respectable time.
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