What an awesome day!
My ecstatic goal for Boston 2009 was to set a PR, which has been 3:20:02 since I ran St George in October 2007. That was my one and only BQ to date. I really wanted to BQ at Boston -- that was my goal last year, and I fell short, but I learned some valuable lessons about pre-race preparation and how to pace myself for a better shot this year.
I was worried about the weather all week. The wind forecasts were scaring me. It was shaping up to be weather like St George 2008. But, on race day, the temperatures were idea, about 42 at the start warming up to maybe a little over 50 at the finish. We did have a fairly strong headwind -- some reports said 20-30 MPH. It didn't seem that bad...maybe in a few places. But, with all the wind running I've been doing this Spring, it felt like home :-)
Race Day (Long version skip to the bottom for splits/results)
5:00 - Lloyd (aka Tom Slick, my roommate for the weekend) and I woke up. Rhett came to our room and dropped off his stuff. Another buddy, Ronnie (aka HillbillyRunner for the forumflyers) also came to our room. At about 6:00 we went and got Smooth and her bro-in-law (FastGary) at their room then went to the lobby, where we met Marcie (aka Canyon). Then we walked to the buses, and got shuttled to Hopkinton.
We got to Athlete's Village with about 2 hours until race time. I blew up my air mattress, slipped into my garbage bag and chilled for a while. It was great watching all the runners streaming in. We hit the POPs a couple times, dropped off our stuff at the Bag Drop buses, then headed to the starting line.
The temperature was about 40 degrees, so even though I was chilly I decided to go with the singlet, shorts, and gloves, and headband. After the National Anthem, and F16 flyover, and a little after 10:00AM we were off.
My goal was to break 3:20 this year, and not do a repeat of last year. I knew I couldn't go out too fast or I would pay for it. I had a pace band that allowed for about a 3 minute fade in the 2nd half. I was going to stick to it as closely as I could. My paceband to the elevation into account, but I also needed to account for the strong winds once we got closer to Boston..so I added a little extra padding to the first half.
I hope everyone who reads this gets to experience Boston as least once in your life. The crowds of people lining the route are amazing. People of all ages are out cheering, handing out orange slices, water, offering encouragement -- especially if you have "MARC" on the front or your singlet.
After the first few miles, I was ahead of schedule. I needed to slow down or risk cramping by the time I got to the Newton hills at mile 16. Last year I was 1:35:35 at the half -- this year I was 1:37:44. I was in a much better position to finish strong. I was still going for 3:20 -- and it was going to be close.
I hit the Newton hills right about where I wanted to be. Last year I was around the 17 mile mark when I first started feeling my legs start to cramp. Not this year. I ran up the first..then the second...third...and then faced Heartbreak Hill. I remember how I walked up most of it last year...not this year. I chugged up the entire thing, and when I got to the top, I punched the air! I was thrilled. I had less than 6 miles to go, and it was mostly downhill for there..and I still had my legs under me. I ran the next few miles cautiously. I was still not 100% sure that I wouldn't cramp up..and if I had to walk a mile, I could easily blow my chances of BQing.
The cushion I had built up earlier in the race was just about gone with 2 miles to go. I just needed to run my planned splits and the PR was mine..even if I lost 30 seconds per file for the last 2 miles, I knew I would BQ. But, I wanted to PR. I trained harder than I ever had for this marathon, and I knew I had it in me. I remember hitting the "1 MILE TO GO" sign, at right about 3:12:00. At this point I had no concept of what speed I was running. It felt kind of fast, and I was passing lots of people. I felt good. When I rounded the corner onto Boylston, and first saw the finish line, I was at 3:17:30. It looked like it was more than 1/4 mile away..but I wasn't sure. I just went for it. The crowds on both sides of the street were amazing, and carried me. I passed a few others along this stretch, and as I approached the finish line, I looked at my watch one last time, and I knew I was under 3:20. I raised my hands high -- not because I'm awesome, but because I set a goal, did the work, and met it. The conditions weren't ideal, and I had to work a little harder, but I DID IT!!!!
Monday night we celebrated by going out to Durgin Park for some seafood, and then we went over the the Post-race party. Watched some of the replay of the elites, and watch a few brave souls on the dance floor.
I've secured my spot in the 2010 Boston Marathon. I'm already planning my trip back next year, and see if I can't shave a few more minutes off that time.
What made Boston truly fun for me was company of good friends. Smooth, Mr. Smooth, Jeffers, Gary, Marcie, Rhett, and Lloyd made the entire weekend such a fun event! Boston is best experienced with a few great friends.
I'm sure this blog has helped in more ways than one in preparing me for my best ever marathon to-date. Thanks, Y'all!
Official Splits:
| 5K |
10K |
15K |
20K |
Half |
25K |
30K |
35K |
40K |
| 0:23:00 |
0:45:55 |
1:09:07 |
1:32:37 |
1:37:44 |
1:56:09 |
2:20:21 |
2:45:19 |
3:09:11 |
26.2 miles - 3:19:47
AP: 7:38 | 