boston marathon '08
Background: For me this was THE goal race. Not just a goal race for this year but THE goal race that I’ve been thinking about for a long long time. Say about 27 years. Back in 81, I qualified for Boston at the age of 23. It took me 4 tries to get under 2:50, which was open class qualifying time back then. I guess we didn’t have ipods, gu shots, bands playing, cheer leading squads or aid stations every mile to slow us down back then so we just had to move our legs faster to keep ourselves occupied.
Although I really wanted to go off and run Boston with a few thousand skinny nut cases from the running boom, I was just starting at a design college in California and didn’t have the time or money to make a trip back east happen. Over the years I did Triathlons, biked and ran a few times a week so I wasn’t really a Coach Potato .. more like a Couch Carrot or maybe Banana but definitely not anything in the starch family.
I toyed with the idea of getting back into marathon shape several times. Sometimes a friend was training for one and say, “why don’t you do one again?” and would start running longer distances again. But each time I stopped my training short around the 15 mile run stage and I realized I was in crappy marathon shape. In November 2006, at age 49 (could that have anything to do with it?), I decided to finally commit to getting to Boston and get this monkey off my back.
As a baseline test I ran a 10K Turkey trot in 43:13. I huffed and puffed and my back hurt but I finished just under 7:00 minute pace. Cool .. now I just need to run that for 26.2 miles.
I stuck to my training and ran three marathons; a 3:12 in June 07 in San Diego that qualified me but was a very tough lesson in going out too fast for my training. For the first half I was ‘super runner man’, on track for a sub-3 but the second was a painful 14-minute positive split. “The marathon can humble you” said Bill Rodgers and I would have to agree with him. Impressed with the improvements John Hill was having (Kayry), I studied up on the Hadd’s training technique and put in low HR aerobic runs all summer long as my penance. It was pretty tough as first because I love to run quicker but it was a good type of punishment for me and I started to improve beyond my wildest dreams. Well, maybe not that much improvement but I could see myself becoming an aerobic beast (not to be confused with The Beast who is surely an aerobic beast too).
My next race was a 50 mile ultra on my 50th birthday in Oct 07. This was also a qualifier .. it qualified me as insane. But I had an amazing race and was hooked on Ultras. But wait .. I have a prior engagement. A dance with that Boston girl and she’s been waiting for a long long time.
A funny thing happed on the way to the ‘aerobic forum’. I got faster without doing any speed work. I ran the ’07 10K Turkey Trot in 37:00 which shocked me to no end. I followed that up with a 1:21 half which suggested that breaking my old marathon PR could be possible. Hey Cher, ‘Could I turn back time?’ or was this a another sly trick by the marathon gods?
Not wanting to attempt a Sub 2:50 from corral 7 or 8, I jumped into a marathon in early Jan. 08 and pulled down a 2:59 on a tough course. That got me into corral 2 and still a good amount of time to recover and train for the race to the city where they serve Chowda.
Training: After recovering and building back my mileage for a month, started a modified Pfitz 70+ 12-week plan for Boston. I modified it with more trail running and eliminating the doubles. I stuck to the training and for the first time in my life ran 7 days a week for nearly the entire 3 months (I took one day off for a 3 hour mountain bike ride). I also took spin classes 2 to 3 times a week.
My shorter race results predicted a 2:52 marathon so I did my speed; tempo and MP runs based on a 6:29 pace (2:49 marathon). Then just three weeks before Boston I ran a 10K and 5K tune up race and found out that my latest training had lowered my 10K time to 36:14 with a lower HR. I also tried a series of HR 160 runs to see what my MP would be at that heart rate; one I knew I could hold for 26.2. Those runs were around 6:10 pace and soon I was adjusting my goals once again.
The biggest problem I envisioned with running 26.2 at 6:10 pace was mechanical. That pace just felt too fast since I had not been doing any long runs at that speed and I was concerned that my legs would just fly off on the hills of Boston. I decided to go out with a reduced HR target of 155 for the first miles. I would try to hold that as long as I could and as long as the pace was still close for a 2:45 target (6:18). Then I would allow the HR to move up to 160 but I didn’t want to go much above that and risk a crash and burn.
Tweaks: After seeing quite a few on the RT Forum have positive results with depletion/carbo loading I decided to give that a try. It was de rigeur back in the 70’s and 80’s so I knew it had worked for me before. Hell, I have fasted for 3 to 5 days at a time so a protein and fat diet would be like a Vegas Buffet compared to that.
A 3-day deplete and 4-day carb load was scheduled in. I also was intrigued with Dr. Kayry’s heat acclimation theory and tested it before the 10K tune up race resulting in a great race with fairly low HR figures. So for Boston I also scheduled in 2 days of heat acclimation about 4 days before the marathon. It occurred to me that one is either dedicated/hardcore/completely nuts (pick one) when you are out there running in 75 degree temps wearing a hooded sweatshirt with a long sleeve tech shirt underneath, long winter bike tights and wool socks while on your third day of eating nothing but protein and fats. But, I had already committed a lot of time and energy to this quest so ‘leaving no stone unturned’ seemed appropriate. My weight dropped from 155 to 149 with the deplete but knew I would put a few lbs. back on with the carb loading stage.
Memories: Then, the call came in. Just two and half weeks before Boston, my father passed away. He was a Boston native who was very proud of his city (as all Bostonians seem to be) and he was one of the main reasons that I had wanted to run Boston. When I first told him I was planning to run marathons again he said, “that’s crazy”. He would know as he ran at least 4 or 5 half marathons in his late 60’s and knew that distance running was tough. But then I told him I wanted to qualify for Boston and he changed his tune. We spoke often on the phone and during visits about my training and racing. He wanted to come up from Virginia to watch me race and even after it became apparent due to his condition that a trip was out of the question, he still said he wanted to find a way to go. I was resigned to the fact that he wouldn’t be able to make it there physically but still hoped he would be around to share the results afterwards.
One week before Boston we had a Memorial Service for my Dad. It was a celebration of his life, and I decided that there could be no better way to honor and celebrate him than to do my very best at Boston and run in his memory. My family and friends told me to make my father proud and that was the plan.
Pre-Race: Taper madness was substituted with travel madness with 2 cross-country flights in one week but because of the circumstances I felt calm and focused. My entourage included my Crew Chief and DW, Nathalie, my Chief Cheerleader Doris, her husband Bob and son Austin, my sister Kathy, her husband Michael and a good friend came down from Vermont, KelLe. It was great to have all these people coming out to see the race first hand and to support me.
My first impression upon getting to Boston was, “Holy Coolmax Batman! This place is crawling with runners!” We hit the expo at the 9:00am opening on Saturday. There was a huge line of people waiting to get their number packs. I said, “forget that, let’s go to the expo” and had a good hour or so of uncrowded conditions to check out the jackets and other merchandise. On the way out, picked up the number with no lines at all.
O.k. I have to say this somewhere. The organization of the Boston Marathon is superb. The sign up and pre-race correspondence spot on, the number packet had the timing chip already registered, they had a place to try on the long sleeve tech shirts, the volunteers were everywhere, buses, the village in Hopkington, the bag drop off system, the corrals, the race itself, the finish area… wow! Sure they have had many years of practice but come on, 23,000 runners and to just be able to go through the process without one logistic hick up is mind boggling.
We had a great time with most of us staying in a little Victorian B&B in Brookline (I’ll be happy to tell you which one after I make reservations for next year ). We watched the OT’s, ate great food, visited the sites, some went to the Red Sox game, some went to the Celtics playoffs and when Monday am rolled around I found my way to the commons and to the buses. Waiting in line, I met a young woman from Boston, a bonds trader named Cathrine who was running for the second time. She ran the first time as a charity runner and this time she had qualified so kudos to her for putting in the effort. Talking with her made the bus ride go fairly quick and kept my mind off the race to come. Then I headed off to the village. By the time I started to look seriously for the tennis courts for the FE they were announcing that it was time for Wave runners to get to the start.
Nutrition: Started the morning with a medium bowl of oatmeal, half a bagel with peanut butter and a small cup of Joe. I decided to fill a throw away 16oz water bottle with ERG (now called Vitalyte) which is an electrolyte drink that I prefer over the course drink, Gatoraid Endurance, and planned to carry that for the first part of the race. I also ate a small handful of chocolate covered espresso coffee beans (one of my favorite ultra snacks) before the start and a S-Cap electrolyte tablet. The nutrition plan included getting a 20 oz. bottle with ERG handed to me at mile 17 by my crew and a zip lock with more espresso beans and an S-Cap. If all worked out as planned, I wouldn’t need to deal with the aid stations at all both saving time and hassle. I carried two small energy bars in my pockets but only ended up taking two bites, around 10 miles and 15 miles. With the digestive system turned off during the run it is difficult for me to eat anything at MP. It seems to throw my body into a mini-shock and takes me a good ¼ mile to recover my breathing pattern and settle down. I’m glad I carbo loaded and hoped that would keep me from bonking.
The Race: I got to Corral 2 when there were only a few rows of runners all sitting quietly on the ground close to the front. I sat down using a pair of throw away gloves to insulate my butt from the ground and started to get into my zone. I thought about my Dad … happy thoughts. I thought about making him proud and hoping his spirit would help me through. After 10 minutes or so, I saw a guy wearing a shirt with ‘Sub 2:50” on it. Ding .. that must be John Bil. John introduced me to Butters, Cartman and Kookaid. The 2:50 crew was locked and loaded in the front left corner of Corral 2. Then, about 3 minutes before the start, John runs off to use the ‘secret ring of porta potties’ behind the house to the left of corral 1-2. I thought that was pretty ballsy of him. Luckily he didn’t get stuck inside and he returned in time. Next was the national anthem and two jets flew above as the clouds started to clear. Oh crap .. forgot to put on suncreen. At least I’ve been training in Southern California so I’ve got a tan going unlike some of the east coast runners I saw. The throw away sweatshirt and gloves were tossed to the side lines, the ropes came down and we all crowded closer to the start.
I guess a gun goes off but for the life of me I didn’t hear it. Just a cheer from the crowd and some movement up front. The slow shuffle starts and I just concentrate on the people in front of me, careful not to get tripped up. Boy, it felt slow at first .. probably a 8:00 minute pace but ever so slowly it picked up and people were being fairly conservative and careful (unlike the mad dash atmosphere at a 10K or something) O.k. there were a few yahoo’s jumping over the ditches and running on the grass looking for a ‘darwin award’ moment but not too many. The crowds were out on the lawns and in trees and in truck beds and all over the place which gave it a carnival atmosphere. I’ll do this in 10K blocks since I can’t usually remember each mile of a marathon. . Mile splits are from the Garmin on auto lap and the 5K splits are official.
Mile 1 – 6:28 HR144
Mile 2 – 6:15 HR155
Mile 3 – 6:10 HR155
Mile 4 – 6:02 HR156
Mile 5 – 6:15 HR159
Mile 6 – 6:03 HR 159
5K 19:30 (6:16 pace)
10K 38:38 (6:13 pace)
I remember the road had lots of runners. I tried to pass people carefully and stay close to the left side. John was behind me and kept giving me positive feedback on pacing on these early miles but otherwise we didn’t talk which was o.k. with me. Each little town or intersection we passed had more people and even at this early hour the smell of meat on the BBQ would waft through the course. I would see little things that made me chuckle. A guy running way off course through the woods to find the biggest tree. A tall spectator in a full Tweety Bird costume. And Santa Claus too. A large banner sign up in the trees with arrow to the right that said “Short cut”.
I felt sort of sorry for the little boys and girl holding out orange slices in the early miles. Not going to get many takers here. I was pleased to see my heart rate and pace right where I wanted it and everything felt really good. Got into Framingham and the crowd size swelled. Cool looking place but unfortunately no time to stop. I did give some kids some low fives at this point. I was smiling and enjoying myself as the crowd enthusiasm was contagious. When we crossed the 10K mat, I thought that was the easiest 38 minute 10K I’ve ever done. I think it was around here that I first tried to play to the crowd. A double arm raise would get a big roar from the crowd. Wow that kind of power could get addictive. Better save it for later.
Mile 7 – 6:07 HR159
Mile 8 – 6:13 HR159
Mile 9 – 6:07 HR159
Mile 10 – 6:16 HR160
Mile 11 – 6:14 HR160
Mile 12 – 6:09 HR159
15K 57:49 (6:12 pace)
20K 1:17:16 (6:13 pace)
This section was fairly flat, less crowds and the most scenic. Tyce (Kookaid) and I were running side by side and we chatted just a bit. He’s a MIT student doing only his second marathon with his first just 2 months ago so the guy has some natural talent. He said we were probably going a bit too fast for him but he seemed game to stay with it for as long as he could. He looked more college student than ‘serious runner’ i.e. he was wearing a black cotton T shirt, long shorts with pockets, no hat or sunglasses. But he is tall and bean pole thin and ran with a smooth easy style. I thought he would make a great training partner since we both seemed to fall into the same pace no matter what the course threw at us.
I recall seeing a very pretty lake on the right and another body of water on the left before mile 10. Before we got to Wellesley college I heard the high pitch whine in the distance. First it did sound like wind whistling through the trees but I knew what it was. The scream tunnel was coming. Tyce said he promised his girl friend not to linger at Wellesley. Got a good chuckle out of that. It turned out not to be a true tunnel but a one sided Rockettes formation to the right and with outstretched arms instead of legs. At first, I just soaked in the incredible noise and energy not wanting to tempt the mermaid like sirens trying to drag me into their clutches. But the joy of their welcome was too much to resist and I put out my hand and ran the gauntlet at 10 miles an hour touching at least a 100 hands. I had to come out at one point to give my arm a rest but then I plunged back in for at least another 100 hands. I saw some “Kiss Me signs” but a slow down there would have probably gotten me trampled. Then, as soon as it started it was over and calmer roads prevailed.
Mile 13 – 6:12 HR163
Mile 14 – 6:15 HR161
Mile 15 – 6:20 HR161
Mile 16 – 6:09 HR156
Mile 17 – 6:34 HR159
Mile 18 – 6:35 HR160
Half 1:21:26 (6:13 pace)
25K 1:36:45 (6:14 pace)
Although I wasn’t carrying anything with time splits on it, I knew the half time was very close to my 2:45 target. It was within seconds of my half PR race in December but considering the mainly down hill first half it didn’t concern me. The HR was right where I wanted it and all systems were go. Tyce gave me a quick run down on the hills coming up. He had run them in training and warned me a bit about the first one after the steeper downhill near the end of mile 16. We started up the first hill and immediately saw someone drop down to a walk. I just tried to keep an even effort. Not charge up the hill but save my energy for the series of hills. I remember feeling I was in my element now as I do lots of steep hill training.
I started to read the messages chaulked onto the ground. There was one, something like.. “Hey Lance, You have to Earn it”. It was in the hills that I figured out that Lance was behind us. There were some Lance supporters on the side holding signs and looking down the road behind us intently. I would hear bits of conversations like “he should be coming soon”.
I started to look out for my support crew. They were taking the T to the Woodland stop but I wasn’t sure if that would put them on the course at 16.5 or 17.0 miles. And there were thousands of people on both sides of the road. There were barricades on the right which would make seeing them harder and getting a hand off tougher. My 16 oz throw away bottle was finished and I tossed it at an aid station getting two points for getting it in the trash can from 15 feet out. I even got a few cheers for that. Then as I got close to the top of the hill I spotted Nathalie in the left lane out in the road. I hardly slowed as she ran along and gave me my amphi pod water bottle and then KelLe was out there with a zip lock bag with the espresso coffee beans and S-cap. I blew a few kisses to my supporters and the crowd. Doris, Bob and Austin were on the side lines with sticker signs pasted to their shirts cheering like crazy. I crested the first hill and found Tyce just a bit up ahead and fell back in with him.
Mile 18 ended with the second hill, not quite as long as the first and not a problem keeping a nice steady pace. We were passing more people than were passing us.
Mile 19 – 6:25 HR158
Mile 20 – 6:42 HR158
Mile 21 – 6:51 HR161
Mile 22 – 6:12 HR160
Mile 23 – 6:25 HR161
Mile 24 – 6:28 HR158
30K 1:57:04 (6:17 pace)
35K 2:17:37 (6:20 pace)
After 18, we had a mile or so of fairly level or slightly down hill running and this was a good thing. It allowed one to recoup a bit and start to bring the pace down. The third hill wasn’t too bad but I kept things conservative per the plan, hoping to have plenty of juice for Heartbreak and the final run into town. The crowds on the hills were mind blowing. They would call out your name if you were so inclined to write it on your shirt or arms. I was getting quite a few “Go 2659’s” at this point since I decided to run “anonymously”. Tyce was getting huge support with his MIT shirt. There must have been one aid station with an MIT crew because they went wild.
Then we were on Heartbreak hill. I knew it by the signs near the bottom and the hard core crowd that it must attract. These were the ‘train wreck’ spectators, the ambulance chasers of the running world out there to see both the glory and the gory. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat was playing out in front of them. But they really didn’t want to see anyone fail. If a runner slowed to a walk or stopped altogether the crowd would fixate their cheers on that one runner. “Come on!!” they would yell, “You can do it!!” And if the runner started up again the cheers would be deafening .. they were willing runners on … refilling the spent energy and screaming muscles with their energy and focus. Luckily, I didn’t need that kind of attention and just kept chugging along, moving the legs as if they were wheels and motored up Heartbreak without breaking the bank.
At the top of Heartbreak was Boston College. I smelled it before I saw it. A beer and testoterone perfume filled the air and appropriately it brought back memories of my Dad. This was the start of a grittier side of Boston. More city smells and urban sights and sounds. I tried to relax down the hill that dropped away from Boston College but my legs were starting to hurt for the first time. My feet were slapping the ground too hard, I could feel my left toe ache and the side of my quads, just behind my IT bands and in front of the hamstrings were sore. I had never felt this particular area be sore before and it hurt but I pressed on. I still clocked a good time here but as soon as it flatten out my pace slowed. Starting around mile 23 I noticed that everyone around me had slowed. I went along with it being in a bit of a daze and just trying to knock off each mile and minimize the pain.
Mile 25 – 6:38 HR158
Mile 26 – 6:33 HR160
Mile .2 – 6:07 HR171
40K 2:37:56 (6:21 pace)
I saw the huge Citgo sign in the distance and it couldn’t come too soon. Made it under and out of the Mass. Ave. Underpass and around the right turn onto Hereford street. The crowds here were deep and of Olympic size and the tall buildings signaled the end was near. There is a short rise near the end of Hereford before you turn left onto Boylston and I picked up my pace to a near all out sprint. I passed a group of at least 8 runners up that short rise and carried the momentum around the corner. I think I stirred a hornets nest because I felt a few guys in hot pursuit. I was wondering how I’d ever pick out my support crew with all the thousands of people lining the road. All the sudden I hear the scream louder than all the others and see Doris jumping up and down with her arms flying around and clearing a space around her. I give her a peace sign and the crowd responds with an increase in volume. This pumps me up for the finish which unfortunately is still a good stretch down the road. Right near the end a guy with grey hair (a potential rival in my age category) decides to try to out sprint me to the finish. I pour it on one more time and surge past him across the line.
I slow to a walk and once in a clear area, get down on my knees and kiss the ground. A man comes immediately to my side and asks if I need help getting up. I tell him I’m o.k., that I wanted to do this before I tighten up and he laughs. He shakes my hand, looks me in the eye and tells me, “Congratulations, you have run the Boston Marathon”. It hits me there, my eyes fill with tears, my mouth quivers a bit and feel the emotion of the moment. I turn to the volunteers and spectators lining the finish chute area and tell them, “Thank you Boston!”
I meet up with Butters and Cartman and who had just come in within the last minute or two. We share our excitement and we are all just totally pumped that we met or exceeded our goals. I walk along to the baggage claim area and start to the family reunion spot. I meet up with John (Kayry) who ran a 2:42 and we congratulate each other. Then on to the family/friend area for a happy reunion with my wife and crew.
Finish time 2:46:48
Overall 335 (out of 21963)
6th place in 50-59 AG (out of 2799) – missed the 5th place trophy spot by 8 seconds.
9th place from California
1st place from Orange County
(and beat Lance by over 4 minutes)
Age grade factor is 83.61%
My Garmin info is here:
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/5500414
or here:
http://johnl.bimjournals.com
Some photos:
http://www.loftusdesign.net/Boston08runningphotos/
Post-Race Analysis
I want to comment a bit on what worked and what didn’t work.
-Nutrition, hydration worked great. No stomach distress, no dehydration problems, no bonking.
-Pacing vs. HR was spot on for the majority of the race.
-Asics Gel Hyperspeed 2’s were just a bit too light on cushion for this course and my weight. The Speedstars 2’s would have been a better choice.
-Should have used my pace band. I had made one up for a 2:45 and it could have helped but I left it in my gear bag.
-My difficult moments came in the final miles. Some of this was probably due to lack of MP training runs at my new MP but I was also weak mentally at this point. It’s easy to lose focus or to ease off but this was the point where I could have or at least should have tried to push harder. I think I left a minute or two out on the course since my HR was a few beats under my goal (which was conservative to begin with). Had I tried to push harder I might have moved into a better groove and got beyond the pain of the pace I was at. I feel this is true because I did ‘snap out’ of it near the end and motored pretty well up the final grade and into the finish. BTW, I’m not trying to be hard on myself, just filing these tidbits away for the next goal race.
I want to thank everyone here who has helped out with advice, encouragement and friendship. I could have tried to tackle all this on my own but I don’t think I wouldn’t have been nearly as successful with my training and results without the support of all of you. Thanks for reading along.
Cheers,
John
Although I really wanted to go off and run Boston with a few thousand skinny nut cases from the running boom, I was just starting at a design college in California and didn’t have the time or money to make a trip back east happen. Over the years I did Triathlons, biked and ran a few times a week so I wasn’t really a Coach Potato .. more like a Couch Carrot or maybe Banana but definitely not anything in the starch family.
I toyed with the idea of getting back into marathon shape several times. Sometimes a friend was training for one and say, “why don’t you do one again?” and would start running longer distances again. But each time I stopped my training short around the 15 mile run stage and I realized I was in crappy marathon shape. In November 2006, at age 49 (could that have anything to do with it?), I decided to finally commit to getting to Boston and get this monkey off my back.
As a baseline test I ran a 10K Turkey trot in 43:13. I huffed and puffed and my back hurt but I finished just under 7:00 minute pace. Cool .. now I just need to run that for 26.2 miles.
I stuck to my training and ran three marathons; a 3:12 in June 07 in San Diego that qualified me but was a very tough lesson in going out too fast for my training. For the first half I was ‘super runner man’, on track for a sub-3 but the second was a painful 14-minute positive split. “The marathon can humble you” said Bill Rodgers and I would have to agree with him. Impressed with the improvements John Hill was having (Kayry), I studied up on the Hadd’s training technique and put in low HR aerobic runs all summer long as my penance. It was pretty tough as first because I love to run quicker but it was a good type of punishment for me and I started to improve beyond my wildest dreams. Well, maybe not that much improvement but I could see myself becoming an aerobic beast (not to be confused with The Beast who is surely an aerobic beast too).
My next race was a 50 mile ultra on my 50th birthday in Oct 07. This was also a qualifier .. it qualified me as insane. But I had an amazing race and was hooked on Ultras. But wait .. I have a prior engagement. A dance with that Boston girl and she’s been waiting for a long long time.
A funny thing happed on the way to the ‘aerobic forum’. I got faster without doing any speed work. I ran the ’07 10K Turkey Trot in 37:00 which shocked me to no end. I followed that up with a 1:21 half which suggested that breaking my old marathon PR could be possible. Hey Cher, ‘Could I turn back time?’ or was this a another sly trick by the marathon gods?
Not wanting to attempt a Sub 2:50 from corral 7 or 8, I jumped into a marathon in early Jan. 08 and pulled down a 2:59 on a tough course. That got me into corral 2 and still a good amount of time to recover and train for the race to the city where they serve Chowda.
Training: After recovering and building back my mileage for a month, started a modified Pfitz 70+ 12-week plan for Boston. I modified it with more trail running and eliminating the doubles. I stuck to the training and for the first time in my life ran 7 days a week for nearly the entire 3 months (I took one day off for a 3 hour mountain bike ride). I also took spin classes 2 to 3 times a week.
My shorter race results predicted a 2:52 marathon so I did my speed; tempo and MP runs based on a 6:29 pace (2:49 marathon). Then just three weeks before Boston I ran a 10K and 5K tune up race and found out that my latest training had lowered my 10K time to 36:14 with a lower HR. I also tried a series of HR 160 runs to see what my MP would be at that heart rate; one I knew I could hold for 26.2. Those runs were around 6:10 pace and soon I was adjusting my goals once again.
The biggest problem I envisioned with running 26.2 at 6:10 pace was mechanical. That pace just felt too fast since I had not been doing any long runs at that speed and I was concerned that my legs would just fly off on the hills of Boston. I decided to go out with a reduced HR target of 155 for the first miles. I would try to hold that as long as I could and as long as the pace was still close for a 2:45 target (6:18). Then I would allow the HR to move up to 160 but I didn’t want to go much above that and risk a crash and burn.
Tweaks: After seeing quite a few on the RT Forum have positive results with depletion/carbo loading I decided to give that a try. It was de rigeur back in the 70’s and 80’s so I knew it had worked for me before. Hell, I have fasted for 3 to 5 days at a time so a protein and fat diet would be like a Vegas Buffet compared to that.
A 3-day deplete and 4-day carb load was scheduled in. I also was intrigued with Dr. Kayry’s heat acclimation theory and tested it before the 10K tune up race resulting in a great race with fairly low HR figures. So for Boston I also scheduled in 2 days of heat acclimation about 4 days before the marathon. It occurred to me that one is either dedicated/hardcore/completely nuts (pick one) when you are out there running in 75 degree temps wearing a hooded sweatshirt with a long sleeve tech shirt underneath, long winter bike tights and wool socks while on your third day of eating nothing but protein and fats. But, I had already committed a lot of time and energy to this quest so ‘leaving no stone unturned’ seemed appropriate. My weight dropped from 155 to 149 with the deplete but knew I would put a few lbs. back on with the carb loading stage.
Memories: Then, the call came in. Just two and half weeks before Boston, my father passed away. He was a Boston native who was very proud of his city (as all Bostonians seem to be) and he was one of the main reasons that I had wanted to run Boston. When I first told him I was planning to run marathons again he said, “that’s crazy”. He would know as he ran at least 4 or 5 half marathons in his late 60’s and knew that distance running was tough. But then I told him I wanted to qualify for Boston and he changed his tune. We spoke often on the phone and during visits about my training and racing. He wanted to come up from Virginia to watch me race and even after it became apparent due to his condition that a trip was out of the question, he still said he wanted to find a way to go. I was resigned to the fact that he wouldn’t be able to make it there physically but still hoped he would be around to share the results afterwards.
One week before Boston we had a Memorial Service for my Dad. It was a celebration of his life, and I decided that there could be no better way to honor and celebrate him than to do my very best at Boston and run in his memory. My family and friends told me to make my father proud and that was the plan.
Pre-Race: Taper madness was substituted with travel madness with 2 cross-country flights in one week but because of the circumstances I felt calm and focused. My entourage included my Crew Chief and DW, Nathalie, my Chief Cheerleader Doris, her husband Bob and son Austin, my sister Kathy, her husband Michael and a good friend came down from Vermont, KelLe. It was great to have all these people coming out to see the race first hand and to support me.
My first impression upon getting to Boston was, “Holy Coolmax Batman! This place is crawling with runners!” We hit the expo at the 9:00am opening on Saturday. There was a huge line of people waiting to get their number packs. I said, “forget that, let’s go to the expo” and had a good hour or so of uncrowded conditions to check out the jackets and other merchandise. On the way out, picked up the number with no lines at all.
O.k. I have to say this somewhere. The organization of the Boston Marathon is superb. The sign up and pre-race correspondence spot on, the number packet had the timing chip already registered, they had a place to try on the long sleeve tech shirts, the volunteers were everywhere, buses, the village in Hopkington, the bag drop off system, the corrals, the race itself, the finish area… wow! Sure they have had many years of practice but come on, 23,000 runners and to just be able to go through the process without one logistic hick up is mind boggling.
We had a great time with most of us staying in a little Victorian B&B in Brookline (I’ll be happy to tell you which one after I make reservations for next year ). We watched the OT’s, ate great food, visited the sites, some went to the Red Sox game, some went to the Celtics playoffs and when Monday am rolled around I found my way to the commons and to the buses. Waiting in line, I met a young woman from Boston, a bonds trader named Cathrine who was running for the second time. She ran the first time as a charity runner and this time she had qualified so kudos to her for putting in the effort. Talking with her made the bus ride go fairly quick and kept my mind off the race to come. Then I headed off to the village. By the time I started to look seriously for the tennis courts for the FE they were announcing that it was time for Wave runners to get to the start.
Nutrition: Started the morning with a medium bowl of oatmeal, half a bagel with peanut butter and a small cup of Joe. I decided to fill a throw away 16oz water bottle with ERG (now called Vitalyte) which is an electrolyte drink that I prefer over the course drink, Gatoraid Endurance, and planned to carry that for the first part of the race. I also ate a small handful of chocolate covered espresso coffee beans (one of my favorite ultra snacks) before the start and a S-Cap electrolyte tablet. The nutrition plan included getting a 20 oz. bottle with ERG handed to me at mile 17 by my crew and a zip lock with more espresso beans and an S-Cap. If all worked out as planned, I wouldn’t need to deal with the aid stations at all both saving time and hassle. I carried two small energy bars in my pockets but only ended up taking two bites, around 10 miles and 15 miles. With the digestive system turned off during the run it is difficult for me to eat anything at MP. It seems to throw my body into a mini-shock and takes me a good ¼ mile to recover my breathing pattern and settle down. I’m glad I carbo loaded and hoped that would keep me from bonking.
The Race: I got to Corral 2 when there were only a few rows of runners all sitting quietly on the ground close to the front. I sat down using a pair of throw away gloves to insulate my butt from the ground and started to get into my zone. I thought about my Dad … happy thoughts. I thought about making him proud and hoping his spirit would help me through. After 10 minutes or so, I saw a guy wearing a shirt with ‘Sub 2:50” on it. Ding .. that must be John Bil. John introduced me to Butters, Cartman and Kookaid. The 2:50 crew was locked and loaded in the front left corner of Corral 2. Then, about 3 minutes before the start, John runs off to use the ‘secret ring of porta potties’ behind the house to the left of corral 1-2. I thought that was pretty ballsy of him. Luckily he didn’t get stuck inside and he returned in time. Next was the national anthem and two jets flew above as the clouds started to clear. Oh crap .. forgot to put on suncreen. At least I’ve been training in Southern California so I’ve got a tan going unlike some of the east coast runners I saw. The throw away sweatshirt and gloves were tossed to the side lines, the ropes came down and we all crowded closer to the start.
I guess a gun goes off but for the life of me I didn’t hear it. Just a cheer from the crowd and some movement up front. The slow shuffle starts and I just concentrate on the people in front of me, careful not to get tripped up. Boy, it felt slow at first .. probably a 8:00 minute pace but ever so slowly it picked up and people were being fairly conservative and careful (unlike the mad dash atmosphere at a 10K or something) O.k. there were a few yahoo’s jumping over the ditches and running on the grass looking for a ‘darwin award’ moment but not too many. The crowds were out on the lawns and in trees and in truck beds and all over the place which gave it a carnival atmosphere. I’ll do this in 10K blocks since I can’t usually remember each mile of a marathon. . Mile splits are from the Garmin on auto lap and the 5K splits are official.
Mile 1 – 6:28 HR144
Mile 2 – 6:15 HR155
Mile 3 – 6:10 HR155
Mile 4 – 6:02 HR156
Mile 5 – 6:15 HR159
Mile 6 – 6:03 HR 159
5K 19:30 (6:16 pace)
10K 38:38 (6:13 pace)
I remember the road had lots of runners. I tried to pass people carefully and stay close to the left side. John was behind me and kept giving me positive feedback on pacing on these early miles but otherwise we didn’t talk which was o.k. with me. Each little town or intersection we passed had more people and even at this early hour the smell of meat on the BBQ would waft through the course. I would see little things that made me chuckle. A guy running way off course through the woods to find the biggest tree. A tall spectator in a full Tweety Bird costume. And Santa Claus too. A large banner sign up in the trees with arrow to the right that said “Short cut”.
I felt sort of sorry for the little boys and girl holding out orange slices in the early miles. Not going to get many takers here. I was pleased to see my heart rate and pace right where I wanted it and everything felt really good. Got into Framingham and the crowd size swelled. Cool looking place but unfortunately no time to stop. I did give some kids some low fives at this point. I was smiling and enjoying myself as the crowd enthusiasm was contagious. When we crossed the 10K mat, I thought that was the easiest 38 minute 10K I’ve ever done. I think it was around here that I first tried to play to the crowd. A double arm raise would get a big roar from the crowd. Wow that kind of power could get addictive. Better save it for later.
Mile 7 – 6:07 HR159
Mile 8 – 6:13 HR159
Mile 9 – 6:07 HR159
Mile 10 – 6:16 HR160
Mile 11 – 6:14 HR160
Mile 12 – 6:09 HR159
15K 57:49 (6:12 pace)
20K 1:17:16 (6:13 pace)
This section was fairly flat, less crowds and the most scenic. Tyce (Kookaid) and I were running side by side and we chatted just a bit. He’s a MIT student doing only his second marathon with his first just 2 months ago so the guy has some natural talent. He said we were probably going a bit too fast for him but he seemed game to stay with it for as long as he could. He looked more college student than ‘serious runner’ i.e. he was wearing a black cotton T shirt, long shorts with pockets, no hat or sunglasses. But he is tall and bean pole thin and ran with a smooth easy style. I thought he would make a great training partner since we both seemed to fall into the same pace no matter what the course threw at us.
I recall seeing a very pretty lake on the right and another body of water on the left before mile 10. Before we got to Wellesley college I heard the high pitch whine in the distance. First it did sound like wind whistling through the trees but I knew what it was. The scream tunnel was coming. Tyce said he promised his girl friend not to linger at Wellesley. Got a good chuckle out of that. It turned out not to be a true tunnel but a one sided Rockettes formation to the right and with outstretched arms instead of legs. At first, I just soaked in the incredible noise and energy not wanting to tempt the mermaid like sirens trying to drag me into their clutches. But the joy of their welcome was too much to resist and I put out my hand and ran the gauntlet at 10 miles an hour touching at least a 100 hands. I had to come out at one point to give my arm a rest but then I plunged back in for at least another 100 hands. I saw some “Kiss Me signs” but a slow down there would have probably gotten me trampled. Then, as soon as it started it was over and calmer roads prevailed.
Mile 13 – 6:12 HR163
Mile 14 – 6:15 HR161
Mile 15 – 6:20 HR161
Mile 16 – 6:09 HR156
Mile 17 – 6:34 HR159
Mile 18 – 6:35 HR160
Half 1:21:26 (6:13 pace)
25K 1:36:45 (6:14 pace)
Although I wasn’t carrying anything with time splits on it, I knew the half time was very close to my 2:45 target. It was within seconds of my half PR race in December but considering the mainly down hill first half it didn’t concern me. The HR was right where I wanted it and all systems were go. Tyce gave me a quick run down on the hills coming up. He had run them in training and warned me a bit about the first one after the steeper downhill near the end of mile 16. We started up the first hill and immediately saw someone drop down to a walk. I just tried to keep an even effort. Not charge up the hill but save my energy for the series of hills. I remember feeling I was in my element now as I do lots of steep hill training.
I started to read the messages chaulked onto the ground. There was one, something like.. “Hey Lance, You have to Earn it”. It was in the hills that I figured out that Lance was behind us. There were some Lance supporters on the side holding signs and looking down the road behind us intently. I would hear bits of conversations like “he should be coming soon”.
I started to look out for my support crew. They were taking the T to the Woodland stop but I wasn’t sure if that would put them on the course at 16.5 or 17.0 miles. And there were thousands of people on both sides of the road. There were barricades on the right which would make seeing them harder and getting a hand off tougher. My 16 oz throw away bottle was finished and I tossed it at an aid station getting two points for getting it in the trash can from 15 feet out. I even got a few cheers for that. Then as I got close to the top of the hill I spotted Nathalie in the left lane out in the road. I hardly slowed as she ran along and gave me my amphi pod water bottle and then KelLe was out there with a zip lock bag with the espresso coffee beans and S-cap. I blew a few kisses to my supporters and the crowd. Doris, Bob and Austin were on the side lines with sticker signs pasted to their shirts cheering like crazy. I crested the first hill and found Tyce just a bit up ahead and fell back in with him.
Mile 18 ended with the second hill, not quite as long as the first and not a problem keeping a nice steady pace. We were passing more people than were passing us.
Mile 19 – 6:25 HR158
Mile 20 – 6:42 HR158
Mile 21 – 6:51 HR161
Mile 22 – 6:12 HR160
Mile 23 – 6:25 HR161
Mile 24 – 6:28 HR158
30K 1:57:04 (6:17 pace)
35K 2:17:37 (6:20 pace)
After 18, we had a mile or so of fairly level or slightly down hill running and this was a good thing. It allowed one to recoup a bit and start to bring the pace down. The third hill wasn’t too bad but I kept things conservative per the plan, hoping to have plenty of juice for Heartbreak and the final run into town. The crowds on the hills were mind blowing. They would call out your name if you were so inclined to write it on your shirt or arms. I was getting quite a few “Go 2659’s” at this point since I decided to run “anonymously”. Tyce was getting huge support with his MIT shirt. There must have been one aid station with an MIT crew because they went wild.
Then we were on Heartbreak hill. I knew it by the signs near the bottom and the hard core crowd that it must attract. These were the ‘train wreck’ spectators, the ambulance chasers of the running world out there to see both the glory and the gory. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat was playing out in front of them. But they really didn’t want to see anyone fail. If a runner slowed to a walk or stopped altogether the crowd would fixate their cheers on that one runner. “Come on!!” they would yell, “You can do it!!” And if the runner started up again the cheers would be deafening .. they were willing runners on … refilling the spent energy and screaming muscles with their energy and focus. Luckily, I didn’t need that kind of attention and just kept chugging along, moving the legs as if they were wheels and motored up Heartbreak without breaking the bank.
At the top of Heartbreak was Boston College. I smelled it before I saw it. A beer and testoterone perfume filled the air and appropriately it brought back memories of my Dad. This was the start of a grittier side of Boston. More city smells and urban sights and sounds. I tried to relax down the hill that dropped away from Boston College but my legs were starting to hurt for the first time. My feet were slapping the ground too hard, I could feel my left toe ache and the side of my quads, just behind my IT bands and in front of the hamstrings were sore. I had never felt this particular area be sore before and it hurt but I pressed on. I still clocked a good time here but as soon as it flatten out my pace slowed. Starting around mile 23 I noticed that everyone around me had slowed. I went along with it being in a bit of a daze and just trying to knock off each mile and minimize the pain.
Mile 25 – 6:38 HR158
Mile 26 – 6:33 HR160
Mile .2 – 6:07 HR171
40K 2:37:56 (6:21 pace)
I saw the huge Citgo sign in the distance and it couldn’t come too soon. Made it under and out of the Mass. Ave. Underpass and around the right turn onto Hereford street. The crowds here were deep and of Olympic size and the tall buildings signaled the end was near. There is a short rise near the end of Hereford before you turn left onto Boylston and I picked up my pace to a near all out sprint. I passed a group of at least 8 runners up that short rise and carried the momentum around the corner. I think I stirred a hornets nest because I felt a few guys in hot pursuit. I was wondering how I’d ever pick out my support crew with all the thousands of people lining the road. All the sudden I hear the scream louder than all the others and see Doris jumping up and down with her arms flying around and clearing a space around her. I give her a peace sign and the crowd responds with an increase in volume. This pumps me up for the finish which unfortunately is still a good stretch down the road. Right near the end a guy with grey hair (a potential rival in my age category) decides to try to out sprint me to the finish. I pour it on one more time and surge past him across the line.
I slow to a walk and once in a clear area, get down on my knees and kiss the ground. A man comes immediately to my side and asks if I need help getting up. I tell him I’m o.k., that I wanted to do this before I tighten up and he laughs. He shakes my hand, looks me in the eye and tells me, “Congratulations, you have run the Boston Marathon”. It hits me there, my eyes fill with tears, my mouth quivers a bit and feel the emotion of the moment. I turn to the volunteers and spectators lining the finish chute area and tell them, “Thank you Boston!”
I meet up with Butters and Cartman and who had just come in within the last minute or two. We share our excitement and we are all just totally pumped that we met or exceeded our goals. I walk along to the baggage claim area and start to the family reunion spot. I meet up with John (Kayry) who ran a 2:42 and we congratulate each other. Then on to the family/friend area for a happy reunion with my wife and crew.
Finish time 2:46:48
Overall 335 (out of 21963)
6th place in 50-59 AG (out of 2799) – missed the 5th place trophy spot by 8 seconds.
9th place from California
1st place from Orange County
(and beat Lance by over 4 minutes)
Age grade factor is 83.61%
My Garmin info is here:
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/5500414
or here:
http://johnl.bimjournals.com
Some photos:
http://www.loftusdesign.net/Boston08runningphotos/
Post-Race Analysis
I want to comment a bit on what worked and what didn’t work.
-Nutrition, hydration worked great. No stomach distress, no dehydration problems, no bonking.
-Pacing vs. HR was spot on for the majority of the race.
-Asics Gel Hyperspeed 2’s were just a bit too light on cushion for this course and my weight. The Speedstars 2’s would have been a better choice.
-Should have used my pace band. I had made one up for a 2:45 and it could have helped but I left it in my gear bag.
-My difficult moments came in the final miles. Some of this was probably due to lack of MP training runs at my new MP but I was also weak mentally at this point. It’s easy to lose focus or to ease off but this was the point where I could have or at least should have tried to push harder. I think I left a minute or two out on the course since my HR was a few beats under my goal (which was conservative to begin with). Had I tried to push harder I might have moved into a better groove and got beyond the pain of the pace I was at. I feel this is true because I did ‘snap out’ of it near the end and motored pretty well up the final grade and into the finish. BTW, I’m not trying to be hard on myself, just filing these tidbits away for the next goal race.
I want to thank everyone here who has helped out with advice, encouragement and friendship. I could have tried to tackle all this on my own but I don’t think I wouldn’t have been nearly as successful with my training and results without the support of all of you. Thanks for reading along.
Cheers,
John