First of all, I made it safe. I was nowhere near the explosions when they occurred and I witnessed none of the dreadful events as I was already in my plane back home when they occurred.
Therefore, I will not speak about the attack other than to say that my heart goes to the families of the victims of the bombing. I am incredibly shocked and in complete disbelief that anyone would target the joyful and peaceful crowd that the running community is. I mean, I don't care what your motives are. I can not imagine what your message could possibly be to target runners and their cheering families and kids.
I will stop there as I am already starting to feel pissed off...
Well, I did not plan this trip very carefully. A couple of days before, I realized that unlike the many other marathons I have run, this one starts pretty late in the morning. Yes, 10am for a marathon start is far later than any other foot races I have participated in. That said, I should have been more careful while planning my plane tickets. I booked my return flight to Utah at 2:40pm the day of the marathon. Needless to say, that is a tight schedule and a great incentive to run fast.
I stayed at the Ramada hotel in Boston, one of the only hotels that had vacancy a couple of months before the race and that was fairly close to downtown. I arrived there Sunday night at 11:30pm. Yep a tight schedule I said. I would have liked to arrive sooner, maybe even a day earlier to enjoy the city, but the marathon week end is so busy in Boston that all the flights and hotels seem to double or triple in price. I could not find an affordable direct flight so I booked a 1 stop flight with a late arrival time.
The hotel was not terrible but not that nice either, For a 5 hour night, it was going to be plenty sufficient. However, $250 a night was a bit stiff for it.. The taxi cab driver that took me from the airport to the hotel confessed that this hotel is normally $80 a night...
The late arrival at the hotel the day before the race on Monday meant that I had not had the opportunity to pick up my bib at the expo. The weeks before the race I struggled to find a solution as the race organizers stipulated on the website that there would be absolutely no bib pick up on race day.
A week before the race, I put a message on the marathontalk.com website (a popular British podcast about marathon running) and on the Boston race page a very nice Bostonian offered to pick it up for me and drop it at my hotel.
Saved!
On race day, I woke up at 6am, not feeling too bad. I took my breakfast and the hotel shuttle dropped me at the train station. After a 10min ride on the red line, I arrived at Boston common park where the bus loading to the start line was underway.
Therefore, I will not speak about the attack other than to say that my heart goes to the families of the victims of the bombing. I am incredibly shocked and in complete disbelief that anyone would target the joyful and peaceful crowd that the running community is. I mean, I don't care what your motives are. I can not imagine what your message could possibly be to target runners and their cheering families and kids.
I will stop there as I am already starting to feel pissed off...
Well, I did not plan this trip very carefully. A couple of days before, I realized that unlike the many other marathons I have run, this one starts pretty late in the morning. Yes, 10am for a marathon start is far later than any other foot races I have participated in. That said, I should have been more careful while planning my plane tickets. I booked my return flight to Utah at 2:40pm the day of the marathon. Needless to say, that is a tight schedule and a great incentive to run fast.
I stayed at the Ramada hotel in Boston, one of the only hotels that had vacancy a couple of months before the race and that was fairly close to downtown. I arrived there Sunday night at 11:30pm. Yep a tight schedule I said. I would have liked to arrive sooner, maybe even a day earlier to enjoy the city, but the marathon week end is so busy in Boston that all the flights and hotels seem to double or triple in price. I could not find an affordable direct flight so I booked a 1 stop flight with a late arrival time.
The hotel was not terrible but not that nice either, For a 5 hour night, it was going to be plenty sufficient. However, $250 a night was a bit stiff for it.. The taxi cab driver that took me from the airport to the hotel confessed that this hotel is normally $80 a night...
The late arrival at the hotel the day before the race on Monday meant that I had not had the opportunity to pick up my bib at the expo. The weeks before the race I struggled to find a solution as the race organizers stipulated on the website that there would be absolutely no bib pick up on race day.
A week before the race, I put a message on the marathontalk.com website (a popular British podcast about marathon running) and on the Boston race page a very nice Bostonian offered to pick it up for me and drop it at my hotel.
Saved!
On race day, I woke up at 6am, not feeling too bad. I took my breakfast and the hotel shuttle dropped me at the train station. After a 10min ride on the red line, I arrived at Boston common park where the bus loading to the start line was underway.
From the moment I arrived in the bus loading area I was impressed with the logistic and organization. The buses loaded quickly, then a volunteer would raise a flag to signify that the bus was full and ready to go. When the wave of buses left, a new one would come in for loading not 10 seconds afterwards. Impressive. Taking into account that these buses had to haul about 25000 people to the start line (about 500 bus loads), getting the timing so right was absolutely awe inspiring.
The bus ride took a good 30 - 45 min. I wanted to sleep but the seating position in these school buses is notoriously uncomfortable so I tried to enjoy the scenery. To be honest, the view was pretty bland most of the way. A sort of generic highway with woods on each side.. Pretty boring.
After the bus unloading I had to use the bathroom, and no surprise there. long lines in a chilly March morning. I took about 30 min for me to get there, and by that time it was getting a bit late for me to get to the start line since I was starting in wave 1.
I jogged / ran the mile to the start line. And when I arrived in my starting corral area, I was impressed with the organization once again. I have run big city marathons before. In Los Angeles, for example, and as in every marathon I have ever run, the starting area is just chaos. People are escalating barriers in a futile attempt to reach their starting corral, crowds are tightly pressed and shoving is the law.
Not so with Boston. Despite being the biggest, most crowded event I have ever taken part in, the starting area is a model of order.
Departure is divided in 3 waves starting at different times based on pace. Then, each wave is subdivided in corrals signaled with clear signs by bib number and pace, with open entry points so you don't have to perform any stunt to get to your exact spot. Yes, truly amazing. It seems simple enough, but I have never seen that before, and with 25000 people to manage, it was done better and in a more orderly fashion than marathons with 500 people I have been a part of. Bravo Boston!
I jogged / ran the mile to the start line. And when I arrived in my starting corral area, I was impressed with the organization once again. I have run big city marathons before. In Los Angeles, for example, and as in every marathon I have ever run, the starting area is just chaos. People are escalating barriers in a futile attempt to reach their starting corral, crowds are tightly pressed and shoving is the law.
Not so with Boston. Despite being the biggest, most crowded event I have ever taken part in, the starting area is a model of order.
Departure is divided in 3 waves starting at different times based on pace. Then, each wave is subdivided in corrals signaled with clear signs by bib number and pace, with open entry points so you don't have to perform any stunt to get to your exact spot. Yes, truly amazing. It seems simple enough, but I have never seen that before, and with 25000 people to manage, it was done better and in a more orderly fashion than marathons with 500 people I have been a part of. Bravo Boston!
Since everyone is able to get to their exact right starting spot, when the gun went off, every one around you starts at the right pace, The elbowing and pushing chaos that rules most marathon starts is minimized here.
I started at about 6:30 pace. A bit faster than my overall projected (qualifying) pace. This meant I did have to do a bit of slalom around people in the first couple of miles.
The atmosphere was completely wild at the start, The cameras were filming, the crowds were cheering loudly and this was incredibly electrifying. I am glad that the other runners slowed me down a bit because I may have over done it otherwise. I completed my first mile in 6:47
Boston is something else... From mile 1 and one, the crowds a cheering and encouraging and screaming louder than at a Justin Bieber concert. I have never experienced anything like it. You really feel like a movie start. High-fives along the course!
I thought that after a while the crowds would start calming down, dispersing, but the course remains lined with super loud crowds from start to end. Incredible!
My running felt great. Maybe it was the crowd cheering, maybe the favorable altitude, the great weather and temperature. I felt like I was effortlessly flying.
I managed to maintain the pace between 6:25 and 6:45 without struggling.
I took water every other mile after mile 3 or 4, plus had 3 gels while running.
Mile 2 6:30
Mile 3 6:30
Mile 4 6:21
Mile 5 6:42
Mile 6 6:25
Mile 7 6:30
Mile 8 6:39
Mile 9 6:35
Mile 10 6:42
Mile 11 6:40
Mile 12 6:33
Mile 13 6:35
At the midway point, I glanced at my watch. I had just run a half marathon in 1:26! A new PR for me. Wow, this meant 4 minutes ahead of a potential sub 3 finish. On top of that I didn't feel too bad. I was pushing the pace a bit especially on the short uphill sections but it really felt like a pace I should be able to maintain. I tried not to get too excited and refocused on the race.
Mile 14 6:34
Mile 15 6:48
At about mile 15, I started feeling just a bit tired for the first time. With 11 miles to go, it was manageable. However the next 6 miles would prove to be a real test.Mile 15 is where the hilly section begins. It's nothing too hard, just rolling hills, with a net gain for 5 miles. Then comes the notorious Heartbreak hill. Again, I have done much tougher climbs in Utah. But at mile 21 and after a succession of seemingly never ending rolling hills, it does take a toll.
Mile 16 6:28
Mile 17 7:03
Mile 18 6:59
Mile 19 6:45
Mile 20 7:09
Mile 21 7:37
The hills felt hard but I was still hanging in there. Limited the loss of time. At that point I really could touch the sub 3.
After Heartbreak hill started the easiest part of the course. All downhill from here. Unfortunately, this is when things started to get very wrong for me.
At the time where I should have been accelerating, my legs seem to seize up. They were very stiff and painful. At the time I really thought this was due to my lack of preparation. I had skipped a few long runs due to injury and had basically done less running prep that I have done for most marathons. Now I am not sure this is actually the case. More on that later.
Now I was in a world of pain and it was going to be a fight to finish.
Mile 22 6:53
Mile 23 7:15
Mile 24 7:33
Mile 25 7:51
Mile 26 8:11
Mile 27 (0.45) 8:18
I crossed the line in 3:02:18, grateful that it was over.
I was so close to the sub 3 this time. Sooo close!. Really I lost it in the last 3 miles of the race. And really, even looking back, there is nothing I could do about. It wasn't a lack of determination, a mental check out, or giving up. Just my body breaking down against my will. For that reason I have no regrets.
The race was such an incredible experience that exceeded the Boston hype and all my expectations.
After reflecting on the race I think my fast decline at the end of the race was mostly a nutritional issue. Given the amount of pain and tightness I felt in my muscles during the race, I was fully expecting to be extremely sore the next day. I wasn't. I experienced the normal mild soreness that typically occurs after I run this distance but nothing unusual. If I analyze my nutrition and hydration in the race, I took in only water and only 3 gels (I normally have at least 6). I also remember feeling hungry in the last couple of miles.
I think my declining pace at the end of the race was due to either a lack of electrolytes or lack of food, or combination. The water intake may have been too much without adequate supplementation with electrolytes.
Next time... I hope I can run St George again this year. It might give me that last opportunity to break 3.
After the race I was once again amazed by the organization. A well thought out chute with enough walking distance to cool down while consuming food, warming foil blankets that volunteers taped around your neck so that it would free your hands to eat, an incredibly efficient checked bag pick up zone.. An amazing sum of details and well thought out procedures, helpful volunteers that made the post race experience all the sweeter.
Once thing was left on my mind. I had a plane in an hour and I still had to pick up my stuff from the hotel (opposite side from the airport). I asked the volunteers where to catch a cab. It was less than a block away and when I got there, the cabs were all lined up and ready to go. I caught one immediately, drove to the hotel, had the driver wait for me to pick up my stuff and then rushed to the airport. I passed through the security area quickly and arrived at the gate while the boarding was finishing.
Yes I was still in my shorts and all salty but I made it.
Boston is now my reference as being the Marathon of all marathons. It is an exhilarating experience that every runner should experience at least once in their life.
What is next? I still have plenty to look forward to in my running life. A sub 3 hour marathon, maybe a jump to some great ultra races in the future.
I am still training for my Ironman triathlon and this remains the main focus of 2013.
I started at about 6:30 pace. A bit faster than my overall projected (qualifying) pace. This meant I did have to do a bit of slalom around people in the first couple of miles.
The atmosphere was completely wild at the start, The cameras were filming, the crowds were cheering loudly and this was incredibly electrifying. I am glad that the other runners slowed me down a bit because I may have over done it otherwise. I completed my first mile in 6:47
Boston is something else... From mile 1 and one, the crowds a cheering and encouraging and screaming louder than at a Justin Bieber concert. I have never experienced anything like it. You really feel like a movie start. High-fives along the course!
I thought that after a while the crowds would start calming down, dispersing, but the course remains lined with super loud crowds from start to end. Incredible!
My running felt great. Maybe it was the crowd cheering, maybe the favorable altitude, the great weather and temperature. I felt like I was effortlessly flying.
I managed to maintain the pace between 6:25 and 6:45 without struggling.
I took water every other mile after mile 3 or 4, plus had 3 gels while running.
Mile 2 6:30
Mile 3 6:30
Mile 4 6:21
Mile 5 6:42
Mile 6 6:25
Mile 7 6:30
Mile 8 6:39
Mile 9 6:35
Mile 10 6:42
Mile 11 6:40
Mile 12 6:33
Mile 13 6:35
At the midway point, I glanced at my watch. I had just run a half marathon in 1:26! A new PR for me. Wow, this meant 4 minutes ahead of a potential sub 3 finish. On top of that I didn't feel too bad. I was pushing the pace a bit especially on the short uphill sections but it really felt like a pace I should be able to maintain. I tried not to get too excited and refocused on the race.
Mile 14 6:34
Mile 15 6:48
At about mile 15, I started feeling just a bit tired for the first time. With 11 miles to go, it was manageable. However the next 6 miles would prove to be a real test.Mile 15 is where the hilly section begins. It's nothing too hard, just rolling hills, with a net gain for 5 miles. Then comes the notorious Heartbreak hill. Again, I have done much tougher climbs in Utah. But at mile 21 and after a succession of seemingly never ending rolling hills, it does take a toll.
Mile 16 6:28
Mile 17 7:03
Mile 18 6:59
Mile 19 6:45
Mile 20 7:09
Mile 21 7:37
The hills felt hard but I was still hanging in there. Limited the loss of time. At that point I really could touch the sub 3.
After Heartbreak hill started the easiest part of the course. All downhill from here. Unfortunately, this is when things started to get very wrong for me.
At the time where I should have been accelerating, my legs seem to seize up. They were very stiff and painful. At the time I really thought this was due to my lack of preparation. I had skipped a few long runs due to injury and had basically done less running prep that I have done for most marathons. Now I am not sure this is actually the case. More on that later.
Now I was in a world of pain and it was going to be a fight to finish.
Mile 22 6:53
Mile 23 7:15
Mile 24 7:33
Mile 25 7:51
Mile 26 8:11
Mile 27 (0.45) 8:18
I crossed the line in 3:02:18, grateful that it was over.
I was so close to the sub 3 this time. Sooo close!. Really I lost it in the last 3 miles of the race. And really, even looking back, there is nothing I could do about. It wasn't a lack of determination, a mental check out, or giving up. Just my body breaking down against my will. For that reason I have no regrets.
The race was such an incredible experience that exceeded the Boston hype and all my expectations.
After reflecting on the race I think my fast decline at the end of the race was mostly a nutritional issue. Given the amount of pain and tightness I felt in my muscles during the race, I was fully expecting to be extremely sore the next day. I wasn't. I experienced the normal mild soreness that typically occurs after I run this distance but nothing unusual. If I analyze my nutrition and hydration in the race, I took in only water and only 3 gels (I normally have at least 6). I also remember feeling hungry in the last couple of miles.
I think my declining pace at the end of the race was due to either a lack of electrolytes or lack of food, or combination. The water intake may have been too much without adequate supplementation with electrolytes.
Next time... I hope I can run St George again this year. It might give me that last opportunity to break 3.
After the race I was once again amazed by the organization. A well thought out chute with enough walking distance to cool down while consuming food, warming foil blankets that volunteers taped around your neck so that it would free your hands to eat, an incredibly efficient checked bag pick up zone.. An amazing sum of details and well thought out procedures, helpful volunteers that made the post race experience all the sweeter.
Once thing was left on my mind. I had a plane in an hour and I still had to pick up my stuff from the hotel (opposite side from the airport). I asked the volunteers where to catch a cab. It was less than a block away and when I got there, the cabs were all lined up and ready to go. I caught one immediately, drove to the hotel, had the driver wait for me to pick up my stuff and then rushed to the airport. I passed through the security area quickly and arrived at the gate while the boarding was finishing.
Yes I was still in my shorts and all salty but I made it.
Boston is now my reference as being the Marathon of all marathons. It is an exhilarating experience that every runner should experience at least once in their life.
What is next? I still have plenty to look forward to in my running life. A sub 3 hour marathon, maybe a jump to some great ultra races in the future.
I am still training for my Ironman triathlon and this remains the main focus of 2013.
