Going into Boston I promised myself that no matter the race outcome I was going to party hard the whole night. 10 weeks where I think I only drank 3 times and danced once, I was more than ready to let loose a bit. I love running and it is obviously a major part of who I am but I can't deny that there is also a big part of me that loves to party and especially loves to dance. Even when I am not training for a major race I don't get to dance often so when the opportunity arises I try to make the most of it.
Knowing that my legs in the state they were in might inhibit my intentions of dancing the night away I planned to also drink plenty of alcohol. Nothing like a bit of liquor to kill the quad pain ;) (Note I don't recommend anyone do this, drinking heavily is probably the last thing you should do for a quick recovery after a marathon, but every now and again a girl has just got to get her party on, responsibly of course. And note that I no longer take any pain killers so I was not worried about getting sick from mixing liquor and meds.) So after I refueled with a smoothie and an ice coffee I was ready to get my drink on. The girls started with some wine while Daisy got ready and then we headed over to McGinty's.
Unfortunately for me I totally spaced when I packed and did not bring any post marathon appropriate shoes for dancing. Big mistake! So I had to wear the heels (short ones) or suffer looking a fool in a cute top and running shoes. I opted for fashion knowing I could ditch the shoes and go barefoot if it got really bad. I usually am not very worried about how I look or what I am wearing, but on the rare occasion I go out I let vanity get in the way and do my best to pass for cute. Even the most tomboyish of girls wants to be girly every now and again I guess.
Made it over to McGinty's which thankfully wasn't too far of a walk. All the girls were dolled up and ready to party but our gimpy walk and medals gave us away as the marathoners we really are. We got plenty of congratulations from drunk passerby. It is such a neat feeling to walk around a city which spent the morning celebrating your accomplishments. What an ego boost ;)
Downed another glass of wine and heard the short tales of every one's races. Most of my clubs runners had fantastic days and I was so proud of them all. What an honor to be a part of such an amazing group. I kept expressing my disappointment in my day but slowly over the night realized I was being a chump and that I should be extremely pleased to come away with a PR when many were forced to walk or jog it in. Regardless I wasn't going to let that affect my mood. I was high on all the running adrenaline and ready to have some fun.
We took a few group photos and slowly made our way to dinner. Our first attempt ended with a 2 hour wait so we continued our trek across the city looking for a suitable dining area. We finally ended at an Irish pub and half of the crew jetted to an exclusive party while the rest of us drank beers and heard about every one's races in more detail. I managed to get down three beers, but the taste of beer was sadly losing its appeal. It was weird as Daisy mentioned the same problem. I guess maybe your body just isn't happy with one flavor the night of the marathon.
After dinner it was off to the official marathon party. I fell behind the group to make sure one of our friends knew the way back and got a chance to call Solar as I walked over to the party. She cracked me up with her message to me, something about how she tracked me all day and mentioning two of our members I beat and calling me hard core, I laughed my ass off.
Got to the party and saw KM. Told him the rest of the group was there somewhere but a good tune came on and I headed straight for the dance floor. Eventually Daisy, Dawn, and Katy found me and we danced for a few hours, stopping for an amaretto sour and a bud light. They had a band that was decent and these dancers to help any poor runners who didn't know how to dance on their own. It was hilarious watching all these gimpy runners following along with the dance moves. I dance to my own beat I guess, I doubt I look good, but I sure have fun!
Eventually the girls were ready to call it a night but I planned to stay until the party ended. Thankfully a few of the guys planned to stay so I was able to party the whole night. Met the people who make the medals for the race and had a few more beers and a dreaded tequila shot. Surprisingly though I still had plenty of energy and was just content to dance the night away, and take lots of goofy photos. (Can I just say I love my new camera?) Headed to one last bar after the party closed and then realized that I didn't have my hotel key. Decided to crash at McGinty's for a few hours until the drunks were off the streets and then head back to my hotel early. Best 2 hours of sleep I have ever had despite being fully clothed and wearing contacts. Apparently running a marathon and partying till 2am will do that for you.
Said goodbye to all my sleepy friends who had to head to their plane at 4am and hiked my butt back to the hotel for another couple of hours sleep.
Woke up early surprisingly and tried to go to the pool with Katy. Water was just too cold for me, so I settled for dipping my body in half way and kicking my legs around (killed my blister, ouch!) My calves which had felt fine were wrecked from a night of walking all around and dancing in heels. Wasn't feeling stellar, exhaustion, and a bit hung over, but we went to the grocery store and got some greasy dunkin donuts for breakfast which seemed to help. We picked out stuff to eat on the train and then prepared for the long trek home.
While the train ride to Boston had been relaxing, the train ride back seemed to drag on. I mostly just slept and read. Blogged a little on the first train, but the internet connection was sketchy. Once I knew we would be in Albany a little before our next train left I called my buddy JP from college and had his family meet me at the train station for a very brief visit. Couldn't believe how big their youngest had gotten. Not nearly enough time to really talk but it was great to see them.
Then it was onto the train home. The train was packed and we didn't manage to get seats next to each other. Tried to get Daisy's seat mate to trade with me but he was having none of it. Too bad because he ended up getting trashed and taking up more than his fair share of the seat that night. Poor Daisy! It was a long ride but eventually we made it home to our hobbling husbands, you'd think they had run the marathon the way they stumbled out of their cars. Gotta admit they are pretty awesome for picking us up so late (4 AM).
It's a week later now and I am still mulling over the whole experience. Boston is just so amazing. I sent in my check to reserve a room for next year. Hopefully next time I will get to start much farther up and see what I can really do! But one things is for sure, we know I will have a blast either way.
Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone who makes my pursuits possible. I am one seriously lucky gal.
Showing posts with label Boston Marathon 08. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boston Marathon 08. Show all posts
2008 Boston Marathon Race Report- Part 4, Splits
For those who couldn't make it through the lengthy report!
I am putting this down as my most evenly paced effort in a marathon race. Only slowed 5 minutes in the second half as opposed to the 10 minutes last time I ran Boston, and also handled the hills much better this time around. Really happy that I didn't slow until the hills unlike in previous years. Wish I could have upped the pace in the final miles, but it just didn't happen. Next time around I am going to work even harder to ensure my quads hold out for much longer than they did.
Splits
Mile 1: 7:46 (Funny how such a steep downhill can go so slow, probably a good thing there were crowds this mile to hold me back)
Mile 2: 7:35 (easing into pace)
Mile 3: 7:30 (right on target and stayed there up through the hills, a few miles varied because of water stops that were crowded but for the most part the first 16 miles were right on target)
Mile 4: 7:32
Mile 5: 7:39
Mile 6: 7:34
Mile 7: 7:37
Mile 8: 7:35
Mile 9: 7:33
Mile 10: 7:32
Mile 11: 7:41
Mile 12: 7:27 (Hmm this is about where I realized my quads were not holding up to the downhills, coincidence that it was the only mile faster than the pace I wanted to go?)
Mile 13: 7:34
Mile 14: 7:31
Mile 15: 7:35
Mile 16: 7:30
Mile 17: 8:00 (Here starts the hills)
Mile 18: 8:00
Mile 19: 7:52
Mile 20: 8:11
Mile 21: 8:14 (I don’t know why but I thought Heartbreak was over before this mile so I was disappointed to have two miles over 8 through the hills)
Mile 22: 7:47
Mile 23: 8:01 (Only water stop I was forced to walk and weave around volunteers, got cut off three times by the same guy)
Mile 24: 7:56
Mile 25: 8:04
Mile 26.2: 9:25 (around 7:45 at 26)3:22:50
ELIZABETH HANSEN #11603
Finish: 3:22:50
Clock: 3:30:25
10K: 0:47:18
15K: 1:10:50
Half: 1:39:30
30k: 2:22:26
Place Overall: 4849 of 21963
Place Women: 586 of 8935
Place Open 18-39: 478 of 4908
Note that I finally cracked into the top 10% of females instead of being stuck right at 10%! WooHoo!
2008 Boston Marathon Race Report- Part 3!
After the half way point at Boston it starts to hit you that it won't be long before you are going to be heading up those famous hills. I felt good other than the searing pain in my quads. My hydration was going well, grabbing a cup of water at each stop and doing my gels every 5 miles starting from mile 7. The sun was out and as usual when it's over 50 I get warm. The awesome spectators and Boston were ready to help out offering ice occasionally. The few times I saw the ice I grabbed it and held it in my hands and then threw it down my shirt to help lower my core temp. Between that and the headwind I seemed to be handling it well (tell that to my sunburn I had later).
About mile 14 you hit a steep downhill, AKA time to thrash those already thrashed quads. Sucked up the grimace and just tried to enjoy the fact that my pace would be faster the next mile. But whew it didn't feel good! I just kept thinking to myself this is a sick sick sick sort of fun. It is amazing how you can put these painful moments out of your mind during training and you can never really simulate the pain a marathon delivers, it is never quite the same, but it is always worse than you thought it would be.
It was about this point that my mantra became "Hero's run 3:16 not 3:25" One of the Adidas signs was "Be a hero for a day." So I guess it was just my little twist on it. As I crested the first hill and managed to stay under 8 minutes I thought there was still a chance for sub 3:20. About mile 16 I hear a "Looking Strong Elizabeth" and turn to see my team mate Dawn. I was just so happy to see a familiar face and started to ask how her race was going before she replied with a stern retort to stop talking and focus, so I moved ahead with a bit of new energy.
Mile 17 I opted for one of the power bar gels instead of my E-Gel so I could get a caffeine boost. My plan through the hills was to keep even effort. No need to waste myself on the hills and come walking into the finish. There's a reason it is called heartbreak (This is teh hill Johnny Kelley passed the first runner only to be run down in the final miles because the other runner had saved more through the hills) I had hopes that I could do that and still stay under 8 minute miles.
I realized at some point that I was passing the Johnny Kelley statue. Lots of memories here and it was nice to know that shortly I would be over all the hills. I got a little boost passing my original TNT coach CK up heartbreak hill, felt bad that he wasn't having a great day and tried to get him to pull uphill with me but had to pull away. Even though I was trying to get to the top without losing too much steam it was amazing how many people were suffering. Other than my quads I felt really strong and was just disappointed my pace wasn't a little quicker. I forgot the course here a bit and thought that Heartbreak was over before it actually was and had two miles over 8 minutes. I was bummed but I knew that just meant I had to work that much harder in the final miles.
Once you get past mile 22 the course changes, not only are you done with the major hills but you start to enter the city. Spectator crowds get bigger and the streets seem to narrow. From about 10 to go I just kept trying to convince myself that this was no different than any other Sunday run. Meanwhile my quads are pretty much telling me to take a hike :) I basically was just trying to hold on to any semblance of my former pace at this point. Managed to keep the miles at 8 or under but I just couldn't get them back down to 7:30. In the last few miles you start to see more and more people faltering. You just have to keep your fingers crossed that the pace your pushing isn't going to make you one of those people.
Mile 22 I felt the blister that had been forming on my left foot pop. Holy cow that hurt. At that point you just have to laugh it off, I mean what are you going to do? It's like as if the searing quad pain wasn't enough? I've never actually had a blister pop quite like that so it was a new experience for me.
After mile 22 the crowds on the course just got out of control. I started to get cut off more often and a clear path would get clogged more often than not by someone weaving back and forth. Around mile 24 I walked my only two steps of the whole marathon when I got cut off for a third time by the same runner at the same aid station and had to stumble around the volunteers to get out of the back up. I can understand one or two cups but did this guy really need a third? And did he really need to cut in and out of the course three times? Uggh. At least he didn't elbow me in the process.
The last few miles I really focused in on my relationships. Everyone who had helped me get to where I was at this point. I have a wonderful running club, wonderful running friends, wonderful friends in real and Internet life, and a wonderful family, but most of all I have a wonderful husband. I had forgotten to take off my rings at the hotel before the race and had decided to put them on my watch band. My hands tend to shrink and swell and I always get nervous that I will lose the rings during an enthusiastic high five on the course, hence putting them on the watch band. In the last few miles I just kept looking at my rings and thinking "Come on baby, clear a path for me, keep me strong" over and over again.
About mile 25 I noticed the crowds all of a sudden got even louder and realized it was because Rick and Dick Hoyt were just ahead of me. This was the same spot my friend Brian got to run with them two years ago and luckily my sister had been there to get the perfect photo of it. This made me smile thinking of Brian and how inspired we all are by the Hoyts. I ran next to them for a moment and congratulated them before using that energy to push on. I knew that the new slight down and uphill were coming up and I braced myself for the literal impact it would have on my quads. I saw several grown men here hobbling down or up the hill and vowed not to be one of them as I hammered down and up the hill getting that much closer to Hereford and then the final turn onto Boylston. On Hereford I took the opportunity to ham it up a little bit urging the crowd to cheer just a little bit louder. This would be the last of the inclines and then turning onto Boylston it was a straight shot to the finish. I knew mile 26 was around Walgreens and once again failed to see any sign but looked down to see a 7:45 mile split which I was happy with. I pushed as hard as I could hoping to eek out any seconds, knowing I had missed my goal but that I was going to PR by nearly 5 minutes.
Crossed the line in 3:22:50. A 4 and a half minute PR. I wasn't entirely happy with it at the finish line. I was disappointed my quads gave out on me so early, but I was excited to note that my calves didn't feel bad, as normally one or both are also a mess. As I wandered through the post finish area I noted an extremely sore lower back but no signs of dehydration or exhaustion. It appeared that at least my nutrition had gone well. I still had plenty of energy, it just hurt to move :) But I moved along congratulating and commiserating with those around me. Happy to have the majority of the pain done with and looking forward to seeing how all of my friends had done and cracking open a few drinks. It took me about 30 minutes but eventually I got through the crowds, managed to take off my own chip and grab an ice coffee and a smoothie at the grocery store. Also got stopped in the mall by one of those vendors who proceeded to ask me what I do for my nails and skin. I couldn't help but laugh and made some retort about how could he possibly think my skin didn't look great after running the Boston marathon. It's like didn't he notice that I was sweaty, covered in salt, hobbling, wearing a space blanket, and oh wearing a big shiny medal around my neck? I just wanted to get back to my hotel!
Finally made it back and I hit the Internet to check on all my friends. Noted a nice bit of blood on my sock and took a post race finish photo to show my wrecked state. Dawn got back shortly after and I hit the showers. Then it was off to the parties! Which I will save for part 5.
About mile 14 you hit a steep downhill, AKA time to thrash those already thrashed quads. Sucked up the grimace and just tried to enjoy the fact that my pace would be faster the next mile. But whew it didn't feel good! I just kept thinking to myself this is a sick sick sick sort of fun. It is amazing how you can put these painful moments out of your mind during training and you can never really simulate the pain a marathon delivers, it is never quite the same, but it is always worse than you thought it would be.
It was about this point that my mantra became "Hero's run 3:16 not 3:25" One of the Adidas signs was "Be a hero for a day." So I guess it was just my little twist on it. As I crested the first hill and managed to stay under 8 minutes I thought there was still a chance for sub 3:20. About mile 16 I hear a "Looking Strong Elizabeth" and turn to see my team mate Dawn. I was just so happy to see a familiar face and started to ask how her race was going before she replied with a stern retort to stop talking and focus, so I moved ahead with a bit of new energy.
Mile 17 I opted for one of the power bar gels instead of my E-Gel so I could get a caffeine boost. My plan through the hills was to keep even effort. No need to waste myself on the hills and come walking into the finish. There's a reason it is called heartbreak (This is teh hill Johnny Kelley passed the first runner only to be run down in the final miles because the other runner had saved more through the hills) I had hopes that I could do that and still stay under 8 minute miles.
I realized at some point that I was passing the Johnny Kelley statue. Lots of memories here and it was nice to know that shortly I would be over all the hills. I got a little boost passing my original TNT coach CK up heartbreak hill, felt bad that he wasn't having a great day and tried to get him to pull uphill with me but had to pull away. Even though I was trying to get to the top without losing too much steam it was amazing how many people were suffering. Other than my quads I felt really strong and was just disappointed my pace wasn't a little quicker. I forgot the course here a bit and thought that Heartbreak was over before it actually was and had two miles over 8 minutes. I was bummed but I knew that just meant I had to work that much harder in the final miles.
Once you get past mile 22 the course changes, not only are you done with the major hills but you start to enter the city. Spectator crowds get bigger and the streets seem to narrow. From about 10 to go I just kept trying to convince myself that this was no different than any other Sunday run. Meanwhile my quads are pretty much telling me to take a hike :) I basically was just trying to hold on to any semblance of my former pace at this point. Managed to keep the miles at 8 or under but I just couldn't get them back down to 7:30. In the last few miles you start to see more and more people faltering. You just have to keep your fingers crossed that the pace your pushing isn't going to make you one of those people.
Mile 22 I felt the blister that had been forming on my left foot pop. Holy cow that hurt. At that point you just have to laugh it off, I mean what are you going to do? It's like as if the searing quad pain wasn't enough? I've never actually had a blister pop quite like that so it was a new experience for me.
After mile 22 the crowds on the course just got out of control. I started to get cut off more often and a clear path would get clogged more often than not by someone weaving back and forth. Around mile 24 I walked my only two steps of the whole marathon when I got cut off for a third time by the same runner at the same aid station and had to stumble around the volunteers to get out of the back up. I can understand one or two cups but did this guy really need a third? And did he really need to cut in and out of the course three times? Uggh. At least he didn't elbow me in the process.
The last few miles I really focused in on my relationships. Everyone who had helped me get to where I was at this point. I have a wonderful running club, wonderful running friends, wonderful friends in real and Internet life, and a wonderful family, but most of all I have a wonderful husband. I had forgotten to take off my rings at the hotel before the race and had decided to put them on my watch band. My hands tend to shrink and swell and I always get nervous that I will lose the rings during an enthusiastic high five on the course, hence putting them on the watch band. In the last few miles I just kept looking at my rings and thinking "Come on baby, clear a path for me, keep me strong" over and over again.
About mile 25 I noticed the crowds all of a sudden got even louder and realized it was because Rick and Dick Hoyt were just ahead of me. This was the same spot my friend Brian got to run with them two years ago and luckily my sister had been there to get the perfect photo of it. This made me smile thinking of Brian and how inspired we all are by the Hoyts. I ran next to them for a moment and congratulated them before using that energy to push on. I knew that the new slight down and uphill were coming up and I braced myself for the literal impact it would have on my quads. I saw several grown men here hobbling down or up the hill and vowed not to be one of them as I hammered down and up the hill getting that much closer to Hereford and then the final turn onto Boylston. On Hereford I took the opportunity to ham it up a little bit urging the crowd to cheer just a little bit louder. This would be the last of the inclines and then turning onto Boylston it was a straight shot to the finish. I knew mile 26 was around Walgreens and once again failed to see any sign but looked down to see a 7:45 mile split which I was happy with. I pushed as hard as I could hoping to eek out any seconds, knowing I had missed my goal but that I was going to PR by nearly 5 minutes.
Crossed the line in 3:22:50. A 4 and a half minute PR. I wasn't entirely happy with it at the finish line. I was disappointed my quads gave out on me so early, but I was excited to note that my calves didn't feel bad, as normally one or both are also a mess. As I wandered through the post finish area I noted an extremely sore lower back but no signs of dehydration or exhaustion. It appeared that at least my nutrition had gone well. I still had plenty of energy, it just hurt to move :) But I moved along congratulating and commiserating with those around me. Happy to have the majority of the pain done with and looking forward to seeing how all of my friends had done and cracking open a few drinks. It took me about 30 minutes but eventually I got through the crowds, managed to take off my own chip and grab an ice coffee and a smoothie at the grocery store. Also got stopped in the mall by one of those vendors who proceeded to ask me what I do for my nails and skin. I couldn't help but laugh and made some retort about how could he possibly think my skin didn't look great after running the Boston marathon. It's like didn't he notice that I was sweaty, covered in salt, hobbling, wearing a space blanket, and oh wearing a big shiny medal around my neck? I just wanted to get back to my hotel!
Finally made it back and I hit the Internet to check on all my friends. Noted a nice bit of blood on my sock and took a post race finish photo to show my wrecked state. Dawn got back shortly after and I hit the showers. Then it was off to the parties! Which I will save for part 5.
2008 Boston Marathon Race Report-Part 2
So like I was saying before :)
The early miles felt good. I was surprisingly right on target without any tweaking of pace, which is nice since I'm not sure I could have done much about it if I was off. The miles weren't flying by but it's okay when it is early since you still feel good. My shins had been acting funny the last few weeks (phantom pains I am sure) so I was just glad that everything felt 100% and I was able to run the way I wanted to. (well other than having to dodge people every minute or so)
Even though it has been two years since my last Boston I was basically just reliving the course as I went. Remembering how I felt at each stage my previous two times here, and was glad to note that I felt a lot stronger this time around (oddly enough the first 12 miles or so I was actually running almost the exact same pace as my last time here, just goes to show that I am actually getting smarter) ;)
The first 7 miles were just a count down until I could take my first gel and free up one of my hands. Lucked out as there were kids at mile 7 with water and I was able to avoid the madness of the water stop there. It is so nice how so many spectators come out with water, oranges, ice, freeze pops, beer. I was good and only partook in water and ice on Monday. I thought about the oranges, but honestly having orange stuck in my teeth would have drove me nuts!
It's funny how a lot of the first 7 or so miles look the same. There are plenty of little rollers which make you think "Isn't this a downhill course?" and each time you crest one you think you remember where you are only to crest one that looks exactly the same a mile away.
Just clocking miles after 7 counting down the next five until it was time to free up my second hand of a gel. It's amazing how many spectators line the course. Seems to me they could have been a little louder though ;) I love the surges you get when you go through the main streets of the little towns where most spectators are gathered. They just push you right through smiling all the way. Mile 12 came soon enough and it was time for my second gel. Carrying the packets didn't really bother me but it was nice to have my hands free for better high fiving that was about to come up ;)
After my second nutrition break it was time to look forward to the noise at Wellesley. It is just amazing how much of a racket those girls make. And the thing is there isn't even that many of them. Saw lots of great signs as always. My favorite was "Run Bi%@h" I gave her an exceptional high five as I hollered something like "That's right just Run Bi%@h." Also laughed at the "Kiss me I'm Mormon" sign. I slapped plenty of fives and just used the girls energy to push me forward. My quads were showing signs of fatigue already which I wasn't thrilled about so in my mind I knew I was definitely going to have to use the crowds for some extra steam after the hills and might as well use them now while I had them. It's always a let down after you pass the last Wellesley girl. Nothing compares to that tunnel of sound.
Headed up another roller before the half and grabbed a vaseline stick for my arms. My awesome SERC singlet is just a little big on me and was chafing the side of my arms. Managed to get the vaseline on without getting any on my hands, which is great, and then I tucked my shirt into the sports bra to avoid further chafing. It must have been right after this that I turned to my left and was surprised to see Kim Martin right next to me. I shouted hello and scared the crap out of her. Sorry! We talked for a minute or so and both agreed we just weren't having quite the day we anticipated, only being half way done and already showing signs of wear and tear. Of course I am sure her reasons were probably some recent hundred miler while I was stumped as to why my quads were letting me down so soon. I moved ahead and told her I hoped I'd see her before the finish. She has a strong kick and you just never know what is going to happen on those hills.
Hit the half in 1:39 something and thought if I can just force these quads a bit in the final five maybe I can even split.
The early miles felt good. I was surprisingly right on target without any tweaking of pace, which is nice since I'm not sure I could have done much about it if I was off. The miles weren't flying by but it's okay when it is early since you still feel good. My shins had been acting funny the last few weeks (phantom pains I am sure) so I was just glad that everything felt 100% and I was able to run the way I wanted to. (well other than having to dodge people every minute or so)
Even though it has been two years since my last Boston I was basically just reliving the course as I went. Remembering how I felt at each stage my previous two times here, and was glad to note that I felt a lot stronger this time around (oddly enough the first 12 miles or so I was actually running almost the exact same pace as my last time here, just goes to show that I am actually getting smarter) ;)
The first 7 miles were just a count down until I could take my first gel and free up one of my hands. Lucked out as there were kids at mile 7 with water and I was able to avoid the madness of the water stop there. It is so nice how so many spectators come out with water, oranges, ice, freeze pops, beer. I was good and only partook in water and ice on Monday. I thought about the oranges, but honestly having orange stuck in my teeth would have drove me nuts!
It's funny how a lot of the first 7 or so miles look the same. There are plenty of little rollers which make you think "Isn't this a downhill course?" and each time you crest one you think you remember where you are only to crest one that looks exactly the same a mile away.
Just clocking miles after 7 counting down the next five until it was time to free up my second hand of a gel. It's amazing how many spectators line the course. Seems to me they could have been a little louder though ;) I love the surges you get when you go through the main streets of the little towns where most spectators are gathered. They just push you right through smiling all the way. Mile 12 came soon enough and it was time for my second gel. Carrying the packets didn't really bother me but it was nice to have my hands free for better high fiving that was about to come up ;)
After my second nutrition break it was time to look forward to the noise at Wellesley. It is just amazing how much of a racket those girls make. And the thing is there isn't even that many of them. Saw lots of great signs as always. My favorite was "Run Bi%@h" I gave her an exceptional high five as I hollered something like "That's right just Run Bi%@h." Also laughed at the "Kiss me I'm Mormon" sign. I slapped plenty of fives and just used the girls energy to push me forward. My quads were showing signs of fatigue already which I wasn't thrilled about so in my mind I knew I was definitely going to have to use the crowds for some extra steam after the hills and might as well use them now while I had them. It's always a let down after you pass the last Wellesley girl. Nothing compares to that tunnel of sound.
Headed up another roller before the half and grabbed a vaseline stick for my arms. My awesome SERC singlet is just a little big on me and was chafing the side of my arms. Managed to get the vaseline on without getting any on my hands, which is great, and then I tucked my shirt into the sports bra to avoid further chafing. It must have been right after this that I turned to my left and was surprised to see Kim Martin right next to me. I shouted hello and scared the crap out of her. Sorry! We talked for a minute or so and both agreed we just weren't having quite the day we anticipated, only being half way done and already showing signs of wear and tear. Of course I am sure her reasons were probably some recent hundred miler while I was stumped as to why my quads were letting me down so soon. I moved ahead and told her I hoped I'd see her before the finish. She has a strong kick and you just never know what is going to happen on those hills.
Hit the half in 1:39 something and thought if I can just force these quads a bit in the final five maybe I can even split.
2008 Boston Marathon Race Report-Part 1
(I'll have to do this in pieces as I won't have time to sit down and get this all out anytime soon.)
10 weeks of focused training and finally I was crossing the starting line. Me and 14,000 of my new friends. It was apparent quickly that a direct route through the Boston course was not going to happen. There were just so many people. It seemed like whenever you had a clear path someone would weave in front of you or flail there elbow out at your face. I didn’t want to waste energy weaving but it really was unavoidable most of the day. I started towards the back of the 11th corral and throughout the day I just kept passing more and more people from the corrals in front of me. My secret goal was to run 7:30 pace. I didn't look to see what that pace equated to until the day before at which time I realized 7:30 would give me a 3:16:30, hmm that sounded pretty quick and would have been over a 10 minute PR. But I stuck to my guns and went out with the intention of going for it if I felt good. I left the pace band at home. The Nike pace band was adjusted for elevation and so resulted in the opposite tactic of what I wanted to take. That pace band took you out fast on the downhills and slowed you up on the Newton Hills. I wanted to go out at pace or a bit slower, take it easy on the hills, and hammer the last 5 miles. Since I have paced two marathons now, one of which was hilly I decided to just trust in my pace instincts, my legs, and my training.
I also knew that I wasn't going to force anything this time. No pushing the pace if it just wasn't there on the day. I wanted to run a strong race and a smart race. I've been to Boston twice and I have run strong but not smart there. This time around I wanted to try and run Boston the way it should be run. With respect for those downhills! I did quite a few of my medium long runs on courses where I pounded the downhills early in the run but apparently I needed a few of those closer to the race to truly get my quads ready, but I didn't know what would come at the start so I was off and had the best of hopes for a stellar day.
Also noted a girl with a shirt that said WAMP on the back whose bib was 13,000 something. I don't really race anyone at Boston but I vowed I would beat her and was impressed how long she stayed in front of me, she must have done a lot of weaving to get that far up in the pack.
My nutrition plan for the day was to start taking gels at mile 7 and take one every 5 miles. I took water at every water stop. Thankfully the water stops are on the left and right every mile (except for one mile towards the end where I got burned last time I was in Boston and Daisy got burned this year) I usually run on the left for some reason so I stuck towards the middle left at the beginning grabbing a cup of water every stop. No walking this year so I would just slow to grab the water and hurry forward. Since the sun was out and it was already warm I wanted to be sure to stay hydrated. Last time I ran Boston I am pretty sure I was getting really dehydrated by the end and I didn't want a repeat of that claustrophobic feeling at the finish line.
I vowed that after Pig I would not be so focused as to not enjoy myself this time around. 26.2 miles of not taking in anything is just insane. So I just fell into my pace after the first 3 miles and occasionally would slap fives with spectators and just used their energy to cruise through each mile. My breathing felt good and other than a short stitch scare early on (that went away quickly with some focused breathing) I felt rather good. I would look at my watch every mile but wasn't really worried about it. I wasn't going to change my effort significantly if the pace was off, if it wasn't my day it wasn't my day was kind of my thinking, I'd pay more for pushing than just running the way my training set me up for. So I was just grateful that the pace was just about where I wanted it.
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