My 2015 Boston Marathon Race Report

In 2014 I had a great experience in Boston—I ran a course PR and managed a 10 second negative split. Going into 2015, I had every reason to expect an even better race.  In spite of a terrible winter in New York, I had a really good training cycle, running my fastest half in over two years and tying my 10k PR despite a nasty cold.  I also had two teammates who were looking to run around the same time as me so I figured I would have some on-course support and motivation. 

All smiles before the race.

Going into the race a lot of folks were worried about the forecast of wind and rain, but I tried not to let it worry me much. I went to sleep the night before feeling optimistic and excited. The morning of the race, the temperature was near perfect and though it drizzled some in the Athletes' Village, it was dry when race officials began calling Wave 1 runners to the corrals. I stuck back with my teammates Steve and Tim who were aiming for something in the 2:57 to 2:59:59 range, just like me. Thanks to my time in Chicago, I was in Corral 3 this year, but it made more sense to stick with them so I hung back in Corral 5. 

I had a strategy that I had been preaching to them--and to anyone that would listen--throughout training, start below goal pace, gradually pick up the pace to goal pace by the half, take the hills easy, and give it everything for the final 10k--we were certainly successful with the first part of that strategy. 

After the gun went off, it took us roughly two and a half minutes to cross the start because of the crowds. We held back on the first mile, trying to save our quads from a big downhill thrashing. We crossed the first mile in about 7:22, a little slower than I had planned on, but I would have rather had it slow than fast. I reassured everyone--don't worry, there's plenty of time to make it up, don't speed up yet--and we kept things easy for mile 2, taking it in 7:04. Despite the easy pace, my legs felt sluggish. I kept reminding myself that sometimes it takes a few miles to really wake up, two miles in is too soon to worry. 

We slowly started picking things up and by the time we crossed the 5k in 22:09, a 7:08 average, we were running around a 6:58 pace. I felt like we were settling into a groove, though I still hadn't found my full race juju until somewhere in Ashland we heard "Shake It Off," possibly the greatest song of our generation my current favorite guilty pleasure song. I sung shouted "you could have been getting down to this sick beat" and suddenly felt like a million bucks. It attracted the attention of another runner, a woman from York, Pennsylvania, who said she liked our energy and would try to stick with us for a bit. T. Swift clearly helped because we ran the second 5k in 21:31, a 6:56 pace, closer to the to the low 6:50s we'd planned on. 

Passing the 10k mark and the Framingham Train Depot also meant that we were in familiar territory since the three of us had run this part of the course only three week's earlier. The next several miles are some of the more boring on the course but it's early enough in the race that I never really mind. Somewhere around mile 8 it finally started raining but it didn't slow us down--when we crossed the 15k we were averaging a 6:55 pace.  

Although I tried to remain positive, I wasn't feeling like my normal buoyant. Even as we ran through Natick Center I was having serious doubts. I told the others that it wasn't going to be my day but the new friend we'd made told me to just focus on the individual mile. "You may feel better on the next one," she said. We ran passed the co-eds of Wellesley College who were in high spirits despite the weather and it gave me a little pick-me-up, though, no--we didn't stop to kiss any of them. 

We passed the 20k in 1:26:40, meaning we had done the last 5k in 21:32, a 6:56 pace. We were obviously being very consistent but we were far from our goal pace. Still, I warned the others against speeding up too much. We weren't going to make up all of the lost time in the next mile. We continued on to the half, hitting it in 1:31:22, more than two minutes off of our pre-race goal of 1:29. At this point I told Tim and Steve to go ahead. I knew I wasn't going to be making up much time on the second half and I didn't want to hold them back. Tim listened but Steve decided to stick with me a bit longer. 

The Wellesley stretch of the course is always longer than I remember, but at least it's largely flat or downhill. We saw one our teammates and his wife and got a huge cheer from them, which was fun and I got a kick out of passing the same dumpster I had peed behind during our run three weeks earlier (Shh! Don't tell the Wellesley P.D.!). Steve and I hit the 20k in 1:48:13, maintaining a pretty consistent pace with a 6:57 average for that 5k. 

Photo Credit: Rich Blake

I was hurting and ready to slow down, but I wanted to try and stick with Steve until at least Mile 17 and the Newton Fire Station since I knew we would have some teammates cheering there. We passed the gel station and I took one of the gels I had with me, deciding against grabbing a Clif Shot since I still had two GUs. It was a struggle to keep up with Steve, but I hung with him and we made the turn onto Comm. Ave--the start of the hills. Sure enough, our teammates were there and they went wild! That was awesome, but I was ready to back off. I watched as Steve pulled ahead up the hill and focused on running my own race. I was sure my legs were going to crap out at some point, I was just hoping I could postpone that until as close to the end as possible.

I hit the 30k, roughly one-third of the way through hills, at 2:09:57, or a 7:00 pace for that 5k. I tried going the math to estimate possible finishing times but my brain wasn't really cooperating. I hoped I could at least beat my first Boston time of 3:08. I slowed over the later hills, taking Miles 20 and 21 in 7:11 and 7:21 respectively, but at least I was still upright. As I began the descent down the backside of Heartbreak Hill I started to feel a little more positive. A PR wasn't in the cards, but maybe I could at least get a BQ. One of my teammates was cheering by Boston College and that helped too. Somehow I brought my pace back under 7 and ran a 6:51 mile for Mile 22.

Once the course turned onto Beacon Street in Brookline I changed my mental strategy. Instead of thinking, four miles to go, I thought, just get to the 23 mile marker. I was taking the advice of our friend from York, who I had lost somewhere around the Newton Lower Falls. I felt pretty defeated when I hit Mile 23 in 7:09, but I knew I was in the home stretch. Don't walk, don't walk, I kept telling myself. Mile 24 is almost all downhill and that definitely helped as I brought my pace back down to 6:54. 

Photo Credit: Running in the City

At this point I could see the Citgo Sign, which I knew signaled Mile 25. The rain was really coming down and I was drenched, but the crowds were thick, helping me to ignore the weather. I passed the 40k in 2:53:54 and knew I only had about 2k to go, crossing Mile 25 right after in 7:02. Now I began concentrating on making it to Hereford, where my wife would be waiting. Down Comm. Ave. the crowds were electric, even in the pouring rain, and I barely noticed the Mass. Ave. underpass thanks to the cheers of some friends who were stationed right before it. 

I turned onto Hereford and looked for my wife, who I knew would be on the right side near Newbury Street. I saw her and she saw me and I blew her a big kiss. Less than a half mile to go, I was so ready for the finish. I made the turn onto Boylston and remembered just how disheartening that final stretch can be. The finish line looks so far away, with the 26 mile mark clearly visible roughly halfway down the street. I hit Mile 26 in 7:01 but didn't have any kick left for the final 385 yards. I crossed the finish, threw up my hands, and suddenly felt much better--I had just finished my 6th Boston Marathon! My final time was 3:03:26, it was almost a full five minutes slower than my 2014 time, but given the funk I'd been in for much of the race I was pretty happy with the result. 

A Post-Race Post-Script

Making my way through the finish chute I bumped into Steve and Tim who had waited for me. They both run negative splits and PR'd, which was awesome to hear. It was too cold to linger so we got our heatsheets and medals and made our way back to our AirBnb. It may not have been an easy day for me, but it was great to share it with some many different people. Hopefully I learned something from the experience that I can bring to next year's race. 

Race Repot: 2015 Scotland Run 10k

It's finally starting feel like spring here in NYC and yet somehow I managed to catch a cold late last week. By Thursday night I was popping zinc and vitamin c and downing orange juice in an attempt to stave off sickness. I was registered for NYRR's Scotland Run 10k on Saturday and I figured I would wait until that morning to see how I felt before deciding on a race plan. Nonetheless, on Friday evening things didn’t look promising. I took some Nyquil and hoped for the best.  

The race was at 8am on Saturday so I set my alarm for 5:45 a.m. to give me plenty of time to eat and digest my food. For shorter races I stick to a mini bagel with peanut butter since a regular bagel tends to be too much for my stomach at faster speeds. I washed the bagel down with a glass of Kona Cola Nuun since I like a little bit of caffeine but don’t do coffee before races.

I had all of my stuff ready to go, so I found myself with some time to kill (read: time to worry about my cold). I decided I would try racing and see what happened. After my success in the NYC Half a few weeks ago, I also decided to have a Red Ace Organic Beet Juice Shot a couple hours before the race, lest there be any unforeseen GI issues...

Because we're lucky enough to live close to the park, I left the house at 7:25 a.m. to jog to the start. I probably could've left later, but I wanted to check a bag with a change of shoes for after the race and I knew I would need to use the bathroom at least once. I felt pretty good on the jog over, so I my plan of trying to race still seemed like a good idea. I got in the corrals a few minutes before gun time and met up with some fellow Whippets, though I knew they would be running significantly faster than I would.  

The Race

The horn sounded and I followed a sea of humanity across the start line. I had forgotten just how crowded team points races can be--there was no hope of running tangents for the first few miles. I don't wear a Garmin so I was largely running by feel. The first mile, which travels up West Drive is relatively flat. Still, when I clocked it in 5:50 I was shocked. I knew I was running too fast since that's faster than my 5k PR pace.  

The Race Start. Photo Credit: NYRR

Mile 2 includes a minor climb towards the Reservoir (and the highest point anywhere on the drive) followed by a downhill. I slowed a little, but not too much, and settled in near a couple of Queens Distance Runners. My throat was extremely dry so at the second water stop I snagged a cup as I ran by.

Mile 3 covers the Harlem Hills and at this point I started to feel a bit lightheaded. I started to think that maybe I should back off a bit and treat the rest of the race as a tempo run. I slowed a lot, clocking a 6:28 mile. It would have been easy to slow down more, but I could tell by the clock that despite an extremely slow third mile, a PR was sill possible.

Mile 4 is one of the flatest miles on this course and I did my best to keep pushing and make up some time. My legs didn't feel tired nor did my lungs, but I was having trouble moving. I continued onto Mile 5, enjoying a stretch of downhill (Cat Hill is way more fun when you're not running up it) and was greeted by some cheering teammates just past 72nd Street.

With the final mile around the lower loop I concentrated on picking off runners in front of me. For some reason, this final mile seemed to stretch on forever, even though I knew how close I was to the finish. Finally, I hit Mile 6 and knew a PR was unlikely (though, to be honest, I couldn't remember exactly what my PR was). I tried to give it everything I had left and cross the finish in 38:16.

It turned out that I had tied my 10k PR, set last summer, and beaten my Scotland Run time from 2014 by 5 seconds. Considering my cold, I was thrilled with the time. Had I been feeling 100%, I'm sure I could have run faster so now I just need to worry about getting healthy again.

My 2015 NYC Half Race Report

After last Friday's post, I'm sure you've been waiting with bated breath to learn how the NYC Half went for me--that is, unless you already looked up my time on NYRR.com or, perhaps more likely, you just don't care.You're here, though, so I might as well tell you about it.

Last Sunday proved to be near perfect racing weather. Although it rained all day Saturday and I got soaked on my shakeout run, the weather gods saw fit to close the heavens sometime around midnight. The temperature also cooperated, hovering around 40 overnight and holding into the early morning hours.

Even though I live very close to the start, I still set my alarm for 4:45 a.m., almost three hours before gun time, to give myself plenty of time to eat and digest my typical pre-race bagel with peanut butter.

In addition to the bagel, I tried something new this time--and yes, I know you're not supposed to try new things on race day--I took a Red Ace concentrated beet juice shot. In the two weeks before my last several marathons I've had one to two glasses of beet juice a day, but stopped the day before the race. This was the first time I actually took one of these shots pre-race, as the bottle directs.¹ I was a bit worried about possible GI issues, but I seemed to do fine. In other words, I did not see an increase in the half-dozen trips I already make to the port-o-potty pre-race.

I left my place at 6:30 a.m. to make it to Central Park South before baggage closed and bumped into a couple of Whippet friends who were also running. We chatted as we passed through security but split up when it was time to "do our business." I made it my corral several minutes before its 7:10 a.m. closing time and made my way to the front where I'd arranged to meet up with a few teammates--Steve, Jonathan, and Will--looking to run a similar pace. In the corral I also bumped into one of my good non-Whippet running friends, Helen, a member of Athena New York. Having folks to chat with definitely helped to pass the twenty minutes of idle time.

Chicago 2014 Race Report

I could start this post by noting how long it's been since I last blogged (six months, in case you're counting), by updating you on my busy non-running life (new responsibilities at work, a wedding just over a month away), or I could just dive right into my Chicago race report as though I've been blogging regularly and nothing has changed. Hmm...which option to choose?

Summer Training

In April I ran my third sub-3 marathon in Boston, coming across the finish in 2:58:56, slower than my 2013 Chicago time, but a big Patriots Day PR. I was thrilled but knew I wanted to run faster in the fall. I spent the summer training harder than ever before--I had seven weeks at 70 miles or more--yet never felt overwhelmed. I had lots of great individual workouts and even PR'd in the 10k.* Nevertheless, I had a very conservative goal going into Chicago--2:57:59, a 14 second PR.

As always, I did a three week taper which means that my last hard long run was my team's Metric Marathon, which went really well. Still, there's roughly a 10 mile difference between 26.2k and 42.2k and as anyone who's run a marathon can tell you, a lot can happen in the last 10 miles.

Race Week

One of the cool Niketown displays.

The Saturday before the race, my fiancée and I invited all of our teammates running Chicago over to our place for a carb-heavy dinner and a chance to talk race strategy. It was good to do something on the New York end because it was much harder to coordinate something pre-race in Chicago--I would definitely recommend doing this next year. 

My fiancée and  I  flew out on Friday night. Our original flight was super late thanks to residual delays from the air traffic control fire a week and a half before, but I was able to work my persuasive magic with Delta to get us on an earlier flight meaning we still got in at a reasonable hour and were in bed by 9:30. I find rest two nights out is key since it's often hard to sleep the night before a big race.

The next morning we got up around 7 a.m. for a shake-out run along the Lakefront Trail followed by our now-traditional pancake breakfast at Wildberry. Note: If you go, make sure to order the cinnamon roll pancakes! After a quick shower, we my fiancée's parents for a trip to the expo. Those of you who read my report from last year may remember that her parents had to miss the trip because her dad had to be taken to the ER. Thankfully he's fine and we had no such scares this year.

The Chicago expo is definitely better than New York's, but we didn't stick around too long since neither of us wanted to tire out our legs. Still, I managed to eat about half my weight in free samples. I also picked up a 3-hour pace-band tattoo just in case. The highlight worst part of the expo was paying $4.50 for a small Powerade. Pro tip: If you go, BYOB!

Lunch for me was plain pizza and more Gatorade (I also snacked on bagels throughout the morning--the day before a marathon, I'm pretty much always eating between the time I wake up and dinner). After that, we went back to our Airbnb, got stuff ready for the morning and then took a nap. 

We regrouped with the future in-laws at 5 p.m. for a pasta dinner at Topo Gigio where I paired my fresh noodles with the finest non-vintage red (Gatorade, of course). Thanks to our early dinner time (I try never to eat later than 5 p.m. the night before a marathon to give the food plenty of time to digest) we were able to get to bed by 8 p.m. or so. I actually slept pretty well (thanks klonopin!), though all the Gatorade/Powerade/Nuun I drank during the day ensured a couple bathroom visits. 

Race Day

The alarm went off at 4:45 and I sprung into action, toasting a bagel for each of us and slathering them with peanut butter. We turned on the news while we got ready for any last minute weather updates. Thankfully, our Airbnb was right next to Millennium Park so we were able to delay leaving until 6:15 a.m. 


My fiancée and I found Steve and Francesca, two of our teammates near the bag check and I picked up a Gatorade Prime to take a few minutes before the start. (I like taking Prime at the start instead of a gel because it tastes a lot better and doesn't need to be chased with water). With about twenty minutes to go we split up and Steve and I went to Corral A. Since we were in the same corral and he was aiming for a sub-3, we decided to start out together.  

The Race: The First Half

Compared to the cannon that starts the New York City Marathon, Chicago's starting gun is pretty anemic, but the result is the same. I always try to run a slow first mile since the crowds and the excitement make it all too easy to go out too fast. Steve and I managed to rein it in and did the first mile in just over 7 minutes. We picked it up on the next two miles which carry you through the Loop and large crowds and I clocked the first 5k in 21:!4, a 6:50 pace. A 3-hour pace is 6:52 so we were right where Steve needed to be, though the 3 hour pacer was slightly ahead of us on the course. 

Somewhere in these early miles I ditched my arm-warmers, though I held onto my gloves for a little longer. It wasn't hot but I could feel myself sweating so I figured I'd better nip it in the bud. I was running with a disposable bottle filled with Gatorade (I always carry a bottle for the first few miles of a marathon since the early water stops are always the most congested), and it was great having Steve there since he was able to hold the bottle while I ditched the arm warmers. 

Although I had us slightly ahead of pace, the damn 3 hour pacer didn't seem to be getting any closer. Our miles ticked by pretty consistently and we hit the 10k in 42:21, meaning we'd run our second 5k at a 6:48 pace. About a mile after the 10k the course hits its northernmost point and turns south again, offering the briefest glimpse of Wrigley Field. That turn is a really good mental point, helped by the fact that the next several miles through Boystown (Chicago's LGBT neighborhood) have some of the best cheering. Once of the highlights was the perfectly in-sync drill team, complete with twirling bayonets.  

We hit the 15k in 1:03:24, improving to a 6:47 pace, and somewhere around this point we finally passed the 3-hour pace group. I was feeling really good at his point as the course took us through Old Town where there's an awesome Elvis impersonate who's there every year (though he was singing Sinatra when we went by). Mer's parents were waiting around Mile 11 (they had also been at Mile 4) and they gave a big cheer which was a nice boost.

Shortly after mile 12, the race crosses the Chicago River for the fourth time and heads back into the Loop and the crowd support begins to build. I crossed the 20k in 1:24:37, a slight and unexplainable decrease to a 6:50 pace. My legs no longer felt fresh, but I was pretty sure I could keep up the pace, at least for the time being. Of course, I got a little carried away by the crowds approaching the half and ran the next stretch fast, with a 6:27 mile thrown in.

Steve and I crossed the half in 1:29:02 and I thought we were in great shape. I told him that no matter what, we were both going to re-qualify for Boston (we needed a 3:05, which would have meant a 6 minute positive split for either of us to miss the mark and I wasn't going to let that happen). I also did the math and realized that I would need a negative split to PR, but I tried not to think too hard about that yet.


The Race: The Second Half

The second half of Chicago is definitely not as good as the first; it's less scenic and there are far more dead zones. The first mile or so is very lively thanks to the presence of the "Charity Block Party," but by the time you get to the first turnaround by the United Center the crowd support is minimal and the shade is non-existent. In my mind, this is where the race really begins, since you can no longer rely on others to carry you through. Case in point: Steve and I crossed the 25k at pretty much the same time, 1:45:18 for me, but then I gradually began to pull ahead. 


The next portion of the course had a few highlights. There was an official cheer zone with loud music and a video screen around mile 16.5 as you turn south on Halstead. I also knew fellow Whippet, and Team Fox superstar, Jennie Kelly was waiting around Mile 17 and it was great to get a shout-out from her. The course then begins its last real westward jog before turning south again for one of its most boring stretches. I passed the 30k in 2:06:17, now averaging a 6:45 pace.

Shortly after Mile 19, the course turns east and takes you through Pilsen, a largely Latino neighborhood that always has great music and cheering. It didn't disappoint this year and it gave me a mental boost as I thought about my strategy for the remainder of the race. I figured I would reevaluate at Mile 22 or so, but for the time being, I would just try to hold the pace.

The next stretch took us through Chinatown and as I passed the 30k in 2:26:47, still a 6:41 pace, I was feeling pretty good about my prospects. After you exit Chinatown comes probably the worst part of the course, a mile along the Dan Ryan Expressway (imagine running along the Cross Bronx) with no shade and minimal crowd support. If you can make it through this section, you're going to finish, no matter what (at least, that's what I kept telling myself--I hadn't slowed down, but maintaining speed was taking a lot more effort).

Just before hitting U.S. Cellular Field (home of the White Sox), the course turns east and takes you through the Illinois Institute of Technology campus, where there's a marching band and decent crowds. The band was taking a break when I ran by, but it was still a welcome change of scenery. As I crossed Mile 23, I let myself do some easy math and realized I could slow to 7:30 pace and probably still PR which gave me a confidence boost. Somewhere around this point I also heard someone cheering for me. It was only after I passed the cheerer that I realized it was James, Francesa's boyfriend. That was another needed lift this late in the race.

Post-race with teammates Francesca and Meredith

After one last southerly jog, the course finally turns on Michigan Ave for most of the final 5k. I was now counting down streets--they're numbered and get smaller as you head north--and miles. I crossed Mile 24 with a 6:37 pace and somehow picked it up for a 6:32 Mile 25 (I passed the 40k checkpoint in 2:47:24, averaging 6:39 over the last 5k). With just over a mile to go and a PR within my grasp, I was determined to hang in there. I felt like I was slogging as I made the second to last turn onto Roosevelt Road (the infamous "Mt. Roosevelt," essentially an on-ramp that would hardly be considered in a race that's not as flat as Chicago), passing the 400m to go and Mile 26 signs. Then it was one final turn into Grant Park along Columbus Drive. I gave it what little I had left, watching the official clock tick towards 2:57, and crossed with my arms held high.

Somehow I had done it, I had PR'd with a net time of 2:56:19, an average pace of 6:33 over the final 2.2k, and a negative split of 1:45. I felt like a million bucks, even if my legs were completely shot.

As I waited for my fiancée to finish, I ran into other teammates, including Steve (who didn't get his sub-3, but still PR'd) and Francesca (who completely killed it with her 3:04). Later that evening we all met up with several other teammates who had run or cheered, capping off a great weekend with some great pizza.

Hopefully we can continue this tradition of PRs in Chicago next year!  


_____________
*Want proof that I really don't focus on shorter distances? Although I ran the10k in mid-September, I only realized it was a PR two days after finishing Chicago.

A Great Day in the Second City: My 2013 Chicago Marathon Race Report

Last fall, in my ninth marathon, I finally broke the elusive 3 hour mark. It was one of the happiest moments of my life, finally meeting a goal I had set for myself three years earlier. After the glow wore off, though, I found myself adrift, directionless. I decided to make sub-3 my goal for Boston in the spring just to see if I could do it again but then a hip injury took any chance of that away. After a struggling through the finish in April, all I wanted was some time off from training.

 

Spring turned into summer and still I resisted setting a schedule: it wasn't until the second week of August that I completely committed to a plan for Chicago. Although I did every workout on my calendar, I didn't feel the same level of motivation I had in previous training cycles and was unsure what my goal for October really was. I worried that the running bug had left me. Fast forward to this past weekend and even on race morning I was full of self-doubt. In spite of a full calendar of summer races, I hadn't PR'd at a single distance in 2013 and going into Chicago I wondered if my days of improvement were over.
 

A great sign at Niketown

Though I was unsure of my own prospects, there was plenty to look forward to in the Windy City. My girlfriend was also running, her fifth time doing Chicago and her tenth marathon, and hoping to BQ. Her parents were supposed to fly out to cheer and spend the weekend with us, but unfortunately on Thursday her dad had to be rushed to the hospital with what turned out to be a pulmonary embolism. It gave everyone quite a scare and though he was released over the weekend, her parents were obviously unable to join us.  This meant that as we prepared to leave our hotel room at 6 a.m. on race day, we knew that the only friends and relative who would be watching would be doing so via electronic updates.

 

Even with the enhanced security, navigating the starting area was relatively easy and by 7 a.m. we had check our bags and it was time to part ways and head to our respective corrals. I was in Corral A along with my friend Helen and her boyfriend Alex, both also from New York. They were running with a sub-3 goal which sounded good to me so we agreed to meet in the corral by the 3 hour pace group. Unfortunately, it was far more crowded than I had expected and as the clock ticked closer to the 7:30 a.m. start, I couldn’t find them. Finally, just when I’d given up hope, I spotted Helen and managed to make my way over to her and Alex before the gun went off.

 

Boston Strong: My 2013 Boston Marathon Race Report.

Now that several weeks have passed, I'm finally ready to share my Boston race report. This report ends with me crossing the finish line because I don't think there's anything I could say that would meaningfully add to what's already been said or that would acurately reflect the shock and horror I know we all felt at 2:50pm on Monday, April 16. I would, however, like to encourage anyone who has not already done so to donate to the OneFund to help those most affected.

A Wonderful Weekend

Although I was having serious doubts about my marathon preparedness in the two weeks before Boston(mainly due to the time I took off for my toe and my persistant hip bursitis), as the weekend approached I found myself in full marathon mode. While my hip didn't feel 100% during my Friday shake-out run (my first run in a week and a half), it felt better than I had expected. Friday night I packed while watching Spirit of the Marathon, something I do before every single marathon. Although I tried going to bed early, I didn't get a great night's sleep, waking up well before my alarm.

The drive up to Boston was relatively uneventful, a little traffic but nothing crazy. After checking into our hotel (which had an awesome lobby display), I headed to the expo with my entourage--but not before picking up this year's marathon jacket at the Marathon Sports on Boylston. I was sporting my 2010 jacket when I went to pick-up my packet and on the volunteers said, "Welcome back to Boston. You already know the magic of this race." I could not have put it better myself. After sampling every energy bar known to man, saying hi to some teammates, and pondering why Kahlua was one of the exhibitors, we headed to the next logical place--the Lindt store!

That night we had a wonderful dinner at Trade in Boston's Financial District. I didn't take pictures of any of the food but all of it was delicious. My favorite dish? Probably their mushroom and fig flatbread with gorgonzola and sage.

Sunday was another packed day. I got up early at went to mass at a small church downtown. Every year I make time for mass before the marathon and it's always wonderful. The priest offered a blessing for the runners and afterword I had strangers wishing me luck and shaking my hand (I was wearing an old race jacket so it was obvious I was running). Next up, I did an easy shake-out run through Beacon Hill and along the Charles. By that point I was starving and it was time for my standard day-before-the-marathon breakfast: pancakes! These weren't just any pancakes, either. They were topped with caramelized bananas, walnuts, and loads of Vermont maple syrup.

After breakfast I had just enough time to prep my clothes for the next morning before we headed to Fenway where we got to watch the Red Sox dominate the Rays. The coolest part of the game, though, was when they introduced a handful of wounded veterans who were also running the marathon. It's impossible not to feel inspired when you get to share stories like theirs.

For Sunday's dinner we went to Restaurant Dante in Cambridge, the same place I ate last year. For marathon weekend they always offer all-you-can-eat homemade pasta so it's hard to beat. After that we called it an early night and I was in bed by 9.

Waiting to board the bus.

On race day I was up by 5:30. I did some last minute prep and met my teammates by Boston Common at 6:30. It was awesome having such a big group this year! We chatted it up on the bus which helped to pass the time. Once we got to the Athletes' Village we didn't actually have that much time to chill before they called us to the corrals.

The Race

I had several teammates in my corral hoping to go under three and my initial plan was to run with them. It was somewhere during the first downhill mile, however, that I knew my hip wasn't going to let me. I didn't feel too bad, but I could tell this was no day for a PR and if I tried to push it too much I would regret it later. It was a bummer watching my teammates pull ahead but I was confident I was making the right decision.

The first few miles of the course went by quickly (first 5k in 0:21:56, a 7:04 pace) and I was soon in Ashland, passing the point where I'd begun my long run just three weeks before. Mentally, this was helpful because I knew the next 23 miles would be fresh in my memory.

As I passed through Framingham, I hit the 10k in 43:40, a 7:02 pace, and was feeling pretty good. Around mile 7, I did the obligatory form check in the windows of Hansen Electrical Supply and was pleased to see my gate looked normal. I still had some hope that I could pick things up later in the race and maybe score a Boston PR (currently a 3:04 from 2011).

Spotting team photographer Atsede

Entering Natick, there's a quieter stretch of the course but that was okay by me. I had slowed a little since by the 15k (1:05:42), my average was a 7:03. Shortly thereafter the course takes you through downtown Natick, one of my favorite parts. It's always packed with people--probably the biggest crowd you've seen so far on the course. This always gives me a boost and on this day it was no exception.

Leaving Natick, I knew the next landmark would be Wellesley College. Last year, I was going slow because of the heat and actually stopped to kiss some coeds but this year, I didn't want to lose any time so I just enjoyed their yells. I crossed the 20k in 1:28:02, bringing me down to a 7:05 pace. By now I was pretty sure I was only going to get slower as the race went on but I didn't really care. I love the stretch through Wellesley, with all it's little shops, cafes, and great crowd support. Hitting the half in 1:32:56, I decided the most important thing was to make sure I enjoyed myself over the second 13.1.

I saw a CPTC runner and chatted with her for bit which was a welcome distraction. That took me through the 25k in 1:50:24, now a 7:07 average. Between miles 16 and 17, by the Newton-Wellesley Hospital, is the PowerGel station. Somehow two runners got tangled up here and one, a woman from South Africa (according to her singlet) went down pretty hard. I saw her pick herself up and keep running but she was scraped and starting to cry. I tried to offer her words of encouragement since I know (from my second marathon) how disconcerting it can be to wipe out on course.

Before I knew it, I'd made the turn onto Comm Ave and the infamous Newton Hills. As with last year, they didn't seem so bad since I was no longer gunning for a particular time.  

Good thing too since my 30k was 2:13:07, now a 7:09 pace. As we approached Heartbreak Hill, I had a runner ask me if we'd gotten there yet--I assured him, he would know by the crowds and the signs when we'd crested the final hill. Sure enough, the folks of BC had their inflatable arch reading "The Heartbreak is Over."

I knew the race was pretty much downhill from there--a great feeling! Unfortunately, my hip was starting to bother me as I passed the 35k in 2:36:08, a 7:11 average. I now starting playing a game in my head: If I slow to 7:30, I can finish in xx:xx:xx; if I slow to 7:45, I can finish in yy:yy:yy; if I slow to 8:00, I can finish in zz:zz:zz. I made a new goal for myself, beating my 3:20 time from last year's sweltering race.

I thought I could pick it up some, but wanted to save something for the final mile so I tried to simply stay on pace. I knew my family and friends were waiting near mile 26 and I wanted to look good for them--this thought really kept me going. I also used the landmarks, like the Citgo sign and the Pru looming in the distance to draw me in. Once I got to the 40k in 2:59:33, a 7:14 pace, and crested the mini hill I was pretty sure I could at least finish under 3:10--the random goal I settled on for the final miles.

Post-race, around 2pm

Turning onto Comm Ave again I could feel the exciting. The crowds were packed thick along both sides of the course and I managed to spot some friends just before the dip under Mass Ave. I turned onto Hereford and began scouting for my cheering squad who I knew would be on the left hand side. Sure enough, I spoted them and they spotted me. I gave them a quick shout so happy to have caught them and to have had their support.

Finally, I made the turn onto Boylston. At this point, I gave what I had left as I watched the seconds slowly piling up on the finish line clock. This may not be a long stretch, but it seemed to go on forever, finally, I hit the finish, throwing both arms up in air! I had finished my 4th Boston in 3:09:35, a 7:14 pace.

As the wonderful volunteers put the heat sheet around my back and the medal over my head, I felt like a million bucks. There's no doubt in my mind that Boston is the greatest race in the world and I hope to have the privilege of running it many more times.
 

 

2012 Philadelphia Marathon Race Report

In my experience there are two kinds of PRs. The first occur in races when, for no explicable reason everything clicks and your new PR pace feels almost effortless. The second occur only after months (or years) of training and throughout the race the pace feels tough. My Philadelphia experience was decidedly of the latter type. Crap, I guess I just gave away the ending since now you know I PR'd.

As my faithful readers (and relatives whom I bombarded with requests for donations) know, I signed up for Philly only two weeks ago when New York was cancelled--the race, not the city most of which is still there. At that point I had already been taper three weeks for New York and so adding on the two weeks to Philly I ended up with a whopping 5 week taper!*

I didn’t really know what to expect. Although my not-so-secret goal for roughly the last 2 years has been to sub-3, I didn’t really feel up to it heading into this weekend. None of my runs have felt great the last couple weeks—I did 2 miles at goal marathon pace last Wednesday and thought I was going to die. With that in mind I sort of wrote off the race, thinking to myself, a PR would be nice but probably best to lower your expectations now.

My new attitude gave me the perfect excuse to play around with carbo loading and so I did. I had way more carbs in the two days before thank I usually do. Just to scare you, here’s what I ate Saturday: 1 small bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios; 4 blueberry banana pancakes with maple syrup and a side of tempeh bacon; 2 plain bagels; tons of Clif Bar samples at the expo; 1 baguette (yes, you read that correctly); and a bowl of rice noodles with red sauce. I also drank Gatorade or PowerAde throughout the two days prior to the race.**

Since I was already testing new pre-race strategies, I figured Philly would be the perfect race to try a new pair of shoes (not new as in I just bought them, but new as in I had never raced a marathon in them). The shoes, the New Balance 1400s, are lighter shoes with less cushion than the shoes I worn in marathons before and I wasn’t sure how my legs would hold up in them for 26.2 miles.

On Sunday morning I drove to the start with my host for the weekend, Larissa, who was also running the full. By the time we got to the staging area there were only 20 minutes to spare, but after my gluttonous experiment scientific fueling I really needed a portapotty visit. The lines were so long that I finished by business with less than 5 minutes until the start—talk about a recipe for stress. Somehow I made it to my corral about 45 seconds before the gun.

The First Half

Just ahead of me in the start corral I saw the 3:00 hour pace leader. Although I thought my sub-3 prospects were somewhat dubious, I hope to follow the pace group initially. The horn sounded and I crossed the line at around 15 seconds. It felt like we were going downhill as we ran along Ben Franklin Parkway towards City Hall, cutting around the fountain at Logan Square. We passed the Christmas Village in “Love Park” which was fun to see. As we turned onto Arch Street, the course narrowing, I completely missed the first mile marker.

It was fun to run by the Convention Center and Terminal Market, both of which I had visited the day before. Unfortunately, with the crowded field, it was difficult to tell when turns were approaching. There were also some parked cars that hadn’t been towed, making for a bit of an obstacle course. We hit the Mile 2 marker and my watch read 14:36 which made me think something was wrong.

As the I turned onto Columbus Boulevard the field opened up again. I could see the 3 hour group not far ahead and I also spotted a North Brooklyn Runner, Miriam, to whom I said hello. When we got to Mile 3, it became clear that Mile 2 had been long and Mile 3 short—I didn’t let it phase me.

In order to avoid the crowded water stops early in the race I had a water bottle with me. As we passed through the water stop around 3.5 a guy who was also carrying a water bottle commented on our shared brilliance. I quickly got to talking to him and learned his name was Frank, that he was from South Jersey, and that last year he did Philly in 3:02. Since we were both shooting for around the same time, we decided to run together. He helped alert me to several of the upcoming turns as we settled into our pace. I really enjoyed running along South Street, just a couple blocks from where I had stayed with my friend Mariah in October.

Once we got to Chestnut Street, the race crowds really thickened and I truly felt like I was running an urban race. The pace, while not effortless, didn’t feel too tough as Miles 5, 6, and 7 went by and we crossed the Schuylkill into University City. My new friend Frank was keeping me honest, reminding me not to speed up.

Around Mile 7 the longest hill of the course began, but I had been warned about it and it was a lot less steep than I had anticipated. We were running through the Drexel Campus and things leveled out just as we reached their frat houses, before taking a dip downhill. I guess it was around here that the pace leader began to pick things up. Frank wisely told me We’ll catch up gradually which kept me from foolishly charging forward as we neared the Zoo.

The steepest hill on the course came just after the Zoo, following Mile 9. I love hills but I had no intention of charging this one and I dialed it back, watching as Frank drifted forward and the pace team disappeared from sight. It was at this point that my legs began to hurt and I first seriously doubted my ability to sustain a sub-3 pace. I tried to push those thoughts to the back of my head and continued on.   

When we passed an impressive Beaux-Arts building shortly after Mile 10, I asked a runner near me if he knew what it was. He didn’t. He was also from New York. (The building, I later found out, is the Please Touch Museum). Running south along MLK Drive, I had pretty much lost sight of the pace group. At this point, my main focus was on reaching the turn-off for the half. I figured if I could make it to Mile 13 then I could reevaluate my strategy for the second half.  Crossing back over the Schuylkill River and looping around the Art Museum I saw my friend Mariah which gave me a huge boost. 

Quietly cursing the half-marathoners who were finishing, I hit the marathon’s halfway point in 1:29:57. I was on pace for sub-3, but that was a problem—in my previous 8 marathons I had always run a slower second half by anywhere from one to five minutes.  

The Second Half

Best race photo. Ever. (Mile 26)

The second half of Philly is essentially a long out-and-back on Kelly Drive along the Schuylkill River. Rather than thinking about the 13.1 miles ahead of me, I thought about the 6.9 miles until the 20 Mile mark (which comes just after the turn-around).

I was still chatting with the fellow New Yorker, as well as a somewhat recent Philly transplant by way of Chicago. The New Yorker was hoping to BQ. Like me, he had a half PR of around 1:22 but hadn’t been able to reach his marathon potential. He said he usually cramped around Mile 18. I told him, get past 18, and you’ll be fine. I wasn’t feeling fine, but running with these guys helped. The pace team was long gone and I’d given up on catching them. Somewhere in these miles I also saw my teammate Patricia who’d come to Philly to cheer—that was awesome!

Shortly after mile 18, we made our way towards Manayunk. Although Manayunk is part of Philly, it feels like a small town, kind of like Natick or Wellesley on the Boston course. In addition to the water stops there were unofficial beer stops and there was plenty of music blasting. Although I was getting more and more worried that the wheels were about to come off, I tried to do some fist pumps to “Play that Funky Music White Boy.”

Finally, I saw the turnaround and shortly thereafter I hit the 20 Mile mark. Only 10k to go! I now broke the race down mile-by-mile. Using my standard mental trick, I told myself, if you can keep the pace for this mile, you can go to X pace next mile and still finish with a BQ. I tried to pick up the pace whenever there was even the slightest hint of downhill, though I felt like crap. A cramp that had been simmering below my rips for some time kept threatening to derail me and I found myself practically punching my stomach to keep it at bay.

Somehow I did Miles 21 and 22 in 6:48 and 6:42. It helped that more of teammates were out cheering and I saw my friend Mariah again. I managed a 6:48 Mile 23 and now I knew I had just over 5k to go. I realized that even if I slowed to an 8 minute mile I would still finish with close to a PR and another BQ.

On the way out I had noticed medical markers along Kelley Drive, numbered 1 through 15 and spaced roughly 1/10 mile apart. Coming back in I began using these, instead of the mile markers, as my check points. My left hip was actually starting to hurt and my feet felt like they were on fire (though above the waist I felt great) so I needed to concentrate on these manageable portions to keep going.

Although I ran Mile 24 in 6:48, I could feel myself slowing as I approached Boathouse Row and Mile 25. When someone yelled my name, my brain was too fuzzy to realize it was my teammate Jeremy until he was already out of range. I clocked Mile 25 at 6:58 and knew I was in serious trouble. I was really hurting and I remembered from the way out that Mile 26 was mostly uphill. I couldn’t afford any more of a slowdown if I wanted to cross in under 3, something that still seemed possible. Although my legs were doing the physical work my brain was expending enormous amounts of energy trying to ignore the feeling in my lower extremities.

It worked. I did Mile 26 in 6:57. I rounded a corner and with .2 miles to go the finish line was in sight. I could see the clock and hear the announcer saying that finishers were struggling to come in under 3 hours. I gave everything I had and did that .2 in 1:27, a 6:38 pace!

As I crossed the lines I raised my arms high and smiled as wide as I could. I knew I crossed with a gun time of just under 3. Walking forward through the chute I tried to hold back tears of joy but decided that with my sunglasses on it didn’t matter. I let myself sob—a feeling I don’t think I’ve ever experienced before. Moving was incredibly painful, but it was worth it.  

My net time, I found out later, had been 2:59:43, just over two minutes faster than my Chicago time of 3:01:44, also making for my first-ever negative split!

Post-Race

Almost as rewarding as my own time was seeing the guy from New York (I was too out of it to remember names at that point) who thanked me for running with him, telling me he'd run a 3:03 and finally qualified for Boston.  Unfortunately walking was so difficult that I wasn't able to make it to the charity tent to meet the amazing folks behind the Philly Chapter of Covenant House. I also missed meeting up with some friends immediately after because I hadn't brought my phone.

I did eventually meet up with Larissa (who, unfortunately, didn't have the race she'd hoped for that day) and later with several of my teammates, all of whom gave some incredible performances. We had a great brunch at Sabrina's Cafe (thanks Larissa for the tip!) before heading back to New York. I don't know that I've ever had a better 24 hours.

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* If that doesn't sound long to you non-runners, keep in mind that I generally abstain from alcohol, caffeine, and, let's be honest, fun in general during the taper.

** I may have carried this mission a little too far, forking over $3.50 for a 20oz bottle of Gatorade at Reading Terminal Market.