2016 Boston Marathon

Scroll all the way down to the end of the post for the tl;dr version.

Prologue

After completing the 2015 California International Marathon (CIM) in December, I started training for the 2016 Boston Marathon only a month later.  This would be my 14th marathon and 4th Boston Marathon.

Training

I followed the guidance and training plan from Brad Hudson and Matt Fitzgerald’s book, Run Faster.  Going into the race, I thought my training went well.  There were snowstorms at the end of January during Week 6 and in mid-February during Week 9 of the cycle that derailed my training a bit.  Then, during Week 15 – peak week, I took a bad fall.  And, just when I thought the worst was over, I got a cold during my last week of training.

To paraphrase Tolstoy, every marathon training cycle is miserable in its own way.  So, I won’t say this was my hardest training cycle.  However, the pain I fought through these past three weeks tested me in a way that I haven’t experienced in a long while.

Goals

My marathon PR is 3:22:56 (7:45 pace) at the 2013 New York City Marathon.  My PR for the Boston Marathon is 3:25:58 (7:52 pace) from last year.  My last marathon was 3:27:09 (7:55 pace) at 2015 California International Marathon (CIM) in December.

I’ve been using 7:54-8:06 as marathon pace during my training based on my results from CIM and the Fairfax Four Miler.  I adjusted it 7:52 based on my results from the 2016 RnR DC Half Marathon (1:38:01) and the 2016 Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (1:13:25).

I also consulted the goals I had at the beginning of the training cycle, which were: set a PR (sub-3:22:56/7:45 pace), which is always my goal and/or set a course PR (sub-3:25:58/7:52 pace).

Having put so much pressure on myself to run a set time at CIM last December, I’ve been very chill this marathon cycle about time goals.  Plus, as race day drew closer, I knew weather could be a factor.

• Achievable Goal: Sub-3:30:00 (8:01 pace).  In the past, “double my half marathon time + 13 minutes” has been a good rule for predicting my marathon time.
• Stretch Goal: Sub-3:26:00 (7:52 pace).  If everything aligned, perhaps I could get close to my predicted marathon time.

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Course

The course is a point-to-point starting in Hopkinton, Massachusetts and ending in Boston.  The first few miles are downhill and then the course evens out until the town of Newton, which features four moderate hills over the course of four miles.  Then, the course is downhill into downtown.  There are water stops on both sides of the street at every mile starting at Mile 2.  The crowds are a little thin at certain points early in the race but thick from thereon out, particularly in Ashland, Framingam, Wellesley, Newton, Boston College, and the entire downtown Boston area.

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Playlist

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Pre-Race

Saturday

I arrived at Logan Airport at around 4p, waited for baggage check, and was in a cab in no time.

I got to the hotel, the Loews Boston, at about 4:30pm.  The hotel is closer to the finish line than where I’ve stayed in years past.  The room was a little smaller, though, but still very nice.  The hotel employees were wearing Boston Marathon long-sleeve shirts all weekend, which was a nice touch.

I rushed over to the expo and got there a little after 5pm.  Next year, I don’t think I want to cut it this close.  I made a quick sweep through the expo knowing I could always come back tomorrow.  I didn’t see anything that really caught my eye other than a tank top and shoe charms.

Back at the hotel, I had dinner before meeting with some friends at a bar in the Financial District that I discovered last year.   I had a few beers and then said good-bye.  I was hungry, though, so I had a late night dinner at a nearby diner.  I was in bed by 1am, though.

It was a long day but since I didn’t plan on leaving my room much the next day, I thought I would still get enough rest before the race.

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Sunday

My cold had mostly worked its way through but I woke up with a little bit of a cough.  It was a beautiful day, though!  Sunny but with a little chill in the air.  Perfect running weather.  And, my knee didn’t hurt at all.  I felt like everything was aligning for me to be well on Monday.

I met up with some friends from my online running group for 4 miles along the Esplanade.  During the run, we saw Desi Linden, Bill Rodgers, Bart Yasso, and Joan Benoit Samuelson!

Later that afternoon, I had brunch with a friend from my local running club.  After eating, I walked over to the finish line.  It was very crowded.  This was my fourth Boston Marathon but this one felt different.  I’m not sure if it’s because I’m staying in an area closer to the finish line, but I felt the excitement about the race more this year than in the past.

Back at my hotel, I laid down at around 2pm and watched television.  I drifting in and out of a light sleep but then I forced myself to get up at 4pm so I would be sure to get a good night’s sleep.  I walked to Bolyston and between Panera, Au Bon Pain, and Starbuck’s on the corner, supplied myself with a late night snack and breakfast for the next morning.  I begged out of dinner plans with friends and just had the pasta dinner special at the hotel.  It was good but not particularly filling so I was glad I bought that late night snack.  I drank a lot of complimentary bottled water, too.

As bedtime drew closer, I went over logistics.  I couldn’t decide what to wear due to the weather.  Initially, since it was going to be warm, I was going to wear a light weight singlet.  However, as the prospect of cooler weather started coming through, I thought about wearing a slightly heavier singlet that has two pockets in the pack.  In the end, I went with the lighter shirt (and was grateful for that decision later).

I went to sleep feeling good about my training.  I wasn’t particularly nervous or anxious but I wondered, Did my marathon conditioning suffer when I had to lower my pace due to my injured knee?  Would my lungs hold up despite my cough?

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Weather

Race morning, I tuned into a local station to check the weather forecast.

As it would turn out, the temperature in Hopkinton was much warmer than predicted.  I’ve read reports online that the weather could have been as high as 70 at the start and through Newton.  Here are the observed temperatures at an airport outside of Boston.

And, the relatively mild temperatures but strong head winds measured in Boston.

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Race Day

I woke up on time – 5am.  I dreamt that I would finish the race in 3:32:00.  I turned on the news to see the latest forecast and ate breakfast.

I left the hotel and arrived at Boston Common at 7am.  I met up with a friend and we made the trip to Hopkinton together.  We ran into another friend of mine on the bus and the three of us talked during the bus ride.

We got to Hopkinton at 8:20am and hung out in the Athlete’s Village.  In the port-a-potty line, I saw another friend!  I felt so popular!  The four of us talked for a while and then split up.  I put an old heat shield on the ground, took off my throw-aways, and stretched for a bit.  I was in good spirits.  The sun felt so hot on my shoulders that I actually put on some sunscreen hoping it would make them feel cooler.  We left the area promptly when they call Wave 2.  My friend went off to get a bottled water and got one for me, too.  We used the second set of port-a-potties and then parted ways as we went to our separate corrals.  I took couple of pictures.

And then after only about 5 minutes, the race was off!

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The 2016 Boston Marathon

Miles 1 to 4 (Hopkinton and Ashland)

The start was very crowded!  Runners were darting in and out of my path from all directions.  It seemed like hundreds of people passed me during the few few miles.  It rattled me a little bit – I’ve run in crowded races before but it’s been a while since I’ve felt so packed in for so long.  I tried to just run a straight line and not worry about other runners.  With the heat, I knew I would be seeing some of them again later anyway.  For a good half mile, I tucked behind a guy in a black shirt with a scary red skull on it and zoned out for a while.

Physically, my legs felt sluggish from the start but my knee didn’t hurt and my cough was mostly gone.  Mentally, I don’t know how to describe my frame of mind other than running a marathon was the last thing I wanted to do.  It was a complete 180 degree flip from how I felt just a few moments ago in the Athlete’s Village.  I thought maybe the funk would pass but it stuck with me the entire time.

Before the race, my plan was to run the first few miles close to what felt like marathon pace during Saturday’s workout – about 8:20 pace.  This pace was about 20 seconds/mile slower than I thought I should be able to run so I thought it was reasonable even if the weather was warm.  I was a little faster than that pace but not overly concerned since I knew the early miles were downhill.

The first water stop was at Mile 2.  Predictably, runners scrambled from the left side of the course to the right.  Indicative of the foul mood I was in, I yelled, There’ll be water on both sides!  Then, it occurred to me that maybe people were trying to hit both stops due to the heat.

Red Skull Runner had pulled away from me at some point and I was running on my own.  I was surprised when a runner clipped my heel from behind.  Oh no, I cannot fall right now!, I thought.  I did a hand gesture that was meant to convey, Back off!  Then, he clips me again!  I sped up to get out of his way.

Splits: 8:16, 8:02, 8:00, 8:01.

Miles 4 to 11 (Ashland, Framingham and Natick)

The crowds start to build a few miles out of Hopkinton.  I tried to feed off their energy to improve my mood. Maybe some carbs would help.  I took my first Crank Sports e-Gel at the 5 mile mark – Mountain Rush flavor.  It tasted a little nasty since I had been holding it in my hand for so long and it was warm.  I told myself not to nurse it and it was down in 15 minutes.

It seemed early, but this is also when I started to see the first runners start to walk.  I thought, It’s a long walk to Boston from here.  At the 8 mile mark, I think I see my friend from my running forum, but he’s going towards the water stop and I’m running away from it.  I think about calling out but decide to just keep running.

By the 9 mile mark, I’d finished my 16 oz water bottle.  Usually, a handheld will last me through the half marathon mark and I knew that wasn’t a good sign.  Sure enough, I started to see a lot of the runners who sped past me early start coming back.  At the 10 mile mark, I ate my second e-Gel – Radical Raspberry.  The fruit flavor was refreshing.

I felt pretty good and thought I was running conservatively enough that I could still run strong through Newton and attack the downhill into Boston.

Splits: 8:20, 8:10, 8:16, 8:17, 8:15, 8:27, 8:20.

Miles 11 to 16 (Wellesley)

Approaching Wellesley College, I paused my playlist so I could hear the “scream tunnel”.  It’s funny how far away you can hear the women cheering.

I’d been running with sunglasses and took them off for a while.  Suddenly, the world seemed so bright!  The head wind started to really pick up in Wellesley.  Some of the signs the coeds had posted on the side of the road had blown into the street.  I thought about trying to run next to people to block the wind but didn’t bother.  It’s a long way to Boston and there’s no way I’m drafting that whole way.

To cool off, I took a cold paper towel from a spectator and wiped my face.  I squeezed the excess water on my head and once it was mostly dry, I blew my nose since I was still pretty congested.  At this point, I was taking water at every aid station – sometimes drinking the entire cup and at other times, pouring some on my head.

I locked onto three women in yellow tank tops that said, “Wamp Boston”.  I could tell I was fading a bit and tried to stay the same distance behind them.

At the half, I did the math.  I was on pace for a 3:38:00 finish with the hardest part of the course still ahead of me.

I already felt like I didn’t want to eat when I passed the 15 mile mark.  But, I downed my third e-Gel – Juicy Watermelon.  It tasted delicious!

In downtown Wellesley, I decided to high-five some kids in the crowd.  I was so focused on their little hands that I looked up to see I almost ran into police officer!  He didn’t look too pleased with me.

Leaving Wellesley, the Wamp Sisters started to pull away from me but I decided to take it easy before hitting the hills.  I also felt the beginning of a side stitch.  I chalked that up to all the water I was drinking.  I started skipping every two or three water stops because my stomach felt full.

I see the signs welcoming us to Newton.  I’m not as hungry for the hills as I was last year.  Mostly, I just wanted to get them over with.

Splits: 8:08, 8:21, 8:14, 8:33, 8:07.

Miles 16 to 21 (Newton)

The first hill is at Mile 16.  I found a burst of energy and charged it!  One down.  Just before Mile 17, the road bent a little to the left and their was a Clif station.  The road widened and then narrowed again.  A little past Mile 17.5, the course turns right onto Commonwealth Avenue and the Newton Hills start in earnest.  I ran the second hill with less gusto but maintained an even pace.  I passed Red Skull Runner as he walked the second hill.

The crowds were amazing, though!  Since I was running slower, I noticed more runners.  I drew inspiration from the blind runners, little people, the amputees, and all the other runners struggling through more than I was.  In 2014, runners received a bracelet made from the banners that were hung around town.  I wore it and whenever I went through rough patches, I looked at it and pressed on.  On a lighter note, I ran next to a woman in a unicorn costume for a while.  I gave her a thumbs up.

The third hill comes just after Mile 19.  I wasn’t fooled by the Heartbreak Hardware store this year.  I knew I was just entering the notorious climb.  I forced myself up that hill, too.

At Mile 20, I started my last e-Gel – Vanilla Strawberry – obliterating my previous record of only consuming three gels during a marathon!

Then: Heartbreak Hill.  For some reason, it didn’t look so daunting this year.  I hunkered down and puttered up the hill.  At the top, there was a woman holding a sign signifying the heartbreak was over.  I smiled and mouthed, Thank you.

Splits: 8:31, 8:35, 8:41, 9:07, 9:19.

Miles 21 to 26.2 (Brookline and Boston)

I crested Heartbreak Hill and felt a sense of relief.  The worst of the race was over.  Except, there was another mini-hill leading to Boston College.  I tried to relax and just enjoy the crowds.  This is my favorite place on the course as the college students are cheering for the runners like this is the NCAA championship.

I tried to run harder now that the course was trending downhill.  The wind gusts were very strong, though, and I felt like my efforts were futile.  I also took another wet paper towel to cool down.  In Brookline, I noticed one of the 60 year old female age group competitors.  I pushed hard and passed her.  (I checked and she just missed the Top 10, but probably not by much.)  I tried to hammer the downhill into Boston but I just couldn’t do it.

Mile 23 and the course curves left onto Beacon Street.  I’m thinking, Three more miles.  That’s not so far. But my feet were sore to the point of distraction.  With every step, pain took root in my ankles and shot up through my lower calves.  It was all I could think about.  I willed myself to think of something else.  Okay, your neck hurts, too.  It helped!

During Mile 24, the song Where Is the Love came on my iPod and I got a boost.  I always run hard during this song.  I high-fived some spectators and told each of them, Thank you.  When I see the Citgo sign, my heart lifts!  The finish is close.  When I pass the sign and see the “One Mile to Go” sign, I know the pain is almost over.

At about the 25.5 mile mark, I started looking for a friend of mine who said she’d be around this area of the race on the left side of the road – the same as last year.  I didn’t see her.  I ran under Massachusetts Avenue and restarted my search.  There she was!  I waved to her and her friends.

Soon, I took the right on Hereford and left on Boyston.  I thought about taking my earphones out so I could hear the crowd but I could hear a man grunting loudly just off my right shoulder.  I sped up to get away from him and THEN took them out.

The finish line looked so far away but I knew it would so it wasn’t demoralizing.  I tried to push myself harder but I wasn’t running for anything in particular.  I thought about the bombing victims and managed a strong finish.

Splits: 8:51, 9:08, 8:42, 8:46, 8:32, 1:54.

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Post Race

I start walking and one of the first people I see is the race director for the New York City Marathon.  I shake his hand and tell him I’m looking forward to his race in a few months.

It was slow moving through the finish line area.  Runners kept grabbing the first of everything instead of walking down the line.  I drank a little water.

The shower felt so good.  As the water washed over me, I could taste the salt coming off of me.  I lingered in the room only a few minutes before heading out to meet with friends and talk about the race.

Result

I ran 3:41:37 (8:28 pace).  This is my second slowest marathon – only last year’s New York City Marathon, which I ran as a long run, was slower.  I was the 11334th finisher (top 43%), 3422nd woman (top 28%), and 539th in my age group (top 28%).  I didn’t even do well against the field.  I already qualified for the 2017 Boston Marathon at the 2016 California International Marathon and probably for the 2017 New York City Marathon at 2016 RnR DC Half Marathon; however, I ran a BQ-14, (I’ll be 45 for next year’s race).

Epilogue

I’m disappointed with the time.  It’s hard when you put so much time and attention into something and don’t do as well as you hoped.  But, I’m not crushed.  I’ve run enough races to know I’m not always going to run well.  Still, it confirms that my times are just getting worse and not better.  And the fact that I didn’t feel like running from step one is troubling.  I’m going to do my customary, “Don’t run again until I miss it”.  Then, I’m thinking of mixing things up again and running with some other running clubs and perhaps hiring a coach for my next marathon – the 2016 New York City Marathon!

Abridged Version

The race felt different for me this year.  I’m not sure if it was because I stayed closer to the finish line but I was more excited before the race than in years past.  Logistically, everything went off great.  My flight was on time and my hotel was just a few blocks from the expo.  I met up with friends for drinks on Saturday anda shake out run and brunch on Sunday.  We also saw lot of elite runners around town.  On race day, the weather turned warm – close to 70 degrees through Newton and a headwind.  I felt uninspired from the start and never really recovered no matter how hard I tried to push myself.  I ran by effort but still ended up fading hard after the first two hills in Newton.  I finished in 3:41:37 – my second slowest marathon.  On the bright side, I already qualified for next year’s race and the New York City Marathon so I didn’t have anything riding on this race.  I’ll rest for a few days and then start thinking about where my running will take me next.