"You can’t always get what you want…"

This will be the final installment of this portion of the blog chronicling my training for a hopeful sub 3 hour Boston Marathon.  Though that goal was not achieved, the race ended well, and I’m walking today; always a good sign.

It’s hard to be disappointed in a 3:06:28 marathon, which is only a minute slower than my previous best time of 3:05:24 at Boston in 2007.  If I was disappointed in anything, it was that I broke from the initial plan of going out at a modest pace in the 6:40’s to 6:50’s and avoiding any hard efforts.  As it turned out, my perceived exertion was less than the actual effort and the 1^st 5k split was in 19:54.  Way too fast considering it should have been around 21 minutes.  That is a huge difference early on in a marathon.  Factor in a hot sun and swirling wind, and the conditions weren’t as optimal as they seemed for the elite runners (with a lot of runners on the course, you don’t benefit from the tail wind as much, though there was quite a bit of headwind as well). 

With the fast early pace, I tempered it slowly through the halfway point, still maintaining sub 7’s, but trying not to work too hard.  I wanted to reach the half at around 1:29, and with a half marathon time of 1:28:44, seemed right on target.  Again, the early speed took its toll.  With the early hard effort, and the sun, I should have taken in more fluids than normal, and was starting to feel the effects of a fluid deficit.  The calorie intake (Powerbar Powergel every 5 miles and a salt tab at mile 12) seemed adequate, though my usual 4 ounces (2 mouthfuls of Gatorade at each stop) was insufficient on this day.  By the time I realized I was at a deficit by mile 13 or 14, it was tough to take in more fluids without getting nauseous.  So I took in what I could at every aid station, even adding water to the mix, took an extra gel at miles 17 and 22, and tried to hold on.  I tried to keep the reality of not being able to break 3 hours out of my mind, but every hard effort I started to make to get back on pace (before and after each of the hills: Rt 16 going over 128, turning on Rt 30 after Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and of course Heartbreak Hill just past mile 20), my body said no.   With that realization in place by mile 22, after the left onto Beacon Street at Cleveland Circle, it was a matter of trying to hold an even pace, continue to enjoy the crowd and soak it all in.  If interested in seeing the Garmin data file for my race, click here.

There really is nothing like the Boston Marathon.  For me, it brings back childhood memories of seeing Alberto Salazar win in 1981 and 1982 while watching with a friend and his Dad at Heartbreak Hill.  There I was, running the last few miles of my 6^th Boston Marathon, floating along a river of runners, getting caught up in the current.  I could have been 11 years old again, or 40.  It didn't matter.   

We set goals to achieve them.  I’m disappointed that I didn’t reach mine Monday, but glad I put in my best effort.  There are no guarantees in life, and to me, it ain’t worth living if you don’t have goals to shoot for.  We won’t always reach them, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.  And there is no better reminder of that than the 1000’s of charity runners out there, and 100’s of thousand’s of fans lining the streets from Hopkinton to Boston cheering them/us on.  I drove with my neighbor Paula to the start of the race.  She’s less than 4 months from finishing her chemotherapy!!  What’s more, she finished in 4:50.  Talk about inspirational.

It’s been fun to put my thoughts on training down in the last few months and I truly hope you’ve enjoyed reading my blog.  I’m going to try and keep it entertaining and informative with a broader appeal to the non-runners of the world too.  Talk to you soon!