The 116th Boston Marathon marked my fourth marathon and second consecutive Boston Marathon. I trained for the race using the Pete Pfitzinger 18 week, 55-70 miles a week plan from his book Advanced Marathoning. The modifications I made were running a half marathon during the training cycle, doing tempos and long runs on hills, and having some tough uphills at the end of my long runs. I believe the plan put me in the best marathon shape of my life. My goal was to beat my personal record of 2:54:26 set at the Boston Marathon last year. Under ideal conditions I thought I could run a 2:50-2:52 marathon and maybe have a shot at a sub 2:50.
The weather conditions were far from ideal. The Boston Athletic Association sent out emails stating "you should adopt the attitude that THIS IS NOT A RACE. It is an experience and if you are not highly fit you should not run." The forecasted high temperature on Monday, April 16th was 90 degrees. I thought about taking their deferment option but chose to run the race and test myself in the heat. The Boston Globe described the day "where a breeze felt like a blast from a hair dryer". I knew I was going to have to alter my goal time but wasn't sure by now much.
I ate some oatmeal and drank some Gatorade before leaving the hotel. My friend Ellen picked me up along with one of my training partners Pat, and my new friend Natalie at the Ramada Boston and drove us to the Boston Town Common where the school buses were shuttling runners out to the start in Hokpkinton, MA. All four of us were running one of the toughest Boston marathons in history. We boarded the buses and left Boston at 6:30am. The ride was nice and I was nervous about the weather. Ellen and I sat together and had a great talk on the bus ride to the athlete's village where we would await the 10am start. It was already in the mid 70s once we got to Hopkinton. Pat and I found a shady spot on the grass under one of the big white tents in the athlete's village. My friend Bill Hunt joined us once he arrived. My other training partners John Batchelor and Ron Fleming met up with us before we left the tent for the walk to the starting line. I was thankful for the shade of the tent but wish I could have taken it with me on the race course.
The weather conditions were far from ideal. The Boston Athletic Association sent out emails stating "you should adopt the attitude that THIS IS NOT A RACE. It is an experience and if you are not highly fit you should not run." The forecasted high temperature on Monday, April 16th was 90 degrees. I thought about taking their deferment option but chose to run the race and test myself in the heat. The Boston Globe described the day "where a breeze felt like a blast from a hair dryer". I knew I was going to have to alter my goal time but wasn't sure by now much.
I ate some oatmeal and drank some Gatorade before leaving the hotel. My friend Ellen picked me up along with one of my training partners Pat, and my new friend Natalie at the Ramada Boston and drove us to the Boston Town Common where the school buses were shuttling runners out to the start in Hokpkinton, MA. All four of us were running one of the toughest Boston marathons in history. We boarded the buses and left Boston at 6:30am. The ride was nice and I was nervous about the weather. Ellen and I sat together and had a great talk on the bus ride to the athlete's village where we would await the 10am start. It was already in the mid 70s once we got to Hopkinton. Pat and I found a shady spot on the grass under one of the big white tents in the athlete's village. My friend Bill Hunt joined us once he arrived. My other training partners John Batchelor and Ron Fleming met up with us before we left the tent for the walk to the starting line. I was thankful for the shade of the tent but wish I could have taken it with me on the race course.
Pat, Bill, and Me leaving the athletes village John, Ron, Pat, Bill, and I walked to the starting line in the blazing sun. It was 79 degrees when John and I got in wave 1 and corral 2 for the start. I felt good but was sweating just from the walk to the starting line. I thought I did a great job of hydrating with water, Gatorade, and extra salt on my food all weekend. I decided to run with a water bottle until I drank it all and tossed it on the course during the race. The gun went off and John and I started at 10:01am, just a minute after the elite men started. I realized after hitting start on my Garmin 110 that I didn't turn the auto lap off. It's a good idea to turn the auto lap off and just hit the lap button at the official mile markers because your average pace and distance will be more accurate. When I had the auto lap off last year it reordered every mile marker from 0.99-1.02.
John and I started off at 6:40 min/mile pace and stayed side by side. We ran the first 5K in 20:39 as we entered Ashland, MA. It was hot but didn't feel to bad, yet anyways. The first 4 miles are a steady downhill but you do get some little uphills at 2.5 miles and 4.5 miles. We kept that pace and went through 10K in 41:10, just 18 seconds slower than my 10K split last year. Maybe I was going out too fast for the conditions but I stuck with it as I tossed the water bottle after drinking it all within the first 7 miles. I took my first gel, a GU Roctane, at 7 miles and chased it with half a cup of water and dumped the rest on my head. We ran over the railroad tracks in Framingham, where a train interrupted the race in 1907 and halted all but the lead pack of six runners. John wasn't feeling well and started to fade. I only beat him by seven seconds last year and was looking forward to running side by side as long as possible again this year.
John and I started off at 6:40 min/mile pace and stayed side by side. We ran the first 5K in 20:39 as we entered Ashland, MA. It was hot but didn't feel to bad, yet anyways. The first 4 miles are a steady downhill but you do get some little uphills at 2.5 miles and 4.5 miles. We kept that pace and went through 10K in 41:10, just 18 seconds slower than my 10K split last year. Maybe I was going out too fast for the conditions but I stuck with it as I tossed the water bottle after drinking it all within the first 7 miles. I took my first gel, a GU Roctane, at 7 miles and chased it with half a cup of water and dumped the rest on my head. We ran over the railroad tracks in Framingham, where a train interrupted the race in 1907 and halted all but the lead pack of six runners. John wasn't feeling well and started to fade. I only beat him by seven seconds last year and was looking forward to running side by side as long as possible again this year.
Halfway in Wellesley I ran through the 15K mark in 1:01:44 and 20K in 1:22:15. I still felt pretty good as I continued on towards Wellesley College and the girls scream tunnel. I talked with several runners that I ran beside and the topic of conversation was the miserable heat. I met up with a former runner for the Kansas Jayhawks, who is now a high school chemistry teacher. We talked and sought shade, which happened to be right up against the screaming girls of Wellesley College. You begin to hear the girls two-three miles before you get to them. I didn't stop to kiss any this year or last year but a lot of runners do. They want you to stop and kiss them and have a variety of signs with messages trying to entice a kiss from the runners. I ran up against the railing they were behind and did the same thing I did last year: I stuck my right arm out and just slapped hands with as many as I could through there. It's uplifting and they make you want to pick up the pace but doing so this early in the race would cost you later. I crossed the halfway point in 1:26:50, 24 seconds slower than last year.
I kept alternating water and Gatorade at the mile markers. I took my second gel, another GU Roctane at 14 miles. I was running through every misting station, water hose, and fire hydrant I could find on the course. I went through 25K in 1:43:20. After leaving Wellesley, the course heads to Newton.
I kept alternating water and Gatorade at the mile markers. I took my second gel, another GU Roctane at 14 miles. I was running through every misting station, water hose, and fire hydrant I could find on the course. I went through 25K in 1:43:20. After leaving Wellesley, the course heads to Newton.
30K in Newton Newton is the home of heartbreak hill. Heartbreak Hill is the last of seven hills in Newton ranging from mile 16 to mile 21. They are not that steep but are gradual enough and long enough to respect them. They also come at a psychological difficult time in the race. I ran the Newton Hills well last year and wanted to do the same this year but the heat was unrelenting. I ran through the best misting station just after crossing the 30K mark in 2:04:49, 1:43 slower than last year. There were a puddle of water in the tent and the thought of laying down in it was nice. The water was cold and left me soaked as I exited the misting tent and headed for heartbreak hill. I didn't walk any of the Newton Hills but a lot of runners were. I took my third and final GU Roctane gel a little after 21 miles on the downhill after heartbreak hill.
I was still running a good pace and had a shot at finishing close to my time from last year or at least breaking three hours if I hit the wall. My 35K split was 2:27:01 but things got bad after that. I stopped sweating around 22 miles. I chose to walk the 23 mile aid station and drink a whole cup of water and a whole cup of G Series Pro 02. I started to feel muscle cramps and spasms in my quads. I've never felt that before during a run. I had taken in a lot of water, Gatorade, and three gels during the race but I knew I was getting dehydrated fast. My hands felt gritty, like sandpaper.
I started running again and made it to the 24 mile aid station where I walked and drank another full cup of water and Gatorade. I was feeling bad but I was determined to finish. Brookline and Coolidge Corner was another really loud place on the course. People were 5-8 rows deep on the street along with screaming fans on balconies and rooftops.
I went through 40K in 2:51:49 but was finally in Boston. I knew I wouldn't break 3 hours now but still wanted to beat the 3:05 qualifying time for next year's Boston Marathon. I was ready for this race to be over with. I was physically done but I was willing myself to the finish line on Boylston Street.
I was still running a good pace and had a shot at finishing close to my time from last year or at least breaking three hours if I hit the wall. My 35K split was 2:27:01 but things got bad after that. I stopped sweating around 22 miles. I chose to walk the 23 mile aid station and drink a whole cup of water and a whole cup of G Series Pro 02. I started to feel muscle cramps and spasms in my quads. I've never felt that before during a run. I had taken in a lot of water, Gatorade, and three gels during the race but I knew I was getting dehydrated fast. My hands felt gritty, like sandpaper.
I started running again and made it to the 24 mile aid station where I walked and drank another full cup of water and Gatorade. I was feeling bad but I was determined to finish. Brookline and Coolidge Corner was another really loud place on the course. People were 5-8 rows deep on the street along with screaming fans on balconies and rooftops.
I went through 40K in 2:51:49 but was finally in Boston. I knew I wouldn't break 3 hours now but still wanted to beat the 3:05 qualifying time for next year's Boston Marathon. I was ready for this race to be over with. I was physically done but I was willing myself to the finish line on Boylston Street.
Headed to finish on Boylston Hundreds and thousands of fans lined Beacon Street to Kenmore Square, where the well known Citgo sign is the unofficial one mile to go mark. The large crowds there are attributed to the fans leaving the Boston Red Sox game and staying to watch the end of the marathon. I made the right turn onto Hereford Street and then a left turn on Boylston Street. I've never been happier to see the finish line of a race before. I ran hard to the finish and left what I had on the course. I finished in 3:04:09; 703 overall out of 21,554 and 661 out of males, and 515 out of males 18-34 years old.
It was my slowest marathon out of the four I have done. I was 9:17 slower than last year. The overall winning time was 9:38 slower than last year. Last year's winner, Geoffrey Mutai, dropped out at mile 18 due to cramps and the heat. It was 90 degrees when I finished with a road temperature of 102 degrees. I've ran beach runs where the air temp was 90 and the heat index was 110-115 but those were only 10Ks in the late evening. I had some blurred vision and got checked out by the medical staff after getting my gear check bag and meeting up with my Dad. I later met up with Ellen and Kenny, a friend from the Runners World online community. I felt bad for all those still out there running in the mid day sun and heat.
After stretching and trying to re-hydrate, my Dad and I made the walk to the closest T station for the trip back to the hotel. I was feeling pretty weak but was drinking water and Gatorade. I felt better once I ate a burger and fries at the hotel before leaving for Boston Logan International airport. My Dad and I boarded the JetBlue flight and left Boston around 8pm. We landed at Raleigh-Durham International around 9:45pm. I started feeling really bad on the ride to my apartment in Greenville, NC. I felt like I was going to throw up but never did.
It was my slowest marathon out of the four I have done. I was 9:17 slower than last year. The overall winning time was 9:38 slower than last year. Last year's winner, Geoffrey Mutai, dropped out at mile 18 due to cramps and the heat. It was 90 degrees when I finished with a road temperature of 102 degrees. I've ran beach runs where the air temp was 90 and the heat index was 110-115 but those were only 10Ks in the late evening. I had some blurred vision and got checked out by the medical staff after getting my gear check bag and meeting up with my Dad. I later met up with Ellen and Kenny, a friend from the Runners World online community. I felt bad for all those still out there running in the mid day sun and heat.
After stretching and trying to re-hydrate, my Dad and I made the walk to the closest T station for the trip back to the hotel. I was feeling pretty weak but was drinking water and Gatorade. I felt better once I ate a burger and fries at the hotel before leaving for Boston Logan International airport. My Dad and I boarded the JetBlue flight and left Boston around 8pm. We landed at Raleigh-Durham International around 9:45pm. I started feeling really bad on the ride to my apartment in Greenville, NC. I felt like I was going to throw up but never did.
Dad and Me back in the hotel Shortly after midnight I began having body aches, a fever, hot and cold flashes, and started vomiting. I called my good friend and training partner, Jarrod, and gave him my symptoms. He called an ambulance for me and I was rushed to Vidant Medical Center. I was still vomiting in the room for an hour or more before a doctor came and saw me. They started me with an IV bag while they took a urine sample. The nurse was really nice but she had to wait on the doctor to see me before doing more. They gave me a shot of Phenergan to stop me from throwing up but it didn't work. I kept throwing up until they gave me an IV of medicine to stop the vomiting. I had never felt this bad after a race in my life. I was severely dehydrated. I ended up going through three IV bags. They wanted me to eat some crackers and drink water or ginger ale but my stomach felt full and couldn't take anything else in. I was able to eat a few crackers and drink a little bit of ginger ale before being discharged around 8am.
I spent the rest of the day after the marathon on the couch in my apartment sleeping. I was keeping solid food down and drinking Gatorade, water, and ginger ale. I felt good enough to try a short recovery run Friday but opted not to. I didn't run again until 8 days after the race.
Boston is an amazing experience. The crowds were loud and out in force even in the miserable heat this year. Nothing beats the crowd support at Boston. The BAA did a great job having extra staff on hand for the hot weather along with all the misting stations, fire hydrants, water hoses, and sprinklers on the course. No one died during the race, which is a testament to the job the BAA and the medical staff did in keeping everyone safe. Spectators set up unofficial aid stations with water, Gatorade, oranges, little bags of ice, popsicles, grapes, sponges, and an assortment of other goodies. Unfortunately, the weather chose to celebrate the famous Duel in the Sun from 30 years ago. I pushed myself to the limits and finished one of the hottest Boston Marathons ever.
I spent the rest of the day after the marathon on the couch in my apartment sleeping. I was keeping solid food down and drinking Gatorade, water, and ginger ale. I felt good enough to try a short recovery run Friday but opted not to. I didn't run again until 8 days after the race.
Boston is an amazing experience. The crowds were loud and out in force even in the miserable heat this year. Nothing beats the crowd support at Boston. The BAA did a great job having extra staff on hand for the hot weather along with all the misting stations, fire hydrants, water hoses, and sprinklers on the course. No one died during the race, which is a testament to the job the BAA and the medical staff did in keeping everyone safe. Spectators set up unofficial aid stations with water, Gatorade, oranges, little bags of ice, popsicles, grapes, sponges, and an assortment of other goodies. Unfortunately, the weather chose to celebrate the famous Duel in the Sun from 30 years ago. I pushed myself to the limits and finished one of the hottest Boston Marathons ever.
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