Official splits: - 5k - 21:02
- 10k - 42:26
- 15k - 1:04:43
- 20k - 1:28:25
- Half - 1:33:05
- 25k - 1:50:16
- 30k - 2:12:39
- 35k -
- 40k - 2:57:14
- Finish 3:06:22
How not to sound disappointed? Of course I would've loved to keep my one PR streak alive....always running a PR at each marathon I race, but it was not to be, despite the fantastic weather and a great support team. Not the race I wanted but definitely the race I had in me that day. As I expected, the GI problems I've been dealing with prevented me from arriving at the starting line as well trained as I've been for my last couple of marathons and forced me to make some adjustments during the race. Having said all of that, this was one of the most enjoyable races I've ever run and I'm already reconsidering my "run one and done" attitude towards running Boston. What an event. Okay, I could do without the expo (not a big crowd fan), the early wakeup for a mid-morning start, the long bus ride, the cold winds in athlete's village and the multi-hour wait to move to the start corral for another long wait. But...knowing I was racing with the likes of Ryan Hall, Joan Benoit Samuelson.....later finding that the fastest marathon ever run by a human (two really) was run that day....hearing the cheers from the crowds all the way from Hopkinton to Boyleston....it was an indescribable experience. My game plan was to run what I could....of course given the epic weather I was hoping for some race day magic and some 6:40s. But after visiting multiple port-o-lets in athlete's village I knew my GI issues would be a factor. At the start, I ran what felt comfortable.....and got passed left and right despite hitting 6:40s for 4 of the first 6 miles. Unfortunately, that was pushing my HR up about 15 notches higher than it should've been at that speed. Shortly after 8 miles, I made my first bathroom stop and lost a minute without much relief. I continued from there knowing a PR wasn't in the cards and I tried to nail what I'll call GImax.....similar to the pace just before lactic acid accumulates but in this case GI distress. A second longer pit-stop at 11+ miles wasted over 3 minutes but was the last I needed for the race, but by that time I was content just to enjoy the race and put in a good solid effort. So from there I got to enjoy the crowds and the day. My parents and Dianna were there to cheer me right around mile 17 and their presence was a boost. The Newton hills actually weren't that terrible...certainly not when compared to some of the local hills in washington...and a 7:38 was my slowest mile at mile 21. Coming into downtown Boston for the last 10k was really something......the thick crowds thickened and got louder. I actually fed from their energy and picked up the pace a bit for the end, ticking off the last 5+ miles at a sub-7 pace and picking off several runner every quarter mile. I was tired but almost didn't want it to be over at the finish. Got to celebrate afterwards with my family and took the next several days completely off, touring coastal Maine and vacationing before returning home to WA a week later. I plan to return to running at the pace my body accepts and focus on getting my GI house in order so I can get serious about racing again. At least I have a few months to decide whether or not a return to Boston next year is in the cards...
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