Boston Marathon 2025
3:20 A goal
3:25 B goal mainly hoping for this. gonna see how training is by a week before to decide. Wrote this on Feb. 2, 2025
3:30 C goal
Well six days before my left arch and ankle was hurting at work . Then learned of my sis in laws car accident (last year my brother in law died in a car wreck two weeks before boston so LOTS OF PTSD). Learned she was alive but needed a new femur, humerus, has a fractured sternum, pelvis, bruised lungs only needing 2 L of oxygen, and a few scrapes needing a couple stitches and a lacerated spleen. Very emotional for me on speedwork the next day. I was so glad nothing bad had happened coming home from work Tuesday and I could finally pack and get ready for Boston relieved not to feel sad. So wednesday during sw I actually cried and had an angry outburst without screaming since I was at vasa. I was just sick of car accidents. some of you may know that my dad and sister were killed in a car accident in 1982. I was 12 almost 13 then in 1985 my brother was killed in a car accident, I was 16. Anyway I went through a lot those years with depression and suicide attempts. I found my way from Massachusetts/NewHampshire where I grew up at BYU as a non mormon. I was baptized 6 weeks later. My life made a 180 turn! But life happens and more things happen and some traumas are hard to heal from and losing my brother in law was tough bc my sis in law was same age as my mom when my dad died with four children like my mom. Only she had one die with my dad. So by race I was able to text back and forth with my sis in law! very relieved, brain intact! We also were able to text each other which was a greater relief. If you saw her car you'd be surprised she lived.
NONETHE LESS The pains were everywhere in my left leg and I couldn't stop worrying about how it could possibly go away. I read up on ptsd, consulted two bffs and just realized ptsd pain is real. So by race day only worry and NO ADRENALINE OR EXCITEMENT PURE DREAD. I decided to just do 8 pace the whole way I most certainly could do that but at mile 15 an easy mile and 16 and easier mile I felt a black hole mindset come over me. I had taken a gel at mile 4 and 10 and 15 bc of the hole but the continued spectator cheering and lots and lots of people I got soooo anxious that I carried my sg marathon shirt from 2017 in my hands switching it back and forth like an anxiety ball. Left leg was good at this slow pace so what the heck?? looking back at my coros my HR was up to 171-176 several times during those first 13 miles and I had to pee for 12 miles and felt immense relief when I saw an open (green handle) porta potty, I passed red ones cause I was not gonna sit back and wait. But I wonder bc of my anxiety if I just took a few minutes to chill out talking to some people at side lines standing still that maybe I would feel less anxious?? Anyway... mile 15 *8:40 what the heck??? I had an empty bladder and a gel and I am slowing??? why??? then 16 down hill so good and I could not pick up the pace. My hips started to feel achy, glass like pain (I have calcium deposition disease, AKA pseudogout) so maybe I am having a flare? and maybe all week that's what has been happening in my left hip to foot?? anyway I just decided I would just slow down and not freak out and I sure did. All my training was faster up hill than any of these newton hills by over a minute! so what the heck. When I got to mile 21.5 I felt so much better and realized my legs , meaning my thighs and calves and feet didn't even hurt so pick it up alread. Mile 25 was 8:21 and then I thought maybe too early I might die at 26 so I slowed. I also walked through all the aide station from 15 to 25 (there are aide stations every mile which is distracting) and why??? i don't even take fuel on my long runs except one gel!! The gels cause my HR to spike (none of them are ever with caffeine) and I feel awful for several min after, catching my breath...(I read I need more water with the gels). anyway I am 56 years old so I probs have bad HR variability. I can't say I ever felt a single ounce of adrenaline on this run. Just pure anxiety then joints in hips pain. and breathing issues with gels. So at a mile to go I picked it up and ran 7:28 for the last 0.4 miles but when I did that I was glad I didn't try to go fast in marathon,my left quad spasmed like it did in the warm up to my corral. so all in all I played it safe and now I feel really good. Can't say I was ever marathon sore, no swelling (except ankle at anterior tibialis tendon that has gone down daily). Walking airport next day I could easily pick up to a jog. All stairs no issues. Nada. So friday (when writing this) I ran 6.2 miles in the glorious spring! 9:17 avg so chill and awesome. I felt so alive.
Not to mention added ptsd that last year besides the car accident that killed my brother in law my sister in law and kids were hurt in the accident and needed care and I stayed with them a couple days before the race and I was barely running because I tore my hamstring two weeks before the accident and I should have bailed but I wanted to get out of town to try to overcome my grief. But Boston 2024 at mile 5.8 my hamstring tore again and I ran 20.6 miles on it torn. Well I walked several times and I was so sad I thought I was gonna have to bail. I held on to my hamstring attachment and got it done in 4:03:xx. SO MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY TOUGH my avg hr was 174!! Boston 2025 my avg HR was 161!!
here are splits:
1-8:05
2-7:57
3-7:51
4-7:46
5-7:55 gel apple cinnamon
6-7:49
7-7:51
8-7:57
9-7:57
10-8:03 pb gel
11-8:03
12-7:56
13-8:19(porta potty), half 1:44:53
14-8:04
15-8:40 marten gel I got at mile 11.8
16-8:32 steepest down, what in the heck is happening???
17-8:53
18-9:19 marten gel I got at mile 17.8
19-8:54
20-9:18
21-9:25
22-8:34 marten gel right at mile 21.5 when given out
23-8:40
24-8:45
25-8:21
26-8:40
26.4- 7:28 for last 0.4 (always bad tangents at Boston)
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