All about that pace.

The crowd support was so awesome this year! I'm really glad I went. Although I didn't plan on running a PR or even being competitive for that matter with only 3 months training, I had a plan to finish about 3:30-3:45. Even though I should have known better on my 3rd trip to Boston, I got caught up in the excitement and started out way to fast again. It's just so hard to focus on any kind of plan when there are a million people lining the sides of the course cheering for all the runners! I chose to interact with the crowd as often as I could and I have no regrets about it. They were all just so awesome and encouraging. I must have high-5'd a thousand little kids in the first 5 miles. There were only a few small spaces along the highway outside of hopkinton where the crowds were not shoulder to shoulder and I don't think I went longer than a minute or two in the whole race without hearing "you're on fighyah!", or "go fighyah pants!". The Wellesley girls were deafening this year; I could hear them from at least a half mile away coming and going. Along the quarter mile stretch known as the "scream tunnel" they hung over a barricade waving signs and would only stop screaming long enough to plant a kiss on any runners that would stop. ~ (Maybe if I ever run it again, I'll have Kym watch from there so I can get my kiss on the course)
A few miles past Wellesley is where the work really starts and needless to say, all the fun I had in the first few miles took its toll. I paid dearly on the Newton hills as you can see from my splits. Major cramping in my quads and a little in my calves added a couple minutes to my pace. At about mile 19 I got an enthusiastic shoutout from Derunzo and I ran over and gave him a big sweaty hug! Thanks Derunzo! and sorry if you had to smell me the rest of the day :) Tom K caught me walk/limping a bit shortly after that and sad hello as he passed. Thanks Tom. Other than that, I didn't see anybody I knew on the course. It was pretty much a hobblefest from there to Hereford where I dug as deep as I could to finish strong and enjoy the flight down Boylston. Kym wasn't able to get near the finish line, but she did snap a picture of me getting my medal from the upstairs window of the CVS.  I'll post some pics later for anyone that hasn't seen them on facebook already. We did lots of fun touristy stuff this time and I even got my picture on the front page of the Monday edition of the Boston Herald.

Distance Split pace
1.00 7:33
2.00 7:22
3.00 7:29
4.00 7:23
5.00 7:37
6.00 7:31
7.00 7:31
8.00 7:36
9.00 7:26
10.00 7:27
11.00 7:38
12.00 7:42
13.00 7:40
14.00 7:39
15.00 7:55
16.00 7:41
17.00 8:04
18.00 8:36
19.00 8:06
20.00 10:48
21.00 9:52
22.00 10:16
23.00 10:04
24.00 9:16
25.00 10:02
26.00 10:52
26.49 7:13
 

8:00am

Went out for an easy 5-6 miles through the park and ran into Preston so I followed him and chatted about Boston until I found myself down in Steilacoom by his house 6 miles in and still 4 miles form home. The trip back up the hill was fun. I picked up the pace a little each mile and finally worked all the kinks out of my quads.

Distance Split pace
1.00 7:45
2.00 7:58
3.00 8:24
4.00 8:14
5.00 8:16
6.00 8:35
7.00 8:10
8.00 7:46
9.00 7:35
10.00 7:02

Tacoma Runners at the Hamon Tap Room. On the way there, I volunteered to be a pacer at the Tacoma City Marathon next weekend. http://www.tacomacitymarathon.com/pacers

Distance Split pace
1.00 7:23
2.00 6:50
2.99 6:41

 

I'm not going to race today, but I'll go with John and Scott just to hang out and get in an easy run... Riiiiiiight :)

Distance Split pace
1.00 6:29
2.00 6:41
3.00 6:25
3.12 6:37