About Boston

It’s been a while since my last blog entry. After 2 weeks away on holiday I am finally back to my “normal” routine.

In that time away I did manage to go on some beautiful, very scenic, runs and 2 slightly more interesting runs… A Boston parkrun and the Boston marathon!

Just before I left for the States, I did (thanks to those who suggested it) look into taking part in the Boston parkrun. My only realistic challenge in doing that was that I could only run it on the Saturday that happened to be the morning after arriving. Friday night, after an entire day travelling I finally managed to get some sleep gone midnight local time. The place I was staying at was about 30 minute drive from the Jamaica Pond parkrun (only one in Boston and by the looks of it, only one in the entire east coast).

I was up quite early on the Saturday (couldn’t really sleep) and felt very tired from all the traveling the day before but I was not going to let that be a problem. The girls were very keen to come and run with me. Although the main reason for such enthusiasm from them was they actually thought I was running the marathon that morning ;-)

We rushed to the Jamaica Pond and parked about a km away with the view to avoid parking issues as usually experienced in some of the UK parkruns I am used to. It was quite cold, maybe about 5 degrees Celsius and truth be told I really hadn’t considered that possibility when getting ready that morning so the girls and I were quite cold walking up to the start. When we got there, around 8.40, there was only a handful of people waiting. Clearly not as popular as the several hundred strong Bromley event.

Slowly a small crowd started gathering while I managed to fit in a short warm up. The short warm up and strides didn’t really help in actually warming me up at all but at least that prevented me from running completely cold. At 8.50 the organisers did the parkrun talk and it was all very familiar. Different country same feeling. It’s parkrun time!

I’ll be honest and admit I had looked at previous winning times for that event and it looked like every month or so a very fast runner would win it in a very good time, but most of the times the winner would not even make top 10 at some of the UK parkruns.

So I looked around to see if there was any sign of any fast local runner trying to put in a PB effort the week before the marathon, as one would expect. And there was, three of them to be precise. They looked like regulars who knew each other. Clearly younger than me but not depressingly young either. As I got to the start line I positioned myself next to them to listen in to their conversation. Not that I was keen on knowing how fast they would go or anything ;-)

To my surprise they started talking to me and we had a very pleasant chat about the weather but no mention of their shape or actual running ability. Oh well.

The course was two laps of the same route around the pond but at the end of the first loop runners have to go back on themselves and run the same route in reverse with then a 200 meter finish on a fairly steep hill. It looked like it could be fairly fast on paper.

They sounded the start and I found myself really going for it. Strangely it didn’t feel like I was overdoing it though. About 3’20”/km pace (around 5:20/mile). I felt good and relaxed but I also knew I had not been training recently and that I was mostly running on adrenaline and residual fitness from a few weeks back. After a few hundred meters I looked back and I had the 3 guys about 15–20 meters behind. I tried to accept the pace as comfortable but only after about a km in I started feeling the effort. That feeling on not having any endurance. Already in oxygen deficit and the joints complaining that the pace was not to their liking.

I slowed down slightly as I really did not want to blow up and have to walk the final km after getting all my muscles full of lactic acid. I looked back again after 2km and the gap was only about 10 meters but at least there was only one runner right behind me. The other 2 looked like they had slowed down considerably. I guess starting way too fast is an international phenomenon!

As soon as I got to the turning point I told myself that I had to stay ahead no matter what. It was also at that point that I heard my very own cheering squad shouting and being very excited at the prospect of me coming first. Great! Added pressure!

As it turns out the decision to ease down proved a smart one as with about 1500 meters to go I felt like I could finish strong and decided to push on. I put in a good final km and just before the uphill finish I looked back to realise the gap was now about 150 meters or more. Final km in about 3’13”/km (5:10/mile), which considering my current fitness level was very impressive, to cross the line in 16:38 about 20 seconds ahead of the second finisher.

At the end a very familiar feeling of having put in a good effort after a testing parkrun. The customary shake of hands with the runners finishing right after me and before too long two little monsters jumped on me all happy that their ageing, out of shape, father managed to finish first (not win, as I later explained to them).

Very pleased to be able to go sub 17’ on a not really flat course (still fairly quick course) and to be able to have a 1st finisher in a US parkrun recorded to my parkrun CV (is that a thing?)

After that I spent the entire day driving (almost immediately after the run) throwing in a McDonalds breakfast for good US measure! Those pancakes with maple syrup won’t eat themselves!!

The following week I was in Vermont where it was still clearly winter. Since I was not really aiming for anything in particular at the marathon (a week away at that point) I decided I did not want to miss the opportunity to run in snowy hills in the middle of nowhere, so I went out a few times in the snow. Only 20–30 minutes runs but enough to really enjoy the scenery, feel the calmness of the woods and why not really mess up my quads from the running in the snow efforts.

The following Saturday (2 days before the marathon) we got to Milford which is a small town about 3 miles from Hopkinton. That town name (Hopkinton) is probably quite familiar to marathon runners. I couldn’t believe it was finally happening!

I went out for a stretch of the legs on the Saturday (literally 20 minutes at a very relaxed pace) but the legs felt so achy and I felt very heavy and not in the mood for taking on a marathon in less than 48 hours. I had really mixed feelings as I was really excited to take part but clearly a little worried about the absolute lack of fitness as a result of my lacklustre preparation.

The truth is that after the competitive 20 miler I took part in on the 3rd of March I had only managed to put in about 85km in 4 weeks with a longest run of 16km. Under normal, proper training, circumstances that is what I would do in only 4 days of running when preparing a marathon.

In fact I can actually confirm with all certainty that this is the marathon I had prepared for less in my entire running life. Even my first one I still ran about 200km the previous 4 weeks with a long run of about 28km. I couldn’t even consider it a bad preparation. No preparation sounds more fitting.

And it was a different experience…

The day before I did not worry at all about how much walking I did around the expo.

I did not drink enough water and I certainly did not bother having hardly any carbs. My main carbohydrate intake the day before the race was a lovely rather small lobster ravioli.

I got back to the hotel room after hours of walking, trains and driving to finally put my feet up and treat myself to TGI Fridays! Nachos anyone??!! The same night I also failed to decide on my running attire or think about such important things as bag drop or anything resembling any kind of planning. I did, however, manage to put my name down for the hotel shuttle bus departing at 8.45 for a 10.02 start.

I can’t even remember how much sleep I had but the lack of it (maybe 5 hours?) was really nothing to do with nerves, more to do with anticipation. I went down for breakfast around 7.15 and had a piece of toast and loads of coffee to try and wake me up. I looked outside and the weather looked very depressing. Lots of rain and it looked like there were some strong gusty winds. That really was a bit of a let-down since my intention was to enjoy myself as much as possible and running a marathon in really wet conditions is not really my idea of fun.

As I was having my second large coffee I started spotting runners of all ages and all abilities coming in and out and gave me chance to observe the disparity in approaches between them. Some, looking race ready and only wearing a vest and holding a small drink, whilst some others looked like they could be going into space wearing ensembles more fitting for a NASA shuttle launch.

That prompted me to think about my own choices. I was not racing so I was not sure what was appropriate. For this first time in a long time I was very unsure of things. Long sleeve? Short sleeve? Old trainers? Racing shoes? Run with phone? I had no gels or energy drink either, my only boost was that American brown looking coffee I’d just had with breakfast.

So I decided to treat it like a long run. Normal shorts with pockets so I could carry my phone and take pictures. Short sleeve t-shirt so I don’t get too cold and old worn running shoes so it doesn’t matter if they get wet (comfort over racing needs).

I get on to the shuttle bus looking so casual compared to the hyper ready runners around me. I really didn’t mind but I clearly looked like the odd one out.

On the plus side and because I had registered using one of my 2.3x marathon times I was given a starting place right at the very start but more importantly I was fast tracked to all the transport vehicles and security checks before getting to the athlete’s village. And I was very happy with that. Whilst other less fortunate runners had to queue for ages I was rushed to a school bus from this meeting point by being ushered to my own very private security check. I only had to show my number… I was being treated like running royalty! Extremely handy!!

On the bus to the village I also stood out. Most runners already looked very focused and prepared. For once, that wasn’t me. I was able to look around and absorb everything.

Once at the village I joined thousands of other runners so it took me a few minutes to find the right way to my “corral”. Unsurprisingly I started walking with hundreds of runners but then as everyone else kept moving to their corral I was being constantly prompted to continue on, walking along this security outdoor corridor with loads of police and what looked like armed forces of some kind (pardon my US armed forces knowledge).

I finally got to a point where a very friendly lady pointed me into my starting area. That was really a feature of the entire day, volunteers and spectators being very happy and cheery.

All of this time, since I left the hotel, I hadn’t needed to go to the toilet since I was not really drinking that much. What a difference from all the constant trips required when competitive running. Although not making that conscious effort to drink more turned out to be not the best move of the day.

Once in my corral they very rapidly announced the elite line up and I even managed to get a glimpse of some of the top runners as they walked past me and positioned themselves only about 10 meters in front of me. I really felt out of place with my sleeves and phone ;-)

After the national anthem and a fly over by a couple of “special” looking planes (sorry!) they gave the start whilst I was busy taking photos (proper tourist!!).

I started running with phone in hand and taking a few snaps of the people and scenery around me. I had also my headphones on so I could listen to some music for the not so exciting parts of the race. Although that really wasn’t for that long.

Even at this point I had not given my pace or strategy any thoughts. Very naturally I settled into a comfortable pace. Around 4’10”/km (between 6:40 and 6:45/mile).

It was no longer raining and I started to feel a bit of humidity. I kind of regretted not having gone lighter with a vest. The pace felt really good and I was loving every minute of it. I was still taking some photos and able to absorb the atmosphere and all the support along the course. The scenery was absolutely beautiful! I was joining in conversation with other runners and really enjoying the various water stations just interacting with the volunteers.

I did my usual check after 12km but this time was different. I was not race ready and I knew that eventually my body would give way. Lack of endurance training (or any medium or long runs) does that to you and it doesn’t matter what pace you set off at, the distance will eventually get you! And I knew that. There are no exceptions. No special treatment for has beens. The marathon distance is brutal and lack of preparation will inevitably show.

Just before half way and after reading the signs for Wellesley College I started hearing a wall of noise. Like hundreds of people screaming in the distance. At first I hadn’t put two and two together but soon after I realised we were about to enter The Scream Tunnel!

And what a shock! I had read about it and had been told about it by friends who’d run the marathon in previous years. But oh boy I was not prepared for that!! Literally hundreds of college girls screaming at either side of the road with lots of signs requesting to be kissed. Most of them wearing next to nothing (and a couple actually wearing nothing on the top half). Plenty of runners actually stopped to attend to some of the requests from the overly keen college students. I, myself, took a more moderate and politically correct approach and just gave a bunch of high 5s (hands only!!)

And after that high came the low!

I started slowing down a tad around km 20 in the hope to start controlling the distance. I went past half way around 1:28:45 (I really can’t remember the exact time) so I thought sub 3 would just do it. I calculated I would feel the effort in the second half and lose some time around heartbreak hill and then all the way to the finish.

We went through some really picturesque towns that had a lovely New England vibe to them. Very posh shops and brunch place with lots of antique stores and the likes. Although I was really feeling the effort now, it didn’t really impact my mood in taking on the atmosphere around me.

And then around km 24, coinciding with what felt like the first of many several constant really annoying long inclines, my legs started giving way. The beginning of the end unfortunately for me. No wall of glycogen depletion, just muscular pain. From hamstrings, calf muscles, even my back! The body started falling apart.

To add to that scene I actually started feeling quite hot. The humidity was still high and the sun decided to make an appearance so I started using the water stations more, trying to cool down, but it was already too late. I had not hydrated enough from the beginning so now it was a case of damage limitation.

Hills at km 26, 28 and 31 just before hitting Heartbreak hill around km 33. I slowed down even more and I even forgot about getting a sub3. At this point I was just keen to finish in one piece so I gave up any kind of effort and focused on managing the quite considerable pain in my quads. At this point people were already walking.

So to the final couple of km entering Boston and I must admit the support and level of noise was extraordinary. I started thinking how much I enjoyed the course and how I’d love to come back one day to be quite competitive around it.

As we entered the last 500 meters on Boylston Street I got my phone out again and took more pictures. I crossed the finish line in just about sub 3.05 which is about 30 minutes slower than only a few months ago.

At the end, a long walk to more water, some food and a great looking medal. What a great experience! Thoroughly recommended!

So I feel I should have a final say about the marathon in general. It’s almost unavoidable when completing one. And I am posting this just a few days before the London Marathon so it’s only fitting.

In fact, I’ll do something like a top 10 tips to a great race day:

1. Hydrate well: Not only on race morning but ideally a good 2–3 days before. It’s very important. On the day of course top it up with some electrolytes so to keep enough of the essential salt and minerals required to function well. A good way of doing this is drinking 20% more water than usual and then the last 24 hours mix half sports drink with half water.
2. Fuelling strategy: Ideally you will have practiced marathon morning a couple of times. Getting up early, having a carbohydrate breakfast and digesting well do you can make use that energy without inconvenient toilet needs in the middle of the run. I know I need to allow 2–3 hours after a reasonable breakfast before I can run.
3. Dress to the conditions: It’s a marathon. You will get hot unless it’s really cold. Try to underdress if possible and don’t think that overcast means cold. Running with unnecessary layers can get uncomfortable very quickly so unless you can discard the extra clothes I’d suggest you don’t dress for how cold you are at the start but how you will feel in mile 10.
4. Mental downtime: Plan ahead the logistics of transport, clothing, meeting up with friends, baggage drop off, etc. so you don’t have to waste unnecessary energy worrying about details that could jeopardise your race if not right. Worrying about those details can generate stress and that’s energy that will be required at the latter stages of the race. Also, find some time for quiet reflection where you don’t think about much.
5. Have a plan B and even a plan C in mind: It’s good to have a time in mind but I’ve mentioned before that when for whatever reason that goes out the window we must have a valid target still to fight for. When things don’t go the way we planned we must have a “go to” plan B so we don’t have to start searching for motivation when already tired and mentally fragile. Just finishing is something to be admired so fight for that if it comes to it!
6. Pace yourself: This should probably be number one. I understand it is extremely easy to get swept up in the euphoria and atmosphere at the start of a marathon but they didn’t create the “it’s a marathon, not a sprint” saying for no reason. IF YOU DON’T THINK YOU’RE GOING TOO SLOW THAT MEANS YOU’RE GOING TOO FAST.
7. Be smart about the effort: Sit down before the race when possible, no unnecessary talking in the early miles, no sudden changes of pace to grab a drink. No gratuitous efforts! Every gram of energy is required for those final miles.
8. Be present: Absorb the atmosphere throughout the race but also check in to current feelings. Recognise every feeling and evaluate often. Don’t anticipate how you’ll feel or any future pain just focus on the moment.
9. It’s ok to hurt: It’s a bloody marathon, of course it will hurt. And it’s ok. That does not always mean slow down, stop or give up. It just means we are asking our body to tackle the longest distance in one go so it will be under a lot of stress. Short of serious injury or any real life danger you will be fine to run through the pain. Obviously if the pain is from a serious injury or life threatening condition seek medical attention right away. Let’s not be stupid and reckless either
10. Enjoy! Running, finishing and bragging about it later! It’s time for a beer and to start planning your next marathon.