Note
So. Boston Marathon 2016. A pretty decent preparation, a best-since-1990 10km time and a hilly 84mins half-marathon with no pre-race taper, a pleasing set of JK results. Very similar prep to my 2013 London prep that led to a 2:55 marathon. But somehow not quite as confident in my shape as in 2013, missed my final long run plus seemed to pay a bit of a price for racing the JK at less than 100% healthy. And a niggly left leg that I am worried might not last the distance. Time to find out what the day will bring!
Lots of logistics before the race – bag drop is at the finish and then a half-mile from there is the queue for the bus transport to the start. No bag drop at the start area, any kit you take must be disposed of for recycling – so some interesting clothes on display in the bus queue!
Left apartment just after 0530 to be able to get bus just after 0630, arrived at start village around 0730. Free coffee/water and bagels/bananas/bars to be had, being in the first wave meant no queues and plenty of space at that point. Clear blue skies and getting hot even that early, went and hid in a marquee out of the sun and dozed for an hour or so. Gradually getting much busier as the people from later waves started to arrive too.
Loading up of start corrals starts pretty early (soon after 0900 for 1000 start), there is a 1km+ walk to the start line itself. Not a cloud to be seen and it seems hot. Very hot. Glad to have a cap to wear until immediately before the start. Very glad the guy next to me at the start had last minute extra sunscreen with him.
It is notably downhill in the first km, and gradual downhill all through the first part. Very crowded off the start but easy enough to run a decent pace almost immediately. There is no shade anywhere and it is a course where a cautious start is strongly advised anyway, definitely not a day for a bold first half! Feel like I am taking it nice and easy in the first 5km, running pretty much on 2:55 pace, and the next 5k is similar. Water over the head a few times too. A check of my heart rate suggests it is higher than I would like at this stage though, and so Ito be cautious I keep running the same effort not the same pace as the course levels off, back to closer to 3hr pace. Left leg starting to niggle away, hamstring/glute/primformis/adductor/something not right and can feel tightness and lack of power in that leg.
Through halfway in just under 90mins (89:42), quick pitstop at mile 14 costs 45secs and puts me over 3hr pace for the first time. Not exactly struggling but definitely a lot less lively than I should be, I know I am in shape where a half-marathon at that pace should feel pretty comfortable. Left leg getting worse too. The temperature is getting a little cooler approaching the hilly section at mile 16, but that is partly down to the strengthening headwind. Heat and a headwind, great….
Past encouragement from MC at 17miles, at the moment I am still at the same pace as most of those around me but that is now drifted outside 3hr pace and already there are surprisingly many people reduced to a walk, all these qualified faster than me so not a great day for them either! By this stage, it is starting to feel a bit like I am dragging my left leg along, the climbs of the fabled Newton Hills don’t seem too bad (might be a lot tougher if fighting for a time!) but I am not able to stride out at all on the downhill section after each one. In some ways it is probably easier knowing I am not pushing for a time, I can retreat into a little bubble and just concentrate on shuffling to the finish without fretting over the pace or mile splits. Which is pretty much the story of the final section, heart rate average down below 140 for each of the final five miles or so. Even so I was a bit shocked to see the finish time as slow as 3hrs14, shows how the minutes can slip away!
So. Boston Marathon 2016. Not the outcome I had hoped for. Conditions were far from ideal (21-22 degrees in the shade at the start – and no shade on the course - then a 17mph headwind for the final ten miles) and almost everyone seems to have struggled this year, not sure a PB was on the cards in those conditions even if my leg had lasted the whole race. But despite that it was an absolute quality overall experience, the whole city loves the marathon and all weekend it really makes the participants feel they are part of something notable - and on the day itself the support is amazing, every part of the route is lined and the volume is incredible at times. And now I understand the nuances of this course, maybe I might need to give this one another try….