Marathon #30: Boston Marathon 2011

Following is my race recap from 2011's Boston marathon. Currently, this is the only marathon I have ever repeated. I ran it in 2003, and to date it is my slowest and worst marathon performance ever. Coincidentally, it's Toby's worst too. We vowed to return in 2010 for redemption, which Toby succeeded, but I had to defer due to injury until the following year. Will I ever run Boston again? No. I will always get excited as the marathon approaches, and if I'm ever in Boston along the Charles River I will smile as I see the CITGO sign in the distance, but I have too many marathons to get to, and am running out of time. What do I think of the Boston marathon? I think it's a marathon that needs to be on your list, but personally, not one of my top favorites. My CONS are: the qualifying process to get into it creates too much drama, it's a big marathon, which are not my favorites anyhow, and the course terrain is especially hard for me, particularly in the first half of the course with the downhills. My body hates running downhill courses! Strange, but true!
As far as my list of PROS go: Boston is a fun town, especially during marathon week-end, and being a part of the marathon is a big deal, and of course, the frigging jacket. I don't care if it is 80 degrees in Dallas when I return home: I'm wearing the jacket.

OK, so here is the race recap from 2011....

It was a sheer test of endurance. It seemed to go on an on forever and we never thought we'd make it....I'm talking about our flight home! We arrived in DFW (mid-air) around 5:15 PM, but didn't land at DFW until 10:00 PM. And no medal. But other than that fiasco, the trip was a blast! 

Being in Boston itself on marathon week-end is a blast. No other city embraces the event and the runners like Boston, and I can't think of any other marathon where the entire city seems to be taken over by runners. My roomies at the Park Plaza (Diane Golden's hotel, which is AWESOME) were the Steen-P sisters, Laura and Lisa, and James (Lisa's friend from California) was part of our crew, and also staying at the Park Plaza. We went to the expo together, ate, had beers together, rode the bus to the start together, hobbled about in the hotel room together, toured Boston on foot together (Holocaust exhibit and North end's Regina Pizza a must), and even shopped at H&M together. Great great travel buddies!!!

Ok...marathon specific...DIANE ROCKS! Her buses picked us up right outside the hotel.  We got to the start at Hopkington really quickly and set up our little camp out of the wind. Yes the two hour wait was dreadful--you just want to run already!! But it was entertaining too. We enjoyed watching the wave 1 and 2 people scramble to prepare. (Seriously, some of these guys needed their wives--what a mess). It was sunny, in the 50's, with a cold strong wind, which luckily for us, was out of the west, i.e, tailwind for the race! Gonna be a good good day...

Before you knew it, wave 3 was heading to the corrals. A little hysteria from some..."I only have 9 MINUTES TO GET TO MY CORRAL!!!!" This lady was losing it, and of course we were laughing at her. Good times already! And we're off! It took us less than 2 minutes to cross the start. I say the addition of the third wave was a success. We tried to stay together, but it was pretty crowded, so when Laura went ahead she was gone. We couldn't see her in the crowd. Lisa and I stayed together though, for a good long way, and it was really nice to get to know her and share stories. It helped me to take my focus away from all my inner fears of the course, which chewed me up and spit me out at mile 15 back in 2003...

It would feel a little warm, but then a strong cold gust would hit your back and cool you off from time to time. I was starting to struggle and slow down, so when we hit the hills Lisa looked back at me and I motioned for her to go on. (Not sure where--mile 18?) At that point I was ready to be alone--I knew I was going to have a much better finish than 2003, physically and mentally...

My stomach was nauseous after mile 20, so I didn't take any more gels and kind of fought off that burpy urge (ew). I afforded myself a walk break just before mile 25, with the CITGO sign looming--I had seen that sign last year from the Charles River when I was injured. I wanted to take it in, and take in the last mile as you turn onto Boylston street to the finish, because it's a finish like no other...I imagined I would get all emotional when I crossed the line, but I was more like, "Holy crap that was a kick in the pants!"!

James ran a 3:28, Laura ran a 3:57, Lisa ran a 3:59, and I ran a 4:05. 

Boston marathon...I don't know what I think of it. It's magical at moments. The screaming is relentless and LOUD! It's annoying at times. It's hysterical. The Wellesley girls and their signs...the crowds are huge...people are lined up on both sides, moving in, gauntlet like...Heartbreak Hill...it's lined with chalk messages...big hearts...It's a circus...it's interactive...the brief tunnel is so blissfully peaceful...On the one hand it's overwhelming and almost "too big", but then again it's so unique that everyone needs to experience it for themselves.

Thanks to all the training buddies, ESPECIALLY LAURA, Ah the memories: the ice slush run, Cowtown, epic journey to AA center, howling wind run, Loving hills over and over...in the end it paid off!!!

Boylston Street finish, a finish like no other

March Marathon of the Month: LA Marathon

The LA marathon has been added, removed, then re-added to my marathon wish list more than any other marathon. It was on my original list from back in the early 90's, but has had organizational issues, date changes, and course changes (not always good changes), so I was never really sure I wanted to run it. I'm almost scared to say it, but I think they finally got it together, so back on the wish list it goes!

The latest course layout appears to be the best course they've ever had, and they don't appear to be making any changes to it for 2013. It is a scenic point to point course, starting at the Dodger Stadium and finishing along the beach in Santa Monica. Some landmarks include: Little Tokyo, Grauman's Chinese Theater, Chateau Marmont, Rodeo Drive, and the Santa Monica Pier. It appears to be a great tour of the city, as it travels through downtown LA, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, West LA, and finally, Santa Monica. Terrain-wise, the course is far from flat, which is hard to tell from the elevation chart, as some reviewers on marathonguide.com pointed out. Still, the last 3 miles are downhill, which is always welcomed.  There's the added bonus of possibly bumping elbows with a movie star or two, as celebrities often run this race.

Be forewarned that this is a large marathon, with over 20,000 runners, so expect all the logistical craziness that goes with large marathons! The point to point adds the element of shuttle buses, which seems to work out best if you stay in Santa Monica as opposed to downtown LA, but there are hotel shuttles for those that do stay in the city. There were complaints on marathonguide.com about the expo being held in a tent, but it appears to be held indoors this year. Traffic issues getting to the expo? YOU ARE IN LA. You will be dealing with traffic during your stay in LA, and that's a promise. 

The main drawback would be the weather. Southern California gets a lot of rain in March, and a few years back they had monsoon-like conditions during the marathon. Not fun! It could potentially be warm, but with a 7:00 AM start and a coastal finish I think that wouldn't be too hard to handle.

The other drawbacks would include the high registration cost ($175 now), the crowded start; although they do provide seeded corrals if you're fast enough, and the crowded finish area in Santa Monica, which seems to be managed well enough, but crowded finishes aren't much fun in general.

I'm not sure when I will get around to running the LA marathon, but it is back on the list, so unless they change things for the worse, I will eventually run it!