I've fallen way behind in my race updates, so here's a condensed version of the first half quarter of 2014.
After a very successful 2013 I didn't have quite the same goals for 2014, especially with the birth of my first child due in February. I trained reasonably hard over the winter and through January/February hoping to maintain a decent level of fitness after the baby was born that would see me through Bazan and TC.
The year started out okay in early January at the Pioneer 8K where I ran 28:50 (12 seconds slower than 2013). After negative splitting almost every race in 2013 I made a mistake at Pioneer and went out a bit too hard. The first half was 14:15, and I faded a little bit in the second half (14:35) despite having a good battle back and forth with Damian as we tried (and failed) to reel in Brad Crowe. The final 100m sprint is uphill, and was okay as I placed 4th in 13.6 seconds (Byron won as usual in 12.97s, still not quite as fast as my 12.7s from 2012!).
The next race in the series (for me) was Bazan Bay 5K in early March which happened 2 weeks after my son was born. So the combination of lack of sleep and running in those 2 weeks meant that my expectations were not very high heading into the race. But I did manage one good training run of 6x1K on the track where the final one K repeat was run in 2:57! Which is the fastest I've ever run in training. It did help to have some fast friends out there to drag me along.
After last year's frustration at Bazan where I ran 17:01 I still secretly hoped to break the 17 minute barrier (3:24 pace). The race started out perfectly with a 3:24 opening K, but the slight uphill on the second I slowed to 3:30, and hit the halfway turnaround at 8:41. Damian had been with me through 2K, but fell off the pace and I started picking off people ahead of me. 3rd and 4th K's were 3:23 and 3:26 which meant I still had work to do on the final K to get under 17. Last year I finished in 3:12/km so it was possible... I gave it everything (and didn't make the mistake like last year of looking at my watch and relaxing!) and was very surprised with 150m to go to pass Byron the sprinter. My dream of one day have a real sprint-off with him would have to wait as I was maxed out and he was coasting :) About 50 meters into the final 100m he blew by me on his way to winning his 12th(?) green jersey. I crossed the line in 17:00. Bah. Very happy with my race (22 second negative split), but so annoyed to not get under 17. I think my sprint time of 15+ seconds was the slowest one I've done, which means probably my best race effort! A week later I decided to email the race director to find out what my fractional seconds were just in case it was 16:59.5 and got rounded up to 17. Here's the screenshot he sent me, 16:59.99! How close is that?!?
It was 8:15am. 15 minutes until the start of the race.
I put in my earbuds and headed out for one last warmup jog. The catchy piano intro started playing from Hall Of Fame by The Script:
"You can be the greatest, you can be the best.
You can be the King Kong banging on your chest..." I might have banged on my chest too. I felt a rush of energy flow through me as I flew down the gravel path heading away from the start/finish line. As I turned back towards my car the song played my favourite verse:
"You can go the distance. You can run the mile (or 26 miles).
You can run straight through hell with a smile.
You could be the hero. You could get the gold.
Breaking all the records they thought never could be broke." It was going to be a great race. I was envisioning coming back down that very same path in exactly 3 hours, seeing the finish line and knowing the race was over.
With 5 minutes to go I lined up at the start line, anxiously waiting for the race to begin. The sun was shining, and it felt surprisingly warm. I suddenly realized I was hopelessly overdressed. I rushed over to my bag (which was sitting 20 feet away - one benefit of small races!) and quickly stripped off my long sleeve shirt and tossed my gloves and toque. Back in the start line I chatted with a few runners, including my friends Mike Janes (who was amazingly running his 4th marathon this year!) and Les Disher. A girl next to me asked how many marathons I'd done - "a few" - and what time I hoped to run this one in - "I'm not sure, around 3 hours maybe. I'm just going to try and keep up with this guy" (pointing to the tall guy in a black shirt and toque, who I overheard was called Ivo and who I recognized as being the winner of this race from 2 years ago).
As the race started we all headed up the gravel path weaving through Boundary Bay Park. There was also a half marathon, 10K, and 5K race all starting at the same time, so I made sure to be right near the front so I wouldn't get held up. But as expected quite a few people zipped passed me. There were maybe 20 people in front on me when I hit the 1 km mark at exactly 5 minutes. Wait, what?!? My plan had been to take the first 5K nice and easy at 4:15/km pace. I glanced down at my watch and was relieved, but also a bit worried to see that it read 1.2 km. Okay, the markers must be off. Don't worry. But naturally I was wondering how accurate my watch was! The pace felt really easy, but I didn't want to lose 45 seconds right away.
When I reached where I knew the 2 km marker should be my watched beeped and it read 4:19. The actual marker was 200 m still ahead, right at 2.2 km. So obviously the markers were all going to be offset by 200 meters. This is why GPS watches are crucial. I decided to ignore the markers, and just trust my watch. The third km went by in 4:15, then the next two in 4:10. I took my first gel just before 5K at the first water station. My 5K time was 21 minutes flat (4:12 pace). By now all the 5K and 10K runners had already turned back, so it was just the half and full marathoners. I could only see a few runners a long way ahead.
The next 5K I settled into my goal pace of 4:05/km (4:07, 4:06, 4:05, 4:10, 4:05) reaching the 10K mark at 41:35 (second 5K was 20:35). The perfectly flat course (despite being hard packed gravel) really made it easy to maintain a consistent pace. There was a slight wind was in my face, but that meant it would be at my back in the second half. I had already taken my second gel before 10K as well - I was trying to get in some carbs much earlier in the race this time.
After the 10K, the half marathon runners turned around and headed back to the finish. I think there were 4 of them ahead of me - 2 guys and 2 girls. When I passed the 2nd aid station at 10.55K I asked "How many runners are ahead?" - "Just one!" he yelled back. Sweet. It was a 2 man battle, me and Ivo. But I couldn't even see him! Despite the course being right on the water and very straight, Ivo had gone out hard and was already way ahead. Every now and then I would catch a glimpse of the lead cyclist because he was wearing a reflective orange vest that was easier to spot. "He'll fade" I repeated to myself, "he went out too hard".
The next 10K went by very smoothly and uneventfully. I stayed relaxed but focused, and enjoyed myself - smiling at spectators and random walkers. Amusingly one spectator cheered me on around 15K saying "Go catch him!" to which I replied "I will!". It probably sounded a little arrogant, but I felt strong and just had that feeling. At 18K I took my third gel.
That second 10K took 40:29 (20:20/20:09 for 5K splits). The pace had increased slightly as each kilometer was run between 4:02 and 4:06 per km, until the 20th one which was 3:58! I knew my brother and his wife would be cheering me on at 20K, so I think my pace picked up in anticipation. It was definitely a big boost to see them. I yelled to my brother "That was the easiest 20K I've ever run!". As I headed around the loop at Mud Bay Park towards the turn around I couldn't see Ivo or the lead cyclist at all, which seemed weird. I knew he was far in front, but if he was so far in front then why wasn't he coming back towards me yet? Finally on the last corner before the turn around I saw him coming back. I mumbled something like "good job" as we passed and glanced at my watch (~1:25:50). When I got to the turn around my watch read 1:26:52, so I guessed that he was about 2 minutes ahead (~500 m). I had been aiming to run the first half in 1:26-1:27, so this was a very positive first half. In fact it was the fastest first half of a marathon I'd ever run!
When I passed my brother and his wife the second time (around 22.5K) he jogged with me and I said "next time you see me I might be in the lead!". Or not. I had increased my pace to 3:56, 3:57, but Ivo probably increased his too. I could rarely see him and the cyclist in the distance, and I didn't seem to be gaining at all. The kilometers flew by now, and they were definitely getting more difficult. I took my 4th gel at 25K, and held on to that same pace - running that 5K in 20:08.
After 25K I knew my brother was going to be cheering me on at 31K, so I decided to try and pick up the pace a bit more to see if I could gain some ground on Ivo. On the long straight stretches I could see him up ahead, and the distance between us was closing very slowly. The 5K from 25 to 30 was my fastest yet in 19:58 (and 3rd 10K in 40:06), wooohooo! When I passed by my #1 cheering squad at 31K my brother yelled "you're gaining, you're way closer to him now!". I tossed him my empty handheld water bottle (10oz) which I had been carrying up to this point. It felt really good to be free of it. I had taken my 5th and last gel, and only had a few honey stringer energy chews to last me the rest of the way (I ate two every 2 km until 40K).
This is where the race begins I said to myself. The inevitable fade is bound to happen soon, so stay strong, stay focused. You only have to run 10K more. Ever. Gotta love the logic of a tired brain!
It was around this point in the race when I realized how pain free the race had been so far. I had already run 32K at a great pace, and nothing hurt! Well that is unusual. But I'm sure the next 10K will suck, right?
Luckily (and similar to the North Olympic Discovery Marathon in 2011) I was in 2nd place and had the leader in my sights. This really helped me stay focused and keep pushing. I was definitely gaining ground on Ivo now. I felt like I could have passed him around 34K, but instead I let myself ease back slightly to conserve some energy. I wanted to overtake him "dramatically" - not slowly inch past him. I could tell he was fading now, as looked tired - he would run the long way around a corner instead of hugging the inside corner. The 5K from 30 to 35 was 20:03.
 When I was about 20 meters behind Ivo at 36K I picked up my pace and zipped by, saying something like "Great work Ivo, keep pushing man, get that PR!". The lead cyclist sped up to match my pace and off we went. I tried to make a bit of conversation with the cyclist, but he tended to stay about 10 meters ahead of me. At this point I realized again how good my body felt. Shouldn't I be suffering by now? But amazingly nothing hurt, and I was running faster than I had all race. I dropped my fastest kilometers so far - 3:55, 3:51, 3:57. I had this big goofy smile on my face and was just ecstatic to be out racing on such a beautiful day. I felt tears come to my eyes as I envisioned crossing the finish line. Not yet I thought, still 3K to go. Anything can happen.
When I passed 39K I glanced behind and saw that I had a big lead now. The 5K from 35 to 40 took 19 minutes and 42 seconds. Unbelievable. I have often visualized running the final 10K of a marathon in under 40 minutes. Well today could be that day. The final 2 kilometers were back in Boundary Bay Park on the winding gravel trail. I continued to pick up the pace, causing the lead cyclist to speed up as well. The final kilometer was my fastest in 3:50, and the final 10K took 39:30. Once again I felt overwhelmed with emotion, and fought off tears as I could see the finish line up ahead. Hearing my brother yelling "He's gaining on you, he's right behind!!!" I sprinted all out, crossing the line in 2:51:08. A new personal best by almost 9 minutes (was 2:59:45), a course record (previously 2:59), and amazingly almost a 3 minute negative split (1:26:52/1:24:27). I had fully expected to fade a few minutes and run 2:56.
The rest of the afternoon was awesome. Family friends had made it to the finish line just in time to see me cross the line, and so we all hung out for an hour in the glorious sunshine, and then had a nice lunch together before I headed back to Victoria. Unfortunately Mike didn't have a good race as he has been battling an abdominal injury and had to pull out after half way. Les on the other hand ran a very strong race finishing 4th overall in 3:07 with nearly even splits.
Post race my right hip was a bit sore, and I had a raw spot on my left baby toe. But otherwise the body felt fine. And interestingly I felt fine the next few days too. No DOMS on the quads, and I was back running 2 days later. Perhaps the softer surface and the flat course took less of a toll on my body then previous marathons?
I would highly recommend this race to anyone wanting to run a fast marathon. It was well organized, has a nice friendly small race feel.
Obviously being in November and on the water (no protection) means that the weather can be a big factor. The gravel didn't seem to be an issue. It is mostly hard packed (as long as you stay in the tire tracks) and didn't cause any discomfort. About 4 km is on pavement, and 4 km on softer gravel (at the start/finish). A few things to consider if you are planning on running this race - prepare for all weather conditions! And consider carrying water. There aren't many aid stations (5, 10, 14, 21, 28, 31), so it's hard to get in enough liquid. I carried a handheld 10oz water bottle which I swapped out at half way for a full one.
Garmin Activity, Full race results.
Note that there was a glitch with the timing system, and all the times were shifted 40 seconds faster. I suspect the glitch only affected the half marathon (since they were the ones who complained).
 I was over in Vancouver last weekend (May 26th) for the Abbotsford Run For Water 10K race. There is also a 5K, Half and Full Marathon as well, which attracted almost 5000 runners to come out and race in the rain. The forecast was decent, but ironically it was very very wet... plenty of water for everyone!
Before the race started I ran into Paul O'Callaghan, also from Victoria, who was doing the race announcing. It was great to see a friendly face as I didn't think I knew anyone else from Victoria who was racing. Plus I love the energy he brings to the job!
In my pre-race scouting I knew that last year's winner Yue-Ching (in 34:48) was registered to race again, but I was excited to find out that I had narrowly beaten him at the Sun Run by 9 seconds (35:18 to 35:27). If no one else faster showed up, perhaps I had a chance to battle for the win!
 Before the race started I was disappointed to see that Yue-Ching hadn't picked up his race package... perhaps he didn't like the rain? But that didn't last long because at the start line he appeared right beside me wearing a different bib number (in the white singlet in the middle). Apparently they couldn't find his at the race expo!
We had a nice chat, and joked around with another runner Jin (on the left in the USA tank top) who turned out to be a friend of his, and looked pretty ripped.
When the race started I was in the small lead pack of 5 or 6 runners. By the time we had looped back to the starting street (Bevan Ave) at 3K, the lead pack was just 3 runners - me, Yue-Ching and Jin. The pace was comfortable at around 3:37/km, and we were talking and joking around. Jin looked behind and announced that the top 3 places were now decided (us), and he would happily take 1st. Soon after he put in a small surge and I jokingly yelled "I see the race tactics have started!". He replied with "Well you see I've been training with the Kenyans, and that's how we do it". 
Around 4K Jin yelled back at Yue-Ching (who was hanging behind us by a few steps, and wasn't joining in our friendly banter) - "Yue-Ching - why so out of breath?". I think that may have been a mistake, because soon after Yue-Ching blew by the two of us and quickly opened up a 50m lead as we ran away from the start along McDougall Ave. Jin turned to me and said "Uh oh, I think the race is over". We both picked up our pace and tried to gain some ground back. The course goes gradually downhill at this point until the turnaround (at 6.5K), and we didn't gain an inch despite dropping our pace to 3:16 from 5K to 6K. At this point Jin pulled away from me and I let him go, reassuring myself that I would be fresher for the uphill on the way back.
Around 6.5K there was a sign warning us that the turnaround was ahead, and then 100m later another larger sign saying "10K Turnaround". But the volunteer at that sign was busy directing a car out of the way, and wasn't ready for us. So unfortunately Yue-Ching who was leading kept running past the turnaround (maybe 50-70m?), and Jin also went too far. When I got there a few seconds later and ran past (blindly following the leaders) the volunteer yelled "10K turn around is back here guys!". I immediately turned around, as did the other two, and suddenly I was in the lead! But for some reason it didn't feel right taking advantage of their mistake, so I slowed my pace slightly and let them catch me. In no time both of them went flying past with Yue-Ching quickly re-gaining a similar sized lead as before - maybe 50-100m. Hmm, perhaps I shouldn't have slowed!
As we climbed up the steeper uphill section I pulled even with Jin, and with 2K to go it flattened out so put in a surge to try and gain some ground. It didn't work, but it did cause Jin to fall off the back. The runners going the other direction were very vocal cheering for us, it was pretty cool.
The finish line was visible from a long way off, and I was still way behind Yue-Ching. I knew at 500m I had to start going otherwise the race was over. The spectators (despite the rain) were amazing at cheering for me, yelling "You can catch him!".
  So I started sprinting with about 400m to go. When I was right behind him with 200m to go and gaining fast I thought perhaps I might actually do it, but when I pulled along side he glanced over at me and then easily shifted gears, pulling ahead. I had no response and he crossed the line 2 seconds ahead of my time of 35:40. Part of me is annoyed I didn't try to catch him earlier, but the more rational part of me knows that he deserved to win and was the faster runner on the day. Plus it was my second fastest 10K ever, and considering the conditions I am very happy with my time. My half way splits were really solid too - about 17:55 on the way out, and 17:45 on the way back - so another strong negative split race!
Full results here.
Here is an amazing video of the race highlights and some neat scenes of Africa. My finishing fade out is at 1:45.
Envision Financial Run for Water 2013 Race Day Video from Run for Water.
In the other races, the marathon was won by David Palermo in 2:35 (who I believe dropped out of Vancouver/BMO part way, so a good result), just edging out Ryan Prachnau in 2:37. I heard that Jason Loutit was running, but I didn't see him finish so maybe he dropped out. Mike Janes had a great marathon too, finishing in 14th overall in a time of 3:06:02. That is nice redemption for him after having bad luck at BMO a few weeks ago.
The half marathon was won by David Jackson again, easily cruising to victory in a time of 1:10:53. This was his 4th race in 6 weekends, and he said he plans on racing Whistler next weekend too! Care Nelson also had a great race in a strong women's field, placing 2nd in 1:22:40.
The 5K (which is called a competitive "fun run") was run through the trails around Mill Lake Park. I don't think there were any runners from Victoria, but did have some fast times for a windy course with 3 people finishing between 17-18 minutes.
Overall it was a very well organized event, lots of good food after the race (yogurt with granola on top!), a nice finisher's medal, and nice shirt/hat/socks in the race package. And the atmosphere was great too, especially considering the inclement weather.
The Sun Run on April 21st was near perfect conditions. A little gusty perhaps, but not too cold and not too warm.
Leading up to the race I was feeling great - I was very satisfied with my training, especially my speed work. I did have a nagging left toe problem (seismoiditis) but I figured it wouldn't affect my race. I was well tapered, and feeling good.
The morning of the race I followed my usual routine - wake up 3 hours before the race and go for a very easy 15 minute shakeout run. I didn't really feel like running around the streets of Vancouver yet, so I ran on the treadmill at the hotel. It worked out okay despite my dislike of treadmills!
After the run I gobbled down my usual pre-race breakfast of a small bowl of yogurt, fruit and granola. Then proceeded to crank up some tunes and get pumped up! Luckily no one got to see my horrible dance moves except for my wife.
The race starts at a very reasonable time of 9am. I headed out the door at 8:25, and as soon as I started my warmup I had this sudden burst of energy and excitement. "Oh yes, I feel fast today!". A few laps around Nelson Park and then headed over to the start line. It's a nice setup - the start is on West Georgia Street (very wide, probably 4-6 lanes?) - and the first kilometer of the race course is open to seeded runners for warmup. Did a few sprints, chatted with some friends, and then it was time to get serious. I purposely waited as long as possible before moving in behind the start line to be as near the front as I could. I figure I was probably about 4th or 5th row back.
The gun went off, and away we went. The first kilometer is very fast - it's straight and mostly downhill which really lets the lead runners get off to a fast start. It was congested but not too bad at all. I tried to make the most of the downhill without getting my breathing up too much, and passed the first marker in 3:16, perfect! The second kilometer has a couple corners and a slight uphill in it and ended up being slightly slower at 3:39, but still nicely on pace and feeling good. The next two kilometers are flat and relatively straight and the goal was to maintain a 3:30 pace: 3:30, 3:34, close enough. Just before 5K there is a short and nasty hill up Hornby before going over the Burrard Street Bridge (which is also an uphill but not as steep).
I knew my friend Jonathan would be waiting at the bottom of the hill, and sure enough there he was! Perfect placement because it really helped propel me up the hill. I also knew that my wife would be waiting at the top of the hill, so I had to be smiling :) Here is a photo from the bottom of Hornby. Interestingly the guy in green and the girl in orange both finished right with me. Both of them pulled ahead after this photo but I just caught them right at the line (although the green shirt beat me even though we had the same time, and of course he is in my age group!).
The 5K was slightly slower as expected (3:43) due to the climb, but my 5K time of 17:47 was right on target for my goal of 35:30. I clawed my way up the Burrard Street Bridge telling myself that there is a nice long gradual downhill on the other side. The next few kilometers were a little bit of a blur but the pace was good: 3:33, 3:31, and 3:27. I had some more friends waiting at 8K and it really helped to keep me going. Somewhere around this point I glanced down at my watch and saw that my pace was 3:31/km... and had visions of going sub 35 minutes (3:30 pace)! But I quickly realized that my Garmin watch is never that accurate, and so in a 10K race I usually run around 50m more (10 more seconds), so I figured I was on pace for 35:20.
Right around 9K there is a short and unpleasant uphill on to the Cambie Street Bridge, and this was when the race really started to hurt. That kilometer was slow at 3:36, but luckily by then all the hard work was done. I held on along the bridge knowing my wife would be cheering at the end of the bridge, and put in one final push down the off ramp and a decent sprint to the finish, crossing the line in a time of 35:18. As the photos show, I was quite happy with that result! 50 seconds faster than my previous PR at last year's TC10K. It is also my highest ever points - 770!
Splits:
3:16, 3:39, 3:30, 3:34, 3:43 (17:47)
3:33, 3:31, 3:27, 3:36, 3:32 (17:31)
Here is my garmin activity for the race, and full race results.
After the race I met up with my wife and brother (who also ran the race) and we walked back along the course to the 8K marker. It was incredible to see the sea of runners as far as the eye could see. We relaxed in the warm sun at a friends place, and then walked over to Granville Island for some lunch. My legs felt pretty good overall. Slight soreness in my right knee but otherwise fine. We stayed another night in Vancouver to relax and enjoy ourselves before heading back to the island on Monday.
The last 2 photos are copyrighted (in case you couldn't tell) and belong to Marathon Fotos, from this website:
http://www.marathon-photos.com/scripts/event.py?new_search=1&event=Sports%2FSTCA%2F2013%2FVancouver%20Sun%20Run&match=123.
 It's hard to believe my last post was almost a year ago! Running has been going well: no major setbacks, lots of decent training, and a few personal bests along the way.
The first 4 months of each year are always busy with the Island Race Series and the TC10K. This year I decided to add a race that I've never done before: the Sun Run. The Sun Run is a huge race that attracts thousands of runners. The race organizers cap it at 50,000 runners making it Canada's largest road race. This year it is my goal race!
Last fall I read a book called Running With The Buffaloes, which chronicles a 3 month training block of the Colorado University men's cross country team (the Buffaloes) as they gear up for the NCAA 10K Championship. It was an interesting and easy to read book which includes lots of different workouts and helps explain why we do certain workouts. And to see the benefits and downsides of pushing yourself to the limit.
After finishing the book I thought it would be fun and beneficial to replicate the workouts in the order they were done in the book as closely as possible leading up to the Sun Run. The only differences were that I wasn't going to be running 100 miles per week like the guys in the book do, and I would be running a lot slower.
I've entered all the specific workouts into a spreadsheet and shared it in case anyone else wants to follow them: Workouts from the book.
Each week follows a basic format of 4 hard workouts (Tues, Wed, Fri, Sun) and 3 easy or rest days. The hard workouts each week include one long run, one medium long run, and one or two intervals, fartleks or tempo runs.
The training is divided up into 5 stages (modified from Lydiard's teachings) which start after the usual base building phase:
| Period A | 6 weeks | Ascend to full volume: no intervals, tempos, races, etc |
| Period B | 5 weeks | Aerobic short specificity: work done at goal race pace, with full recoveries on intervals (non-anaerobic) |
| Period C | 6 weeks | Aerobic long specificity: longer intervals, still no anaerobic. Longer fartleks, mile repeats, long tempos (10 milers). |
| Period D | 3 weeks | Anaerobic specificity: short fast intervals with very little recovery. Wed/Sun long runs decrease by 10-25% in distance, same speed. |
| Period E | 2 weeks | Anaerobic speed: sprinting and intervals at faster than race pace. |
As part of my training I included 3 Island Races: the Pioneer 8K in January, and Bazan Bay 5K and Comox Half Marathon in March. Partly because they are my favorites, and partly because they are in the Timex Road Race Series. By doing the Sun Run and TC10K in April gives me the minimum required 5 races.
All 3 island races went very well. In each race I ran a negative split and achieved a personal best. At Pioneer I finally broke my old record of 29:03 from 2008 with a time of 28:39. At Bazan Bay 5K I improved by 20 seconds from last year, finishing in 17:01 (my highest race points ever - 764!). Comox was 1:20:29 (70 seconds faster than 2011 RVHM) which wasn't quite the sub 80 minute time I was hoping for but a back injury and lack of long runs were probably to blame!
Last weekend I did one final tune-up race before the Sun Run (which is this Sunday, April 21st) - the inaugural Bob Reid Magical Mile. It was an out-and-back course on the Galloping Goose which had a slight uphill on the way out and a downhill on the way back. It was a fun event which featured some very fast runners and lots of prize money, for them! I placed 4th out of 6 in my 30-39 age group with a decent time of 5:07.
The Sun Run should be an interesting race with it's downhill start, the steep climb over the Burrard Street Bridge (at 5K), and of course the other 40,000 runners!
Here's a look at the route and elevation (click for a larger version):
After the Sun Run there is not much time to recover - exactly one week after it is the TC10K on April 28th!
In my previous post I covered as many of the details as I could think of about what happens before the race starts. This entry is all about the actual race - the excitement, the pain, the heat, and the finish!
GoalsGoing into this race I set 2 goals: finishing under 3 hours again, and enjoying the Boston atmosphere. I've said to a few people that this could well be my last marathon (yes I know we all say that), so I really wanted to enjoy the experience as much as possible, and try to draw energy from the hundreds of thousands of spectators that come out to watch on the holiday Monday that is race day.
I was actually hoping for a time of 2 hours and 55 minutes. This requires a pace of 4:09 per kilometer, 20:45 for 5K, 41:30 for 10K, and 1:27:30 at half way. When the forecast showed 30 degree heat (86F) on the day, I made the foolish decision to not change that goal. Looking back this was probably not a good choice...
The Start (0 - 5 km)I anticipated a slow start due to the 2000 runners who would be lined up in front of me (I was in corral 3 and there was approx. 1000 runners per corral), but I knew that the first 6km was quite steep downhill so I figured once we started to move smoothly I'd easily be able to make up the lost time from a slow start.
It actually wasn't a slow start at all. It took me exactly 1 minute to cross the start line, and although it was very congested we all managed to move pretty quickly. My first kilometer was 3:57 which was a surprise. I was carrying an extra water bottle, and was frequently drinking from it, hoping to chuck it after a few kilometers to let my arms swing freely. I stayed to the left side of the road (which is a narrow street, one lane each way) for the first few kilometers, and this was good because I was able to move past quite a few people. After 1km or so there was a wooded area on the left with some bushes and quite a few runners stopped for a quick pee!
The first bit of chaos happened at mile 2 where the first water/gatorade station was setup. Boston does an amazing job of having water and gatorade stations every mile starting at mile 2. They have them on both sides of the road slightly staggered. This is key because when there are that many runners you simply can't get across to the other side of the road to get water! Well at the first water station I (like many others) was simply trying not to trip on the runners in front, and didn't see the water station coming up. So all of a sudden WHAM, we all ran into each other and slowed right down. Luckily no one around me fell or was hurt, we simply slowed down and carried on. But it was not pleasant. I couldn't even grab a water because I wasn't close enough to the left side of the road.
I finally finished my water bottle around kilometer 4, and was very relieved to chuck it. I hate running with stuff in my hands. It was around this time that a guy wearing a very bright yellow singlet came up beside me and asked if I was from Victoria. This confused me, but I later realized that my red Harriers singlet has Victoria, BC on the back, duh. Anyway, it turned out to be Geoff Courtnall (formerly of the Vancouver Canucks and other NHL teams) who is also from Victoria! I knew he had run a 3:03 at Victoria to qualify and was running Boston raising money for charity. For every minute he ran Boston under 3:10 he'd donate money to charity ( full details). We chatted for a couple minutes while we flew past many runners (I definitely picked up my pace a bit to stay and talk with him!). Then he slowly pulled ahead of me and I lost sight of him. While I wished him the best of luck, I was a little surprised that he'd be going out so hard...
Coming up to 5K I was trying to slow myself down because I knew I was ahead of pace, but despite the heat things felt okay so I wasn't too concerned about being 20 seconds fast. My splits were: 3:57, 4:11, 4:04, 4:15, 3:54 for a 20:22 split (4:04 pace).
5 - 10 kmThis next section is where things started to get harder. Way too early to be feeling crappy right? I was drinking water and a gatorade at every water station. It wasn't as crowded now, and the streets were a little wider too so there was more room to move which was nice. Many runners started to run almost single file along the right side of the road because it had slightly more shade from trees and small buildings.
I had some pain in my lower back as we neared 10 km, and that definitely didn't help keep my spirits up. I was also getting annoyed with my fuel belt digging into my stomach and sliding around my waist. It was a tough choice - do I wear the fuel belt to carry extra water/energy drink and hold all my gels (7)? I don't like wearing a belt, but I thought on such a hot day the belt was a good idea to have a little extra liquid and to hold the gels. But it is not comfortable at race pace, it slides around and digs in, and generally annoys me. Anyway, during a marathon these little things can really drag you down if you're not careful. I had planned on dumping the 2 fuel belt water bottles once I finished them, and then dumping the fuel belt too (and carry the remaining gels in my hand).
I knew I was going a little slower during this section, but I thought this was good to balance out the first 5K. My splits were 4:05, 4:12, 4:14, 4:20, 4:13 for a 5K time of 21:04 (4:12 pace). At this point (10K) I was exactly on my goal pace with a time of 41:26 (although looking at my results I actually crossed the official 10K line at 41:39).
10 - 15 kmIf I really had any belief that I could run a 2:55 in the heat, that changed during this section. I dropped a full minute over these 5 kilometers, and basically felt like crap. My back was still aching, and I just wasn't moving well. My splits were 4:22, 4:26, 4:25, 4:18, 4:25 for a 5K time of 21:54 (4:23 pace). Way off goal pace.
I have to say that the crowds were pretty amazing. Apart from a short section just after the start there were people lining both sides of the street the whole way. In residential areas it was families camped out on their front lawns offering oranges, water (often ice cold), or spraying you with water from a super soaker or sprinkler. In commercial areas people lined the sidewalks cheering and screaming for everyone. The ice cold water cups and bottles were the nicest surprise, since most of the official water stations had been setup for hours and were serving luke warm water.
15 - 20 kmThis section was no better than the last. The only good thing about it was the "Scream Tunnel" right at 20 km where thousands and thousands of girls from the Wellesley College lined the right side of the road where the college is. It is infamous. Everyone told me you have to run on the right side through Wellesley! So I did, and it was unbelievable. If I was single I would have definitely slowed down for a kiss. I high-fived almost everyone, and really enjoyed reading all the creative signs such as "Kiss Me! Don't worry, you're faster than my boyfriend", "I majored in kissing", "It's hot, but so are you!", etc. I especially enjoyed seeing an 80 year old woman at the end of the tunnel with a "Kiss Me" sign.
Apart from that there isn't much I remember. There was some nice shady sections as there was a park on the right side I think? My splits were 4:31, 4:27, 4:35, 4:26, 4:40 for a 5K time of 22:39 (4:32 pace). By now my overall pace was 4:18 and I knew before half way I would be going well over 3 hours.
20 - 25 kmSince the Boston Marathon has more of the downhills in the first half, I wanted to be slightly ahead of pace at half way. That way I could handle losing a minute or two in the Newton Hills which are from 25 - 33 km. Well when I got to half way and the clock read 1:31:23 I knew that wasn't a good sign! Marathons are hard to begin with, but the extra difficulty of trying to stay motivated, stay positive, keep pushing etc gets even harder when you aren't running well. If I had a clear mind I might have realized that a 1:31 half in the heat is very good, and a sub 3:05 finish is still possible (which is the Boston qualifying time for my age). But I was not thinking clearly, and still fixated on my goal of 2:55 which was long gone. So instead of taking some positives, it was all negative.
By now I had finished both the water bottles in my fuel belt, and chucked them. My strategy was to have 1 gel every 5 kilometers, so I had already taken 4 and only had 3 left for 25, 30, and 35. Somewhere during this section I decided to just chuck the whole belt too and carry the remaining gels in my hand. I definitely felt a little better, and managed to run a little quicker. A couple times I put some ice cubes under my hat which was nice as I was definitely over heating and feeling that extra bit more fatigued due to the heat (and maybe the fast start). Before 30 km I had also chucked my hat because I was too hot - a nice souvenir for some lucky spectator (or dog).
Somewhere in this section I saw a runner getting put on a stretcher and carried off the course. Ugh, not a good sign.
Being free of the fuel belt seemed to help my splits too, as my times were 4:28, 4:22, 4:24, 4:25, 4:39 for a 5K of 22:18 (4:27 pace), slightly faster than the previous section.
25 - 30 kmRight around mile 16 and kilometer 25 the course goes down a nice steep hill before crossing the Charles River. This is a low elevation point and the start of the Newton Hills. From here the next 8 km are definitely the toughest section of the course. People generally say there are 4 Newton Hills (see the Elevation Profile). Each one is roughly 1 km of uphill followed by roughly 1 km of gradual downhill with the 4th hill being Heartbreak Hill which is the steepest. I was prepared for these hills (many runners from the West Coast had told me that these were pretty small hills) and did a decent job of keeping up my pace. My splits might not reflect that, but I think it was a decent effort. The first 3 hills were definitely nothing serious at all, they just dragged on a bit. I kept looking at my watch wondering why it was taking so long!
30 - 35 kmThe couple kilometers before reaching the summit of Heartbreak Hill (at 33 km) seemed to drag on forever. I didn't stop once and still managed to keep moving reasonably well right up the steepest section of Heartbreak Hill, and gave a little yell when I finally reached the top. There is a nice steep downhill after Heartbreak, and more gradual downhill the rest of the way until the final mile. On a good day this would have been the section to take advantage of and make up some lost time. I didn't. By this point I wasn't even looking at my watch, and I had a whole new game plan now - just finish (or "get er done" as Donald would say!).
My splits were 4:42, 4:51, 5:08, 5:17 and 4:41 for a 5K time of 24:41 (4:55 pace).
35 - 40 kmIt's not good to admit it but I had definitely lost all motivation to keep trying at this point. Each kilometer was getting more painful and dragged on and on. And even though the crowds of spectators were getting louder and bigger the closer I got to the finish I couldn't find any way to get motivated to pick up the pace. In my head I had long since realized that a sub 3 hour was gone, a sub 3:05 was virtually impossible. So there really wasn't that extra incentive to dig deep. To me a 3:06 and a 3:15 were the same, and the 3:15 sounded a lot better :) I'm sure many other marathoners have reached this same conclusion!
The roads were so wide at this point that there really weren't many runners around. It felt like tons of runners were passing me (and they probably were), but I think I was actually passing more people. At one point right around 40 km a guy running right beside me face planted on the asphalt. He must have tripped on an uneven section or something. I wanted to stop and help, but in that super fatigued state I didn't want to stop moving since I felt pretty wobbly myself. There were so many spectators I'm sure someone rushed to his aid and hopefully he was able to get up and finish.
Not that you care, but my splits for this section were 5:12 (ouch), 5:12, 5:23 (double och), 4:37, and 4:58. That made for a 25:21 5K (5:04 pace). I honestly don't remember too much during this section. It was a blur, I just keep running and wishing that the turn onto Boylston would hurry up and get here.
40 - 42.2 km (Finish)Right at 40 km I must have been running beside Geoff Courtnall since our times were 1 second apart (he had been ahead of me since before 5 km), but even with his bright yellow singlet I didn't see him. He obviously suffered in the heat too and faded to finish in 3:14:xx. I had my head down and was shuffling my way towards the finish so I guess it wasn't a surprise that I missed him.
There is a nasty little underpass around 41 km where we ran under a road and back up again. It wasn't much but it still sucked. But the good news was I could finally see the turn on to Hereford Street, which meant I was only 1 km from the finish!
Hereford is a slight uphill, but once I rounded that final left turn on to Boylston a huge grin broke out on my face, and I started to run, finally. I knew my wife was cheering on the right side of the road (the shady side), so I crossed over to that side and sprinted down the final 650 m to the finish. There were so many people that I simply couldn't scan them fast enough to spot her, so sadly I didn't see her. But I still appreciate her being there and holding up the sign:
"Chris 'Chariots of Fire' is NONSTOPPABLE".
My finishing time was 3:13:30. A nice number. Not a time that I would have chosen, but all things considered it is a time I'm proud of. The experience was something I'll never forget - the whole event, the spectators, the heat. It was definitely the most unpleasant race I've done though, and does re-affirm my plan of not running another marathon. Apparently the first thing I said to my wife when I saw her after the finish was "Don't ever let me do this again". But apart from the heat and a bit of back pain I really didn't have any major physical problems during the race. It was just too f*cking hot.
Post RaceIf you want to look up any results, here is the Searchable Results Page. My bib number was 2849.
It was freakishly hot at the finish line - the pavement, the buildings, it all made for a very unpleasant feeling. We were herded down Boylston were we were given our medal, a shiny space cape, water, gatorade protein drink, a banana, and some protein bars. Eventually I made it to the bag check area and the nice volunteers gave me back my bag (very quickly, they had it ready for me before I could hobble over to the bus). I had to stop a couple times and lean up again various trucks, but eventually made it to the family meeting area. I texted my wife and lay down in the shade.
We had to walk about 2 km back to our hotel, but it actually wasn't too bad. The heat in the direct sun was still unbearable, but walking actually felt pretty good. The rest of the day I mostly napped, ate some delicious junk food, and took a couple cold showers/baths (since I was still over heating from a bit of heat stroke). By about 9pm that evening I was feeling okay enough to walk around (with medal on of course). The atmosphere out on the streets was amazing, so many people said congratulations. Anyway, that's about all I say about Boston. Will I go back and run it again? No almost certainly not. Once was enough. But it is definitely an experience I would not have wanted to miss.
There is so much to say about the Boston Marathon that I'm going to split it into two separate posts. This post will be on the pre-race details - the expo, getting to the start, athlete's village, etc. The second post will focus on actual race and how it went for me.
ResourcesThere are many websites and forums out there with tons of useful tips from very experience Boston Marathoners, so be sure to check them out (I list a few in my previous blog post).
The official BAA website has a lot of good resources too, like the Participant Information page, Pre-Race Information page, and Spectator Guide.
Hotels And Rental OptionsOnce you've been officially accepted to the Boston Marathon, it's time to book a place to stay. There are many hotels right near the finish line which are super convenient but be warned they can cost $300 or more per night, so you might want to look for other options. I found the AirBnB website very helpful, and ended up booking a furnished suite for $150/night which was only 1km from the finish line.
Here are a few rental websites for Boston:
Training TipsDuring the months before the marathon make sure you become familiar with the race route and elevation. It is not a typical marathon in that it is a point-to-point race and a net downhill elevation change. So make sure your training includes some downhill workouts, otherwise your quads will probably give out on you long before the finish.
If you really want to geek it out, you might also enjoy reading some tips on Boston Marathon Race Strategy to help keep you focused on how to perform your best on race day.
Weather and Packing TipsAs the big day approaches, make sure to follow the weather forecast to have some idea of what to expect on race day. One big uncertainty about the Boston Marathon is often the weather. Since it is in April the weather can be anything from snow to extreme heat. This year (2012) it was HOT - 25-30 degrees (a record I think). So unfortunately this makes the race much harder as well as the planning, and you have to bring a lot of extra running clothes to be prepared for anything.
TransitFor transit (bus and subway) information while in Boston, visit the MBTA website to plan out how to get to various parts of Boston, like the race expo, pre-race dinner, etc. The subway has many different lines running through downtown, and to get you to/from the airport.
Be warned that the subway will most likely be PACKED the whole weekend. I found it very slow, and often couldn't even get on the first train that arrived because it was already full. So expect your trips to take longer than what the MBTA website says.
Race Expo (Friday - Sunday)After you've arrive in Boston you'll most likely want to go to the Race Expo as soon as possible. It is a 3 day event which takes place all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This is where you pick up your race number ( **make sure you bring your race number pick-up card to the expo!). The expo is huge as you might expo, so plan on spending many hours there. There are lots of good deals (like $50 for a pair of shoes) and way too many people, so go to the bathroom before you get there. If you want to go to the pre-race or post-race dinners, this is where you pick up any extra tickets for friends and family who aren't in the race. Tickets for participating athletes are in your race package. As mentioned above the transit was pretty slow the whole weekend, especially getting to and from the expo. What should have been a 20 minute trip took an hour for me.
Sunday (5K, Mile, Pre-Race Dinner)On the Sunday (the day before the race) the BAA 5K race takes place right downtown starting (and finishing) on Boylston Street at 8am. The Invitational Mile happens at the same location at 9:30am.
All entrants get free entry into the Sunday Night Pre-Race dinner. This year it was held at the City Hall at 4:30pm. There was a long lineup, but it moved quickly. The food was pretty basic but still tasty - 3 kinds of pasta, salad, rolls, water, pops, and a goodie bag containing some chocolates and snacks. The Mayor and Race Director both gave speeches (while we waited in line before getting our food), and warned us not to race because of the heat! Naturally we ignored the warnings... There were tons of 8 or 10 person tables set up, so we sat down and were joined by some other runners who turned out to be from Vancouver! Small world.
Race Day (Monday)All participants are told to take the School Buses from along the Boston Commons (Tremont side) between 6:00 - 7:30am. Check out the Pre-Race Info for full details.
Be warned that it will take about 45 minutes to wait in line to get on a bus, and then about another 45 minutes for the bus to make its way out to Hopkinton to the Athlete's Village near the start line. But don't worry, there are a TON of buses, so you'll get on one eventually.
Athlete's VillageHere is a list of some of the things I brought (or considered bringing) to Athlete's Village:
- Sunscreen
- Hat or sunglasses
- Disposable blanket/tarp/garbage bags to put on the ground on the grass or dirt
- Ear plugs or mp3 player to drown out endless announcements
- For males - an empty wide-mouthed bottle for last minute pee
- Toilet paper in case the port-a-johns run out
- Disposable clothing if cold - bring or wear old sweatpants, sweatshirt, jacket, gloves, toque, etc to keep you warm before the start. Any clothing you don't check and don't want to keep will be donated to charity. When you leave the village, there will be volunteers everywhere with garbage bags to collect clothing/blankets etc.
- Your official bag check bag (which you get when you pick up your bib number) with all the stuff you might want at the finish line:
- Post race food/drink (At the finish I got a water bottle, protein drink, banana, and some energy/protein bars)
- Money
- Cell phone
- Change of clothes
 The Village is just a school (actually 2 schools), so you'll be outside on the grass. A tarp or blanket is a really good idea if you get there early and want to lie down. There is loud music and announcements, some food/drink, and lots of toilets. I found the line-ups for the port-a-johns were very short (2 minutes) when I first arrived around 8am, but got longer and longer nearer to the start time. This is why I suggest above to bring a empty gatorade bottle to use in case you need a last minute pee and the line-ups are too long!
There is also quite a bit of shade if you want it. I put down my blanket in the shade behind one of the school buildings, and lay on the ground for an hour listening to music to relax.
Bag Check & Walk To Start LineWhen your wave and corral are called (usually about 40-50 minutes before your start time), it is time to start walking down the the start line (about 1.1km away, maybe 15 minutes?). As you leave the Village you will see tons of the same Yellow School Buses in the parking lot. This is the bag check area - each bus is clearly labeled with a range of Bib Numbers. So find the bus that matches your bib number and give them your official bag check bag (the same bag that contained your bib number that you got at the expo).
Because it was such a hot day I kept a long sleeve white shirt on as I walked to the start line (I tossed it to a volunteer just before the race started), and also carried a water bottle with me. There is some shade at the start line, so I waited under a tree for about 20 minutes before moving into place near the front of my 3rd corral.
That about sums up my pre-race experience. The next blog post will cover the race and post-race details.
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