Boston Marathon - new registration procedures

opus

Just catching up on all the day's action now, sounded like a brutal day in Boston. Well done to everyone for sticking it out when I'm sure stopping must have looked mighty attractive at times. There will be other days to tackle those PB's!

figs

Brutal running conditions here today. Was really affected hy heat. There was a slight breeze, but it didn't appear to help cooling things down much. Went off at 7:10 pace to see if I could grab a 3:15ish time, but started struggling at mile 5. It was survival mode from there on out. Got hit by slight cramping from mile 17, so ended up walking through waterstations. Progressively more cramping followed, and got very slow in last 5 miles. Crawled (not literally - but certainly didn't resemble running!) home in 3:58:xx.

On the positive side - the crowd and organisation of this race were absolutely fantastic. Even though I went through lots of bad patches, I couldn't help keep the smile off my face. There was so much support and people offering water, food and a cool down with a garden hose that you couldn't help enjoy it. Despite the heat, great race.

Marthastew

figs wrote: »

Despite the heat, great race.

Congratulations, fantastic achievement in those conditions, i'm thrilled for you.
Remember to wear your Finisher's top tomorrow, you'll get plenty of praise from the locals when you're out and about

RacoonQueen

figs wrote: »

Brutal running conditions here today. Was really affected hy heat. There was a slight breeze, but it didn't appear to help cooling things down much. Went off at 7:10 pace to see if I could grab a 3:15ish time, but started struggling at mile 5. It was survival mode from there on out. Got hit by slight cramping from mile 17, so ended up walking through waterstations. Progressively more cramping followed, and got very slow in last 5 miles. Crawled (not literally - but certainly didn't resemble running!) home in 3:58:xx.

On the positive side - the crowd and organisation of this race were absolutely fantastic. Even though I went through lots of bad patches, I couldn't help keep the smile off my face. There was so much support and people offering water, food and a cool down with a garden hose that you couldn't help enjoy it. Despite the heat, great race.

The forgotten man of the boards Boston brigade. Well done F, sounds like it was brutal out there.

geld

Well Done Figs. Sounds like it was rough there!

KentuckyPete

Folks, thanks for the support - really appreciated. Today was hell - I've never been in a tougher race. All good for sub-3 up to 8 miles but then nausea and headache meant I had to slow down and walk the water stations. Lads dropping on the road left and right. Bad feeling at 16 miles meant even slower pace. Crowd were awesome.

Heartbreak Hill and beyond was unreal - crowd just lifting you home. Heat coming up at you off the tarmac meant a surreal almost out-of-body feeling over the last six. Still passing lads all the timem Realised at 25 that I could still make sub 3:15 if I got down to sub 7:20 - great feeling as the crowd sreamed down the last stretch. Utterly spent at the end. Delighted with performance as I began to hear other stories. Respect to Krusty on the 3:04

3:14:24 - 1299th out of 23,000, 7th paddy home, 95th in AG.

PDCAT

Massive Respect to the boards guys for getting through this race. Sounds brutal. Well done KC, Peckam, Kentucky Pete & Figs.

slowsteady

Well done to all, a tough day at the office, hanging in there and finishing was as important as the time.

...and this is what I am targeting for next year...:eek:

PaulieYifter

Well done to everybody - massive respect

Peckham

Boston 2012 - The duel on the sun.

Sheer hell, without doubt the toughest endurance challenge I've ever faced. Went out at sub-3 pace with the plan to put the brakes on after 5 miles if it didn't feel right. Realistically I knew long before this that that was over optimistic. The 0.7 mile walk to the start had me sweating, and after 3 miles I could feel I was working way too hard.

At 5 miles I decided that running the whole thing would be an achievement, so tried to drop the pace to slower than LSR pace. Before halfway I could already see people walking and realised then that finishing would be an achievement. From 15 miles I started doing run/walk, but the longer the race went on the more the balance shifted towards walk. Eventually got to the stage where my quads would only allow me to run the flat segments - and there aren't many of them in the second half of Boston!

Met Wideball at the 24 mile mark and tried to push for home with him, but quads wouldn't allow it. Realised that even by walking the remainder I would go sub-4, but had to run the final stretch across the finish.

Found Wideball again at the finish and we slumped in the shade feeling miserable. After a while we kept walking up the chute but I began to feel gradually worse and worse. On my third sit down on the ground, a medic decided she didn't like how I looked so I was hauled into a wheelchair and taken to the medical tent. They identified there that I was severely dehydrated and was put on a drip to get fluids into me. Horrible end to a very tough day.

Difficult to take many positives from the race, apart from saying that I finished Boston and can wear that finishers jacket. Don't feel I got the full Boston experience as it was difficult to appreciate the atmosphere feeling as I was.

Everything they say about the crowd support at Boston is true. I was blown away by the kindness of people at the front of their houses handing out ice, the roar I'd get when starting to run again, and the amount of alcohol being consumed at 10am! This is truly a sporting event for them, rather than the hinderence that other city marathons are often considered by residents.

Great pride wearing the finisher tshirt last night. We're staying in a residential area outside the city, and walking to a local restaurant last night I had people shout at me from cars, stop me in the street to ask how I did, and lots of attention in the restaurant.

Disappointed but proud.

Cartman78

Peckham wrote: »

Boston 2012 - The duel on the sun.

Sheer hell, without doubt the toughest endurance challenge I've ever faced. Went out at sub-3 pace with the plan to put the brakes on after 5 miles if it didn't feel right. Realistically I knew long before this that that was over optimistic. The 0.7 mile walk to the start had me sweating, and after 3 miles I could feel I was working way too hard.

At 5 miles I decided that running the whole thing would be an achievement, so tried to drop the pace to slower than LSR pace. Before halfway I could already see people walking and realised then that finishing would be an achievement. From 15 miles I started doing run/walk, but the longer the race went on the more the balance shifted towards walk. Eventually got to the stage where my quads would only allow me to run the flat segments - and there aren't many of them in the second half of Boston!

Met Wideball at the 24 mile mark and tried to push for home with him, but quads wouldn't allow it. Realised that even by walking the remainder I would go sub-4, but had to run the final stretch across the finish.

Found Wideball again at the finish and we slumped in the shade feeling miserable. After a while we kept walking up the chute but I began to feel gradually worse and worse. On my third sit down on the ground, a medic decided she didn't like how I looked so I was hauled into a wheelchair and taken to the medical tent. They identified there that I was severely dehydrated and was put on a drip to get fluids into me. Horrible end to a very tough day.

Difficult to take many positives from the race, apart from saying that I finished Boston and can wear that finishers jacket. Don't feel I got the full Boston experience as it was difficult to appreciate the atmosphere feeling as I was.

Everything they say about the crowd support at Boston is true. I was blown away by the kindness of people at the front of their houses handing out ice, the roar I'd get when starting to run again, and the amount of alcohol being consumed at 10am! This is truly a sporting event for them, rather than the hinderence that other city marathons are often considered by residents.

Great pride wearing the finisher tshirt last night. We're staying in a residential area outside the city, and walking to a local restaurant last night I had people shout at me from cars, stop me in the street to ask how I did, and lots of attention in the restaurant.

Disappointed but proud.

Inspiring stuff...sincere congrats to yourself and everyone else who finished yesterday

RacoonQueen

Peckham wrote: »

Boston 2012 - The duel on the sun.

Sheer hell, without doubt the toughest endurance challenge I've ever faced. Went out at sub-3 pace with the plan to put the brakes on after 5 miles if it didn't feel right. Realistically I knew long before this that that was over optimistic. The 0.7 mile walk to the start had me sweating, and after 3 miles I could feel I was working way too hard.

At 5 miles I decided that running the whole thing would be an achievement, so tried to drop the pace to slower than LSR pace. Before halfway I could already see people walking and realised then that finishing would be an achievement. From 15 miles I started doing run/walk, but the longer the race went on the more the balance shifted towards walk. Eventually got to the stage where my quads would only allow me to run the flat segments - and there aren't many of them in the second half of Boston!

Met Wideball at the 24 mile mark and tried to push for home with him, but quads wouldn't allow it. Realised that even by walking the remainder I would go sub-4, but had to run the final stretch across the finish.

Found Wideball again at the finish and we slumped in the shade feeling miserable. After a while we kept walking up the chute but I began to feel gradually worse and worse. On my third sit down on the ground, a medic decided she didn't like how I looked so I was hauled into a wheelchair and taken to the medical tent. They identified there that I was severely dehydrated and was put on a drip to get fluids into me. Horrible end to a very tough day.

Difficult to take many positives from the race, apart from saying that I finished Boston and can wear that finishers jacket. Don't feel I got the full Boston experience as it was difficult to appreciate the atmosphere feeling as I was.

Everything they say about the crowd support at Boston is true. I was blown away by the kindness of people at the front of their houses handing out ice, the roar I'd get when starting to run again, and the amount of alcohol being consumed at 10am! This is truly a sporting event for them, rather than the hinderence that other city marathons are often considered by residents.

Great pride wearing the finisher tshirt last night. We're staying in a residential area outside the city, and walking to a local restaurant last night I had people shout at me from cars, stop me in the street to ask how I did, and lots of attention in the restaurant.

Disappointed but proud.

Great post Peckham. Can't imagine the disappointment to turn up to a race in great shape and not be able to give it a shot.

Well done, sounds like it was more than tough out there.

Speedy44

A big congrats Peckham.
No doubt in time the dissapointment will wear off and you will be able to say that you were there that day and you finished it, which is what it was all about in the end. You just have to look at the finishing times for the elites, and also remember that they are all used to running in these conditions.

Sosa

Well done Peckham....fair pla to ya.....sounds like a nightmare.

Larry Brent

2 good articles on science of sport website, one analyzing the race afterwards and the other from before the race talking about running in heat.

2 interesting points i thought, one about direct sunlight on top of the heat and hunidity being the performance destroyer as opposed to a more overcast hot and humid day like Beijing Olympic marathon.

And the other that dehydration is unlikely to be an issue. Too high a core temperature being the reason for discomfort rather than dehydration, and so we just need to drink to thirst, not to front-load fluids. That rang a bell with me. In training long runs I've just tended to drink enough to take gels (even in very hot and hunid north american conditions) but in marathons I've been taking 2 cups at every station trying to get the water down me to prevent dehydration, perhaps explaining why I've often felt a lot better in training than the race. Thinking back it felt unnatural and forced trying to get fluids down in the marathon. Perhaps just drinking water around gel time will suffice next time?

loughie

Boston marathon was my first marathon abroad and as a boards newbie arranged to meet up with the lads, figs, KC, Peckham, wideball and kentuckypete. Walked to the start with Kentuckypete as we were in the same corral. Got fired up before the start and although not fully fit was hoping I could do 3:30. Set off with a 6:55 and knew after the first downhill mile this was like a furnace. Pulled back a bit. Started to slow from 10 mile. Halfway in 1:42:30....in hindsight way too fast for me for the day! From 16 miles wheels came off and employed a walk, run, shuffle strategy! Ran all of heartbreak hill...rather slowly but still ran and was the only part of the race where I actually overtook anyone! Mile 26 was a 13:24 :eek:. Finished in 4:09:43......so happy to see the finish line.


Crowds from start to finish were amazing...lined both sides of the route...cacophony of noise....incredible.

Met up with the lads after the race for a few beers and later that night. Back home now and shuffling around the place looking quite out of place while in Boston there was just a mutual nod and greeting for all the fellow shufflers the next day proudly wearing their jackets, each knowing exactly what you went through.

KentuckyPete

KentuckyPete

Saw an interesting stat today - in 2011 apparently the first 1600 runners broke 3 hours. This year it was barely the first 500.

I'm a bit happier with 1299th now

Dory Dory

Yes, well done to all you guys - Peckham, KentuckyPete, figs, KC. You guys are awesome!

Dory Dory

Left to right - who's who in the photo?

Krusty_Clown

Dory Dory wrote: »

Left to right - who's who in the photo?

Krusty, Wideball, KentuckyPete and Loughie. Peckham was missing in action at this stage. Figs was off having a snooze.

Check out the drunk guy with the flag 38 seconds into this video. Can't even walk in straight line!

Dory Dory

You boys are looking pretty, um, hot! (wink, wink)

Congrats, again, to all of you.

Marthastew

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Check out the drunk guy with the flag 38 seconds into this video. Can't even walk in straight line!

That guy with the flag had just ran his guts out, he's allowed to stumble about a bit. What a fantastic video, one for the grandkids:D I particularly liked when the girl said "It sucked, a lot..." I'm sure that's how most of you felt on the day.
Still, watching it really makes me want to go back and do Boston again.

Peckham

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Dory Dory wrote: »

Left to right - who's who in the photo?

Krusty, Wideball, KentuckyPete and Loughie. Peckham was missing in action at this stage. Figs was off having a snooze

Must upload the picture of me taking post race fluids. Different type of plastic container and a more direct route into the bloodstream!

Peckham

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Dory Dory wrote: »

Left to right - who's who in the photo?

Krusty, Wideball, KentuckyPete and Loughie. Peckham was missing in action at this stage. Figs was off having a snooze

Must upload the picture of me taking post race fluids. Different type of plastic container and a more direct route into the bloodstream!

ManFromAtlantis

Peckham wrote: »

Must upload the picture of me taking post race fluids. Different type of plastic container and a more direct route into the bloodstream!

saving private peckham

still, must be some comfort to know that the rest of the platoon went back to search for you while you were missing in action.

oh, no .....sorry........looks like they went for a pint instead .:o

wideball

Only home today, so just catching up. Met up with the lads before the race where everyone was in the same boat. All plans were out the window with the heat.

Started in corral 8 in wave 1 so it was over 7 mins before I crossed the start line. The plan was 7:15 pace instead of the original 6:45 but even with the downhill start this was not going to possible to sustain. By 10km, with my HR climbing doing a moderate pace, I stopped looking at watch and focused on finishing.

Caught up with Figs at mile 11 and ran with him for awhile but he told me to go. Wellesey was great. 1/2 mile away you could here the cheers, and the energy was incredible, I felt better and ran quicker but this only lasted less than a mile. The next section before Newton was the worst patch for me, the finish never felt further away, I had a walk a bit. But I was determined to run (slowly) the Newton hills which i managed. Great atmosphere from Boston College students after cresting Heartbreak hill. Felt great again like in Wellesey but this time, I was going to keep running to the finish.

I caught up Peckham at around mile 23, and we ran together for awhile but he started to cramp and told me to go on. The crowds all through were brilliant but with the finish beckoning you didn't want to stop because of the crowd. Crossed for 3:38 and met Peckham awhile later. Both of us took an age to gather our thoughts and energy after the race. I left Peckham after awhile but didn't realise he was soon heading for the med tent.

Great race (and city), a race I'd like to do again under "normal" conditions. Memories of the race include 20+ old hippies playing mambo drums, kids high fiving, garden hoses, fire stations water tunnels, bbq smells, offers of beer, crazy college students, funny signs, soldiers marching, thousands of paper cups... and shoes sticking to the road!!

Well done to all the rest of boardises on completing the race. Good to meet you all and the few beers afterwards.

Dory Dory

Congratulations, wideball. Well done under such challenging conditions. Hope you get back there on a more runner-friendly day.

Pisco Sour

Maybe a little off topic but how did you guys enjoy Boston as a city? It's probably my favourite US city after Nashville. Really nice vibe around the place and nice historical buildings.