118th BAA Marathon

Well, I completed this year's Boston Marathon in 4:13:13. I had hoped to run under 4:00, but that probably wasn't realistic given the relatively warm day, my light training miles (average 17.5/week since 1/1/14), and the fact that it had been 10 years since my last marathon. Here is my race in Strava: A bit about the race: I was in the last wave, so I did not have to get up all that early. I drove in and parked at the hospital, then took a Hubway bike to the Green line, and the T to the Common. I got there about 8, so I stood around for a while talking to members of my team (BIDMC), and dropped off my bag of sweats for after the finish. Our bus didn't leave until about 9:30, and then traffic was heavy heading out to Hopkinton on the Pike, so I think we arrived there at about 10:30. By the time I ate a yogurt, used the bathroom, and drank a little water, it was time to head for the start. I had actually not quite reached my corral when the gun went off to start the last wave, but it didn't really matter - I got in it a minute or so late. It then took me a couple of minutes to reach the starting line. The initial miles were of course crowded (in truth, it never really got uncrowded), and I did have to expend energy in slowing & speeding up to get around other runners. My first mile was surprisingly fast, even though I thought I was going quite slow. I never really got in a groove. My plan had been to run 9:00 miles, which I kind of did for the first 17 or 18, but pretty early on I knew it would not be a great race for me. The crowds were amazing - very large and very supportive. Lots of signs. By the time I made the turn onto Commonwealth Ave, I knew it was going to be a struggle, although I knew I would finish. I started to take short walk breaks at water stops, and I had to duck into one of the medical tents because the toes on my right foot were rubbing and I had to put some vaseline on them to prevent a bigger problem. My pace slowed considerable from mile 18 in (walking breaks), but I made steady progress, and finally the welcome turn onto Boylston came. I crossed the line and made my way down Boylston to the Common for my gear.

While I was a little disappointed in my time at first, upon reflection I think I did all I could on that day. More importantly, my knee felt fine, and it's continued to feel good in the days after the race. So, maybe it won't be my last marathon after all...