Steve West - 2014 Boston Marathon Race Report
Boston 2014 Race Report
This was a special day and I feel privileged to participate because I was there in 2013. I had just gotten on the subway when the bombs went off and we were forced to evacuate at Haynes Center. I feel very lucky to not have experienced the devastation on Boylston. Getting out of the city to my wife waiting for me at a train station was not without its share of frustrations and challenges, but they are meaningless and insignificant when compared to what the victims still face.
The vibe in Boston before the race, the pasta dinner, at the athlete village and all along the course was great. The camaraderie amongst runners, interactions with spectators and overall feel was something special and I really enjoyed the entire weekend long event. As fun as it was, I was not there for the festivities, I was there to race one last time.
Exec Summary: Ran and executed well with the fitness I had on race day. The hills were tough, last 5 miles I faded more than I’d like but not unexpected.
3:36:00 precisely the same finish time as last year.
11,130 / 31,931 Overall
8,140 / 17,575 Male
437 / 1,778 Age Group (55-59)
5K 26:14
10K 24:41
15K 24:09
20K 24:42
HM split 1:45:11
25K 24:41
30K 25:58
35K 27:03
40K 26:19
Finish split 1:50:49 (+5:38)
Background: This was my 4th consecutive Boston, and my 22nd open marathon since Oct 2004.
Training:
Following a 3 minute PR in October at MDI, I jumped into NOS then switched to a run focus in January. In February I dropped the bike altogether so I could focus my efforts on running. I had intended on building a strong foundation to attempt another PR at Boston.
While I did manage to get most of my workouts in, family issues, work, and weather interfered more often than anticipated. Family priorities of ill and aging parents always came first. Work demands took their toll in January and I ended up sick with the flu for the first time in many, many years. Once I was healthy again the weather failed to cooperate. The slush and/or icy conditions seemed endless. Running in snow and cold would be fine but we rarely had that. The HS track was under 18” of crusty snow and the roads were too treacherous because snow banks filled the shoulders with snow and ice. I did most all my running on the dreadmill.
Despite the less than ideal training, I was fairly happy with the training I was able to complete. Several long runs and a 10 mile race in the weeks leading to Boston reassured me that I was mostly were I wanted to be…. maybe 90% there. The 2 areas I missed most were the hill repeats and Yasso 800’s I planned on.
Nutrition:
Typical marathon prep is a PB&J 2.5 hours pre-race and 250 cal. Infinite mix during the last 45 minutes to start. This time I also had an additional 250 cals. of Infinite In between. I carried PowerBar gels for on-course calories at 5, 9, 14, 16, 20, & 24. Experienced no GI distress.
Hydration:
Slowed at all aid stations and had at least 1 water, sometimes 2. By mile 10 or so, I was putting some water on my neck and down my back to avoid overheating. No hydration issues.
Race Plan and execution:
I broke the course into 4 sections: warm-up, middle miles, hills, late miles and would use overall time at specific mile markers to avoid GPS related distance/pace issues.
Miles 1&2 (includes mile 0.8 pee stop in the woods) @ 8:30 (MP +40) then 3-6 @ 8:10 (MP+20). If I was on goal pace I’d hit mile marker 6 at 0:49:40 – actual was 0:50:05. Feeling comfortable and strong.
Middle Miles 7 – 16 was to be at MP ~ 7:50, and targeted mile marker 16 at 2:08 – actual 2:07:45. Big confidence builder. No issues with cramps, GI, hydration or otherwise. Ready to tackle the hills with determination and focus.
Hills from 16 to 21. The goal was to hit the mile marker 21 past Heartbreak at 2:49 by holding an 8:10 pace overall. A tough pace considering minimal hill training. Actual was 2:51:30, more than 2 minutes behind and at great cost. I slowed more than I wanted on the uphills but was able to regain my pace on the flats and downs until Heartbreak. That’s were I began to struggle.
Late miles 22 to finish. Optimistic me was wanting to manage 8:00 pace to the end but realistic me knew otherwise. Trying to get my legs to go was a fight. The best I could manage for miles 22-24 was 8:17. I was clearly loosing ground time wise while RPE was rapidly climbing. By mile 25 it was all I could do to focus on form and cadence to keep from dropping into a walk. Mile 26 felt like a lead-legged shuffle. Even on Boylston Street with the Finish in sight, there was little left but I gave it all I had – a hard fought pace around 8:25 was all I had left. The legs just would not go any faster.
In summary, I did very well to match my finish time from last year with the fitness I brought to the start. Looking at my placements in percent of field for all 4 Boston marathons, I did better this year than in all but during the heat wave of 2012. Also of note is the first 2 races were in the 50-54 AG and the last 2 were in the 55-59 AG.
Year Overall Men Age Group
50-54 55-59
2011 41% 54% 43%
2012 28% 37% 24%
2013 43% 55% 31%
2014 34% 46% 24%
The 2 attached files are graphs of my Garmin splits (mile by mile) and a comparison between 2013 and 2014 5K splits (shown as per mile) with my cumulative pace overlaid.
The main thing I take away from this race is: respect the hills. If you want to run hills in a race and not be crushed by them, you must train for them beforehand, duh!
Comments
That finish sounds like a friend I passed while he shuffled along on the turn from Hereford onto Boylston in 2005: "The only reason I'm running is so I can finish faster." The last 2-3 miles of any marathon always hurts, for everyone, I guess, no matter how fast or slow you;re going.
Nice race Steve given all the other stuff going on in your life. I noted that you mention "one last time", so are you retiring from Boston, marathon's, or any race with 26.2?
Gordon
@ Al, as my RPE went up in the last few miles, my thoughts went to comments you have made in the past about needing to push the RPE to maintain pace. You're references were to an IM run but I think it applies to anytime you approach your physical limits in an endurance race.
Well, I had to run the second one 'cause I boogered the first one and bonked. But I did learn to bring ear plugs.
The second one was blistering hot so no chance of a PR there - more like a study in execution. Did really well against the field on that one.
Last year I had promised Carole it would be my last. She was the first to say I had to go back after the bombing..... I agreed and was glad I did.
No, no more Boston for me. At least not in the next few years. Too many other things to do.... like IMLP. This year starting next week is going to be all about the bike to see if I can build some base there that I never had before.