Not this time.
I feel ready to work harder than ever.
Monday was great, though warmer than I would have liked. I stuck with my plan and ran a faster second half, holding back until the top of Heartbreak. My first half was 2:07, about a 9:40 pace, and my second half was a 2:05, with a finish time of 4:12. However those extra minutes were all made up in the last 5 miles after Heartbreak. I felt strong finishing and actually ran a fastest 25th mile (8:50 I think?) -- granted mile 25 is all downhill. Boylston St was freaking LONG. I know it's a half mile but it was for sure the longest half mile of the race. And as soon as I finished, on came my old friend, nausea. The nausea was kind enough to wait until I'd taken my seat at the back of the bus to actually make me puke :D Yet I can't wait to go back for more...
Overall though, it was a really fun race. (Especially with people shouting "Go Zoe!" the whole way.) Unlike last year, I was able to enjoy the crowds and didn't bother stressing about my time because it was 70-75 the whole way. I still couldn't break that 4:09. With weather being such a huge variable in Boston, I decided to look for another way to compare performances/ fitness besides time. Sure, a PR is a PR, but I just couldn't buy that my Boston PR was the year I'd had pneumonia, the stomach bug, and a strong-willed 1 year old who refused to sleep train, in the time I'd been training for the race.
In short, what I found is that each year I *place* a little bit better, even if my times aren't better. I'll take that and run with it.
2012 (87 degrees. 4:22. Training with Greater Boston. In very good shape, for me.)
Gender place: 4545/8995 = 51%(49th percentile? What's the best way to explain that?)
2015 (45 degrees and raining. 4:09. So sick in the weeks leading up. Didn't really train. Or sleep. Ever.) 97.6% of starters finished.
Division place: 4486/6005 finishers = 75%. 4486/6146 starters = 73%.
2016 (80 degrees at the start, 50 at the finish. 4:10. Trained for 16 weeks. Went out too fast. In so much pain.) 96.5% of starters finished.
Division place: 4208/5946 finishers = 71%. 4208/6192 starters = 68%.
2017 (70-75 the whole way, with 15mph tailwind. 4:12. Trained well for 12 weeks. Did not go out too fast.) 96.7% of starters finished.
Gender place: 7370/11969 finishers = 61.5% . 7370/12380 starters = 59.5%.
Division place: 4019/5846 finishers = 69%. 4019/6045 starters = 66%
I am going to decide that at a sample size of 12,000+ runners, a 2% improved place finish is statistically significant ;) p<0.05. Or something. Even if it is only due to having raced smarter. Who knows.
Can we take a moment to give a big OO-RAH to the volunteers and spectators and directors of the Boston Marathon?! What an incredible job they ALL do. I think the program said there are something like 10,000 volunteers, and all of them are awesomely THRILLED to be there. Same for the families of the runners. It is an understatement to say that it takes a village to run a marathon.
This week Jon and I saw the Boston documentary (from makers of Spirit of the Marathon) on Wednesday and I loved it so much and can't wait to be able to watch it every single day. Maybe someday I will be able to load it on an iPad and watch it while I run. It would be so meta!!
Meanwhile, I am gazing longingly at qualifying for Boston, and was equally pleasantly surprised as I was disturbed by the fact that as of October, *if* I were to run a qualifying time, I'd be qualifying in the next age category since I'd be racing Boston in 2019, which means I'd be *whispers* 35. At age 30, the qualifying time is 3:35:00 (really 3:32 once faster people secure spots) but at age 35, it's 5 minutes slower. It's about an 8:15 pace.
I follow a Facebook group called "Marathon Maniacs" and gawked at a thread recently about how many marathoners run 70 mile weeks. It's not that I'm not willing, I guess???, I just don't have time. I probably average half that, if I'm being honest. There was an article that came out recently based on fitness tracker data on what Boston Qualifiers run compared to non-BQ marathoners run, that suggests that I'm really right between the two groups. (Did you know that, according to Strava, men who BQ <who use Strava> run an average of 7.05 times per week? Gulp.)
Anyway, I'm excited for the training journey that follows through the summer and fall, and what new discoveries will come with it.
1. Maybe making noise about the Allentown PA marathon (or something around then) that's a last chance BQ, and I'm excited! - though realistically it may be too soon for me to get in that kind of shape. Could be a great race for a friend ;)
2. And I'm also thinking about maybe doing Philly again...
3. The "Marathon Maniacs" wrote about nailing faster times at shorter distances, so I have the NBPT half marathon in mind too. It would be a good goal to get close to my 2012 NYC PR (1:39).
Zoe and I are ready. Bring it.
(But maybe not before I'm completely recovered. I ran a fast, inspired 6.5 yesterday and am paying for it today. Stupid.)
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