2014 Boston Marathon Race Report

A little over a year ago, I would never have thought of doing the 2014 Boston Marathon but due to the bombing I wanted to support and show solidarity to Boston and the running community.  In May 2013, I ran the Colorado Marathon and got a 3:08 qualifying time which allowed me to register for the race.

Leading up to the race my focus has been on slow trail running to get ready for the Hardrock 100. So for Boston, I set a goal to have fun and enjoy the race. 

We arrived on Sunday just in time to get to the expo and pickup my race packet and number.  My original plan was to have a friend get it but they changed the rule to where only the runner could get it.  In the future, I would recommend flying in on Saturday.  

Leaving the expo, I was able to walk through the finish area where the memorial to the bombing was set up and TV crews from around the world were interviewing participants.  Our next stop was to our hotel in Cambridge and my race tradition of eating pizza for dinner.

The morning of the race I had to get to the busing area before 7:00am for the wave 1 start.  This is also the area for drop bags and family meeting after the race.  

After and hour bus ride we made it to Hopkinton where everyone had to wait a few hours before the race.  When I first got there I had no problems getting food, coffee, and no line to the restrooms. As time went on and the arrival of the other waves we were then crammed into the sports fields like sardines.

To remain warm I was able to cover in a mylar blanket but needed to move several times as the bathroom lines stated to run over me.

Finally, as the race start neared, runners were asked stage up based on their wave and corral. First we waited on the grounds then the parking lot before walking to the start. I only wished I taken a picture of the hundreds of runners using the restroom along the walls and fence in the parking area. This may have been avoided if the announcers let the runners know there was another set of port-o-potties by the start.

In the hours waiting for the race I kept looking around for my friends and members of the Runners Roost Race team until finally I ran into Bridget Tschappat on the way to the start.

(National Guard Fly Over)

When the race officially started, I remained in corral for about 10 minutes before finally crossing the starting line. Then it still took another half mile to gain full speed due to the crowds of runners.

All the following pictures are along the race course.  Even though my goal was to run at comfortable pace I couldn't help but get caught up in the fast pace of the first 13 miles.  I got to Wellesley College in 1:35.  

In the video at end of the race report there I combined the Wellesley scream chamber with a video of the finish line.  As I was going though the mob of screaming girls I kept watching the other runners stopping for kisses so I decide I need to partake too.  

After my kisses, I felt the fast pace catching up with me and I decided to go back to my original goal of enjoying the race.

The following picture is of the dreaded Heartbreak Hill at mile 20.5.  So yes there is a hill, yet to a mountain runner it is no big deal.  I guess if you are cranking out a 4:50 mile pace, the hill can kill a few elite and good runners.  In fact at the top I did see quite a few runners awaiting aid at the medical tent.

Below is where the race began rolling into downtown and the crowds were really getting large.  The cheering crowds makes this race special.  It is hard not to get pumped up for kick to the finish  or doing high-fives with all the kids.  

In this picture below above the second traffic light is the famous Citgo sign.  As soon as the race passes the sign there is just one mile to go!

The mile leading up the finish area is the most intense with huge crowds and surprisingly I was able to see my girl friend Kelly just before the final turn onto Bolyston Street.

(Kelly was able to get a picture of me)

(The final quarter mile)

In the end, we had a great time in the race and exploring Boston.  It is really nice to see a city come out and support a non professional sport and make it a part of their culture.  For any marathoner, making an appearance at Boston is a-must-do. 

(There is no better way to finish a Boston trip then to see them play the Yankees)

2014 Bandit 50K Race Report

Kelly and I had originally planned to take the winter off from running and focus on skiing but after reaching our limit of cold weather and feeling like were getting out of shape we decided to add a winter ultra.  Historically, we have done the Moab Red Hot 50K or the Austin marathon on President's Day Weekend but after having done both numerous times we decided it was time for a change and Southern California was just the ticket. So we decided to fly out to Burbank and run the Bandit 50K in Semi Valley.

Arriving on Saturday we played tourist at Universal Studios (I recommend the skip the line pass) and then made our way to the Hampton in Thousand Oaks for the night.

The start was about 26 miles from our hotel yet we had plenty of time to get some Starbucks and check in.  The race started just after 7:00 am with several shorter distances starting later. The race has 6,453 ft of climbing on 7 hills through mostly exposed mountainous/desert terrain. 

At the start, as seen in the picture below, the temperature was warm enough to avoid wearing any additional cover and that was the only shade for the day.

The next few pictures show the steep first climb up out of the valley.  It began with a series of switchbacks until it crossed under the highway and then it was very steep crawl for the next 1.5 miles to the aid-station.

Following the aid-station, the course was on a steep jeep road for a few miles which still included climbing.  Even on this section, it was still steep enough that most racers were power walking.  

At this point in the race, I was feeling really good with plenty of energy and it was still not hot.  My goal in the race was to treat it as a hard training run and force myself to turn off my competitive switch.  Since December 5, I had been only running between 15 - 30 miles a week with several weeks off - this race was a needed experience.  

A fun thing I did in this part of the race was work on my uphill running technique.  I focused on taking rapid turnover half steps (3/4 of a shoe length) while pumping my arms.  By doing this, I was able to pass many of the power walkers and avoided getting anaerobic.  

 (Smog from the city below)

The next two pictures are near the top of the first climb.  The panoramic is looking to the north and the other is looking to the west.  After these pictures, the race got on a fast moving single-track section that descended about four miles into the only paved section through a neighborhood. It was the only time in the event that I felt I was racing because I got a group of about 5 runners on my tail and none of them wanted to pass so I maintained an 8:40 mile pace all the way down.

Below is the section that went into the neighborhood for about one mile and I did pull out my Zillow app to see that the houses were priced in the $800 -900's.  Just after the neighborhood was the 10 mile aid-station and the course was back to the trails.

I got to the aid-station around 10:00 am and the heat was already getting me.  It was the warmest I have been since October.   The section leaving the aid-station had a 600 ft and a 300 ft climb both steep and very exposed.  

After the two climbs, I made it to the halfway aid-station and reloaded my fluids, cooled down with a cold wet sponge, and put on some sunblock.  The next few miles I went back over the same two climbs back to the neighborhood aid-station at mile 20.  At that point, one of the  volunteers said it was in the upper 80's but it felt like 100 degrees. 

The next four miles was a long steady climb up a hot dirt road.  Besides the heat, a lack of training began to be an issue.  For motivation, I would set mini running goals like running to a rock or the shade of a tree. Eventually, I got to a fork in the road and the course turned right up a steep switch back road.  Mentally it was challenging because every time I thought I was near the top of the climb, I would see another climb in the distance.  All together there was three false summits to the 26 mile aid-station.

 (False summit one)

 (Looking back at the canyon I came up)

 (Looking at false summit two)

 (Below is mile 25 looking across the valley at false summit 3 and the 26 mile aid-station)

When I reached the 26 mile aid-station, I cooled off with a cold wet rag and was informed that I still had another 1.5 miles of climbing before the final descent.  At least it was not steep and it was a little cooler verses the earlier canyon. 

 (This is the same view as the smog photo for earlier)

The last few miles was familiar territory with a very steep descent back down into the valley and then 3/4 mile flat run to the finish area.  In the end, I finished in the mid pack with a time of 6:59:38 and Kelly came in an hour later with a time of 7:55:20

 (Below is 80 year old Patricia Devita finishing the 30K - Awesome!)

In conclusion, we enjoyed our winter break and training race.  It was very well marked and supported and I would especially recommend this race for someone training for Badwater.  

Following the race, Kelly and I drove north to Santa Barbara for the night and of course made our way to few local breweries. 

(Soaking the legs in the ocean)