Drama in Boston!!!

I’m typically a drama queen when it comes to running.  (or maybe everything else)  Unconsciously, I make a big deal of something pretty small.  So read the below with a grain of salt…

After a somewhat decent week of faux-tapering I was headed to Boston for a Boston Marathon Course Long Run.  I was a bit sad because I really wanted to run with my running partner.  Because then I can blame faster than designated pace on her – or rather - I’d have somebody that will pull me through the nasty bits that’s typically included in long runs.

However, we had a plan!  This time, my partner could run more than last year, so we came up with a brilliant plan!  While she didn’t start with me, the plan was to meet at mile 12 marker, and she was going to run from there to top of Heartbreak with me.  

I had told her I have to run to where the course turns from Commonwealth to Cleveland Circle at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir because I thought I should include one mile of cool down.  Our “finish lines” were going to be a bit different.  Her, at Heartbreak, mine at Cleveland Circle.

She dropped me off at the start, went back to the hotel to get her husband, who was also going to run part of the course.  We were to meet at mile 12 an hour and a half later.  I thought I’d start at 8:30 so we decided to meet at mile 12 at around 10:10AM, to accommodate for some washroom stops, etc.  

First mistake happened when I started a tad early and I didn’t have the washroom stops like I did last year.  I ended up at mile 12 at 9:49.  No biggy.  I did an easy out-n-back to the town of Wellesley, and assumed that my partner and her hubby will get to mile 12 tad early just to be safe. 

Hey did you know that saying, “when you assume, it makes an ass out of u and me”? 

I did the out-n-back (about 10 min) and waited another 10 minutes or so to 10:12.  I stood in the cold for over 10 minutes and I was starting to shiver.  Not seeing them, I begged for a phone off a nice Wellesley girl cheering, and called my husband to call them with a message that “I’ll be at the finish line”.  I figured I’ll just go finish this stupid thing and I’ll find them easy at the end.  I did so last year, after all.

Well, my partner and her hubby was caught in traffic and they couldn’t find a parking spot.  Also, they were looking for me along the course on their way down from Boston, so they thought I was running late.  They finally got the car parked and ready around 10:15, and not seeing me RAN BACKWARDS towards Natick.  Not seeing me back there, they eventually got my husband’s message.

Second mistake.  I had ASSUMED that my husband will call them Matt right away at 10:15.  He didn’t.  So we wasted more time and more miscommunication occurred.

Once they got the message my partner continued to run, and Matt drove to the “finish”.  WELL.  I didn’t specify where my finish was in my message, and through it all we all got confused which “finish” we should be using.  They go towards Heartbreak, but since they don’t see me, starts to drive the course back and forth.  Why I didn’t see them at Heartbreak is a mystery…

By 11:40, I had finished my run and waited, and waited, and waited at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir.  At one point I asked some woman in a NY Marathon shirt if I can borrow her phone.  I was wearing a NYC Half Marathon shirt, so I thought “NYer to NYer” she’d be nice.  She says, “Sorry, I really can’t.  I’m tracking my run and I don’t want the battery to die”.  @ ()*(*(@#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get a Garmin, woman!!!!!!! But hey, I understood, but this totally discouraged me from asking for a phone from a stranger.  So I waited, waited and waited, and started to shake from hypothermia pretty badly.  By 12:20 my legs were cramping and I was getting a bit dizzy.  Dehydration (I ran the whole thing with only 8oz of water). Hypothermia.  Hunger induced depression. Panic Mode.  My mind started to play games on me…I didn’t know what to do.

At this point, I am not thinking clearly (carb deprived brain takes longer to make decisions), because it took me from 11:40 to 12:20 to decide that I should go find the volunteers/other running clubs that were standing around at the top of the Heartbreak.  They will probably lend me their phone more than some random jogger…The thing was from Chestnut Hill Reservoir to Heartbreak is a rather giant up hill incline and it also meant that the nice 15mph tail wind was now going to be 15mph headwind.  I wasn’t sure I can run up there in the condition I was in.  But sitting by the Reservoir wasn’t doing anything and I was panicking even more.

Trying to calm myself down, I jogged back towards Heartbreak – I figured uphill/headwind is better than a ride in an ambulance.  Moving, after all, was better than standing in the cold.  I make it to the Dunkin Donuts at 15 Commonwealth, right near the T-stop.  Seeing bunch of runners, I ask if anyone can lend me their phone – I’m in near tears.  I offer to buy whomever that lends me their phone a donut and coffee with my last $20.  Some guy with 3% battery lends me his phone, I call my husband, he calls my friends, and I was finally saved at 12:40. (the guy didn’t take my money LOL)

In hindsight, this was stupid plan to meet in the middle.  ESPECIALLY at mile 12 Wellesley where there is no discernible landmark.  I should’ve just ran with more than $20 and taken a cab back to the hotel on my own… I guess we planned it this way because last year we found each other so easily.

Next year, we have to work this out better, IF there is a next year………

Oh, and one more thing.  Pace Bands Are Evil.

Theme Song.

Getting out of bed at 5AM, while it’s still dark, coughing up a storm, chugging down Emergen-C spiked electrolyte formula that is spiked with questionable caffeine based performance enhancer, squeezing my fat ass in to compression tights, poking myself with the safety pin to attach my race bib, leaving my comfortable home to go run in a 28F weather while suffering from chest congestion…  These were the only words that ran through my head the entire time. 

It all seems to stupid, it makes we want to give up.

But why should I give up, when it all seems to stupid.

This training has been really hard and very frustrating.  Partly because I am not sure where I am in terms of pace and endurance.  Some days I do really well, and some days I do so poorly.  I haven’t had one good long run and now I’m left with only one more this weekend.  There is no more re-dos or adjustments or anything.

One thing I got going for me is that I am relatively injury free.  Other than the nagging pain typical of post workout pain (like bum, calf tightness, etc.) it’s been incident free.  I do have left calf pain going up hill, but it feels like something that will go away soon and more like a fatigue factor than an injury.  THIS, I must say is an improvement and Coach Terry’s greatness.  I’ve never been quite injury free during training.  Despite rather hard work load, I may actually get to the start line in one piece.

I also decided that I am not going to be so time oriented, after I read this.  I am so “Runner #2”. 

Runner 2: Training to hit goal

Our second athlete is more aggressive and decides she’s going to “do whatever it takes” to qualify for Boston. She starts her segment and begins to push her easy and long run pace to get it closer to the times she’ll need to run in the marathon. On workout days, she pushes the envelope when she feels good and finishes each workout exhausted. The first few weeks of this plan go ok and after a 10k tune-up race, she realizes she’s only 25 minutes from her goal time. So, she starts doing her long runs with the faster group in her running club. All goes great until her IT band starts bothering her. After a few days of limping through runs she goes to a physical therapist and is told to take a week off. Reluctantly, she takes the needed rest. When she returns to training, she feels good but realizes she’s now a week behind in her training schedule and it’s crunch time if she’s going to hit her goal. So, she jumps right back into the hard workouts and long runs. Two weeks later, she starts to feel her achilles tug. Once again, a visit to the therapist confirms she needs to take a week off. This process repeats itself until race day, where she valiantly attempts to run the race but due to lack of consistent training, runs 40 minutes slower than her goal time. Once she recovers from the race, she repeats the cycle and unfortunately never runs much faster than her current personal best.

I might no longer be a sub 3:30 runner, but I have many, many, many more marathons to run and if I stay healthy, I may actually go sub 3:30 again.  Is it frustrating? Yes.  But not every race can be a PR race.

Another thing I learned is that even pros have a hard time with poo.  Pros.  Just. Like. Us.

The Good News and The Bad News.

Good News!  My last 400m Tavern on the Hill repeat was on par with last year’s speed. 

Bad News!  I don’t think I can do 8 of them.

Good News!  I lost a bit of weight, thanks too Matt Fitzgerald’s Weight Watcher like point system.  I’m almost at my “Racing Weight”.

Bad News!  I can’t eat a lot of the stuff I like to eat, making this whole running thing boring and sort of a sour deal.  If I can’t eat what I want, why am I running 50 miles a week?

Good News!  Boston Marathon is 5 weeks away, which means, this madness will end soon.

Bad News!  Boston Marathon is 5 weeks away, and I have zero endurance and zero speed.

My 20 mile this weekend was terrible just like the first 20 mile run I did about two weeks ago.  I got tired, bored, and miserable at around mile 12 or so and started to doubt my ability to run a full marathon.  I don’t think I can run it even at 9 minute miles. 

I should be running faster and easier during my speed workouts, but that isn’t happening.  I can barely hold my old “marathon pace”.  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/281937990 

In fact, I can’t hold my slower 8min marathon pace.  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/282858157

This is hugely frustrating since last year, I was much speedier last year.  I don’t think the decline is due to age, but a summer full of not taking my favorite Faster Finish class.  In this class, I seem to push myself harder. 

As much as I hate to do this, I think I’m going to sort of “throw away” Boston, and try harder key workout training for a better marathon in the fall.  This Boston thing…aint happening.  I think it would be near miracle if I can complete it with some dignity.

Presented With Comment.



NYRR…please save your resources.  I’d like a lower race registration fee than a patch.  I’m not sure what to do with this patch.

Also, NYRR, you still haven’t posted this year’s Queens race, so we’re a Borough short of your “5-Borough Series”.