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Old 03-19-2019, 03:50 PM
spock spock is offline
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Default Any Boston Marathoners here?

After 50 years of running and dreaming of participating in the Boston Marathon, there is a fair to good chance I have finally qualified for next year's 2020 race as a result of the time I posted 2 weeks ago at the Myrtle Beach Marathon. Given the multitude of obstacles I have had to overcome leading up to and including this last and final attempt, it was truly a miracle that I finished at all, but that is a story I will not bore folks with in this thread.

As a solo runner not involved with any running groups or running partners, I know quite a lot about the race/course/history itself, but very little about the actual logistics of where best to stay, how best for my wife to spectate, etc., and don't know anyone who has run it who could educate me on the ins and outs of the entire process, which I'm sure is quite considerable considering the number of runners and spectators involved.

Granted the race is over a year away, but I'm trying to plan far far ahead to make sure the non-running aspect is as painless as possible.

I would appreciate any wisdom from Boston Marathon vets.
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Old 03-19-2019, 04:43 PM
Dirk Hofman Dirk Hofman is offline
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No wisdom to share, only congratulations on an exceptional achievement! That's awesome!
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Old 03-19-2019, 11:43 PM
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Cypress Knee Cypress Knee is online now
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It has been a long time since I have run Boston, but I did run it three times back in the day. Here is what I remember:

A) Find a place close to a subway line that runs to Government Station. I think it has been changed to Downtown Crossing. Whatever, find out where the buses to the Hopkinton start line up at the downtown station.

B) All the hotels close to the finish area in Back Bay will jack up their prices exponentially. Cheaper to find somewhere on the outlier and take the T into bus ride area.

C) It used to be that your marathon bib was also a free ticket onto the T. I do not know if that is still true.

D) The first few (10 - 12) miles of the course are downhill. If you run too fast early on you will shred your quads and not be able to run down the hills at mile 20 (Heartbreak Firehouse, etc.)

I never ran a good Boston Marathon. The mid-Atlantic winters always presented long run challenges to to snow and ice on the roads when I needed long runs, and the only place to go was to join a gym with 20 minute limit on treadmills, so the rest of the training time for a long run was split between stairmasters, recumbent bikes, and ellipticals. I of course bonked in the last couple of miles every year...usually badly.
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Old 03-20-2019, 09:27 AM
ziapack ziapack is offline
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Life time runner here as well, and never been able to qualify for Boston. As I have aged, they have lowered the bar and I continue to get slower, what is up with that?. Hope you pull it off, enjoy the journey.
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Old 03-20-2019, 09:41 AM
RedJoker RedJoker is offline
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Another non-qualifying runner here with nothing to add but encouragement. Good luck!
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Old 03-20-2019, 09:45 AM
marty bradbury marty bradbury is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dirk Hofman View Post
No wisdom to share, only congratulations on an exceptional achievement! That's awesome!
I totally agree. Quite the dream to finally come true. Good luck,
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Old 03-20-2019, 10:03 AM
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As someone who has been training hard all their adult life, I salute your dedication - amazing achievement.

My best guess is that there is a forum other than the AGF that would have more info that you need - I'd almost bet there's a B.M. forum..... (sorry - couldn't resist)

See - Runner's World has a FB page dedicated to the Boston:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/171162030114700/
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Old 03-20-2019, 05:56 PM
spock spock is offline
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Thanks folks for all of the kind words. What is the old expression, "By perseverance the snail reached the ark."

And yes, beginning in next year's 2020 race, the qualifying standards were made more challenging by an additional 5 minutes, which may not seem like much, but for a 65 year old walking the fault line on making the required time in the first place, it might as well have been an eternity.

Registration will not open for next year's Boston Marathon until the fall, so I am not officially in until they say I'm in, but I'm choosing faith over fear and remaining optimistic that I've done enough to punch my ticket into the granddaddy of all running races, and when you get right down to it, how many folks get an opportunity to see a near life long dream come true. I am truly blessed.

Cypress, That is helpful information - thank you. I will probably stay a bit closer to the finish line and take the shuttle busses to the start. It will cost me some dough, to be sure, but this is a once in a lifetime event and a last hurrah, so to speak, so I'm going to splurge a bit and treat myself. Which years did you run?

fitness, I applaud your dedication to taking care of yourself - it is not always easy but becomes easier when you make it a habit, and you've obviously done that. Back in my day before the advent of computers and cell phones, we kids amused ourselves by playing all manner of sports, climbing trees, and more or less staying out of range of my stay at home mom who didn't want us around the house getting under her feet. Junior high brought my first exposure to what was then called the President's Physical Fitness testing, where in winning the 7th grade 600 yard run, I was told (not asked) to report to the track the following day to run cross country. Been running ever since.

I do not have facebook, but the information on the link is great none the less. Thank you
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Old 03-20-2019, 06:22 PM
Mdinterman Mdinterman is offline
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Ran in 2010 and qualified 2 other years but at that time I wanted to run different races thinking I could get back to Boston later. Big mistake. Tore my hip labrum and it’s back on my bike. ANY time you qualify, run it. It is quite an experience. You will also learn what it really means to suffer in a race as you will never slow down or walk with the streets packed with spectators! I was really hurting at the end, but once I finished I was OK after a short while. As a result, I learned to push myself to new limits for future races.

The hills aren’t all that bad when you are on them. Mostly because they are welcomed after all the down hill the first third of the race. But the hills took their toll and made the last 5 K really tough. I said if I ran it again I’d take the hills before Heartbreak and Heartbreak itself a little slower to have more left at the end.

In any event, have fun and take it all in. It will probably be your personal accomplishment you are most proud of. It is for me.
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Old 03-21-2019, 09:57 AM
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Spock, here is a little more info.

First of all, I ran the 100th in 1996, the first really big crowd. Then in '98 and 2000. There are some things that I wished I would have done differently back then, but at the time I felt like I could qualify anytime I wanted at an easy pace for me (I was a sub-3 hour guy in my forties). However, life intervened and I never went back, and now with my knees I never will re-qualify.

First of all, if you are going to splurge, then go all the way. This is likely to be a one-time thing for you, and you will want the memories. By that I mean get there in time to be at the Expo the first day it opens, and do not hesitate to buy apparel and other goods that you will cherish down the road. There will be many other people in your same situation - once in a lifetime opportunity - and they will be buying. Once those year-specific jackets, hats, and shirts are gone, they are gone, so don't wait around too long to make a buying decision. I didn't buy much because I thought I would be back, and now what I did buy is all faded and worn out or lost. I have one marginally wearable jacket left and wish that there were a couple more spares in the closet.

Next, spectating. I can't speak much to that, except to say that the course is point-to-point, so there are no opportunities to catch site of runners as they go around a loop of some sort. Also, the crowds are very deep, especially at the finish area with grandstands and security fences. But they are deep all the way out to the start, although my recollection is that there was more room in the early miles. The challenge was getting back to another viewing area closer to the finish.

Also, go find the most hideously brightly colored obnoxious running shirt that screams "LOOK AT MEEEEE!!!" in a sea of hunter orange, safety yellow, lime green, and other shirts that are all proclaiming "look at me". That may be the only way your friends and family pick you out of the crowd.

Also, diet and nutrition. The race starts at 10 o'clock. Back when I did it the start time was noon. However, all the training runs I did were in the morning, and all my diet and carbo-loading was predicated on early morning long runs. Then you get up to Boston and go through your standard long run procedure only to find out that you are starving and craving food just about the time the race starts.

Finally, I would suggest that you go up there with the idea that you are going to finish the event and enjoy the experience. Don't go up there with the mindset that you are going to try to re-qualify for next year. That is just too much unnecessary stress for someone who does not have a history of posting consistent easy qualifying times at other events.

Good luck!

CK
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Old 03-21-2019, 07:40 PM
spock spock is offline
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CK, Thank you so much for the words of wisdom and experience. And man o man - sub 3 hours in a masters age group - that is a serious runner in my book. Although I was never that good, you and I have some similarities in our backgrounds and you have basically outlined my future approach to Boston to a Tee.

I ran my first marathon and qualifying attempt in 1980 at the age of 27 - got very sick 3 days before but ran anyway because at that age you can do anything - and bonked at mile 16. I finished but did not qualify.

Marriage, professional school, career and multiple kids followed and while the Boston dream still burned brightly from deep within my soul, life took center stage and I didn't seriously think of trying again until 33 years later at the age of 60 when I decided it was then or never and began training again. Got as fit - albeit not as fast - as I ever had been, and combined with being wiser and able to take advantage of the newer training and nutritional advancements, was realistically and confidently poised to qualify. Got very ill once again 2 days before and ran anyway, as I didn't think I could hold up to training another 2 months until the next available marathon, and bonked again at mile 16. Finished somehow but missed qualifying by 9 minutes.

Threw in the towel and assumed it just wasn't in the cards for me.

But the desire to qualify was never completely extinguished.

Picked up the torch again last summer at 65 for a last gasp attempt at a fall marathon, got 10 weeks into my training and tore a calf muscle - Grade II. Tried to run again after 2 weeks and tore the other calf. Could not run at all for 6 weeks - marathon plans scuttled.

Threw in the towel.

But the Boston dream still flickered.

Started back in November running 100 yards at a time and eventually worked up to running 5 miles at a time and decided maybe I wasn't done yet. Developed patellar femoral pain syndrome in my left knee two months into training that left me crawling up the stairs in my home, but I taped them up and ran anyway. What's the expression, "Make friends with pain and you'll never run alone." Was told by my PT and sports medicine doc to think about shutting it down and shooting for another marathon, but something told me if I did I would probably never try again. Cut my mileage down to 35-40 miles and 3 days per week, as I could not walk very well the day after running due to the pain, and forged on. Took the entire week off from work the week before the marathon to avoid contact with people who might make me sick during the height of the flu season at the hospital where I work, and got sick anyway. Two days before the race I thought of packing it in, but decided to at least make the trip and see how I felt when I woke up on race morning since my wife was going to run the 5K and I would be there one way or the other. Plus, the weather was supposed to be in the low 40's - perfect for me since I was somewhat dehydrated and perform better in colder weather - and I thought maybe, just maybe, I could still give it a fighter's chance. Woke up on race morning - 60 degrees and 96% humidity at race start, only to warm up as the race went on. Said a prayer - multiple prayers - and headed out the door to catch the shuttle. Decided to stay with a slower pace group to make sure I didn't go out too fast in the beginning, and the pacer hit the first mile marker a minute faster than my planned marathon pace. Jeeze Louise. Almost hit the panic button but throttled back and collected myself, got into a groove, and despite battling calf cramps over the last 6 miles that forced me to walk periodically, managed to run both halves in exactly the same time and make the qualifying time. Truly a miracle and I mean that sincerely.

So, this IS going to be my final marathon and I could give a rat's gluteus about what kind of time I post or where I finish, rather, I am going to soak in every single mile, shop the expo like my wife at a new mall with an unlimited credit card limit, and smile like a possum the entire weekend because with the good Lord's help and the unwavering support of my wife who never once tried to tell me I was crazy for continuing to chase my dream, I earned this baby and I ain't never going to come back, unless it is as a spectator.

Someone once said, "Everything you ever wanted to know about yourself you can learn in 26.2 miles." True. Very true.

Last edited by spock; 03-21-2019 at 07:49 PM.
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Old 03-21-2019, 09:43 PM
Dirk Hofman Dirk Hofman is offline
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Loving these stories!
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Old 03-22-2019, 05:22 AM
Cabarone Cabarone is offline
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I never qualified for it, but did run a couple back in the day...it's one I think all of us wish to experience...one of my training partners ran it every year...one year he took water from someone in the crowd and got poisoned...he finished the course w/spells of vomiting...he used to say it wasn't a good course for a PR, 'cause it's so crowded w/runners and spectators...so have a good time, but be careful...
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Old 03-22-2019, 10:29 AM
mtcross mtcross is offline
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Congratulations, it is nice, very nice, to see hard work paying off. Good luck on your next training cycle.

I've only run one marathon, 9 years ago, with the intent of getting a BQ, I didn't even want to run Boston, well I qualified and haven't run another full since. I did work on a few goals in half and 5ks... missed both by less than 10 seconds. I would have hit my goal on one Half, but I wasn't running tangents well enough. Since then I've had a few injuries and setbacks, but I'm plotting a comeback soon. Like Monday.

Anyway good luck and keep us posted. I mostly run alone, but if you can find someone to keep you honest, my problem was over training at times, and not taking enough time off after bigger training cycles. Oh to be young and unbreakable again... Yes I was 50.
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