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Report by: Javier Quintero

Report by Javier Quintero

Training Block Notes

The training block started out great. I took a week off after CIM and started building my mileage back up to 90 miles a week. I ran a half marathon PR in February at the Surf City Half with a 1:19. My plan was to increase my mileage the following few weeks to 100 miles per week, but I pulled a hamstring at the track the following Tuesday. For the next 6 weeks my hamstring would give me issues, preventing me from running the mileage that I wanted to.

I ran the LA marathon as a training run in 2:54 and felt fairly strong during the race a month before Boston. I got through the last month of training feeling good about my hamstring and I was confident heading to Boston even though I didn't put it the mileage I had planned.

Race Weekend

I flew into Boston the Friday before the race. As soon as I stepped off the plane I could feel the energy of the city getting ready for the race. Every store I went to had Boston marathon signs, streets were already closed off and there seemed to be a buzz everywhere I went. I went to the expo and picked up my bib on Friday. I would recommend doing this if you can, there was no line and plenty of gear to spend your paycheck on. There's also a Tracksmith store near the expo that is equally wallet-draining.

I watched the 5k race on Sunday and it was really cool seeing all the pros in the flesh.

Race Day

I made my way from the hotel to the buses and found Jordan standing in line. We rode the bus together and hung out at the starting area for about an hour and a half before heading to the starting line. The weather was perfect (mid 40s and sunny with a little tail wind) My race plan was the following:

Start between 6:15 and 6:20 a mile and get down to 6:10 around the 5k mark.
Hold 6:10 until the Newton hills which start at mile 16
Run 6:30-6:40 through the hills
Let it fly once I get over heartbreak hill (mile 21) maybe are 6:00 pace
Finish with a 2:43

Here's how the race unfolded:

I started off really easy and my first mile was 6:16. The first mile or so is a steep downhill so I had to focus on not running too fast. I started clicking off 6:10-6:15 miles the next 10-11 miles feeling strong and in control the whole time. At mile 13 you run through Wellesley College. Up until this point the crowd was engaged and fun to interact with, but the girls at Wellesley were on another level. You could hear their roar from at least a half mile away. When you get to the college the screams were so loud that you feel like a pro basketball player hitting a game winner. I had chills and by the time I got past the college I looked at my watch and saw I was running a 6:00 mile so I had to pump the breaks a bit.

I came through the half at 1:21:44, right on pace for a 2:43. At this point I felt fairly good and was confident that I saved enough for the upcoming hills. Towards the end of mile 14 I noticed my legs felt really heavy out of nowhere. This was concerning since I was about to hit the Newton hills in another mile. I slowed down the pace to 6:30 in mile 15 to try and recover a bit. I got through the first two hills averaging 6:42 per mile which was close to my race plan. The third hill I slowed to 7:01 pace and heartbreak hill took last of my energy and I ran mile 21 in 7:24, way off pace.

I figured I would recover for a couple minutes on the backside of heartbreak and then I could push to the end. After a couple minutes of downhill I tried to start pushing, but my quads cramped as soon as I tried to pick up the pace. I ran the next 2 miles in 6:40 miles which was much slower than my race plan but any faster would cause my quads to cramp. At mile 24 my legs completely locked up and I had to focus with everything I had to keep running. I got through mile 24 with a 7:03. At this point I knew a sub 2:45 was not happening, but I figured I could cruise to a sub 2:55. I averaged 7:15 per mile the last 2k. The crowd along the last two miles was just amazing. The final stretch where you turn onto Boylston street was so intense, the crowd was screaming with thousands of people on both sides. I crossed the finish line in 2:51:34. It was much slower than I planned, but I was very happy with my effort. I was able to push through discomfort and stuck to my race plan through mile 19.

What I should have done differently

The biggest shortcoming in my training leading up to the race was not getting in enough fast downhill running. I should have ran the Palos Verdes loop at least once a month. I should have taken a down week after the Surf City half and I could have avoided pulling my hamstring.

Overall it was an amazing weekend. It was great having a couple other TCLA teammates out there to share this experience with. I'm a little disappointed with my time, but that's what makes training for and racing marathons so fun: You have to create and execute a plan, recognize when the plan isn't working and switch to a backup in real time. I'm happy I went for a PR even though it didn't work out. I can't wait to come back next year with an even bigger TCLA crew.

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Report by Loes Olde Looheis

“Are you aiming for a PR or are you just going to get the jacket?” someone asked me.
I was just going to get the jacket. I signed up for Boston because I could. You never know if there will be another chance. It was meant to be a celebration of running.

Training
CIM was my goal race December last year. I PRed (for 3:18:56), but I didn’t feel great and had to fight for every mile. So hard in fact, that I lost my motivation to work that hard again, just to maybe run faster by a few seconds or minutes. But coming off CIM I was fit, and furthest away from injury I have been in a long time. My training was good, with personal bests in all distances; from the mile at the last TCLA workout (16,12,8,12), to the half marathon (after eating an entire burrito you wouldn’t believe it). I joined the TCLA Saturday runs which made me ready to push the final stretch.

The weekend
As Javier mentioned, the city is so full of positive energy for the marathon I hadn’t quite expected it. You know how in LA people give you the side eye for being a “running fanatic” or “making us all look bad”, or blame you personally for marathon traffic? Not in Boston. Boston is proud of their marathon and proud of you for being there.

The race
My race plan was to remember to celebrate: start 7:30 pace and back off when I felt I was working too hard early on. If all goes well, start working at mile 16 when the hills start and crush the final 5 miles if a PR was in sight.
And I ended up doing just that.

I didn’t prepare for two things: 1. They rank your start time by your qualifying time. As a middle of the pack runner that meant starting and running with thousands of people that ran exactly at my pace. It was surreal, like being on a conveyor belt (and no way to cut the corners, btw). 2. The late start (10:30am for me) and I guess I drank too much during all the waiting hours because I had to stop to pee at mile 11, which was a first.

So I tried to keep it easy, enjoy the crowds and was feeling really good by mile 16. I’m objectively terrible at hills but I was so ready and motivated by the supporters I sort of cruised the hilly section, focusing on effort and not time. Heartbreak hill hurt nevertheless.

From mile 21 it’s all down and flat to the finish and I knew I had to start pushing if I wanted to keep a 7:30 average and get a PR. My quads had started hurting (they are always my bottleneck. How do I make them stronger, anyone?), but in a way I felt confident they wouldn't cramp (rough times at CIM were good for something). Now we were entering Boston, there were crowds everywhere, and a CITGO sign - the landmark for one mile to go - appeared as a beacon on the horizon. I wasn't speeding up as much as I was trying to. There was quite some headwind here and I remember Eric saying “quick steps, the wind won't get you if you are on the ground”. I managed to make it through the city. The last mile the crowds got even thicker and it was amazing; the energy, the turn onto Boylston and the final stretch to the finish line. That was my fastest time, maybe around 7:00 min mile.

I ran 3:18:02, a PR by 54 seconds (still a 3:18 though), with perfectly even splits of 1:39:01. I got a celebration and the jacket. But also, I found again the motivation to work hard to get stronger and faster. Even if just for a few seconds, I believe I have a faster one in me.

See you on track & on the roads, friends!
Loes