My dilema is this: I was injured during the months of January, February and part of March. These were the months when I should have been building, instead I was forced to continually cut my running. I’m now finally over the injuries and able to run somewhat decently. However, I never got in a long run farther than 14 miles. As a result I think I have enough fitness to only be able to race the first 16-18 miles, then struggle home. Alternatively I could try to go out at much slower than race pace and just get through to the end. Either way I think I’m going to struggle in the final miles. Anticipating the final miles are likely to suck either way, I’m more tempted to try racing as far as I can rather than just jogging the course. I guess I’m hoping the excitement and hoopla will help carry me farther than my training should allow and maybe I’ll have something left for the final miles. I may push it until the hills begin around mile 17, then cut it back quite a bit until the down begins again. Weather conditions could factor in to what I’ll do as well. I don’t run well in rain or into a headwind for long periods, but cooler temps are no problem.
Any thoughts here?
I don’t think the hills will be a big problem either way as where I live in Colorado my typical training run has more hills than the Boston course. I have lots of mileage running up and down hills. In terms of base, I ran just over 2500 miles last year and had been running 70+ miles/week until I broke my left big toe in November. After I resumed running in December I ramped up too quickly - to an 80+ mile week at the end of December - and that may have caused my other injuries. I was able to run 145 miles in January, 103 in February, and 155 in March.
I have done Boston healthy, injured and just coming back from injury. Last year I had very little long run fitness due to a back injury but I had a lot of motivation and I wanted to “finish” Boston last year desperately to prove something to myself.
Why are you running a marathon that you have not properly trained for?
What does it mean to you to finish Boston?
If you don’t care how you do but just want to finish then I would say trust your body. Go out at whatever pace feels comfortable on that morning. Not what you are theorizing is an appropriate pace as you sit at your computer. Just run that day according to what feels good. You may surprise yourself and have a fine day (albeit much slower than normal but faster than you would expect with only a 14 mile long run).
I swear I could have written your post! I’ll be right there along-side ya, although I got in 16 for my long run.
My original goal is now being set aside and I hope to just have a fun experience. I realize that some miles will be more fun than others. See ya there!
No race I have done has as many fans as Boston and when I did it, I managed to walk/shuffle past most of them. I would treat the first 20 miles as a long run and then, if you have anything left in the tank, push the last few miles downhill into town. It is no fun looking like a clown as you stagger past thousands of people. I guarantee you will have better memories of the race if you are able to run through that section and feed of the crowd.
I wasn’t planning to go out real fast - just at my regular goal marathon pace. I know I could go faster than that in the first miles, but I would pay for it later. My regular goal pace is about 8:00 - I’m old - and I think I can maintain that for maybe 16-18 miles. If I had been able to train the way I wanted my goal pace would have been closer to 7:30.
Here’s why I’m considering taking this strategy - I don’t plan on ever running in Boston again. If I don’t try to race I’m guaranteed a mediocre (by the standards I set for myself) result. If I do try to race, I may be able to go much longer than I think due to my base miles. IOW, the result could be better than I anticipate. My injury was severe PF and I think I have a good handle on it now, plus I’ll be able to take some down time after the race. I think the risk of re-injury is minimal.
So is it better just to finish in reasonable shape, or to try to give it my best and hope I can pull off a semi-decent time?
I was able to run 145 miles in January, 103 in February, and 155 in March.
That’s more miles than I’ve run and I thought I was healthy for my first Boston on Monday!!
If I do try to race, I may be able to go much longer than I think due to my base miles. IOW, the result could be better than I anticipate. My injury was severe PF and I think I have a good handle on it now, plus I’ll be able to take some down time after the race. I think the risk of re-injury is minimal.
So is it better just to finish in reasonable shape, or to try to give it my best and hope I can pull off a semi-decent time?
You never pull one out by “hoping” in a marathon and almost no one ever runs faster than they anticipate unless they have a sandbag goal. You will certainly suffer far less and almost certainly run faster by running within yourself and going out conservative if your training was abbreviated.
I am in the best shape of my life and am going out at a pace 5 - 8 minutes slower than I optimistically think I can in the hopes that I can actually run a decent time, instead of being surprised that I could not hold my most optimistic goal pace.
Have you run Boston before? We’re right at sea level so you may have some advantage in our more oxygen-rich air.
No, this will be my first - and likely last - Boston. Maybe I’ll get some benefit from living near 6,000 feet. It hasn’t helped at other low elevation races, but other weather factors were problematic at those races.
Nobody seems to think my race plan would work so I’ll likely not try it.
Given what you have said, my suggested Boston race strategy would be to not race Boston at all. This is a Tri forum so I make the assumption( Please correct me if I am wrong), that you have triathlon goals for the year. If so, then why not focus on things that will really help your triathlon goals. Running a spring marathon, with the rare exceptions, does not really help your tri performance. I know this sounds counter intuitive, but it’s true.
My triathlon goals this year are modest. I’m registered for the 5430 series in Boulder. Sprint in June, oly in July, HIM in August. Running Boston will not negatively impact any of those races. My tri goals are to beat my previous times. Given that the run was always my weakness in the past and I’ve focused heavily on improving it, I have no doubt I will meet my goals.
Plus as I mentioned, this will be the only time I’ll ever do Boston. It’s not just a normal spring marathon. It was a big goal to qualify and took several years of hard effort to get there. To me not going would be like not going to Kona because it might screw up my ski season.
Boston is an incredible race and for some a once in a life time race, don’t pass it up. I have some marathon experience and ran Boston 2 years ago, be careful not to go out too fast. When I ran the conditions were terrible, big nor-eastern blew in the night before, rain, wind and cold but once the race started it didn’t seem to matter. Gradual down hill beginning and crowds lining both sides of the streets its to easy to get carried away with the whole experience. For those who aren’t aware, Boston is run on Patriot’s Day and just about the entire state has the day off, so there will be crowds. Whether you train or not around the 20 mile mark and on you will be hurting, enjoy it as much as you can. Around the half way point you will be running by Wellesley College (all girls school) and supposedly part of the Wellesley experience is to kiss a Boston marathoner, they will have signs out soliciting kisses, if your not trying to win the race have fun. If the Red Sox have a home game there will be even more people around the finish, if you have to walk make sure it’s not inthe last couple of miles, ha ha ha.
