"Participants anticipate the worst weather in the history of the world's oldest continuous marathon when the race begins tomorrow at 10 a.m. Forecasters predict heavy rain, 20 mph winds and temperatures around 40 degrees. Race officials expect to treat many cases of hypothermia among the 23,000 participants."
Indeed. I was braced for and expecting a Nor'easter. I purchased all the gear I thought I'd need: a hat, a special lightweight jacket, and gloves. On race day I happened to forget my gloves and a volunteer graciously gave me hers. I decided to wear a flashing LED head lamp to make myself more visible to my family.
Certainly, Hopkinton was miserable. 20K runners huddled and packed together under tents amidst soggy fields. It was definitely rainy, windy and cold.
The rain turned into a drizzle as the start time approached. The winds tamed too but it was still in the low 40s.
I made a raceday decision to aim for a 7:00 mile pace. I've never run a previous marathon faster than 7:30 mile pace. Starting too fast is a recurring mistake I've made in past marathons. What was I thinking?
The rationale went like this:
1. Three weeks earlier I ran the DC National Marathon. I started out with a measured 7:40 pace and had my the strongest marathon finish ever. I finished in 3:17 with a 7:32 pace. This was the only marathon I've ever run with a negative split and my legs never felt stronger, even after I finished.
Since this wasn't the marathon I was training for and I finished so strong, I figured I could go faster. I figured with more trainnig and a proper taper I'd be able to run even faster.
2. Two weeks earlier I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. My average pace was 6:42 -- my personal best for any race.
Again, I thought that with a taper I'd be able to sustain a faster marathon pace. So, 10 miles from the starting line my legs signaled to me that I started off too fast. It was a hard slog from there.
The Wellesley girls' "scream tunnel" was something to behold. You could hear it a mile out.
There was an outstanding fan presence despite the poor weather. I saw my wife, kids, and parents on Heartbreak Hill. It was a relief to see them but that hill was bear. If only my legs weren't so tired. Heartbreak Hill really is nothing but with weary legs and having been over the other Newton Hills, it was definitely a tough hill to climb.
I manged to finished in 3:28. So, rather than a PR I did BQ at Boston for my new age group (45) next year. This makes the last three marathons (MCM 2006, National Marathon 2007, Boston 2007) qualified me for the 2008 Boston Marathon.
The finish was cold and windy. The walk to the family meetup area seemed interminable. I could feel the hypothermic chills set in as I approached and decided to find shelter. It's a good thing I did as it took my family more than an hour to reach me.
All in all, it was a great experience and I look forward to running Boston 2008. I'll be training more deliberately with a 7:00 mile pace in mind.
