Monday, April 18, 2011, Patriot’s Day. It’s a little known holiday outside of Massachusetts and Maine where they commemorate the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the Revolutionary War. The Boston Marathon is held on this day. It’s the oldest marathon in the world, which had its first race in 1897, inspired by the first successful Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece. To enter this prestigious race requires a qualifying time in a previous marathon or raising money for a recognized charitable organization, which is limited to about 2,500 runners a year.
This was my 4th consecutive Boston Marathon and my 12th overall marathon race since I first ran the marathon on Guam March 6, 1983. I was 17 years old and finished in 3:47:05. I ran it just to say I ran 26.2 miles never thinking I would love training and racing the distance later on in life! As the saying goes, “never say never”! Grete Waitz was the same way. She was invited to run the New York City Marathon in 1978 as a “rabbit” or pace setter. She said this during an interview, “I was hurting. I was mad. I was angry. I told Jack (her husband), ‘never again’”. When she crossed the finish line, she took her shoes off and threw them at her husband because he convinced her to run it! However, she crossed the finish line in first place with a new world record! She went on to win that same marathon eight more times!
This year’s Boston Marathon is my best marathon race I have ever raced in! I first ran it in 2008 with a time of 3:13:15. In 2009, I ran a 3:22:48 (injured my right hamstring twice during training) and in 2010 I ran a great race with an even split in 3:13:31. For this year’s Boston, I changed my training program and included more specific hill training on the treadmill. That’s right, the treadmill! Where I live, it’s flat and I have to drive about 25 minutes to Holmdel Park, which has awesome hilly trails to train on. I was attracted to Ryan Hall’s Newton Hill Simulation runs he does on the treadmill, which he shared on his Facebook page. It also was my long run for the week. So essentially, I was putting in three workouts in one: 16+ miles at or faster than goal marathon pace with hills (distance, speed and hills).
The Newton Hills Simulation workout consists of running eight miles progressively faster, and then you get into the Newton Hills Simulation Run. Ryan gave specific inclines and distances for each uphill and between each uphill, the incline was 1%. All inclines were run at or faster than marathon pace. The first time I tried this, it kicked my ass! I tried it again the following week and slowly got stronger and stronger, running the inclines about 10 seconds faster than marathon pace. I couldn’t run the flats at 1%, so I dropped it to 0% and ran them between 6:58 to 6:39 per mile.
I started training for Boston on October 31, 2010. In 24 weeks, I logged in 675.50 miles in 82 hours 26 minutes 58 seconds, lost 10 pounds and lost almost two inch off my waist. The longest I’ve run was 20.10 miles on a treadmill and 16 miles outdoors. It was the opposite last year when I was logging 23-mile runs at Holmdel Park and 16-milers on the treadmill.
In the days before Boston and even when I left with the DetermiNation team to go to the start of the marathon in Hopkinton, my wife reminded me about the importance of pacing. She knows I get excited in the beginning and start out too fast! This is especially true because the start is all downhill! I had time to think of the strategy during the ride to Hopkinton. This year was different as I rode out with the DetermiNation Team, most in the 15-passenger American Cancer Society van and three of us in Katy Meagher’s car. Katy is one of the community executives of ACS and she did an outstanding job coordinating everything for us! We first met Park Plaza, and then once everyone was there, we drove out to Hopkinton “where it all starts”. We arrived at a runner’s drop off point in a large parking lot that had a building with EMC2 on it. I didn’t ask what office it was because we were all talking about previous marathon experiences with each other. It was a very different feel than being at the Athlete’s Village, which was still over a mile away. Yellow school buses came in and out picking up runners to drop them off at the Athlete’s Village. Katy had water, Gatorade and bagels, but we also had our own “fuel”. The port-a-potties had easy access with little or no lines! This was a huge difference from being at the Athlete’s Village.
At around 8:30am, I decided to leave for the Athlete’s Village to meet my friend, Jim Walker. Chelsea Anderson and a few others decided to come along. We rode the bus with other runners and were dropped off less than half a mile from the starting corrals and even further from the Athlete’s Village! I had no time to meet Jim there, so I decided to stay near the start corrals. The announcement blared through the speakers as the women’s race began. It was now 9:30am. I entered my corral based on my running bib number. The volunteers were great as they really controlled who entered a particular corral. The crowds began to grow. The National Anthem played, but this year, no flyover by US Air Force fighter jets. I met a runner named Alex, originally from California, and we had some small talk. We shared our goals with mine to break 3:13 and his was to average 6:55 per mile, but more so to finish his first Boston. We looked at each other’s numbers in the hopes that we might see each other at the finish line! Here we stood in Hopkinton on Route 35 facing east getting ready for our personal journey to Boston.
A few minutes before the start, I set my Garmin and drank an 8-ounce bottle of chocolate Ensure Plus to top off my carbs, sodium, potassium and protein levels. The announcement blared again preparing us for the start of the 115th Boston Marathon! The gun went off, but with the crowds ahead of us we walked towards the starting line. It took us about four minutes to cross the starting line and off went! The main bleachers were to the right of us and were filled with well wishers. The sudden downhill was very noticeable and everyone in excitement tends to run too fast. Believe me, I’ve done that before! The elevation drops 130 feet in the first mile, which is the steepest drop on the course.
I was patient. In fact, I was very patient during the first 16 miles before the Newton Hills. I wore my Saucony Kinvara shoes and during my training runs, they tend to make me run faster! I don’t know what it is about these shoes. Needless to say, I had to really resist going out too fast even though I felt good! During the first 16 miles, I passed runners, but many more passed me. I was tempted to push the pace a bit because I was feeling real good, but I stuck to the race plan as I heard my wife’s voice in my head!
I reach Ashland, the first 5k, in 23:01 compared to 22:47 last year. I cruised along and enjoyed the run listening to the cheering crowds on both side of the street. The road is a two-lane street so it’s narrow. The wave starts are great and as the miles went on, the running crowd thins as well as the cheering crowds in some area. Now in Framingham, the 10k point, I clock in at 45:29 compared to 45:47. Still a good, steady pace as I remember last year I took it easy in the beginning. At around the eight mile mark, there’s always a sign near someone’s house that reads, “Short cut” with an arrow pointing right. It’s a funny sign, but no one in their right mind in the Boston Marathon or any marathon will ever take a short cut! Neighborhoods lined the sides of the street with people cheering us on. They give out water, oranges and bananas. Some even try to give out beer! The smells of BBQ grills fill certain areas. The official volunteers were great at passing out water and Gatorade.
I get to Natick and hit the 15k point in 1:07:13 compared to 1:07:45. I cruise along with the other runners until we reach Wellesley and the 20k point, which I cross in 1:30:25 compared to 1:31:48. Soon we could hear the faint cheers and screams coming from Wellesley College get louder and louder! Wellesley College is where a lot of runners get a boost of energy. Well, maybe for the male runners! Wellesley College is an all-women’s college and hundreds of them line the right side of the course. Their screams and cheers are heard well before you can see them. It’s known as the “Wellesley Scream Tunnel, but I’ve heard it’s also called, “Tunnel of Love” because a lot of them want kisses and/or give kisses! They hold up signs, stick their hands out, pucker up, and wave frantically to get someone to kiss them. I drifted well to the left to avoid the slowing down of male runners to give or get kisses and to take pictures! My friend, Jim Walker, told me later that he saw a girl holding up a sign, which read, “Kiss Me! I’m from Guam”! My time at the half marathon point was 1:35:18, compared to 1:36:46 last year. I felt comfortable and didn’t think I was going faster than last year. At this pace, I could easily break 3:13:15, with a projected time of 3:10:36. I got excited, but needed to focus on the race. We veer to the left onto Route 16 toward the 25k market still in Wellesley.
I thought a lot of the more important reason of why I’m running. I’m running for those who lost their battle to cancer, for those who continue to fight it every day and for those who won their fight against cancer. As I ran, I fought against the clock, the wind, the heat, the cold, other runners, the hills. Cancer patients fight for their lives.
I alternated drinking water and Gatorade at each station, as well as taking GU and Accel Gel (with protein) when I drank water. I hit the 25k point in 1:52:45 compared to 1:54:42. I have no idea that I’m running faster than I did last year. I didn’t want to write last year’s splits on my arm because I felt it could distract and affect my racing strategy. Miles 15 and 16 are mostly downhill so I pressed the pace just a bit covering this mile in 7:00. When the Newton Hills arrived, I attacked each one with relative ease! I even pushed the pace harder as I began passing runners who seemed to be struggling and breathing hard. The four Newton Hills aren’t particularly steep, but they come at a point of the race where it’s difficult, both physically and mentally. We turned right off of Route 16 onto Commonwealth Avenue (Route 30). The Ryan Hall Newton Hill Simulation runs I trained in using the treadmill really helped! I reached the 30k point in 2:15:21 compared to 2:18:14 with Heartbreak Hill ahead! From Miles 18 to 20, the terrain is relatively flat and I pressed the pace a bit, but settled in at 7:12 and 7:17 for Miles 19 and 20.
The infamous Heartbreak Hill is the last of the four hills. It's not a hard hill, but its position between miles 20 and 21 makes it the most challenging rising about 80 feet in that same distance. Like last year, Heartbreak Hill didn’t break me, but it broke others that I passed runners up this hill. I pushed the pace up the hill remembering my treadmill training. For the first time, my breathing got a little shorter and a little harder as I took in more oxygen. As always, my eyes look down, but my head is slightly up. I don’t like looking forward when going up hills. With eyes down, I can concentrate more on tackling the hill.
Spectators wrote words of encouragement on the road to cheers on. It reminded me of how they do they same on the course of Tour de France race when I used to watch it on TV. That really gets you going when you read what they wrote and hear the cheers at the same time! There were runners stopping to stretch or walk off their cramps, but I kept pressing up the hill. I passed a drawing of a heart with a jagged split down the middle that put a smile on my face. I saw another one and this time I stomped on it! When I trained the Newton Hills Simulation runs, I always told myself, “Kill Heartbreak Hill or it’ll kill you!” That’s exactly what was going through my head! I can also hear my wife cheering me on telling me, “Go, Patrick, Go!” The cheering crowds include students from Boston College. I’m sure it’s the alcohol they were consuming that fueled their frenzied cheers! I saw some of them trying to pass beers out to runners! You can even smell beer in the air!
I arrived at the 35k point in 2:37:37 compared to 2:41:12. Wow! That means I really killed the hills this year, especially Heartbreak Hill! I ran up this infamous hill in 7:15 compared to 7:40 last year! After conquering Heartbreak Hill, I pressed the pace even harder as each mile went by taking advantage of the down hills. There were a few slight inclines, but nothing major. We turned left onto Beacon Street with just over 3.5 miles to go! Here, there are tall apartments on the right with larger crowds below. There are some on the left side, but not as much because there is a track for the trolleys. I also realize that I have a chance to break 3:10 in Boston! I couldn’t believe it! I would be happy just to break 3:13:15 by even a few seconds to set a personal course record, but break 3:10? In Boston? I had to get that out of my head and focus.
Throughout the race, I kept thinking of cancer victims, cancer fighters and cancer survivors. I even thought of the people of Japan. I prayed to God and to my wife’s mother for strength and endurance. I drew energy from the cheering crowds as I surged past many runners, many of whom I’m sure passed me at the beginning of the race.
The first thoughts of worry crept in my mind just as I passed Mile Marker 23. I remembered I ran a 6:33 for mile 22 and a 6:44 for mile 23. Did I start my surge to early? Will I cramp up suddenly? What if I hit a seam in the road and twist my ankle? I shook those thoughts off as I heard my wife’s voice again telling me at this point I should go for it. I also reminded myself of why I’m running and for those who made generous donations to help fight cancer. “Don’t let them down!” So I ran surges here and there, slowing down a little, and then surging again. Still, I was passing a bunch of runners. I saw some just stop. I saw some bent over with their hands on their knees. I saw some on the ground stretching out a cramp. I saw others walking it off. I re-focused at my task at hand. I told myself, “Keep pressing the pace, keep passing as many runners as I can”!
At Mile Marker 24, I pressed the lap button on my watch and it read 6:46. I felt strong and real good, no cramping, no aches, and no pain. I continued to press the pace as hard as I could. A couple of overpasses slowed me down a little. Then I saw the Citgo sign up ahead, which signifies about a mile to the finish. It’s a large sign, so I still had about two miles to the finish line! The Citgo sign slowly got larger and larger as I got closer and closer! I kept looking ahead for Mile Marker 25. The cheers were getting louder and louder. I continued to wave my hands and arms up and down from my sides soliciting even louder cheers! I felt so good! I even pointed to my chest because I wore the American Cancer Society DetermiNation Team singlet!
Then I see Mile Marker 25 coming up just beyond the 40k point, which I hit at 2:58:45. I covered the 25th mile in 6:57, a bit slower than the previous mile, but still not bad. I knew at this point that for sure I was going to break 3:10! I wanted to ensure that I was going to do it. We turned onto Hereford Street and still I was waving my arms up and down to get the crowd to help me through the last tiny hill before turning left onto Boylston Street. It was loud! The cheering crowds on both sides of the street to included those sticking their bodies out apartment and office windows to cheer us on!
Once we turned left onto Boylston Street, I pushed again. The finish line is within sight less than half a mile. I pour it on! I see the official photographers clicking away on the right side and large crowds behind them. The feeling is amazing and incredible, more so when feeling no aches, pains or soreness anywhere! I try to soak it all it remembering the sights and sounds running hard down Boylston as people from around the world cheer you on. They saw the elite runners cross the finish line just over an hour ago and still they stayed to cheer us on! It’s awesome to know that many of them will cheer on for a couple more hours!
I see the official clock, which is about four minutes faster than when I started. It read 3:11! I knew then I crushed my personal course record as well as my faster marathon time! I had my arms in the air, pointing to God, and thanked him by making the sign of the cross three times! I looked at my watch and it read 3:07:46! I knew it was unofficial, but I knew I broke 3:10 for sure! I yelled out, “Yes! Yes! Thank you! Thank you!” I remember telling my wife that if I ever break 3:10 in Boston, I’ll kiss the ground at the finish line. I was going to but saw a lot of spit and even saw what looked like vomit! So, I decided to be safe and just kept letting out shouts of joy! People were even looking at me, but so what!
We kept walking away from the finish line. I looked back and couldn’t believe that I broke 3:10 in Boston! I was in shock! I could just hear my wife looking at her cell phone as she received the Athlete Alert via text messaging. She probably couldn’t believe it either! The volunteers were awesome as always! They gave out water and Gatorade 3. I started to slowly drink it in, especially the Gatorade 3, which has 16 grams of protein per bottle! Other volunteers wrapped us in heat shields, and then they presented us with our coveted finisher’s medal! The official photographers were also there and I probably had each of them take a picture or two of me!
My mile splits for the last five miles were all sub-7, which I’ve never done. In the excitement of running down Boylston Street, I forgot to press the lap button on my watch for the 26th mile, which reads 8:00 for 1.24 miles in my Garmin. That equates to a 6:27 per mile pace for the last mile! I ran a negative split, which means running the second half faster than the first half. This is the best way to run any race. I ran the first half in 1:35:18 and ran the second half in 1:32:28. I demolished my personal course record by 5 minutes 29 seconds and killed my overall personal marathon record by 3 minutes 37 seconds! I’m so happy to break 3:10 on this historic and prestigious course!
The weather wasn't a factor as it warmed up and the tailwind helped in some areas. The weather was 50/50/41%; WSW17; Partly Cloudy at the start and 58/55/32%; WSW17; Partly Cloudy at the finish. My weight before the race was 140. I wore my Saucony Kinvara (red) and felt strong through every mile! I love these shoes!
I walked towards Park Plaza where the ACS DetermiNation Team was to meet after the race. It wasn’t too far. I still felt so good and also in shock with my performance! I got to Park Plaza and was greeted and congratulated by Katy and the first teammate to cross the finish line, Charlie Johnston. He ran it in 2:54! I called my wife and one of the first things she asked was, “Is it true?” Yes! It’s true! She finally got to Park Plaza and joined in the celebration as other DetermiNation teammates arrived. I ran hard and started to feel it about an hour or so after I ran. I didn’t have an appetite, which is the usual feeling I have, but I felt “off”. I tried to eat, but couldn’t. It wasn’t until about two hours later that I was able to eat some pasta with meat sauce that they served. On our way to the parking garage, we saw this neat restaurant called, “Finale”. How appropriate! We had a delicious warm apple pie crisp with a cappuccino. About five hours later, I was back to normal and ate spaghetti and udon with chicken!
I trained and ran this race with a deeper meaning with purpose. Yes, I had personal goals, but those were not a priority. If I didn’t meet my personal goals, I would’ve found comfort knowing that I helped raise money for a very necessary cause. Every step I ran, every mile I completed, all the hours I put into training for Boston was dedicated to those who lost the battle to cancer, for those who still fight it and for those who survived it. I may sound repetitive, but it’s true. Every time I received a donation or read about someone who lost their battle to cancer or those who were newly diagnosed with cancer, motivated me to run even when I didn’t feel like running. God blessed me with the ability to run and for over 30 years, I ran for myself. God tugged at my heart for several months last year before I decided to run to raise money for a charitable organization. Not only did I run to help find better cancer treatments and hopefully in our lifetime, a cure, but I also ran for the victims and survivors of the devastating earthquake in Japan last month. My wife and I made a donation to the Hope for Japan foundation and were given wristbands in their memory. I wore the red one during the race. I find that running for a deeper purpose such as raising money for charity or in memory of someone or for the Glory of God is much more meaningful and fulfilling than for personal reasons and goals.
Always a Runner...
No comments:
Post a Comment