"PRIOR PREPARATION PREVENTS PISS POOR PERFORMANCE"

The Boston Marathon

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Location:

UT,United States

Member Since:

Apr 05, 2010

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

"PRIOR PREPRATION PREVENTS PISS POOR PERFORMANCE"

Best running times:

5K - 17:45, Nestle, 2008

10K - 43:34, Des News, 2008

1/2 Marathon - 1:32:50, Provo 1/2, 1999

Full Marathon - 3:21:26, St. George, 1999

Best Boston Marathon: 3:29:57, 2006

I  RAN AND COMPLETED MY 12/12/60th BIRTHDAY CHALLENGE. 12 MARATHONS IN 12 MONTHS  (FEB 5,2011 - FEB 19, 2012)

ST GEORGE MARATHON(14)    1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2018, 2019 (14)

THE BOSTON MARATHON(14)  2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, (14)

DESERET NEWS MARATHON,(4)  2004, 2005, 2006, 2011 (4)

OGDEN MARATHON(3)  2004, 2005, 2011, 2022 (4)

PARK CITY MARATHON(6)  2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011

TOP OF UTAH MARATHON(4)  2004, 2005, 2007, 2011.

UTAH VALLEY MARATHON(3)  2010, 2011, 2021.

THE COWTOWN MARATHON(1)  2011

THE HOOVER DAM MARATHON (1)    2011

THE DALLAS WHITE ROCK MARATHON(1)   2011

THE SURF CITY USA MARATHON(2)    2012, 2013

THE LOST DUTCHMAN MARATHON(1)   2012

THE LAYTON MARATHON,(1)  2013

THE MT NEBO MARATHON,(1)  2014

THE ATHENS GREECE AUTHENTIC MARATHON (1), NOV 8, 2015

THE GREEN BAY MARATHON (1), JUNE 22 2016

THE CIM (1), DEC 4, 2016

THE HUNTSVILLE "FULL MONTE" MARATHON (2), 2017 & 2019

 

 

64 MARATHONS, From 1998 until 2022  W/ ZERO DNFS

1st Marathon, St. George Marathon, OCTOBER 3, 1998. 

64 total Marathons, The Ogden Marathon, May  2022.

169 OVERALL RACES (5Ks, 10Ks, 1/2s, Full Marathons & Tris) SINCE JUNE 4, 1998 UNTIL TODAY. (ZERO-DNF'S)

 

"PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME LATER"

Short-Term Running Goals:

RUN A 17:00 5K

RUN A 38:00 10K

RUN A 90:00 1/2 MARY

RUN A SUB 3 HR FULL MARY (I know I will never hit this one, but I will keep on trying)

RUN THE BOSTON MARATHON, AT LEAST ONE MORE TIME IN 2022! 

"THERE WILL BE DAYS THAT I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN RUN A MARATHON, BUT THERE WILL ALSO BE A LIFE TIME KNOWING THAT I HAVE!"

Long-Term Running Goals:

 

2021 RUNNING RACE SCHEDULE: (STILL SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

1. UTAH VALLEY MARATHON, (3rd plc AD) 5 JUNE '21

2. UTAH VALLEY 5k, (1st plc AD), JUNE 2021

3. SANDY CITY 4th of JULY CLASSIC 5K, (3rd plcAD), 3 JULY '21

4. UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HOMECOMING 5K, U5K, (1st plc AD) 9/18/'21

5. SANDY CITY TURKEY TROT & VETERANS DAY 5K, (1st plc AD), 11/13/'21

6. Midnight Madness 5K, 12/31/2021, (1st plc AD)

 

                                
2022 race schedule:

1. The Ogden Marathon, May 21,'22, 5th in Age Division 

2.  Sandy City 4th of July 5k, (29:37) (Age Div 1st plc)

3.  Sandy City Balloon Fest 5k, (30:51) ( 1st plc Age Div)

 

GOALS.....My goal is to be an Age Division Winner and a Boston Marathon Qualifer & Participant as long as I can run this short, fat, tired old man body down the road!!!  This gettin' old crap isn't for the weak of heart, mind, body or spirit!

 

 

 

 

Personal:

 

"IMPROVISE, ADAPT & OVERCOME"

I'm still alive after all these years, All "71 yrs" of them and I'm continuing to live my dreams and I'm doing it my way! Retired Former State of Utah Police Criminal Investigator & United States ARMY O&I Sergeant! 

Favorite Blogs:

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
T-1 Lifetime Miles: 928.65
P2 Lifetime Miles: 233.50
P2a Lifetime Miles: 978.15
Other Lifetime Miles: 806.47
P2.5 Lifetime Miles: 392.45
P2.12 Altra Provision Lifetime Miles: 232.50
T-3 Lifetime Miles: 368.41
IQ Lifetime Miles: 414.75
IQ2 Lifetime Miles: 295.79
IQ 3 Lifetime Miles: 153.55
IQ 4 Lifetime Miles: 93.94
IQ 5 Lifetime Miles: 64.31
IQ 6 Lifetime Miles: 31.13
Total Distance
89.55
BAA!0 Miles: 11.00BA9 Miles: 17.00BNN Miles: 15.00B9-10 Miles: 37.20BA NYC Miles: 5.00
Total Distance
2.50

I'm just going out for a short 2.5 mile rest/shake down run this am. Looks as though the weather around here is going south as the day progresses.

OK, here we go....it's now 15 days till the Boston Marathon. It's really time to get your taper on. The time for hard training has passed and given way to getting rested and getting any and all the nagging injuries under control.

A shot from the past...

Postby Tom Slick on Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:51 am

Edit postDelete postReport this postInformationReply with quote Re: BOSTON 2009!
by Tom Slick on Sun Apr 12, 2009 8:40 am

Here is the Boston Marathon course thru my eyes......this year I will be running so slow I will really be able to see it.


The Start:
Hopkinton to Natick - (0 - 10 miles), elevation drops 309 feet
The first mile and a half drops sharply but after that it goes rolley polly little hills and gets better about 10 miles out. Start your race out slower than your predicted marathon race pace, probably 5 to 10 seconds slower. I try to hold this pace out to about mile 5.

Natick to Wellesly - (10 - 13.5 miles) elevation drops 45 feet
I noticed that this part of the course is full of mild hills, nothing to worry about. Pay attention to the slant of the road here and run in the top third of the road so you won't wander towards the gutters. Start to focus in on your race and continue to quicken your pace to above your predicted marathon race pace all the while preparing for the hills to come. And Baby there coming!!!

Wellesley Square to Lower Newton Falls (13.5 - 16 miles) elevation drops 71 feet
The course continues to be the same little hills till you hit the base of Lower Newton Falls at about 14.5 miles (the real half way point in the marathon), then at about 15.5 miles the elevation drops 124 feet in the next half mile which brings you to the "Killer Chain" at Newton Falls which are the steepest and longest on the course. This 3/4 of a mile will wreck your legs if you run it too fast. Stay on the top third of the road to avoid slower runners and to get the best level footing. Get prepared for the screaming women at Wellesley College, nothing I can say can get you prepared for the mile long Scream Tunnel,move to the left of the road if you want to aviod the hand slapping and save the hearing in your right ear, You'll never forget it!

Lower Newton Falls to Cleveland Circle (16 - 22 miles) elevation rises 67 feet to 259 feet at the top of Heartbreak Hill.
So get ready to use all your hill training here. The hills terrace up and end with the famous "Heartbreak Hill". then you go over the top to a very sharp decline past Boston College that will torture your legs beyond belief.
Heartbreak Hill isn't tough it's just when and where it's located on the course, late and steep! Glide up the hills a few seconds slower than race pace and pick it up and run faster on the downhill slopes.

Cleveland Circle to Kenmore Square (elevation drops 180 feet)
At mile 22 look for the cemetery, "The Cemetery of Lost Hope," because if you haven't trained correctly for speed and hills you will be exhausted! In this downhill part of the course you can let everything you have left in the tank go and run for the finish line. Open up and run at a pace faster than your predicted race pace while recovering. Focus and maintain the end is in your sights.

The end:
Kenmore Square to the finish line (25 - 26.2 miles) elevation drops 64 feet
Look for the Citgo sign, it's about a mile to the finish line from here. This is some great road to be running on, it gently declines to the finish with just a hint of incline on Hereford Street. All I can think from this point on is it's "Show Time" baby. Concentrate on your form and any speed you can muster and get your "Smile" on for the photo at the finish line.

I Love running Boston and I hope some of this helps you do your best in Boston!

Here are some other bits of wisdom, but there just old standard things you do before any marathon.

Negative splits.

Wear nothing new to the race, like your shoes, I like to have a new pair of shoes but I like to have them gently broken in with about 50 miles on them by race day!

Start running your long run trainer at about 10:00AM to get yourself used to running later in the day. Boston starts at 10:00AM for us rank and file runners. (10: am first wave and 10:30 am second wave now)

Take heed to your pottie training, valuable minutes tick by while one rests in the green Temple of Doom. get the job done before the race starts. "The Corn Story"

If you are used to a paticular carb loading meal, you should make preprations to take it with you to Boston. I carry my pasta loading meals with me from home, that way I know exactly when and what I'm eating, no surprises!

Same thing with carb jells, purchase the ones you've trained and run with before, don't take chances using anything new!

Be prepared for just about any type of weather at Boston, I've seen it at 20 degrees and 86. I don't think I like either of them! Be prepared for rain or shine.

Remember your hydration training. It's so important at any race! Start sipping on a 16 oz. sports drink about two hours before the race starts, this will be enough hydration to get you started well hydrated.

And at Boston, sleep as long as you can in your hotel room and try to arrive for one of the later buses because you have to wait around at the athletes village for up to 4 hours before the race. Try to avoid all the extra hype that Boston can produce, remain calm and focus in on your race.
PRIOR PREPRATION PREVENTS PISS POOR PERFORMANCE

PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME LATER
Tom Slick
Supreme Satpurusha

Re: Boston 2011

Postby Tom Slick on Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:57 am

Re: BOSTON 2009!
by Tom Slick on Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:28 am

Hey everybody, here's course review by the famous Boston Billy Rogers:

Miles 0-2.5:
From an initial elevation of 472 feet, Route 135 drops like a roller coaster as it rambles into Ashland, site of the original starting line, used from 1897 to 1923. The gnarliest section of the descent comes in the first six-tenths of a mile, but Boston's strict seeding system, the size of its field, and the narrow road should help prevent you from careening downhill too fast. This is a good thing, so don't fight it. Stay in the middle third of the road and let the jackrabbits sprint along the edges. You'll get your chance to pass them later.

Landmark:
TJ's Food and Spirits, mile 2. Even the leather-clad Harley set gets caught up in marathon mania. This rowdy biker bar, located on the left side of the road, is the first major spectator hangout you'll pass.

Miles 2.5-5:
The course continues to lose altitude through this stretch. Resist the temptation to "Bank" minutes for the second half of the race-you'll lose twice as many when you wind up walking on Beacon Street before the finish. At the same time, avoid braking so hard you expend precious energy reining in your strides.

Miles 5-7.5:
Around the 10-K mark in Framingham, the course traverses the first of seven sets of railroad tracks. While you needn't worry about having to stop to let a locomotive pass, several members of the lead pack in 1907 were less fortunate. According to Boston Marathon veteran and history buff Tom Derderian, they got separated from the eventual winner by a slow-moving freighter.

By now, Route 135 has flattened out, allowing runners to find a consistent rhythm. "Now you're getting into a groove," says race director Dave McGillivray, a 33-time Boston finisher. If you've ignored our advice and gone out too fast, when you hit Framingham, you need to settle in. "The mile splits you'd planned, those are what you should be running now," says McGillivray.

Landmark:
Henry Wilson Shoe Shop, mile 8.5. Although staged on Patriot's Day, the state holiday that commemorates Paul Revere's ride, the Boston Marathon never touches the route Revere and his deputies traveled while sounding the alarm. At the intersection of Route 135 and Mill Street in Natick, however, it does pass the proudly preserved workspace of Henry Wilson, a local cobbler who went on to become Ulysses S. Grant's vice president.

Miles 7.5-12.5:
The course undulates as it skirts Lake Cochituate and proceeds into downtown Natick. "Some of the grade changes are imperceptible, but they do help you," says Boston Athletic Association (BAA) coach Michael Pieroni. "You can use different muscles, which lets those that have been taxed for a while get a break." Forget about even splits on the rolling terrain and focus instead on even effort. "Your pace will slow down on the upgrades," says Lisa Rainsberger, the last American to win, in 1985. "But if you keep the same cadence and the same heart rate, you'll be okay."

Landmark:
Wellesley College, mile 12.5. Because of the way the course bends, the celebrated shrieks of the school's 2,400 students will reach your ears well before you pass by them. If you don't get chills once you hit this gauntlet of sound, say even the most hard-boiled Boston vets, you must not have a pulse.

Miles 15-16.5:
On its way into Newton Lower Falls, Route 135 plummets 150 feet in a half mile, the steepest drop since the opening plunge out of Hopkinton. "It's a terrible hill," says Bill Squires, famed former coach of the Greater Boston Track Club, noting that what makes it so troublesome is the punishing haul up the bridge over Route 128 that immediately follows. "To me, the climb up over 128 has always been the toughest part of the whole race," adds McGillivray. "You don't look for it, because nobody talks about it. And then you say, 'Wait a minute, I'm going up.' And then you keep going up and up." The bridge's exposure to the elements adds to its difficulty. "If there's a weather problem of any sort, this area seems to call it out," says Cambridge Running Club coach Fred Treseler. "If it's sunny, it's always very hot. If it's a windy day, it's twice as bad here." Consider yourself warned. Put your head down, stay focused, and maybe repeat a mantra-something like "This too shall pass."

Miles 16.5-17.5:
"If you're under pace, this is the point to really slow it down and regroup, and make sure you're truly getting ready for the last hills," Pieroni says. Anyone who feels their legs fading here should "go to their arms," suggests Rainsberger. Driving your elbows back a bit harder than normal helps bring up your knees. "And that's going to spread out the workload."

Entering the 17th mile, you'll encounter two potentially vital relief stations. In front of the Woodland Country Club, you'll find volunteers distributing Power Gel on both sides of the course. To the right sits an MBTA (or "T," as the locals call it) trolley stop. (Note: All day on marathon day, flashing your official bib number lands you a free T ride. But don't get on it here!)

Landmark:
Newton Fire Station, mile 17.5. For the first time in the entire race, the course takes a sharp turn, bearing right at this handsome red-brick building onto Commonwealth Avenue and the first of the infamous Newton hills.
Miles 17.5-21:
Here we go: Take a deep breath, set your eyes on the road ahead, and motor on, tackling the slopes one at a time as you start up the series of rises that ends with the famous Heartbreak Hill. "The first one is pretty long, but it has the gentlest grade," says Pieroni. Shorten your strides slightly until you reach the top, then switch into recovery mode as you drop 50 feet over the next mile. The second hill rears up just past the Johnny Kelley statue-on the left side of the street, opposite Newton City Hall-and leads to a short, level patch of road that fools some fatigue-addled runners into thinking the worst is over, when Heartbreak proper still looms. Draw encouragement from the boisterous crowds lining the course. Dick Beardsley, who finished second behind Alberto Salazar in their famous 1982 duel, says, "I thought the crowds helped me here more than anywhere else."

Miles 22-25:
Before entering Cleveland Circle at mile 22, the race turns abruptly right onto Chestnut Hill Avenue, then left 300 yards later onto Beacon Street. By mile 23, you'll be descending steadily; in the twenty-fourth, the downward pitch becomes even more pronounced.

If you're still feeling good, "the course is finally sweet to you at the end," Rodgers says. "It gives you all this good downhill, and you can just glide." If you're struggling, Rainsberger advises taking things a few shuffling steps at a time. "Break it down into smaller sums. You can see the darn CITGO sign forever, so don't look for that. Look for the next water station or mile marker." As you approach Kenmore Square, beware the Mass. Pike overpass near Fenway Park. It's just a bump, really, but it won't seem like that now.

Landmark: Cemetery Mile, mile 23. "People get to the top of Heartbreak and they say, 'Damn, I made it!'"Meyer says. "Then they go charging down the hill to Boston College, and then their legs are finished." After crossing Lake Street, anyone who commits that error will be left to suffer in relative solitude. Trolley tracks paralleling Commonwealth Avenue on the left keep away supporters. What's more, to the right stands Evergreen Cemetery. "I call it the Cemetery of Lost Hope," Squires says. Treseler adds, "It's really a no-man's-land. All of a sudden, everything goes quiet. It's very easy to become distracted or deflated."

Miles 25-26.2:
During his showdown with Salazar, Beardsley tripped over a pothole as the two flew through Kenmore Square. The stumble barely threw him off stride-he actually credits the mishap with loosening a perilously tight hamstring-and in retrospect, it's no surprise he kept going. Once you get this far, nothing will stop you from finishing.

A straight shot down Common- wealth Avenue leads you to a right onto Hereford Street and a final short incline before hooking a left onto Boylston. Keep the legs churning and the arms swinging. And most of all, soak in the Olympian roar-and the view of the finish-once you make that turn. "You've reached the point of no return," McGillivray says. No matter what the race clock reads, "you can claim victory now."

Landmark:
Kenmore Square MBTA Stop, near mile 25 and the CITGO sign. Some say infamous bandit Rosie Ruiz walked out of this station and jumped in the race for her ill-gained "First place" finish in 1980. Having earned your medal, you'll want to celebrate. Avoid the Copley Square T (it's closed), and go to Arlington Street, the Hynes Convention Center, or Back Bay Station. And try to stay awake for a postrace party.PRIOR PREPRATION PREVENTS PISS POOR PERFORMANCE

PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME LATER
Tom Slick
Supreme Satpurusha

BAA!0 Miles: 2.50
Comments(3)
Total Distance
0.00

Taper training schedule day off........

Add Comment
Total Distance
4.00

Don't you just love Taper time.For some reason I am really liking this one so much better than any taper time before. tyi. 12 days till Boston.

I think I'm getting excited to get back to Boston!

BA9 Miles: 4.00
Comments(2)
Total Distance
4.50

Nice 4.5 mile am SHP run. tempo style run.

BAA!0 Miles: 4.50
Comments(1)
Total Distance
0.00

Take a look at this weather report for Marathon Monday at the Boston! If you don't like this one just wait 15 minutes till you see the next forecast! Just yesterday the gypsies had it snowing on Marathon Monday...Go figure!

Sunday Apr 15 Colder with periods of rain 59°Lo 52°

Monday Apr 16 Warmer with clearing 70°Lo 53° more

Tuesday Apr 17 Colder with clouds; p.m. rain 55°Lo 51° more

Wednesday Apr 18 Colder with rain 43°Lo 35° more Thursday

Apr 19 Rain 46°Lo 34

Comments(4)
Total Distance
5.00

easy 5 miles on the PRT.

The Boston weather outlook: 

15 Mostly Sunny
65° Lo 52°
Hist. Avg
55° Lo 41°

16 Rain
66° Lo 46°
Hist. Avg
56° Lo 41°

17 Cloudy
69° Lo 55°
Hist. Avg
56° Lo 41°

18 Rain
60° Lo 53°
Hist. Avg
57° Lo 42°                                                                                                 

 10 days till the Boston.....

BNN Miles: 5.00
Comments(3)
Total Distance
10.00

The forecast for BOSTON:

Apr 15
overnight lo 47

Monday
Apr 16
Periods of rain 66°Lo 52

 Winds
SW at 9 mph
Gusts: 24 mph
 
Periods of rain

Nine days till Show time at the Starting line in Hopkinton.....then on through Askland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and into the finish line ....Boston!

Today was my last 10 mile run before Boston. Did it at an easy pace, 1 to 2 minutes slower than my expected marathon pace. It was a nice run. Now it all down hill to Boston....all I have to do is survive the taper madness and not go out for any unscheduled runs or other foolishness!


BA9 Miles: 10.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
0.00

Boston weather info:

Next 5 Days

  • Friday

    Apr 13

    Breezy with periods of sun 54°Lo 44°
  • Saturday

    Apr 14

    Some sunshine 59°Lo 46°
    more
  • Sunday

    Apr 15

    Times of clouds and sun 61°Lo 49°
    more
  • Monday

    Apr 16

    Periods of rain 59°Lo 50°
    more
  • Tuesday

    Apr 17

    Partly sunny and warmer 70°Lo 54

Looks like those rain clouds just keep hanging around on Marathon Monday with sunshine the day before and after...

Comments(1)
Total Distance
6.00

6 mile run today on the PRT. 7 days till Boston.

Boston weather update:

Previous 5 Days Next 5 Days
Partly Sunny Hi 62° RealFeel® 65°

Day

Wind
  • N at 7 mph
  • Gusts: 27 mph

Partly sunny

  • Max UV Index: (low)
  • Thunderstorm Probability: 4%
  • Amount of Precipitation: 0.00 in
  • Amount of Rain: 0.00 in
  • Amount of Snow: 0.0 in
  • Amount of Ice: 0.00 in
  • Hours of Precipitation: 0  hrs
  • Hours of Rain: 0 hrs
Rain Lo 51° RealFeel® 50°

Night

Wind
  • E at 4 mph
  • Gusts: 17 mph

Periods of rain

So there you have it, chance 22. At least there predicting sunshine and a nice breeze behind us on Monday the 16th!

BNN Miles: 6.00
Comments(5)
Total Distance
5.25

nice eash taper run......gettin' all the parts feeling good!

BAA!0 Miles: 4.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
0.00

Taper rest day

Add Comment
Total Distance
3.00

probably go out for about 3 sometime today.....

BA9 Miles: 3.00
Comments(6)
Total Distance
0.00

Good morning all you FRB Flyers - That's it, it's all done but the crying. I'm off to Boston later today to meet up with many of my fellow friends and runners to run the Boston Marathon. Good luck to all of you that are runnning the Boston Marathon this coming Monday! Go out and do good.  Make your Momma proud! tyi.....................

Be sure to wave or stop by for a beer with my  peeps at the Biker Bar at the 2 mile mark. There on the left hand side of the street, can't miss it! The odor of beer can be detected in the air as you approach!!!!!! It's Boston, go for it, have a great time!!!!

Comments(9)
Total Distance
0.00

Rest

Add Comment
Total Distance
3.10

The day before the Boston Marathon I ran, well kinda' ran, the BAA 5K! It's a nice fun run around the Boston Commons past the capitol and back down to near the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston.

 

Comments(7)
Race: The Boston Marathon (26.2 Miles) 04:10:16
Total Distance
26.20

"The real contest is always between what you've done and what you're capable of doing. You measure yourself against yourself and nobody else."--Geoffrey Gaberino

Wow! I don't even know where to start this belated race report of my experience at the 116th BOSTON marathon for 2012. I think I have to load up the "Way Back Machine" and remember what got me to my first Boston Marathon. For me I would say that it was my very first marathon in 1998, The St. George Marathon, that aimed me at even thinking that I could do The Boston. In 1997 at the age of 46 I took on the challenge of running a marathon with my best old friend Joe. He had come to me with the bright idea that we could actually run a marathon at least once in our lives. I trained up and run the SGM, with Joe, in 1998 in 3:39:44 at 47 years of age. Just after the race I told myself and Joe that I'd never do another marathon as long as I lived. Then two weeks later I found myself looking at my time at the SGM '98 thinking that if I had run it just a few minutes faster I could qualify to apply for the Boston Marathon. So what I guess I'm trying to say is, this is where the dream of doing Boston started and now I've completed 10 Boston marathons!

For me the Boston 2012 started on October 2, 1999 when I ran my second St. George Marathon at 3:21:26 at the age of 48 and qualified to apply for my first Boston Marathon in 2000. I really trained up hard to achieve my goal and ran Boston 2000 in 20 degree weather with a 3:52:34 at 49 years of age. What a nightmare running in the cold was that year!

Boston Marathons: 2000-3:52:34 2003-3:54:30 2004-3:56:00 2005-3:37:46 2006-3:29:57 2007-3:34:34 2008-3:30:25 2009-4:42:27 2011-3:45:01 2012-4:10:16...

So here I am at the Boston 2012 at age 61 running the Boston in the second hottest marathon monday in the 116 year history of the Boston Marathon. I had already run the third hottest Boston Marathon in 2003. The experience of running the Boston Marathon is something that I will cherish for the rest of time. I know that I am not an elite marathon runner by any stretch of the imagination and at my best I barely qualify to be classified as a good recreational runner. But none the less, I've qualified and ran "10" Boston Marathons.

I couldn't believe that the Boston 116 th was going to be such a hot one. I started the weather watch about two weeks before race day and was totally amazed at the different weather gypsies forecasts that were being give. The one thing they kept coming back to was the fact that April 16th was going to be hot, just how hot they couldn't make up their minds! In the past I've run "hot" marathons and I knew full well that this Boston was going to be trouble for me and everybody else in it!

At the St. George Marathon 2010, where I ran a 3:30:53 in the blistering heat of the high desert and used this time to qualify for the 2012 Boston, I related the high heat situation to the 2012 Boston Marathon and tried to plan accordingly to survive the 2012 Boston.

It was amazing walking over to the bus loading zone to head out to the athletes village and you didn't need a jacket or long pants.....I knew we were all in some kind of trouble at that point.

In the village I tried to sit quietly by and try to contemplate running the Boston Bataan Death March run.

About 10:am we packed up and headed for the gear bag bus and then to the starting area. I was in the second wave, fifth corral, I just made it there when it was time to head out down the long winding hot road to Boston. I thought I had a pretty good plan to get me there!

Our race started and we were off. I planned to start slow and remain in control hoping for a 3:45:00 race that day.....wow, was I in for a big fat hot surprise.

I was pretty much in control for the first 7 or 8 miles and then the heat really started to pick up. I had previously upped my hydration intake and was feeling good even as the heat started up. Later reports say that it was 88 degrees in the air and about 95 degrees on the black top.

I was doing pretty good, but slowing down as I reached 14 miles. The heat was getting bad and the direct sun was starting to burn the exposed flesh on my shoulders. That’s when out of nowhere Hillbilly Runner (Ronnie) popped up and said that he was having some heat problems and I should just keep on running, see ya at the finish line.

From about the 14 mile area I started taking double cups of water and Gatorade and then pouring two cups over my head at each water stop. the March continues....

The rest of the race then got to be a blur, it was so hot and all I wanted to do was get it over with. It seemed like I couldn't get enough water and I couldn't keep my hands cool, and the heat kept building.

I tried to keep my pace up but it just wasn't happening. It just kept getting harder and harder to keep pushing forward. It didn't take too awful long to figure out I wasn't going to make my planned race time.

I couldn't believe all the runners that were dropping out around and from in front of me. It was awful to see some of the misery that was going on. It almost makes me think that that I could have taken a pass and got into next years race.....too late for that, I was already on the course.

Oh ya before I go on, I got on the left hand side of the road just before the 2 mile mark and met up with my peeps at the biker bar. Considering the outcome of my race I should have stopped and had a 20 oz beer with the gang. Instead, I high fived a bunch of them and grabbed a small cup of beer for the road and kept on moving. Then again at the bottom of Heart Break Hill the Hash Hound Harriers were having a really big beer party, I really wanted to stop but I really wanted to get this race in the books before it cooked me.

Anyway, I just suffered through to the end of the race getting a pretty good round of applause when I pulled out my cigar and beet feet for the finish.....right at Hereford, left at Boylston, go for the finish line.

I clocked in a 4:10:16. Wow, that was a good 25 minutes slower that my planned finish time. The heat was brutal!

At the end I felt pretty good, I felt like I had planned fairly well and didn't dehydrate too badly on my journey. But I was trashed, that had to be the hardest marathon I've ever had to finish.

Oh well, that’s life in the slow hot lane. Now it's time to get ready to run the Ing New York Marathon in November 2012. Take care everybody.....................

One last thought. I can't help thinking that everything we do as runners is calculated right down to the smallest detail and is controlled with precision. Then when race day shows up we all line up at the starting line and run in what ever weather shows up. All that control out the window with the only thing that we have no control over. "The Weather"!

Tom Slick out...

 

 

  Thank you to all of my friends who have helped me along the way.....

B9-10 Miles: 26.20
Comments(5)
Total Distance
0.00

rest and sight seeing in the Boston area

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0.00

more rest and travel back to SLC.

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more res at home, all day.

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0.00

another rest day......1/2 day at work

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0.00

I'm getting pretty used to this rest and eating everything in sight!

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Total Distance
5.00

Got out of bed this morning and got out for a 5 mile recovery run.....It felt great! I'm really looking forward to getting ready and running the Ing New York Marathon......

B9-10 Miles: 5.00
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0.00

Regularly scheduled rest day.....back on the road @4:am Tuesday! TYI.....

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Total Distance
4.00

Got out the door this morning at at 4am to beat the heat and catch a recovery run. I'm still feeling the effects of the Boston / Bataan death march.....Everything feels pretty good...no major issues. I'm ready to get my training on for the New York Marathon......

BNN Miles: 4.00
Comments(4)
Total Distance
6.00

6 miles on the PTR at  5am

B9-10 Miles: 6.00
Comments(3)
Total Distance
5.00

nice five miler this am.... lifes gettting back to normal!

BA NYC Miles: 5.00
Comments(3)
Total Distance
89.55
BAA!0 Miles: 11.00BA9 Miles: 17.00BNN Miles: 15.00B9-10 Miles: 37.20BA NYC Miles: 5.00
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