Official you ran Boston 2022 thread - post your experience here

Cassadamius wrote:

2. Newton seems to set up much better for power runners. I'm 5'9" 125 and have never broken a minute in the quarter, so that should give you some indication of how very much a rhythm runner I am. For anyone with a similar profile, I can't stress enough how much I wish I would have lifted regularly through the buildup. I think it's worth it to run okay workouts on sore legs from lifting, rather than trying to run fast workouts without the lifting. Also, do core - I was pretty lax about that and today my lower back hurts a ton from trying to keep myself upright on the hills.

6'0" 125 pounds here. I did a bunch of strength training up until about mid February or so then I stopped because of some races on the schedule. I will say that I felt I was more durable this session due to it. No core for me, though I should really get on it.

I came in with three goals for myself:
Break 2:30
Top 100
Negative Split

Coach tossed up a game plan to try and run 5:45's through 10 and then move under 5:40's if I felt comfortable, stay strong over Newton, then and rock the miles after heartbreak. Had a group with this game plan in mind but it didn't really all go to plan. We tried to sneak two of them into Wave 1 but had no luck so I started behind the entirety of wave 1 to make sure we all stuck together. Had to pee horribly at mile 1 so I pulled off to the side and lost the entirety of the group. A couple miles were just a little faster than 5:45 but I stayed above 5:40 for the first 10. Went through half way in 75:11 and changed gears pretty good. Newton was easy, heartbreak didn't break me and I passed a ton of people over the last 10 miles. Ran my fastest miles in the last 5 miles and finished with a 5:15 last mile to run 2:28:23. PR'd by 2 minutes and negative split by almost 2 minutes. The charge down Boylston basically sealed my top 100 finish as I passed a good amount of people down that stretch running just under sub 5 pace.

Saved my watch and started it up again and jogged to get my gear bag and tried to make it to Tracksmith for their first to the trackhouse thing. Got 3rd lol.

Pros:

Our bus got lost. They dropped us off in the area half mile ahead of athletes village with the final portapottys just before the corrals. Our busses were the only ones that could access this because the corrals hadn't officially opened. Water and easy access to bathrooms for all of us. Instead of walking to athletes village we all stayed in this section.
As always, the volunteers and crowd support was incredible.
Tracksmith afterparty was great

Not really any cons for me this time out. Didn't get a Sam Adams glass again but overall everything this weekend felt pretty easy. I would highly recommend traveling solo too. People were waiting two hours for Pasta at the local restaurants. I found an open seat at the bar and that made it easy.

Coyote Montane wrote:

Masters and then some (60+).

Second Boston. Goal was sub 3, and thought 2:55-sub 3 was realistic. Qualified with a 3:02 last year. Ran close to even splits (1:29XX, 1:30XX) but finished just over 3. That would have been nice (especially to make 5DS3) but the result does not detract from my overall experience. I had a really good race.

The logistical and community support there are amazing, and really those are the best things about the event. I did have to wait/stand for the better part of an hour to get onto the bus, but it wasn't terrible and then didn't have to stew around at the athlete's village for so long. The walk to the start was no big deal.

The only thing I did not like on the course were the "crossing" islands toward the end (Beacon Street) where they had diversion arrows and islands every km or mile or so where people could cross the street in phases. That made the course narrow (less than one lane sometimes) it got crowded in there, and you had to divert your stride. Best on the course was the Will Smith slap face in the first few miles and just the incredible support you got the entire way.