Boston marathon 2010- the three F's.

The Boston marathon was another classic for me. As I have previously mentioned, I view this race a bit differently. It is a way to celebrate the past year of training, while competing with some of the best marathon runners out there. For me, it is also a way to get together with family and friends to celebrate life. Julie and I have gone to Boston for three consecutive years. Each year has a different story to tell but it all come back to the 3 F's: family , friends, and fun.

This year for the race we stayed with Julie's brother David and his family. We were right in Newton so being close to the race course was a bit of a thrill. David was nice enough to take us on a scouting mission over the Newton hills which was great. not matter how many times you have run a course, it helps to see it up close and personal right before you race it. It certainly helped me when I got to the hills to have a good visual about what as around the corner because I had seen it the day before.

Also new for this year was the fact that my college friend Rupert was staying with us. His Scottish charm was a welcomed addition to the house. We talked strategy leading up to the race as we had done many training runs leading up to race day. It was also fun being able to see Bill Potts and Angela doing their first Boston, and Nick lighting up the course as usual.

The race is one that requires strategy. Though most runners do tons of running leading up to race day, most don't have a firm race strategy. I had experienced going out too fast on the course so Rupert and I had a conservative start. We hit half way right on schedule in 1:26 high. In fact, we kept hovering at least a minute ahead of schedule. I tried to ease back knowing the hills were coming. We hit the Newton firehouse right on time. The only problem was that I essentially lost 60-90 seconds on each hill. I managed not to explode but I was not able to maintain the pace I wanted to run a 2:55. I fought hard through the end and came in at 2:59:09, a PR. I was happy to go sub 3 for the first time, but disappointed to not finish stronger.

Each marathon is a learning experience. Though I felt I had trained to a higher level of speed fitness, looking back I suspect I skimped on the endurance work. This is an area I took for granted and it made my finish a bit soft. Most sports psychologists talk about the importance of having a short memory with races. Rather than dwell on the few minutes I left in the hills, I will try to lock in on the new speed, as I dial the endurance back in. Thanks to all for a great race weekend.