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Boston Marathon 2014

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SPKoF Feb 2014 8:12am, 10 Feb 2014 3,502 posts	Quote Pin SPKoF Half my first post is missing.... I'm in an airBNB room - Thurs to Mon nights on Jersey St for <£350 for thurs to mon nights - much cheaper than the hotels. Tues lunch to share tales of out heroicism sounds good.
SPKoF Feb 2014 8:14am, 10 Feb 2014 3,503 posts	Quote Pin SPKoF I think I've found a bug! I'm in an airBNB room - Thurs to Mon nights on Jersey St for LESS than (rather than the less than symbol) £350 for Thurs to Mon night - much cheaper than the hotels. Tues lunch sounds good - share tales of our heroicism
Sweaty Frank Feb 2014 4:23pm, 10 Feb 2014 2,186 posts	Quote Pin Sweaty Frank SPKoF, I looked at the map, and you'll want to take the T to the buses the morning of the race. No worries, it's a quick ride and will only cost you a couple of dollars (years ago it was free to race participants on race day.) You can probably hop on the Green line at either Fenway or Longwood, whichever station is closest. Get off at Boylston station, and the buses are right there. Just follow the crowd.
becca7 Feb 2014 5:15pm, 10 Feb 2014 5,442 posts	Quote Pin becca7 That is a good deal SPKoF. One of my team mates has an airBNB place as well as the hotel prices were eye-watering when she went to book. I'm at the Holiday Inn Express, which seems to be a couple of miles from where the buses will be. Going out on the Friday and back on the Tuesday. Three from our club are going but I'm not sure of our plans yet.
PCleasby Feb 2014 7:52am, 19 Feb 2014 59 posts	Quote Pin PCleasby Hi Folks sorry to jump in so late, just found the thread. I second the observation of eye wateringly expensive hotels quadrupled when the family insist on coming and also want to spend some time in New York before hand. EEEK! Still it a lifetime event so I'm sure it'll be worth every penny/cent. Can anyone answer this? I know the race sets off in waves but if everyone is pretty much running at the same pace i.e. under 3:15 how congested is it going to be on the run? ALos for those of you who have done it before how does your Boston time compare with your other marathon times? Sorry to be so geeky but I am curious to know whether a pb might be possible all other things being equal. Thanks
57.5 Degrees of Pain Feb 2014 5:46pm, 19 Feb 2014 1,269 posts	Quote Pin 57.5 Degrees of Pain I ran Boston in 2011 when conventional wisdom would suggest we had a tailwind like a wind tunnel. It was certainly good running conditions (if a little warm after training in a cold Scottish winter) but I ran a fair bit slower than my other races might suggest, mainly as the legs were worn down after the long early downhills. That and the Newton hills mean you'll do well to manage a PB, though doing long tarmac downhills in training might help. Don't know about 3.15 but around the 3 hour mark we were never congested but there was always more people around you in the later stages than somewhere like London or New York.
Sweaty Frank Feb 2014 8:56pm, 19 Feb 2014 2,189 posts	Quote Pin Sweaty Frank 57.5 has it right. I have run it 7 times, and my experiences is that at the 3:00 (6:50/min-mile) pace, you will still have some congestion and jostling in the first few miles, but after that there should not be any issues. However, with the 3:15 pace runners you'll find you are among many runners for much of the race, although after the first four or five miles, there is sufficient room to run without worries. Regarding the course, I've run many that are more likely for PBs, but that can be achieved. (I did it once.) I recommend including prolonged downhills in your training, try to simulate the early part of the Boston course. Look at the elevation charts and find something as close as possible to matching it. You need to pay attention to your downhill form, try to run softly while maintaining your pace. The damage you can do to your quads in the first part of the course will come back to haunt you in the hills of Newton.
PCleasby Feb 2014 12:42pm, 20 Feb 2014 60 posts	Quote Pin PCleasby Thanks folks, looking at the course profile it doesn't look too bad but I've heard too many experienced runners warn of the effect of the downhills and the subsequent pain to your quads to rely on simply looking at the graphs! I have to say I do struggle running down hill. It just does not feel right.
57.5 Degrees of Pain Feb 2014 8:35pm, 20 Feb 2014 1,271 posts	Quote Pin 57.5 Degrees of Pain The total lack of shade on a sunny day is a bit of a shock in the spring too. The full New England foliage manages to appear in the 2 weeks after the race.
TRO Saracen Feb 2014 9:12pm, 20 Feb 2014 8,547 posts	Quote Pin TRO Saracen I did Boston in 2013. Was in shape for something around 3:05-3:10. When you tour the course the Newton hills don't look that much, and with a net downhill I was confident of a sub 3:10. I used the Marathon Nation approach for pacing, adapted for Boston course. I'll get the link later, but it's well worth considering. Through 6 miles nice and slow, felt like effortless 'free' miles, then as per strategy sped up for miles 6-18, into race pace less -5 seconds to recover the deliberately slow start. Hit the Newton hills still feeling perfect, and was even thinking of upping the pace for the down run into the City over last 5 miles