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Raising the bar a little...
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Doesn't sound like the 50 year old stubborn bastard I know.
Some research for you
http://timeoutboston.com/restaurants-bars/bars/24159/bostons-best-craft-beer-bars
Ah good man CW. If the running doesn't work out sure I've something to fall back on.
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griffin100 wrote: »Man the fcuk up and get on with itDoesn't sound like the 50 year old stubborn bastard I know.
This is why I love boards.ie 0 -
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Boston Marathon Report
I will never forget the Boston marathon of 2013, sadly now for all for the wrong reasons.
15th April 2013 should have been a day of celebration for runners, families and friends but now for most will be remembered for those barbaric acts
The new friends we met over there were lucky and so were we. Sarah (OH) had only returned to the hotel which was 500m away 25 mins before the bombings. This was her 4th bombing experience.
Even since the London marathon of 2012 (LM12), I was so looking forward to this event - the oldest marathon in the world, Boston city, the experience of it all. I’ve heard so many positive stories about the race that literally I couldn’t wait for it. They say you should never meet your idol as you will be disappointed, I think you should never expect to conquer the Boston marathon unless you are prepared for failure.
In short the Boston Marathon was the most difficult marathon to date for me. From the build up of anticipation over the past months, the positivisms running through my veins race morning, the terrible fear inside me to 13 miles then the unbelievable pain for the last 10, the huge anticlimax and disappointing finish and finally the aftermath.
Maybe it was all a dream.
Marathon Preparation:
For the first time my preparation for a marathon was since besieged with injuries. A back injury in late Oct caused by my own stubborn self, had me out of sorts for 5 weeks. I managed to overcome that and return to some sort of form, then pick up a groin strain in an XC race in early Jan. I did little running for the next 5 weeks so all I had was 8-9 weeks of marathon preparation.
However 2 x solid HM’s and decent training had me confident of a respectable time for Boston. A 2:40 may have been possible but less than 2 weeks out I began to feel unwell, more proof then as I also underperformed in a 5k race and with one week to go I could barely run 7 min miles without stopping to cough up some lungs in the process.
Days Before
Sarah and I arrived into Boston the Sat afternoon. We stayed at the Taj Hotel close to everything and got the expo thing done straight away that afternoon. There was an exciting vibe around the place. I was beginning to feel better health wise also. That night we had a great steak meal (thanks KC for the “Open Table” tip).
Next morning I was awake very early, went for a 4 miler, feeling better. I was coughing up yet another lung when Larry Brent appeared. Soon after, the two of us and his kiddies went to see the 5k race.
Later we went on the Duck Tour and hooked up with Dory and DukeofDromada. The tour was great; I even got my chance at the wheel on the Charles River.
Later we fed ourselves at a nice Italian Cantina and were tucked up in bed by 9:30pm.
Mon – Race day
I had a good sleep. I jumped on the scales and these also confirmed I had lost well over a kilo in the last week and was only 2kg over LM12. I felt very relaxed this race morning, the best I felt in over 2 weeks. Everything ran smoothly for Larry Brent and me and his buddies out to Hopkinton to the race start.
My plan was sub 2:45, start off at 6:15 pace and hold it to 16 miles and then pull back slightly up the 4 Newton hills to mile 21.
I was in wave 1 corral 1 so I had no difficulty with congestion as the race started. I found myself running at 6:00 pace and with the steep down-hills and gradual inclines this wasn’t an effort. Loads though were passing me and while I continued to run consistently at the 6:00 pace I never felt fully relaxed and flowing but then again it wasn’t really too difficult either. My HR which was elevated in days up to the race was also behaving itself. Actually to mile 13 it was probably equal to that in LM12. However there was this terrible fear inside me that at some point I would implode. It was always at the front of my mind to be prepared to ease back the pace if something was imminent.
I recognized and shouted out something positive to Team Hoyt at 8 miles, what an inspiration to all they are, and from miles 10- 12, I felt the best in the race. A 1:19:00 at half way and then it all began to happen. My left quad went first; it was as if lead had been injected into it
Then shortly after, my right quad went. By mile 16 my legs were in total bits. I couldn’t understand this, I rarely experience heavy quads and never in a race.
From then until the finish I walked through each mile water station and sometimes between the mile markers trying to relieve the pain. Then the coughing started and I had to hold my groin during those fits as I ran because of the pain it inflicted down there. Thankfully none of the photos show this.
But in all this the crowd was simply remarkable. “Common no. 258 you can do it, you can do it” “You are an inspiration” – my head down, this is all I heard. It always got louder every time as I walked to rid the pain. Each time they brought me back to reality and then the extraordinary cheers as I lifted my head, waved to show appreciation as I began to run again.
Running inside the last mile I looked so hard for that Tricolour my wife was waving. I looked out in vain and didn’t see it all the way in that long finish straight. I had dreamed of holding it around me to the finish, that’s the vision that helped me in those last 10 miles.
I closed in on the finish and I seen the clock closing fast on 2:49:00 but I managed a burst to see me into the 2:48 split time.
Utterly dejected I spoke to no one, smiled at the helpful volunteers and made my way back to the hotel a short distance away before the carnage began 2 hrs later. Boston 2013
You need to respect the Boston marathon route. I think you can only run your best on this course after you have experienced the race.
It was only because of the crowd I managed my half respectable time. But I know deep down I underperformed and I am just biting at the bit at another fast marathon challenge next spring. I have an idea where it may be but before that I am hoping to lower my HM PB before too long.
Finally a big thanks to Larry Brent, you know why, Dory for that excellent PB and been there for us all Mon night when we had a nice few and also the performance of the day to DukeofDromada who got this first sub 3 and can drink a pint quicker than me.
Sorry I didn’t meet any other boardies.
Finally some clever person quoted the marathon:
Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart
Over and out for now.0 -
Boston Marathon Report
I will never forget the Boston marathon of 2013, sadly now for all for the wrong reasons.
15th April 2013 should have been a day of celebration for runners, families and friends but now for most will be remembered for those barbaric acts
The new friends we met over there were lucky and so were we. Sarah (OH) had only returned to the hotel which was 500m away 25 mins before the bombings. This was her 4th bombing experience.
Even since the London marathon of 2012 (LM12), I was so looking forward to this event - the oldest marathon in the world, Boston city, the experience of it all. I’ve heard so many positive stories about the race that literally I couldn’t wait for it. They say you should never meet your idol as you will be disappointed, I think you should never expect to conquer the Boston marathon unless you are prepared for failure.
In short the Boston Marathon was the most difficult marathon to date for me. From the build up of anticipation over the past months, the positivisms running through my veins race morning, the terrible fear inside me to 13 miles then the unbelievable pain for the last 10, the huge anticlimax and disappointing finish and finally the aftermath.
Maybe it was all a dream.
Marathon Preparation:
For the first time my preparation for a marathon was since besieged with injuries. A back injury in late Oct caused by my own stubborn self, had me out of sorts for 5 weeks. I managed to overcome that and return to some sort of form, then pick up a groin strain in an XC race in early Jan. I did little running for the next 5 weeks so all I had was 8-9 weeks of marathon preparation.
However 2 x solid HM’s and decent training had me confident of a respectable time for Boston. A 2:40 may have been possible but less than 2 weeks out I began to feel unwell, more proof then as I also underperformed in a 5k race and with one week to go I could barely run 7 min miles without stopping to cough up some lungs in the process.
Days Before
Sarah and I arrived into Boston the Sat afternoon. We stayed at the Taj Hotel close to everything and got the expo thing done straight away that afternoon. There was an exciting vibe around the place. I was beginning to feel better health wise also. That night we had a great steak meal (thanks KC for the “Open Table” tip).
Next morning I was awake very early, went for a 4 miler, feeling better. I was coughing up yet another lung when Larry Brent appeared. Soon after, the two of us and his kiddies went to see the 5k race.
Later we went on the Duck Tour and hooked up with Dory and DukeofDromada. The tour was great; I even got my chance at the wheel on the Charles River.
Later we fed ourselves at a nice Italian Cantina and were tucked up in bed by 9:30pm.
Mon – Race day
I had a good sleep. I jumped on the scales and these also confirmed I had lost well over a kilo in the last week and was only 2kg over LM12. I felt very relaxed this race morning, the best I felt in over 2 weeks. Everything ran smoothly for Larry Brent and me and his buddies out to Hopkinton to the race start.
My plan was sub 2:45, start off at 6:15 pace and hold it to 16 miles and then pull back slightly up the 4 Newton hills to mile 21.
I was in wave 1 corral 1 so I had no difficulty with congestion as the race started. I found myself running at 6:00 pace and with the steep down-hills and gradual inclines this wasn’t an effort. Loads though were passing me and while I continued to run consistently at the 6:00 pace I never felt fully relaxed and flowing but then again it wasn’t really too difficult either. My HR which was elevated in days up to the race was also behaving itself. Actually to mile 13 it was probably equal to that in LM12. However there was this terrible fear inside me that at some point I would implode. It was always at the front of my mind to be prepared to ease back the pace if something was imminent.
I recognized and shouted out something positive to Team Hoyt at 8 miles, what an inspiration to all they are, and from miles 10- 12, I felt the best in the race. A 1:19:00 at half way and then it all began to happen. My left quad went first; it was as if lead had been injected into it
Then shortly after, my right quad went. By mile 16 my legs were in total bits. I couldn’t understand this, I rarely experience heavy quads and never in a race.
From then until the finish I walked through each mile water station and sometimes between the mile markers trying to relieve the pain. Then the coughing started and I had to hold my groin during those fits as I ran because of the pain it inflicted down there. Thankfully none of the photos show this.
But in all this the crowd was simply remarkable. “Common no. 258 you can do it, you can do it” “You are an inspiration” – my head down, this is all I heard. It always got louder every time as I walked to rid the pain. Each time they brought me back to reality and then the extraordinary cheers as I lifted my head, waved to show appreciation as I began to run again.
Running inside the last mile I looked so hard for that Tricolour my wife was waving. I looked out in vain and didn’t see it all the way in that long finish straight. I had dreamed of holding it around me to the finish, that’s the vision that helped me in those last 10 miles.
I closed in on the finish and I seen the clock closing fast on 2:49:00 but I managed a burst to see me into the 2:48 split time.
Utterly dejected I spoke to no one, smiled at the helpful volunteers and made my way back to the hotel a short distance away before the carnage began 2 hrs later. Boston 2013
You need to respect the Boston marathon route. I think you can only run your best on this course after you have experienced the race.
It was only because of the crowd I managed my half respectable time. But I know deep down I underperformed and I am just biting at the bit at another fast marathon challenge next spring. I have an idea where it may be but before that I am hoping to lower my HM PB before too long.
Finally a big thanks to Larry Brent, you know why, Dory for that excellent PB and been there for us all Mon night when we had a nice few and also the performance of the day to DukeofDromada who got this first sub 3 and can drink a pint quicker than me.
Sorry I didn’t meet any other boardies.
Finally some clever person quoted the marathon:
Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart
Over and out for now.
Thanks for the report, abhainn. Fair play to you for toughing it out and still landing a super result. Glad to hear yourself and the other boardsies are okay. Also happy to hear Larry looked after you....no better man! 0 -
Your quote- "I think you should never expect to conquer the Boston marathon unless you are prepared for failure" is so true. There appears to be something about Boston that inspires runners to push limits.....limits that don't always translate into success or targeted goal achievements, but limits that might teach us something about ourselves, even in failure.
Great report - loved it from start to finish. You're class Joe, both in runners and a singlet, and in jeans and a t-shirt. And speaking of class, thank you for teaching me that rhyming, snappy, fun dance term over drinks Monday night - now that was class. See you in October!
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Nice one Joe - the rest of us can only dream of a 2.48, so I don't have much sympathy for ya..;)
Class act.
Class act - no way. This one I need to forget about quickly.
And then we saw what you did in IM SAMost importantly, did you get a sticker and a high five after steering the boat?!
Neither. I feel let down now but at least I got a photoNice write up in the local paper too
The one and only Sligo Champion?0 -
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shotgunmcos wrote: »That 3k OW stands out... good work!Celeste Rotten Tile wrote: »+1 Joe, thats 69min IM swim territory which is a good sign so far out. Looks like swimming is in better shape than last year. Solid week put down.
Right now I'd be well pissed with a 69 come Sept 15th :rolleyes: 69?? ha
Goal is sub 65 min.
Welcome back husband MCOS - and pleased to see you joined this not so exclusive club:p
and JB roll on FK.
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