Boston Marathon 2016

Hi,

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Now's as good a time as any, with emails coming through saying "successful/unsuccessful application"...many in the final wave including me haven't had word yet...

Any from the UK confirmed and going? Perhaps those with experience could share it - the course, the training, the travel and the day itself.

I know I'm jumping the gun but if not next year then definitely one day for me...

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Comments

  • Yes Aleik, confirmed and going. Will be my third marathon but first Boston. Will be using P&D training plan again as it worked wonders for me earlier this year.

    Good luck and hope you get in.

  • Great stuff, congratulations! P&D 24/70 was just the trick last time for me too. I'm having a stab at 90ish/week this time though. Very very glad Manchester is 8 days before and not 1...we'd be in the usa already otherwise and it's nice to have that to fall back on
  • Thanks! Did the up to 55 miles plan last time but extended it with the long runs from the 22 / 70 plan. Might try and do 22 / 70 this time but that might be pushing it both in terms of injury risk and time available.



    Good that you've got the fallback option of Manchester but fingers crossed you get into Boston.
  • Received my confirmation...whoosh! Surprised at how severe the cutoff was but made it by 2 mins. Will begin training on 2nd November. Can't wait!
  • That's great Aleik, congratulations.



    Although it's almost seven months away I already have a heightened sense of anticipation. Even printed the course map off in colour and A3 and put it up on the wall!
  • I've compiled one or two things myself too...

    http://runnersconnect.net/boston-marathon-coach/pace-calculator/ not sure how useful this would be in practice (also is it heresy to link to another running site?)

    https://www.strava.com/segments/965206 shows you what you're dealing with in terms of elevation.

    Adapting long runs to be course specific and building in hill work to P&D will be a tricky one to get right. For a long run 5 or 6 miles of downhill at the start, to treat your quads to several more flattish miles once they've had their battering. I've got a local route that will cater, it's just how often to do it and how near race day?

    Hill sprints I'll probably just use a bit of discretion. Half of last winter I failed my sprint targets and exceeded my target on race day anyway...(famous last words!)...so may wing it a little there

  • The pace calculator is a useful read. Thanks for posting it.



    My usual long run begins with the best part of 4k downhill and then the same uphill to finish with a long flattish stretch in between, so I think, more by luck than by design, it's quite a useful training route for Boston.



    Quite a lot of hills where I am so hard to avoid at times. Did my first ever set of hill reps last week and boy was it hard though I can see the benefits.
  • helly dhelly d ✭✭✭

    I'm in with a GFA for the 4th time.

    Can't give you any ideas on how to run the race but be prepared for any weather. In the past I've been sunburned,  last year the temperature remained in single figures and it didn't stop raining - I'm  very glad I went to a charity shop to buy throwaway extra layers.

    My main recommendation is embrace it. Go to the events, wear the gear, drink the beer. image

    I'm not overly keen on road marathons but I love this one and there's definite PB potential.

  • Thanks for the tips helly and congratulations for qualifying for the fourth time.



    What time do the buses start leaving Boston to take you out to Hopkinton?



    Also, what makes Boston different from other road marathons for you?



    Thanks
  • helly dhelly d ✭✭✭

    Buses start at 6AM but there will be a scheduled time for your wave. You will receive (detailed ) instructions with your race passport.

    Security considerations means you can only leave a (limited) amount of baggage in a clear bag at Boston Common. Anything you take on the bus needs to be used / worn / eaten or thrown away.

    Why I like this one? - As a race it is great as long as you can cope with a few undulations. From a running perspective it's less crowded than London, less street furniture etc. to trip you up on route. Water and Gatorade every couple of miles in paper cups rather than bottles.

    What makes it different? Boston isn't a huge city like London but I've heard that Dublin is the most similar where the whole town is involved. Marathon Monday is their local public holiday. Families  with houses along the route sit out, offer food and drink, have barbeques. Bars open at 8AM for supporters. For the major part of the route there are no metal barriers, only a bit of rope.Fantastic atmosphere.

    Last year we also entered the  5K  race on the Saturday. Very pricey but a nice experience, fast course with tech shirt and medal.

     

     

  • That sounds great helly and makes me look forward to it all the more. Thanks for all the info. Haven't done London but glad to hear it's less crowded as that sometimes seems to be an issue. The two marathons I've done were both quite hilly with most of the last 10k uphill.



    I meant to ask about the 5k race in my previous post as my partner wants to do it and I quite fancy going round with her, so thanks for that extra info. Any idea when registrations open?
  • helly dhelly d ✭✭✭

    I actually registered for the 5K 4th Feb this year - didn't realise it was quite so late. Very definitely not cheap (makes the marathon look like a bargain) but I'll probably do it again next year. I don't know if it is the same every year but your partner might want to know that the tech shirts from the 5K seem to be men's sizes as opposed to the marathon where, if you are female and go for small you will get female small sizes.

     

  • Once again, that's good info. Thanks helly.
  • Great info, thanks Helly!

    I just realised this week one of the benefits (or major drawbacks) of a point to point course...wind direction! A tail wind from Hopkinton to Boston would fit well if feeling lazy.

    My training begins next Monday. Lots of podcasts and music to be downloaded...Boston specific courses for Sundays have been mapped and loaded to the old garmin. Eyes down image

  • Watching NY yesterday has whetted the appetite for this one even more.

    A tail wind for 26miles all the way to Boylston Street would be very welcome.

    Boston training for me "officially" begins on the 15th December. In the meantime, I'm doing 45 to 55 miles a week and have got a couple of 10k races coming up. Wanted to do a half before Christmas but nothing doing here so will have to leave that until January.

    Good luck with the training.

     

  • Hi all.

    I got my acceptance email and I'm on the event list. I was just wondering if anyone has got their acceptance card yet. The website said it would be posted in October. I don't want to contact BAA if it's normal not to have recieved it yet.



    Chris Waring.
  • Hi Chris,

    Haven't received the acceptance card yet either Chris. Maybe it takes longer for those living out the US (assuming you are, that is)?

    Congratulations on getting in.

     

  • Yes I'm Cornwall based. Down here heartbreak hill is described as undulating. ???
  • It is undulating image Only  a problem if you were expecting a flat marathon or (more likely) if you have gone out too hard.

    No race card yet but not worried, they've always shown up before.

  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭

    I'm not doing Boston but just returned from a holiday there and visited the finish line.  Its a fab city - the marathon is now on my bucket list.  Enjoy!

     

  • I wouldnt say that Boston was hilly, i certainly regularly run worse in Dorset, great race, fantastic atmosphere beats NY, Chicago, Berlin and London in my book, enjoy

  • Race acceptance card arrived today image

  • Finally mine came today, 10 days after your's helly but the post can be bit crap here. Anyway, happy days image

  • 18 weeks away...anyone bashing out miles? I'm 6 weeks deep and loving it. Fingers crossed we all stay injury free

  • I started but now have a torn gluteus medius. Hope to start running again in a week.
  • Sh*te...the minute Latin starts being bandied about it's bad news. Hope you're fighting fit soon mate

  • Thanks Aleik, physio seems confident.
  • Was knocking out 50 mile weeks regularly in October and November but had some injury issues with the right foot and knee which has really limited things recently, which isn't great, especially as my Boston training plan is due to begin on Tuesday. We'll have to see.



    Chris - hope you can get back on it next week.



    Aleik - glad the training's going well. Stay sound.
  • Same for me Little Theodore, 50-60 mile weeks Oct and Nov then hip pain which slowly got worse now no running for 2 weeks with another to go. I have hit the weights though which gets my heart going and legs aching but doesn't worsen my injury. One week to go then a carefully return to running.



    Hope you get back on it soon Little Theodor
  • Your situation sounds worse than mine Chris. I've managed about 50% of my runs in the past three weeks, though I shouldn't have done some of them. It's a very fine line sometimes between knowing when to continue and run through something or stop and rest. Have you been able to do any cardio based cross training?



    I've been thinking about the kind of travel insurance I'll need for Boston and if I need to declare that I'll be running a marathon whilst there. Anyone got any experience with this?
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