The Boston Diaries: Chapter 37

Now we're in the waiting game

Looking at Zorinsky Lake through the trees on Sunday, September 17th.

The tweet appeared on my feed Friday afternoon. Boston Marathon registration was closed for the 2024 edition. Being 35 in next year’s race, I needed to run a 3:05:00 time to qualify. I did so in last year’s Chicago Marathon, beating that time by over five minutes, finishing under three hours in 2:59:47. I came to that race with two goals: Run a sub-three hour marathon and qualify for the Boston Marathon. I had done both. And while there was a chance at missing it because my time wasn’t fast enough, I figured I had given myself plenty of room, just in case.

You might be wondering how it’s possible to qualify but also still be concerned about making it into the race. I do indeed have a BQ, but there are only a certain number of spots guaranteed. For example, in this year’s race, as well as last year’s, there were no “cut-off times” — Every applicant made it in. The first Boston Marathon in the post-pandemic world? The cut-off time was 7:47, a record for the race. In 2019 it was 4:52. Otherwise, it usually hung out under 2:00.

In the (almost) year that’s followed, I’ve rarely ridden the rollercoaster of, “was that enough?” As the link above shows, having 5:13 of extra time would have gotten me in at every marathon in recent vintage, outside of the wonky 2021 race that was run in the fall. I’ve operated that way. I’m going. I’m planning to go. I named this series The Boston Diaries! I wouldn’t have done that if I was that worried about missing it.

But then the tweet came down.

33,000 applicants?! A record? What would this mean?

I spent much of Friday night trying to figure things out. Texting a couple people about it, wondering if it would be good enough. Reading running subreddit pages, hoping the math would work in my favor.

I honestly have no idea what will happen. I’m guessing my buffer — five minutes and 13 seconds — will be right near the cut-off line, on one side or the other. In the days that have followed, I’ve tried not to think about it. Didn’t want it in my head as I attacked a key workout just over four weeks out from Des Moines. Didn’t want it in my head as I set out for the second longest Long Run remaining in this fall’s cycle.

Yet, there it sits. In the back of my mind. Did I do enough? Will the 2023 Lincoln Marathon, hot weather and all, now be an extra gut punch along the day, given I felt like I could add to my BQ buffer? Maybe. Is there anything I can do about it now? No.

So, I wait.

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This week in podcasting:

Christy Nielsen’s resume in the running world speaks for itself and I was so happy to dive into it with her. We discussed early successes and burnout that led to her moving away from the sport. She ended up coming back and putting together an incredible stretch that saw her qualify for the Olympic Trials three times. We also discussed her coaching career.

I had already knocked out my Long Run for the day when we recorded this, but by the time we finished, I wanted to get back out for ten more. A great conversation.

Thanks for listening!

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The log:

Monday: ~20 minutes of weightlifting + 3ish miles of walking with Riss and Banks

Tuesday: 9.01 miles with 5 x 600 meter intervals

Wednesday: 15 miles

Thursday: 6.01 miles

Friday: 7 miles with 6 x 100 meter strides

Saturday: 10k tune-up with an extra 2.21 miles of warming up and cooling down

Sunday: 18 miles

Total: 63.45 miles

Year to date: 2080.47 miles

Day 254: Monday was a big day. I registered for the Boston Marathon. Again, the waiting game continues. I also got into the gym, walked in the morning with Banks, and then went for one more before Monday Night Football with him and Riss. Great day and night.

West Papio Trail on Tuesday, September 12th.

Day 255: I am not going to go back and count, but I know multiple times in recent newsletters, I’ve written about the dream of fall. “It felt like fall out there,” I’d say. Or, “fall weather is almost here!” Or, “I really hope this is the last run of summer!” Wishcasting, perhaps. Either way, I really, really wanted that first fall day to come some morning when I either had 12+ miles or a key workout. Tuesday delivered the latter.

Nine miles total with five 600-meter intervals. Temps were in the high 40s. I would finish in just over an hour and they’d still be in the low 50s. I wanted to leave this workout feeling like I was on top of my game, or close to it. I’d knock out four miles easy to begin, aim for a 5:40-pace on all five intervals, and finish up with a couple more easy miles.

I set off, feeling good. 7:56, 742: 7:41, and 7:31 to start, my heart rate hanging below 140 until the fourth mile. It was going exactly as I wanted it to. I took off for the first 600 and… yep, I had it. I knocked it out in 1:58 — a 5:17-pace. No way I’d be able to keep that up, I decided not to worry if I had gone out too fast. Didn’t want to cook too hot, too early, but I was feeling fine. After 90 seconds of easy running, I picked up the pace again. 2:01 this time — a 5:25-pace. I knocked out the third and fourth intervals in the same time for each, going 2:04-per, a 5:33-pace. My goal was 5:40 and I was beating it my a handful of seconds, or more, each time. There was no way I could finish this workout with going 5/5. 2:02 on the last one, a 5:27-pace.

All told, I averaged that last number — 5:27 — on all five. My HR was at 150 throughout, the nine miles finishing at 7:22-per. Hell of a way to start the week.

Day 256: I love longer runs the day after a big workout like that and Wednesday delivered. The schedule called for 15 miles. This was one of my favorite runs I have ever had at that distance. Weather was perfect, my legs felt great, and I just hummed along. After a 7:55 mile to begin, I never went slower than 7:45, finishing the final three miles at 7:30, 7:28, and 7:27. 7:39-per mile for all 15 with my HR at 146. “The runner’s high is real and this one proves it,” I wrote on Strava that morning. Just lovely.

Day 257: Derek from Strava reached out to me on Wednesday asking if I’d be up six miles “ridiculously early” the following morning. Thankfully, six was in the cards on my schedule. With him and a few others from Omaha off to Germany for the Berlin Marathon this Sunday, I couldn’t pass up one more run together before he heads overseas.

We indeed did get out ridiculously early, starting at 5:13 am. Given the run didn’t even last an hour, we finished before the sunrise, the first time that’s happened for me since… well, I honestly can’t remember. Was a really fun and enjoyable run, as we chatted about Berlin, goals, and other stuff that popped up. We even ran into Seth Marek, another runner from Omaha, that’ll be in Berlin this weekend. Finished at 8:37-per mile with the HR averaging 133. Awesome morning. Happy I woke up early for it.

Great luck to Derek, Seth, Stephen Mohring, and anyone else I know that’ll be running in the Berlin Marathon this weekend! Can’t wait to see how you guys do.

Day 258: Friday’s morning was more of the same. Took the pace a bit easier for 5.5 miles, hanging between 8:55 and 9:07-per mile, before knocking out six strides. My legs felt incredibly fresh by the time I picked up the pace, so I thought I’d be able to put together some good sprints. All six went off at a sub-5:00 pace, the best I’ve ever done with my strides. Finished at the same pace as Thursday — 8:37-per mile — with a HR average of 128. Just spectacular.

Day 259: In each of the last two training cycles, the tune-up run has really allowed me to dream big. Last October, it was the last of three, when I knocked it out in 38:10 and put together my fastest mile, two-mile, 5k, and 10k since high school. I left that one feeling like I could go after 2:59:59. In April, it was going sub-60:00 in the ten-mile Early Bird Race, the second of three tune-ups. I left that one confident I was nearing 2:50:00¹.

This cycle calls for just two of these tune-up runs. I’ll run a 10k each time, using each to allow for the final decision on race-day shoes for Des Moines. Early returns on this first one are pretty good, though I feel like I left some meat on the bone.

Got out Saturday morning after some heavy rain, with it still misting. While I don’t think that allowed me to run my fastest, it was nice to run hard and see how a wet trail would feel with my shoes. The goal? 5:50-per mile, though I was honestly going to be ok with anything faster than 5:55-per, given that’s what I did earlier this year, when I ran a 36:44/5:55-per in my first tune-up, setting a new 10k PR in the process.

The first mile flew by, as I finished in 5:48. A 5:46 and 5:49 followed. I felt really strong out there, if not struggling a bit with how my feet felt, given the wet trail. By the time I turned around², I was feeling a bit labored. My pace dropped. 5:54 then 5:59. I had a mile and change left, and at this point all I wanted was a PR. The rain started picking up again. I was counting down the time left. Three quarters of a mile. Half a mile. I hit the sixth mile in 6:02, not much time left at this point. I had one last turn and I hit 6.22, adding a few tenths of a mile to make sure it wouldn’t upload to Strava short of a 10k.

I had a new 10k PR. 36:35. 5:54-per mile with the HR averaging 172. Almost two full minutes better than what I did a year ago. With humidity high and a wet trail, I feel like I can do better. We’ll find out in two weeks³.

Day 260: My legs felt pretty fresh, all things considered, heading into Sunday morning’s 18 miles. I got out just before 8:00 am, feeling a bit heavy after a big dinner the night before. The first mile was harder than I would like. Finished at 7:56 with the HR at 135, so nothing terrible, but it felt tougher than it should have. Decided then I’d just go totally based off feel and not go too fast. Wouldn’t you know it, the longer I went, the better — stronger — I felt. Stomach issues went away and everything felt smooth. 7:45s turned into 7:36s and by the time I hit the final three miles, I went 7:31, 7:30, and 7:27, finishing with my fastest mile yet. 18 miles, 7:41-per, with an average HR of 148. What a way to end the week.

One more high-mileage week and then it’s time for the taper. Des Moines is 27 days away. I have no idea what will happen with next year’s Boston Marathon.

That’s ok.

1. I’ll get there!

2. The section at Flanagan officially closed this week, so the looped trail close by is now a no-go for the foreseeable future. If I want to do so moving forward, I’ll need to drive a bit further away.

3. I also went out for a little more than a mile before and after the tune-up, warming up the legs before cooling them down. Really helped going into Sunday.