Post-race analysis; how I qualified for Boston

I qualified for the Boston Marathon. I love saying it. I love writing it. I needed to finish the Phoenix Marathon in 3:30. I ran it in 3:28:28 yesterday. Today I went through all the numbers and analysis and re-lived the entire race mile-by-mile, turn-by-turn!

Last night, we celebrated with a few close friends and my mom-in-law’s delicious Indian food at my house. Julie was here from Nashville and the Whoopie Babes were here with Mitch, Nancy and Megan for dinner last night. I was tired and sore but had some champagne.

My left big tore is swollen and very sore this morning. It may have a mild infection under the toe; it feels quite tender to the touch. My body too is very sore. Walking is a chore and going down stairs is sheer torture. I have stayed home all day and rested just trying to recover. I hope tomorrow is easier.

I had a chance to analyze the race numbers today. I didn’t realize it but I flirted with disaster a few times. My heart-rate was a bit too high for a few miles. When you do this, there is a real chance of bonking. Bonks come on suddenly and without any warning. Your body just shuts down. No matter how strong your mind is, when you body simply can’t function, there is not much you can do.

As you can see from the above table, my heart-rate was a bit high for about half the miles in the first half of the race (click or tap on the image to zoom in). Fortunately, it wasn’t high by much. With regular nutrition, hydration and a lot of luck, things came together quite nicely.

Here is my Garmin data.

I ran the race pretty much on schedule as projected. You can see that after being a few second behind after the first mile, I was ahead of schedule for most of the race (although not by much). A minute ahead of projected time is nothing. You can gain or lose a minute at any time. A small cramp, having to use the restroom, equipment malfunction, tripping over something, chafing or even taking a wrong turn can do it. These are just minor incidents that can happen. Of course, if you bonk because you have used up too much sugar or have miscalculated your nutrition, your race performance is over!

So what do I attribute as the main factors for qualifying for Boston? Here they are (in no particular order):

• A training schedule customized to your specific abilities and potential; designed by an excellent experienced coach (e.g. Camelback Coaching)
• A course that suits your running style (the Phoenix Marathon is mostly slightly downhill)
• Mental strength and a general belief in your own abilities (confidence is a good thing but don;t flirt with cockiness; be humble and respectful of other runners and the course itself)
• Managing heart-rate, pace and nutrition during the race (patience is key)
• Luck (goes without saying)
• Favorable weather (temperatures in the 50s with overcast skies and low humidity can help; so can a tailwind although today the weather was mixed)
• Improvising during the race (today’s key was drafting, drafting, drafting)

I am still on cloud nine today after qualifying somewhat unexpectedly. All the training and hard work over the past few months and years payed off nicely yesterday. Tomorrow, I go back to training. Next week is relatively easy.

My next race is Ironman Cabo on March 30, but I will enjoy next week basking. Registration for the Boston Marathon opens sometime in September. Just because I qualified doesn’t mean I will get in! I still need some luck that the race doesn’t sell out before my number comes up. Running the Boston Marathon is on my bucket list. I am now one step closer!