TARC Winter Fells 40 Mile Race Recap

First off, I want to say thank you to the race directors and all the volunteers who spent many hours out on the trails making sure the runners had everything they could possibly need. I also want to give a big thank you to my girlfriend, Charlotte, and one of my best friend’s, Victoria, both of whom crewed me for this race. I couldn’t have done it without them.

As far as this race goes, this was my 3rd Ultra ever. Going into this race I had been putting in consistent 50-mile weeks, which is at least double the amount I had been running for my last Ultra. Obviously, the mileage should have been a little higher, and there should have been a few longer runs, but I was confident in my abilities and believed I could finish.

Fast forward to race morning and my alarm goes off bright and early at 5 AM. The forecast for the race was cold, with temperatures in the high 20s to start, and only warming up to about 38 by the end of the race. As a result, I had packed a few different clothing options with me so I could add and subtract layers depending on the weather and how I was feeling. The previous day I had visited a local running store in Lexington, MA and picked up a much-needed pair of winter running gloves, which made a world of difference come race time. At 5:50 AM we set off for the race which was located in Stoneham, MA. We arrived at the Middlesex Fells Reservation around 6:15 AM and I quickly went to pick up my number before getting back to the car to prep my crew. Soon enough it was time to make my way to the start line, where I recognized one of the people running, John Fegyveresi, one of only 14 or so people to ever finish the Barkley Marathons, a 130 Mile brutal trail race in Tennessee! As I was at the starting line, I tried to think back to the only time I had run on the course before, a slow four mile run with some friends back in September of 2016. I remember the course being pretty brutal, but it was even worse than I had imagined. 

Pre-Race! Credit: David Metsky, TARC
At 7am sharp, the race began. My pacing strategy was “conservative”, but “conservative” is just a relative term in ultras. It is highly likely that you will slow down, sometimes by minutes each mile, so it’s all about focusing on your perceived effort. The TARC Winter Fells takes place on the Skyline Trail of the Middlesex Fells Reservation. The 32 Mile Race featured 4 laps of the trail, while the 40 Mile features an additional lap. Runners complete about a .25 Mile out-and-back at the start and end of each lap. The race director describes the course as ‘A nightmarish course of rocks and roots with a bit of elevation thrown in”, and somehow that description does not even do it justice. The nice thing about the Skyline trail is that since it is a loop the race director allows runners to go either CW or CCW around the trail, and since the people ahead of me had all chosen CW to start, I wasn’t about to go off by myself the other way. Since there were 32 Mile runners going a little bit faster than me it was nice to have people with me and ahead of me for directions, as I sure needed guidance that first lap. I settled into a nice group of about four to five runners to start and we carried along on the technical terrain. I finally got myself a Garmin, the Fenix 3 HR, so I could actually know my splits from now on rather than being in the dark on it. 

Lap 2, Credit: David Metsky, TARC
I hit the first Mile in 9:59, which sort of shocked me considering my heart rate was already in the 160s. The thing about the Skyline trail, however, is that it is highly advisable to walk or power hike up some of the larger and steeper inclines if you want to have any chance at all of the finishing the event. As we carried on the first loop, the trail only got worse. There are actually some spectacularly steep rock faces that you have to climb up on your hands and knees to continue on the trail, something I have never had to do before in a race. It’s usually not a good sign when it feels a little difficult to run an 11:27 Mile 3, but that is the nature of the skyline trail. As I figured out during this first lap, going CW means that you get a majority of the largest hills and all the rock faces out of the way in the first 3.5 Miles of the loop, with the remainder of the loop being “less technical”, although I’m not really sure that is the right way to put it! As we began the second half of the loop our group had splintered to three people, one of whom was named Sylvain, who I had a great chat during this loop with about what else but, you guessed it, running. As hard as a tried it was incredibly difficult to settle into a rhythm as there really are no flat and totally runnable areas, save for a few sections. Even the downhills on the course are just as brutal and require you to be incredibly careful to avoid falling, which I’ll get too later. About a mile and a half before the end of the loop, things finally open up and become slightly more runnable, with the only stretch where you can really open up your stride lasting maybe 0.4 of a mile. Sylvain and I had gone from low 11s to high 7-minute pace for at least part of this section. Finally, we popped out of the loop portion of the trail and headed back on the 0.25-mile flat stretch to the fueling station. We crossed the end of loop one side by side.

Loop One: 1:20:47, (10:05 Pace), 6th Place.

Lap 2, Credit: David Metsky, TARC
At the aid station, I was able to see Charlotte and Victoria and refuel my supplies. For the race, I had decided to drink Nuun’s Electrolyte and Carbohydrate replace, since I couldn’t find tailwind, and consume mostly solid food, like cookies and chips. I only spent maybe 2 minutes refueling, but Sylvain was long gone before then, I wouldn’t see him again until the finish. I started off the second lap with another runner doing the 40 Mile who had come in about a minute after I had on the first loop. We quickly passed the first few miles talking about running, vacations, college, and Asheville, NC. About ten miles into the race we almost missed a turn and I had to turn fast, placing my foot hard on an especially pointy rock. Examining it the next morning, there is definitely a sizable bruise. Eventually, we parted ways going up one of the rock faces and I was on my own. I had paid attention to where I was going on the first lap, so I knew I had a solid understanding of the course. However, there was one turn on the back half of the course that did not clearly indicate which way to go, and as a result, I paused there for about 45 seconds to let the people I could hear behind me catch up. There were two runners, with one of them being a lively 23-year-old named Matthew, whom I shared a few miles with. We were about 13 Miles into the 40 Mile race when he just yells “Today is a great day to be alive!”, and I loved it. We split up when I stopped at the mid-race aid station to grab some food, but I stayed within eyeshot of them for the remainder of the lap. I was still feeling great when I came to the aid station at the end of lap two.

Loop Two:  1:23:32 (10:26 Pace), 5th Place. Total Time: 2:44:19, (10:16 Pace)

Lap 3, Credit: David Metsky, TARC
I began loop three alone, but feeling strong, having no idea how bad I would feel in just a few miles. I crested the now familiar steep hills and knew exactly which sections I needed to take a little slower, or just walk entirely. I had another runner, who was entered in the 32 Mile, just a little bit in front of me, and we had been trading passing each other for most of the second lap and third lap thus far. Right around Mile 19, I was going down a steep hill, and another runner was going up, making the footing were technical. I misplaced by foot, slipped, and crashed hard, with my face going right into a rock. I was very fortunate that only my cheek hit the rock because there could have been many worse outcomes there. I was now bleeding from my face and had also landed hard on my hip and both my knees. I had to sit on the side of the trail for several minutes while I waited for my left knee to stop shaking enough to begin running again. At this point, I seriously considered turning around and dropping out, but instead, I took it a little more slow and gingerly. About three miles left in the loop I was caught again by Matthew and another runner, whom I had assumed were ahead of me, but they had actually just stayed at the aid station a little longer. Again, we ran within eyeshot of one another for most of the rest of the loop. As I began the last stretch to the aid station I felt tired and in pain. This was definitely my low point of the race.

Skyline Trail Blazes! Credit: David Metsky, TARC
Loop Three:  1:33:00 (11:36 Pace), 5th Place. Total Time: 4:17:19, (10:43 Pace)

I’m sure my crew was shocked to see me with my bloody face coming into the aid station. I took extra time to get some food and water, and to clean off my cut. I told my crew I wasn’t entirely confident I had two loops left in me, but I was going out for my fourth. I left again, alone, and began to trudge my way up the first half hills. My pace had slipped considerably from the first lap, but still not outrageous. However, I will say that I had never in my life expected to “run” a 14:20-minute mile (Mile 27) and have my heart rate be in the 170s. The rest of this lap was slow going, although I did begin to feel better than the previous lap.  I took a few more falls over the rest of the lap, which I had just begun to accept as an inevitable occurrence. Again, I stopped at the mid-race aid station to refuel my water bottle and stuff my jacket with potato chips. For the rest of the lap, I focused on catching up to the 32 Mile Runner who had practically been only a minute ahead of me for the past 24 Miles. I passed him shortly before the end of the loop, wishing that I too had only signed up for the 32 Mile.

Loop Four: 1:40:00 (12:30 Pace), 5th Place. Total Time: 5:57:19, (11:09 Pace)

After the Fall. Credit: Chris Wristen of Mass Ultra
After stopping for only about two minutes to get fuel from my crew, I began the fifth lap, determined to finish strong. I knew that I felt good, and didn’t have another lap after, so there would be no going conservative now. I was going all in for my final lap. It a weird feeling, but also a great one to pass the landmarks that you have become accustomed too for the last 6-7 hours, although I’m not sure I was going to miss them. About a mile into the last lap, I noticed a runner maybe a minute ahead and tried hard to reel him in over the next few miles. I know he could sense I was behind him and it felt like he was trying hard to stay ahead of me. I was feeling great though, and even running up hills I had walked in the previous few laps. Finally, I passed the other runner with around 4 miles to go when it looked like he stopped to retie his shoes. I wasn’t about to have him see that I was hurting too, so I speed up as I went by him for the next few minutes to put some distance between us. I passed the aid station for the last time, pausing to get more water and to thank the volunteers. Before I knew I had entered the two miles of relative easier running. I felt surprisingly good and really wanted to bring it in hard. As I ended that final loop and started on the last 0.25 miles back to the finish, I turned on the speed and finished that last quarter mile in about 6 flat pace after 40 miles of difficult trails. Overall, I crossed the finish line with a big smile on my face in 7:30:03 and 4th Overall!

Loop Five: 1:32:44 (11:34 Pace), 4th Place. Total Time: 7:30:03, (11:16 Pace)

After the race, I talked to both Sylvain and Matthew for a little bit, who came in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. I had made up about 6-7 minutes on each of them on the last lap, although I had run out of trail to try and catch either of them! Charlotte, Victoria, and I did not stay much longer since I was in significant pain, and freezing now that I had stopped running. Overall, I had a spectacular time at this race. The race directors and volunteers have truly put on something special. I hope that next year, and in the future, I can tackle the “Fells” once again.

Finish! Credit: Charlotte Hayes 

TARC Fall Classic 50K Race Recap



The TARC Fall Classic 50K marked my first ultra-marathon since the Weymouth Woods 100K and only my second ultra-marathon ever. I ran the Weymouth Woods 100K back in January of 2016 when I was only 18 so to say running another ultra was overdue would be an understatement. The race was located in Carlisle, MA which is only a 25-minute drive from my apartment at Bentley University, so not much travel was required. However, the race did have a more aggressive start time than I was used to at 6 AM.

Pre-Race!
On race morning, my alarm went off bright and early at 4 AM. I put on my running clothes, ate a light breakfast, and then double checked that I had everything I needed. I had packed numerous water bottles, salty snacks like peanut butter pretzels and potato chips, and a few pairs of socks and a change of outfit since there was supposed to be rain throughout the race. At 4:45 AM, I was met by my girlfriend, Charlotte, and our friend Victoria, both of whom had graciously volunteered to crew me for my race, not that I had really given them much of a choice. We arrived at Great Brooke Farm State Park at around 5:15 AM. Sunrise was not until 6:45 AM, so I would be running for the first part of the race in the dark. For this race, the course featured a 10+ Mile loop that I would have to complete 3 times. The TARC Fall Classic also had a 50 Mile Race that started at 6 AM which was 5 laps around the 10 Mile course, and then a Half Marathon and 10K that started later at 8 AM. I prepped my sleepy crew on what I would need each time I came to the aid station, mainly a change of running gear, salty snacks, and a refill on my water and Tailwind. At 5:50 AM, there was a very brief pre-race meeting, and before I knew it I was on the start line.

Start Line 
Since the race was held by the Trail Animals Running Club (TARC), each race began with a ceremonial “howl” as the starting signal. After the start, I focused on going out conservatively and trying to stick with someone because I only had my cell phone for a flashlight, and I did not know the course at all. The 50K started with a mile loop around an open field before connecting with the main 10 Mile trail. I was passed by a few people during the first 30 minutes or so while I found my rhythm. Starting out conservatively was especially important to me, as my longest run of th past month and a half had been 9 Miles and I had only been averaging about 25-30 Miles a week. I did not want the last 10 Miles of this race to be a slow death crawl. As it grew lighter, I started to get a better bearing for the course. Some of the race consisted of more open, wider trails, but the great majority was rooty, rocky, and windy single-track trails. I can’t even remember how many times I stepped on a root the wrong way, or almost stumbled going down a rocky section of trail. I had been running alone for a good deal of time now, which was concerning to me as this was my first time ever on this course. I debated speeding up to catch someone ahead and run with them, but I decided again it. About an hour into the race, I blatantly missed a turn. I was supposed to turn right but missed the sign and ran straight for about three minutes or so before realizing I was going the wrong way. I backtracked and ran into a group of people and stuck with them while I attempted to regain my composure and not allow this to throw off my race. Not 10 minutes later, our group went off course again. This time, however, there was clearly no trail marking anywhere. After about two minutes we backtracked and passed about 8-10 people, all who were none too happy to see us as they realized they were going the wrong way as well. After stopping at an intersection, our group of about 10-12 realized that we were meant to go up a very steep narrow trail. The course was covered with pink markers and had arrows at major intersections, but at this turn, they appeared to be hidden, or not there at all. All told I lost about 10 minutes or so. I stuck with a smaller group for the rest of this loop, which continued for about 2 more miles. The last 2 miles of the course was the most challenging of the loop as it featured more winding trails and abrupt steep climbs. Finally, I was done with the first loop, which ended with the same circle around the field that we ran at the beginning of the race.  I finished the first lap slower than I anticipated in about 1:40 to 1:41.

Motivational Sign #1
I did not spend long at my crew’s station. I changed from my long sleeve shirt and Boston Marathon jacket into a more breathable singlet, replaced my Tailwind and water mixture, and stuffed my face with handfuls of potato chips. Charlotte and Victoria told me that I looked pretty good and that despite the missed turns I was in 12th place and seemed like I was in good spirits. I set off on my second lap with the same guy that I had been running with to end the lap and we chatted for a few minutes. I must have felt like I needed to make up time, however, as I quickly lost him. I caught up and passed another runner about ten minutes later. I was moving pretty well and feeling pretty well too. About two and a half hours in it started to pour down rain, and around this time was where I started to feel not as fresh. The positive here was that this lap I did not make the same mistakes as the first lap and I stayed on course. About 7 or 8 Miles into the second lap I started running into people doing the Half Marathon and the 10K who were running a modified shorter loop of about 6 miles. The issue here was that it was incredibly difficult to pass some slower people or groups of people especially the last 3 Miles of the course. Combining the downpour, having to expend energy passing people, and being already 20 Miles into the race, I was feeling pretty spent by the time I was nearly the end of the second lap. I had moved into 10th place but was passed hard by another runner with a little bit left to go. Finally, I reached the open field and finished up my second lap in around 1:27 or so and total time so far of 3 hours and 8 minutes. This time around I spent longer at my aid station. I grabbed a hat, drank an extra water bottle, and refilled my tailwind and grabbed a snack. Charlotte and Victoria told me that I looked good, albeit very wet. After 5 minutes or so I started off on my final lap.
Motivational Sign #2

The final lap was practically a blur for me. I was completely alone and fighting to keep my legs moving. Stopping to refuel gave me a boost of energy for about 30 minutes or so, but by the time I hit 4 hours of running I felt spent. Every root I stepped on sent shooting main from the bottom of my foot up to my hips. I was in a low place, but thankfully still moving. Every person I passed told me that I looked good and to keep it up, which was encouraging. I passed the mid-race aid station for the final time and began the last 3 hilly miles. I was out of water and fighting hard to get to the finish. I was fairly confident that as long as I kept moving I would be a bit under 5 Hours. I was also conscious that I had slowed down to mid to high 9 Minute pace and was at a risk of being passed. Finally, I emerged out of the woods and knew I only had a few minutes to go. I entered the open field for the last time and actually kicked it in a bit as I went around the final bend. I crossed the finish line in a time of 4:51:38, 11th place out of about 80 runners, with a finishing pace of 9:23 per mile. My last lap had taken me about an hour and 38 minutes to complete.


We did not stick around afterward very long due to the weather, and the fact that my crew was pretty tired after waking up at 4 AM. Overall, this was a tough race, much harder than I anticipated it being. I was happy with my result, but believe I have much more potential with some solid training and some actual long runs. Currently, I am planning on running the Cambridge Half Marathon in November, the Turkey Trot 8K on Thanksgiving, and the TARC Winter Classic 40 Miler in December! Time for a few days of recovery before I resume training!
Finish!

Vermont City Marathon: Negative Split!

I signed up for this race on a whim, and I couldn’t be happier with the result. After having just an incredible experience at the Boston Marathon I felt completely ready to jump into another marathon right away. I have previously considered doing this marathon in the past so I knew some general information about the course as well as what to expect from some other race reviews. In addition, I also knew of another Bentley Student on the Triathlon Team who would be there running his first marathon!

My training for this race remained mostly unchanged from that of the Boston Marathon in terms of mileage. I averaged around 30-35 miles during the 6-week training cycle after Boston, which did include a week of recovery mileage after Boston and a week of taper before Vermont City. I put in several long runs of 12-18 miles while training, but my big addition to this training cycle was adding more speed work and weight training. Previously, I haven’t spent very much time on weight training, but I have found that it has helped me to feel stronger later in my workouts.

Race Outfit!
I arrived in Burlington, Vermont with my girlfriend, Charlotte, at around 2:00 PM the day before the race after traveling around seven hours or so by car over the previous two days. I was slightly worried about how I would feel after all the travel, but I found that it did not end up having an impact on my race. After stopping for lunch we headed over to the expo to grab my race number and to check out the booths! The rest of the day was spent exploring Burlington and grabbing a pizza before turning in for the night. One of the coolest parts of the whole trip was being able to see the beautiful Lake Champlain for the first time!

Before I knew it my 5:00 AM alarm had sounded and I was throwing on my running clothes. Once again I went with my HOKA ONE ONE Clifton 3s, and my Zensah Compression Socks, both of which I wore at Boston. I had also planned on carrying and taking 4 GU’s during the race at Miles 6, 11, 17, and 22. One of the best parts about the race was that public parking was free for the entire day so we were able to park close to the race and had no problem at all leaving afterward.

I arrived at the race around 6:15 am, 45 minutes before the 7:00 am start time. Like Boston, I did not end up doing any running to warm-up pre-race, instead, I focused on collecting my nerves, hoping in the bathroom line, and staying properly hydrated. My overall goals for this race were to beat my time from the Boston Marathon (3:01:34), run under 3 hours, finish the race strong, and have fun and enjoy the course and the beauty of Burlington. Before I knew it I was on the start line and the gun was sounding!
One thing about the Vermont City Marathon that is different from any marathon that I have previously run is that a large number of runners are competing in relays. The race is billed as a “Marathon and Relay” with relays of anywhere between 2-5 people breaking up the marathon distance. I had to be extremely mindful of this, especially in the first several miles of the race as I controlled my pace. As I expected, I was immediately swallowed up by many more runners than I had anticipated during the first mile. This first mile features one of the 3 “major uphill’s”, albeit the smallest, of the course, but thankfully my adrenaline from the start of the race made it feel effortless. 
At the Start!
The first few miles went through the streets of central Burlington and were largely covered with shade, which I was thankful for after being scorched during the Boston Marathon. I passed Mile 1 in 6:44 and entered a long downhill for the second mile. I still had people streaming by me, but I was determined not to let this impact my racing strategy. I wanted to hit approximately 1:30:00 at the half-marathon mark and close in at even or negative splits. I hit Mile 2 in 6:44 as we headed back through Burlington and passed the starting area. 

Mile 9!
The Vermont City Marathon Course is comprised of four distinct “loops” and you actually pass through the starting area several times, the reason for this being so that there is a clear place for most of the relay exchanges. I hit Mile 3 in 6:46 as we began to enter the section of the race that runs out and back along the highway, which is only closed once a year for this very race. This loop is slight downhill for the out section and then slight uphill for the entire way which back so I focused on not expending unnecessary energy on the downhill section. I passed Mile 4 in 6:41.  By Mile 5 I decided that I needed to stop very quickly and use the bathroom, which ended up costing me about 20 seconds. I tried hard not to make up time after the 7:00 fifth mile, but the downhill and my urge to “catch-up” lead to a 6:31 Mile 6. At this point, I was able to watch the top runners, who were flying, run back along the other side of the highway which was pretty neat as it’s not usually something you get to see while racing a Marathon. Shortly afterward I made the turn at the end of the loop and headed back up the highway. I was a little surprised by Mile 7 split of 7:10. I couldn’t tell if Mile 6 had been a little short, the course was heading more uphill than I expected, or I had stepped off the pace accidentally while trying to locate my friend who would be coming on the downhill section of the race. Regardless, I quickly got back on pace and passed Mile 8 in 6:50 just after seeing my friend Jake who looked strong early on! I had just taken my first GU a few minutes prior, but I could feel a little fatigue creeping into my legs which I attribute to the long uphill for the previous few miles. I was ecstatic to finally crest the top of the highway and head back into town where there would be much more shade. 
Mile 15!

I felt much better as soon as I crossed the start area again and headed back on Main St. One of the best things about the course, was the spectator support, as you could see the same people three different times: Mile 3, Mile 9, and Mile 15. Usually, I, am lucky if I see my girlfriend or family once between the start and end of the race! After running along Main St, I turned down Market St and began to coast on a nice long downhill as I began the third loop of the course. At this point, I was running with two of the Elite Women and we were holding a pretty steady pace so I decided to stick with them. For some reason I had difficulty locating several of the Mile Markers during the next section of the course, so all I have is my three-mile split time between Miles 9-11, which ended up being 20:24 or a 6:48 pace. Around this time I took my second GU and performed an overall assessment of how I was feeling, which turned out to be great! My breathing was under control, the weather was perfect, my legs felt strong, etc. Our group began to splinter around Mile 12 as we entered a shaded greenway and I was now on my own at this point. I hit Mile 12 and Mile 13 both in 6:52 and then the halfway split in exactly 1:29:00. After the race, I was able to count up and see that I was in around 95th place at this point. 

After crossing through the greenway and the area where the 2-Person Relay Exchange Zone was, I was on my way back up towards central Burlington. I hit Mile 14 in 6:47 and was just able to see my friend from school again as he was nearing Mile 11 still looking strong! The next mile featured a return on Pine St. which I had been running down around 30 minutes or so ago. It was cool to once again see other runners heading down the street as you were heading up and to have people cheer you on. In addition, I had an idea for the first time in a few miles as to where the next group of people ahead of me were. I hit Mile 15 in 6:37 as we turned onto Battery St. This mile of the course is by far the hardest and is nicknamed “Assault on Battery St”, as it climbs around 150 feet over the course of this mile. Had I started too fast, this mile would have been absolutely debilitating to me, as Heartbreak Hill during the Boston Marathon was. Instead, I was “flying”, up the hill and enjoying the spectator support. I crested the hill and hit Mile 16 in 7:09 and then focused on controlling and regulating my breathing after the hard uphill. At this point, I had been steadily passing a few people and was not being passed at all. In fact, I was not passed one time after the half marathon mark. 
Almost There!
I was finally on the fourth and final loop of the course and was feeling strong. I took my third GU around Mile 17 which I hit in 6:43. The next mile featured some rolling uphill’s and downhill's, but was straight almost the entire way which allowed me to hit my second fastest split of the day with a 6:29 at Mile 18! Next, I turned into some winding neighborhoods and caught up to a larger group of about 4-5 runners. Normally, I may have tried to stick with them, but I was still feeling strong and decided to pass on. I hit Mile 19 in 6:39 and entered another short section of greenway. I had been getting water at pretty much every single stop except for maybe two or three miles and was taking in Gatorade every 3-4 miles or so. At around Mile 19, there was also a GU station sponsored by CLIF bar with a bunch of younger kids handing out GU’s who were all screaming for me to take one. Definitely a highlight of my race! At Mile 20 I was still cruising and came upon another large pack of five runner’s right as we passed the last timing mat on the course. I ended up hitting this mile in in 6:34. Another runner and I went by this pack and I focused on sticking with him. What I did not know, however, was that he was running the relay. He dragged me to a very fast 6:30 Mile 21 and 6:31 Mile 22 before I decided to let him go ahead. At this point, I could feel my energy flagging a little bit. While my legs still felt decent, the general fatigue of the race and the increasing temperature were starting to get to me. I took my last GU at Mile 22 right as we turned onto the greenway that was a straight shot to the finish. Normally, I do not end up taking the last GU during marathons, but this time I felt like it was necessary. It was also a huge relief that the last four miles of the course were almost completely shaded. 
Final Sprint! Photo by Scott Mason

After a few minutes, I felt much better than I had before and was starting to pick up the pace. I had slowed down on Mile 23, which ended up being 6:48, but I still felt like I had a good shot at that point to finish right at 2:58:00. I was still taking water at pretty much each aid station and I was beginning to close ground on quite a few people and fly by. I passed some absolutely incredible views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains during these miles and couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty even during the middle of a marathon. I hit Mile 24 in 6:40. By now I could feel that the finish line was getting close and I was still feeling exceptionally strong. In almost all of my previous marathons, I would pretty much be running mid to high seven minute miles at this point as the last 3-4 miles of the marathon has been a work in progress for me. I hit Mile 25 in 6:33 and continued to pick up the pace. I was now on the last mile of the course and began to exit the Greenway and head towards Battery Park. I could hear the roar of the crowd from almost half a mile away so I knew I was close! Finally passing Mile 26 and seeing that I had split a 6:24, my fastest mile of the race, and one of my fastest splits in a marathon ever was an incredible feeling. I had never run that fast after that long before. I just enjoyed the last quarter mile of the race and soaked up the atmosphere and as I turned onto the grass for the last 100 yards I could see the clock ticking into the 2:56:xx range still! I raised my arms and finished in 2:56:29, a 6:44 Pace and good enough for 47th overall officially.

Finish! Photo by Scott Mason
After finishing the race I collected my medal and found my girlfriend who had been able to capture a video of me finishing! Afterward, I grabbed some water and sat down in the shade underneath a tree to cool off. This was also the first of my fives marathons that I did not have to go to the medical tent after finishing so that was quite the accomplishment! We hung around the post-race festivities for about an hour longer at which point we went to grab lunch before beginning the long drive back home. I will say that driving for 6 hours after finishing a marathon is not a fun experience!

Overall, this race was a bigger success than I had anticipated. I was most happy with my negative split, 1:29:00 on the front half (6:48 Pace), and 1:27:29 (6:40 Pace) on the back half. In addition, I moved up approximately 50 spots from the halfway point and was never passed. I also managed to finish my last 10K at a 6:35 Pace and had the 18th fastest last 10K split of the race! As far as my next marathon, I have not entirely made a decision yet. I would love to actually run some more miles, put in a few more long runs, and add more weight training and see what my real potential can be. For now, I am looking for a fall marathon in either September or October and I am definitely open to suggestions!


Finally, I want to say thank you again to everyone who reads my blog! I also want to give a big congratulation again to my friend Jake Gehrung, a freshman at Bentley University, who finished his first marathon in 4:22:20! 

Post-Race Photo!






121st Boston Marathon Race Recap

First off, I want to say: See you in 2018, 122nd Boston Marathon!

This was my first Boston Marathon, and an experience that I will never forget. I have wanted to qualify for and run this race since I started running at 12 years old. Both my parents have raced it a number of times and I wanted to finish it as well.

Going into the race, my goal was simply to have fun, take in the atmosphere, and run my hardest. I’m happy to say that I believe I accomplished all of these goals! Overall, my training for the Boston Marathon in the past few months has not been of the greatest quality or been the highest mileage, but I believed in my ability to finish and was not going to give up. I peaked at about 40 miles a week for this race and put in a few long runs of 16-18 miles. In addition, I started more weight training than I have done in the past and put on ten pounds since the beginning of the year. Finally, all of my training data is published daily at my account on Strava. I definitely believe with a solid training schedule I would stand a good chance of lowering my PR and qualifying time of 2:53:16 from the 2015 Thunder Road (Charlotte) Marathon. Now for the race recap!

Dying on Comm. Ave at Mile 24
I woke up at 6:30 am after a pretty restless night and quickly threw on my running clothes and packed my things. I was wearing a pretty new pair of HOKA Clifton 3’s, a black and orange singlet, and a pair of Zensah compression socks. In my starting area bag, I packed my energy GU’s, a water bottle, and some peanut butter pretzels in case I got hungry before the start. Since I was in Waltham and couldn’t take the shuttles from Boston, I had my girlfriend, Charlotte, drive me to the start in Hopkinton. We left at around 7:30 and arrived at the runner drop off at around 8:15. I handed her my phone and wallet, grabbed my things, and then I was all alone. I made my way over to the shuttles that transported runners from the drop-off area to the start line. Once I arrived at the start line I made my way over to the athlete's village, which was actually much farther away than I expected it to be. After arriving, I looked around for a bathroom, but all the lines were ridiculously long. I decided to stand in line and wait. I did not make my way over to the start line until about 9:25 and finally arrived there at around 9:40. On the way to the start I ran into Megan Hovis, one of my former coaches when I was in middle school (and also a ridiculously fast runner), we talked for about a minute or so and I wished her good luck!

Boylston St.!
The start line was packed when I arrived, and there was very little room to warm-up. I was thankful that I had just made the Corral 2 (Bib #1837) cut-off to push myself a little bit further up. The next 20 minutes passed by painstakingly slow. I did some stretching and some general moving around but for the most part not much else at all. For fuel, I was carrying 4 energy GU’s with me that I had planned on taking at Mile 6, 12, 18, and 22. With less than 5 minutes until the start, I double checked my shoes, made sure I had all my GU’s in place, and moved up a little bit further to the front. I saw the Elite Men, and Galen Rupp, come out to the front and this really made me excited to start!

Before I knew it, the gun sounded and I was off to Boston! My plan had been to settle into 7:00 pace, which would have given me a finishing time of around 3:03:00 or so, but my nervous energy and the large crowd of people around me had propelled me to a faster pace. I felt like I was barely moving and being passed left and right, but I ended up hitting the first mile in 6:36. Temperatures were already hovering around 70 degrees and the sun was beating down, with very little shade on the course. I settled into a pretty good rhythm and enjoyed the downhills of the Boston course. My 2nd mile came and went in 6:25, and my third mile in 6:31. My first race mat split was 20:16 for the 5K. I could feel my skin heating up already and I made a conscious effort to monitor this going forward. I took Gatorade every few miles or so, and water at every mile, pouring some on my head and back to cool myself down. I had started the race feeling good, and as I entered Ashland I was still feeling pretty good overall. I hit Mile 4 in 6:30 and Mile 5 in 6:42.

Around Mile 16
As the miles began to start going by, I told myself that I needed to slow down because it was a hot day, but as hard as I tried, I couldn’t settle into a rhythm at a different pace. I hit Mile 6 in 6:33 and the 10K in 40:46 (6:35 Pace). My splits did start to creep up into the high 6:30s and low 6:40s by now. During this race, I always had people around me, both runners and spectators alike, which I had never experienced in a previous marathon. It was both exhilarating and terrifying. I never did truly run with anyone or latch onto anyone in this race. I ran my own race and passed people when I wanted to and let people go by me. I entered Framingham and hit Mile 7 in 6:30. There was a very nice tailwind pushing everyone forward, but I desperately wanted a little breeze in my face or a little patch of shade to run under. I hit Mile 8 in 6:42 and Mile 9 in 6:37. I had not intended to bank time on the front half of this race, but I knew that I had built up a nice little cushion. I was running at 2:50-2:53 Marathon Pace, which was a little quick considering my fitness level, the course, and the weather conditions.  I thought it would be in my best interest to slow down a little, but my stubbornness prevailed. I passed the third timing mat, the 15K, in 1:01:18 (6:35 Pace). At this point, I could feel some fatigue starting to set in when I was running on the uphill’s, but the downhills were still coming easily. I hit Mile 10 in 6:44 as I entered Natick. My pace had started to decrease slightly with Mile 11 coming in 6:42 and Mile 12 in 6:45. I hit my first low of the race before the 12th mile and desperately needed a shot of energy. I took my 2nd GU of the race shortly after and started to feel much better.

Almost there!
One of the coolest parts of the Boston Marathon course was definitely the Wellesley Scream Tunnel at Wellesley College just past Mile 12. It was incredible having that spectator support and being able to hear everyone from over half a mile away. I gave out high-fives all the way down the scream tunnel and got a huge surge of energy. There are very few moments that can top thousands of people screaming and cheering you on while you run. I hit the 20K in 1:22:22, Mile 13 in 6:41 and the half-marathon mat in 1:26:50 (6:38 Pace). I was still taking water every mile and I was feeling great at this point, I even had delusions of running a PR still! Passing through Wellesley I hit my 2nd fastest mile of the day at Mile 14 in 6:26. It was after this mile that things slowly started to unravel. I was running out of energy, the sun was beating down on me and we were about to enter Newton and take on the rolling hills that I knew could easily end a runners race goals. I hit Mile 15, a largely uphill mile, in 7:01, my first mile above seven minutes. My 25K time was 1:43:15 (6:40 Pace). Fortunately, the next mile was a steep downhill and I was able to make up some ground by hitting Mile 16 in 6:45. The hills of Newton were a very dark place for me. I was still moving decently well, hitting Mile 17 in 7:09 and Mile 18 in 7:12, but all I could think about was Heartbreak Hill between Miles 20 and 21. I was especially nervous because this was the point where I had fallen apart during most of my previous marathons. I felt like I was moving much slower than I actually was, which was a huge relief. I took my third GU of the race at this point, opting not to take the last one later on for fear of upsetting my stomach. I was also taking one to two cups of water at each station, but the heat still felt horrendous. I managed to hit 30K in 2:05:15 (6:44 Pace). I split Mile 19 in 6:59 and Mile 20 in 7:13. I focused on doing anything and everything possible to power myself up the hills, and then to recover and regain my breath on the downhills.

CITGO
Right when I thought I couldn’t take any more hills, I hit it. Heartbreak Hill. And if I am being completely honest, that is exactly what it did. This was one of the points where I considered packing it in for the day. I felt like I was barely moving and I was started to feel dizzy and have numb hands, a feeling that accompanied me to the finish line. I obviously did not do enough hill training in preparation because I just felt beat down on the hills. Every little incline put a burden on my pace. I finally crested the top of Heartbreak Hill and relaxed a little knowing that it was pretty much downhill the rest of the way and that I only had about 35-40 minutes to go. My split for Mile 21, which included Heartbreak Hill was 7:50, my slowest of the day. On a positive note, this was the first of my four marathons that I did not have a single mile above eight-minute pace! Even in my PR race where I ran 2:53:16 my last mile was still over eight minutes. Just because the uphills were pretty much finished did not mean I would be cruising to the finish line. I picked up the pace a little bit from the last mile and hit 35K in 2:28:08 (6:49 Pace) and Mile 22 in 7:20 as we entered Brookline. The next mile, however, seriously tested my willpower as I truly believed that I was going to have to walk when I reached Mile 23. I reached Mile 23 in 7:30 and was greeted by a nice steep downhill. I believe that if not for the downhill right after Mile 23 I would have found myself walking. By now I had started taking two to three cups of water at each aid station, two to drink and one to pour on my head. On a side note, they did have several rain sprinkles out on the course for runners to run under and cool off at which was awesome! I finally entered Boston and hit Mile 24 in 7:30 as I was running on Beacon St! At this point, I could see the CITGO sign so I knew I was close! I was doing my best to hold on, but I knew I did not have much left to give. While I was excited to see the CITGO sign, staring at it for over a mile lead me to believe that it was speaking to me, taunting me and telling me to give up. I finally passed the iconic sign and hit Mile 25 in around 7:50 and 40K in 2:51:29 (6:55 Pace). I did not get an accurate Mile 25 split because I hit my watch early at the 40K. I was finally on Comm. Ave and had less than a mile to the finish line! The sound of the crowd was almost deafening but in reality I don’t think I really heard any of it. I was in my own little world trying to hold myself together the last mile. All I could think about was that I had 1 Mile to go, and then 0.75, 0.5 etc.

Turning onto Boylston St. was honestly one of the greatest feelings of my entire life. I don’t even have the words to describe it properly. Waiting so long for this moment and finally achieving it was just incredible. I hit Mile 26 in around 7:15 and from that point just tried to enjoy the last 0.2 Miles. I finally crossed the finish line in 3:01:34 (6:56 Pace) and raised my arms in the air. I had requalified for the 2018 Boston Marathon!


After crossing the line, I proudly collected my very first Boston Marathon finisher’s medal! After picking up the medal, I walked around in a delusional stupor drinking water and Gatorade for a few minutes before deciding that I needed to go the medical tent. Once I reached the medical tent I sat down for a little bit, had my vitals done, and drank way too much Gatorade. I had the same issue happen to me at the 2015 Thunder Road Marathon where I got lightheaded and my hands went numb. After about 20 minutes I was released and I went back to the finish area. I ran into my old coach at Charlotte Catholic, Coach Conrad, and we congratulated each other on finishing on what was a hot day for sure. After this, I met up with my girlfriend who made a sign and a t-shirt to cheer me on!

Overall, the Boston Marathon was an incredible experience, and one I will never ever forget. I couldn’t have gotten to the start line without the support of my parents, friends, girlfriend and everyone else who has had an impact on my running career. With the 2017 Boston Marathon in the books, I am already looking forward to 2018 and beyond!

Splits (Kilometers):

5K: 20:16
10K: 40:46
15K: 1:01:18
20K: 1:22:22
Half-Marathon: 1:26:50
25K: 1:43:15
30K: 2:05:15
35K: 2:28:08
40K: 2:51:29
Marathon: 3:01:34

Splits (Miles):

6:36, 6:25, 6:31, 6:30, 6:42, 6:33, 6:30, 6:42, 6:37, 6:44, 6:42, 6:45, 6:41, 6:26, 7:01, 6:45, 7:09, 7:12, 6:59, 7:13, 7:50, 7:20, 7:31, 7:31, 7:50, 7:15 

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