I've run Boston 3 times, each time was quite the experience! Here are a few things to know.

Pre-Race: You will go to the finish line area (actually Boston Commons, a few blocks away from finish) and catch a shuttle bus to the start. The race doesn’t start until 10:00am, but you will catch the bus very early, like 6:00am!  It will take you to the athlete’s village in Hopkinton. The bus ride will take nearly an hour.

At the athlete’s village you hang out for a few hours waiting for the start.  There will be lots of large tents, with food (bagels, bananas,....), drinks (water, coffee, sports drinks) and a bazillion porta-potties! This area is at a school.  That said, bring whatever food you are planning to eat, just to be sure you have what you are used to eating before you run.

I recommend finding some cardboard the day before the race and carrying it with you to the start area.  A few pieces that you can carry under your arm onto the bus.  This will give you something to sit/lay on that morning while you are hanging out at the athlete’s village. If you are on the ground the cardboard will keep you dry, if you are on the concrete it will be a little cushion.  Also bring a couple of large garbage bags.  They can keep you dry and warm prior to the race. I usually find a spot next to one of the school buildings, away from the crowd, usually a dry place next to a brick wall, out of the wind.

There is a bag check for your warmups BUT it is nearly ¾ of a mile from the start, so wear some old clothes that you don’t mind ditching at the start line, never to be seen again!  You will check your bag and walk to the start.  I also recommend wearing an old pair of shoes just in case you step in mud or water, then tossing them before the race, switching to the shoes you will run in. There will be lots of Porta Potties in the athlete’s village, as well as by the start line.

You will be lined up 10-15 minutes before you start running.  Once the gun goes off it will take you several minutes to reach the actual start line.  Most of the runners around you will be running your pace or faster, so be patient, avoid getting caught up in the excitement.  In the first mile there will be crowds, then a few wooded areas that runners will jump off the course to pee!
 
Pace Strategy:
Patience!  Most of the course is a slight downhill, so you will have some fast miles.  These fast miles can take a toll on your quads by the time you hit the last 5 miles!

My advice is to run the first 5 miles on effort, keeping it very easy allowing your body to warmup. Don’t get caught up on your splits (unless they are really fast, which is a sign you need to slow down!) In 2008 my first 5 miles were my slowest and I ran a PR.  In 2013 I was 2 minutes behind my goal pace time at 5 miles, which really stressed me out.  I was stressing out, but forced myself to stay calm and stick to my plan.  I made it all that time back up and more to run a PR!  So relax for 5 miles!

The course has some slight (almost unnoticeable) elevation changes, so your mile splits will vary even if your effort remains steady.  Here are links to pace calculators that take into the course elevation changes so you can have a realistic idea of what to expect:
 https://runnersconnect.net/pace-calculator/
https://www.thepacingproject.com/

I also made me a little cheat sheet that told me which miles to expect faster splits, and which miles to expect slower split times.  I wrote it on a small piece of paper, laminated it and carried it with me for reference during the race. This kept me from freaking out when my pace got faster or slower!

The hills will start on mile 16, very gradually.  You won’t notice there are hills, but you will notice your effort is increasing and your splits start to slow down slightly.  You get a break after a couple of miles then they will return on mile 20 & 21, which will be the slowest.  BE WARNED!  On Mile 22 you will encounter a steep downhill (sounds good, but after 22 miles it can do some serious damage, so ease down the hill until it levels out.

So in a nutshell, be patient for 5 miles, get in the groove for the next 10 miles, get through the hills (miles 16-21) in one piece, survive the sharp downhill and bring it home strong on the last 5 mile.

BOTTOM LINE: The first time you run Boston you should relax and enjoy it! You want it to be a positive experience.  If you are patient you will run a good time.  If you get greedy or impatient the course will eat up!

The crowds are incredible along the course, so take time to soak in the sights, sounds and smells!

Bo Run 2022 is scheduled for Sept 24, at Boyd Lee Park
Registration info is available at NC.Milesplit.com
Results

I am always getting asked the question "How can I get faster".  It's usually asked from the context of a runner looking to improve their 5k times.  When asked, my first response is to geek out with training theory and other scientific sounding stuff about mitochondrial development, lactate threshold, blah, blah, blah.  But runners are usually looking for a just a few quick tips that they can remember with having to read a book! 

So, sparing you the scientific mumbo-jumbo, here a few simple adjustments to your weekly routine that can make you a faster runner.

1. Slow Down!  What?  That sounds crazy!  Research has shown that if 80-85% of your training is done at a conversational pace you will see gains in your fitness.  Slowing down allows to you to run for a longer period of time, which will improve your fitness level.  Running slower also reduces the risk of running related injury.
2. Increase your total mileage.  For all the types of training you can do, increasing your total running mileage is by far the most proven method for improving fitness and getting faster.  20 miles will benefit you more than 10 miles. 40 miles will benefit you more than 30 miles, pretty simple concept. Once again, most of this mileage needs to be done at a conversational pace.  RULE OF THUMB - Never increase mileage by more than 10% a week/month
3. Run more often.  Runners who train consistently tend to increase their fitness at a greater rate than those who train sporadically, so running everyday has benefits.  Don’t train hard everyday, as mentioned before slow running has benefits, so turn those days off into short easy run days. I have days where I get out the door for an easy 10 minutes or a mile around the block.
4. Run less, take a break.  Wait a minute, you just said run more, run everyday??? Every 2-3 weeks you should take a few chill days, back your mileage off,  even take a couple of days off to let your body rest & catch up, then resume your normal training
5. Do a long run every 1-2 weeks.  The term long run is relative to whatever you are used to doing.  If you run 3 miles everyday, take one day a week to stretch your run to 3.5 or 4 miles (or add 5-10 minutes to the length of time). eventually you want to build up to 1-1.5 hours of non-stop easy-running, once every couple of weeks. 
6. Add variety to your runs.  Don’t go out and hammer 3 miles everyday.  As mentioned before, slow down, vary the distances.  Some days go long and slow, some days go short and fast.  Find new routes to run. Run with others.
7. Speed up!  Ok, I told you to slow down, now I am telling you to speed up, but not every day.  Once a week (or once every 2 weeks) add a day where you do run fast.  This could be a fast 20-30 minute tempo run, fartlek (look it up!), hill repeats, a race or sprints, all count for faster running.  Adding a little bit of fast running with your casual running will pay big dividends.
8. Start slow - regardless of the speed or distance of your run, you should always begin with 5-10 minutes of very very slow easy effort running to allow your body the opportunity to warm up

Try to incorporate one of these concepts into your training each week.  First get used to slowing down, then get used to running more, then everyday, etc.........  Be patient, don't overhaul your training all at once.  Do this and in 2-3 months you will see significant long lasting improvements in your running.

We've discussed the importance of "Base Training", logging many miles to build up our aerobic system.  Logging a lot of miles in the off-season is the surest way to get fast during the xc season!

BUT it's one thing to write down 50 miles a week or 200 miles a month, and an entirely different thing to actually "Git'er Done"!

Putting in the miles is a challenge.  It is physically demanding as well as mentally challenging, but the rewards are great if you can accomplish it.  But be aware, lots of running will make you tired, and make you more susceptible to injury, so we have to be smart about putting in the miles.

Here are some tips to help you through the drudgery of weeks of mileage training.

• PLAN!  Having a written plan to follow takes some of the mental stress off of you, you don't have to think, you just do! Each week you should make a quick plan as to which days are going to be your long runs, and which days are going to be your easy runs and recovery runs.
• BE PATIENT! Gradually increase your weekly mileage (avoid increasing your weekly mileage by more than 10% over what your body is used to doing).  After increasing for a couple of weeks, take a week to cut back on mileage and recover your legs.
• ADJUST AS NEEDED! Adapt your plan!  While we want to be disciplined, sometimes we have to adapt.  When our body is extremely tired, or you feel an injury coming on, it's smart to back off a few days to let your body recover.  Once your body is healthy or recovered you can bounce back to your regular training.
• START SLOW!  Ease into your runs and allow your body to loosen up.  Easy Mileage is good mileage! Easy mileage accomplishes the goal of logging miles.  Do not worry about your speed, that will come later!
• DIVIDE AND CONQUER! When it is hot, or when you are tired you can split your run into 2 runs (one in the morning one in the afternoon/evening).  This is mentally easier to tackle, and physically accomplishes the mileage!
• EXPLORE! Find new places to run! 
• SOCIALIZE! Find friends to run with!  This will help the mental challenge!
• EAT! Make sure you have fueled before you run.  Running on an empty tank is hard.  Obviously you want to allow time for your food to digest!  A light snack, or an energy bar/gel before a run can make accomplishing your run much easier
• DRINK! It is critically important to stay hydrated throughout the day, and especially before/during your run.
• RECOVER! Eat/drink with an hour after running.  Your body recharges it muscles the most with the first 2 hours after exercise.
• SLEEP! Tired running is hard running, so get your rest! 7 hours a night minimum, but 8-10 is best!