OK, OK! My Dad told me this week that he likes it when I write about the actual marathon course. It has simply been too cold and icy to chance the 4th 5 mile section (miles 15-20). There are not too many sidewalks along this portion of the route and what there are are covered with ice. So, I have been holding off until it started to melt. Today was the day because the morning temperature at 6:30 am was 44 degrees. A heat wave by recent standards. Who knew I would think that is warm.
I drove into Wellesley and parked at the Wellesley Congregational Church. This put me right near mile marker 15. I headed up Washington Street knowing that this portion of the course would take me through Newton Lower Falls and into the dreaded Newton Hills. At mile marker 16, I crossed the Charles River and entered Newton. This is also the beginning of the first of the 4 "Newton Hills". From 16.00 to 16.62 there is an uninterrupted 93 foot climb, followed by about a 20 foot drop to the 17 mile mark.
I have been training on the hills around Westborough. So, they are not intimidating when I am running them on a training run. I know that on race day it will be different as I will have already run 16 miles when I reach the Newton Hills. I have heard from some runners that even though Heartbreak Hill gets the notoriety, the climb over Rte. 128 is considered by some the toughest part of the whole race. I have to say it was tough even early in a leisurely run.
When I reached mile marker 17, I had just passed Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Newton-Wellesley Hospital is known for being one of the top bariatric surgery centers in the country. This is where you go to get your gastric bypass surgery for weight loss. I don’t think that anyone running Boston would need to stop there for that type of surgery. Here is what they say about themselves, “A comprehensive medical center located right in Newton on Washington Street, Newton-Wellesley Hospital provides the services and expertise of a major medical facility with the convenience and personal attention of a community hospital. The Hospital is committed to delivering high-quality, safe and efficient medical care to each and every patient.”
I continued on and after a hard right onto Commonwealth, the road flattened out for about 1/10 of a mile before beginning a short, but steep 64 foot climb that crested right at the 18 mile marker. This was the second of the Newton Hills. I almost didn’t feel it. What is unique about this section of the course is that it is the exact opposite of what most people think of when they hear the name Commonwealth Ave. This part Commonwealth is lined with trees and passes through a residential neighborhood. The houses are very nice and well maintained.
This section was a nice break as I was gradually rolling downhill (from 153 feet at 18.00 to 96 feet at 19.25) as I approached the mile 19 marker. When I passed the mile 19 marker, I knew I was headed for one of the nastier hills in Newton. I have heard that mile 19 is probably one of the two toughest miles of the course. After dropping about 30 feet for the first 1/4 mile, "Hill 3" begins at Walnut Street at 19.25. This hill is about 1/2 mile and climbs 64 feet, topping out at Cedar Street at 19.75. You then drop about 20 feet to "the wall" at 20.00.
I ran to Cedar Street and the base of Heartbreak Hill. I was tempted to run it just to see how bad it really is compared to its reputation. But, I decided to save it for another day. I turned and headed back to my car. The surprising thing was that I ran this 5 mile section in 44:19 (8:51 per mile pace). I felt really good at the turn around. I ended up finishing in a little over 88 minutes. It was a really nice run with warm weather and not a lot of traffic to deal with.
There is one more section to go. I am not sure when I will run it. But Dad, I will be sure to post the information when I do.
I drove into Wellesley and parked at the Wellesley Congregational Church. This put me right near mile marker 15. I headed up Washington Street knowing that this portion of the course would take me through Newton Lower Falls and into the dreaded Newton Hills. At mile marker 16, I crossed the Charles River and entered Newton. This is also the beginning of the first of the 4 "Newton Hills". From 16.00 to 16.62 there is an uninterrupted 93 foot climb, followed by about a 20 foot drop to the 17 mile mark.
I have been training on the hills around Westborough. So, they are not intimidating when I am running them on a training run. I know that on race day it will be different as I will have already run 16 miles when I reach the Newton Hills. I have heard from some runners that even though Heartbreak Hill gets the notoriety, the climb over Rte. 128 is considered by some the toughest part of the whole race. I have to say it was tough even early in a leisurely run.
When I reached mile marker 17, I had just passed Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Newton-Wellesley Hospital is known for being one of the top bariatric surgery centers in the country. This is where you go to get your gastric bypass surgery for weight loss. I don’t think that anyone running Boston would need to stop there for that type of surgery. Here is what they say about themselves, “A comprehensive medical center located right in Newton on Washington Street, Newton-Wellesley Hospital provides the services and expertise of a major medical facility with the convenience and personal attention of a community hospital. The Hospital is committed to delivering high-quality, safe and efficient medical care to each and every patient.”
I continued on and after a hard right onto Commonwealth, the road flattened out for about 1/10 of a mile before beginning a short, but steep 64 foot climb that crested right at the 18 mile marker. This was the second of the Newton Hills. I almost didn’t feel it. What is unique about this section of the course is that it is the exact opposite of what most people think of when they hear the name Commonwealth Ave. This part Commonwealth is lined with trees and passes through a residential neighborhood. The houses are very nice and well maintained.
This section was a nice break as I was gradually rolling downhill (from 153 feet at 18.00 to 96 feet at 19.25) as I approached the mile 19 marker. When I passed the mile 19 marker, I knew I was headed for one of the nastier hills in Newton. I have heard that mile 19 is probably one of the two toughest miles of the course. After dropping about 30 feet for the first 1/4 mile, "Hill 3" begins at Walnut Street at 19.25. This hill is about 1/2 mile and climbs 64 feet, topping out at Cedar Street at 19.75. You then drop about 20 feet to "the wall" at 20.00.
I ran to Cedar Street and the base of Heartbreak Hill. I was tempted to run it just to see how bad it really is compared to its reputation. But, I decided to save it for another day. I turned and headed back to my car. The surprising thing was that I ran this 5 mile section in 44:19 (8:51 per mile pace). I felt really good at the turn around. I ended up finishing in a little over 88 minutes. It was a really nice run with warm weather and not a lot of traffic to deal with.
There is one more section to go. I am not sure when I will run it. But Dad, I will be sure to post the information when I do.
Here are my training totals for this week. :Jan. 31 – 14.10 miles (2:15:59, 9:38 pace)
Feb. 2 – 6.00 miles (53:34, 8:55 pace)
Feb. 3 – 3.00 miles (22:37, 7:32 pace) – Speed work
Feb. 5 – 7.10 miles (1:04:07, 9:02 pace) – Tempo Run
Feb. 6 – 6.00 miles (55:04, 9:11 pace)
Feb. 2 – 6.00 miles (53:34, 8:55 pace)
Feb. 3 – 3.00 miles (22:37, 7:32 pace) – Speed work
Feb. 5 – 7.10 miles (1:04:07, 9:02 pace) – Tempo Run
Feb. 6 – 6.00 miles (55:04, 9:11 pace)
Feb. 7 – 10.10 miles (1:31:00, 9:00 pace)
Total Miles: 46.30 miles
2009 YTD Miles: 218.85 miles
1 comment:
Ted: Thanks for the update. I enjoy all your writing but am interested in your analysis of the course so I can relate to the actual marathon in April. Stay warm and keep us all posted.
Dad
Post a Comment