Christine again had an amazing performance, winning the women’s 55-59 age group at the Boston Marathon. Although she didn’t quite hit her goal of surpassing the all time age group course record of 2:54:21, she improved her 2:57 of 2010 to 2:56 and it motivated her to come back and give it another go next year!
Recovering well and eyeing the World Masters Championship marathon in July, Christine took a few minutes out of her schedule to chat with us.
Coach: I know you were close to your ultimate goal, but you had a really solid race. How did you feel out there?
CK: Well, I died in the last mile and a half. Had absolutely nothing. Combination of being sick [prior to the race] and a few other things. I had never felt that way before! I was afraid to take the electrolyte fluid that day because it doesn’t agree with me and I didn’t want my stomach upset, but in hindsight, that wasn’t a good choice.
I made it to the finish line, and the only way I did it, was because of what I did the day before. I went to the finish line, and jogged backwards on the course out about a mile, before turning around and coming into the finish like I would on race day, trying to think about what it would feel like to finish under the banner. When I got to the Citgo sign [traditional visual landmark on the course, a couple miles from the finish], it took everything I had to get to the finish, but I knew I wanted it.
Coach: All the talk was about the wind producing fast times out there. Did you feel the windy conditions?
CK: The wind at the beginning was a crosswind. I was sweating a lot. I didn’t feel like we had a tailwind, but I guess we did.
Coach: You’ve talked about making the choice to run with the main field rather than start ahead with the women’s elite group. How did that go this year?
CK: I was so happy to go at 10 and have all those people to run with, and not go with the elite women [half an hour earlier]. I had a couple friends who ran solo like I did, behind the faster women in the elite field and ended up running 3:15 or 3:20.
Coach: What is next on the calendar for you?
CK: I want to go to the world masters championship and run the marathon. I know it will be tough and it will be hot, but I think I will be ready to run another marathon. I will plan to run some long runs on the course, do things like to go up there for a 20 miler on the course in the heat one evening [the competition will take place in Sacramento this July].
I will run for the US, which will be the first time for that. We might have a US team, but we wouldn’t have had a team for Ireland [her native country]. So, I am looking forward it!
One of the things about the marathon is that you have people coming in that you have never heard of. So I never take it for granted and just try to prepare to run the best race I possibly can.
Coach: Is Boston in the cards for next year and what did you learn with this effort?
CK: One of the things that I accomplished was that I went back to Boston with better turnover. But I didn’t get enough long runs done…I got sick and didn’t get a half marathon. So, I feel like going back to Boston next year, I’d like to start preparing in December instead of January. Last year I was strong, but I didn’t have the turnover. I feel that I can go back next year and put the two together and go for 2:54 again.
