Boston Marathon Report (Read 725 times)

On race day, my friend George and I went down to the buses at about 7:30. We didn’t need to be there that early, of course, but it was either that or sit in our room twiddling our thumbs. No, we were ready to go, so we went. Long lines, as expected, but we managed to get on the bus that ended up leading the first group of buses to Hopkinton. For a bit, I actually wondered whether our driver was lost, because it took a long time to get to Hopkinton, and he was driving freeway nearly the entire way. He even pulled over a couple of times, but I finally figured out it was because he was waiting for the other buses to catch up. I also remember thinking that it was a long way out there, and I’d have to run all the way back to town. At the village, it was a little chilly for my liking. I did get a pre-race massage, but only because it was in the gym of the school where it was warm, there was hardly any line, and I could take a short nap while I was massaged. I would gladly have paid for more time. Nonetheless, I really didn’t think the massage itself would do a whole lot of good since I wasn’t running for another four hours. Finally, time to head to the corrals. I did manage to find another friend of mine right away in our corral. In just a little bit, we were off. We (corral #10) managed to cross the starting line in a little over 7 minutes. The crowd at the start was amazing. I didn’t think there would be that much noise right at the start, and it was quite impressive. Energized by the crowd, it was hard to run at a measured pace. At mile 1.14, my Garmin 201 lost its signal. At that point, I had to rely solely on “feel” for my pace. My initial goal for Boston was 3:55. I did not want to go too fast, since I have Ogden in three weeks. But, my natural “feel” is for an 8:00 pace. And, that’s what I ran. Actually, I wasn’t too worried about it. I felt ok through mile 15-16, when the Newton hills begin. I knew I’d slow down some on the hills, but I didn’t have any real problem with them. I felt ok at the top of Heartbreak, and figured I should come in around 3:30-35. At least, that’s what I thought. However, around mile 21-22 I began slowing with a little gimp in my right leg. At about mile 23/24, my right calf really tightened up. I spent from 24 to 25 stopping at least five times to spend a minute or two stretching. After a while, it finally seemed to loosen up, and I at least managed to run the last ½ mile, finishing in a final time of 3:48:02. No, I wasn’t happy about what had happened, but I guess I did finish under my target time. Most disappointing, though, is that some guy in a pink tutu, with pink running shoes, and carrying a wand, finished ahead of me . (On a side note, my wife told me that one girl got to within 100 yards of the finish and collapsed. When aid workers went to her assistance, and tried encouraging her to finish, she simply said “no”. Now that is a heartbreaker) Other than the disappointment of coming up lame in the race, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The weather was about perfect. In my book, all the hype about the Boston Marathon is right on. I was absolutely amazed by the crowds and the support they offer the runners. Wellsley, of course, is as loud as expected, but I do believe the students at BC are out to give them a run for their money. And, I have to believe that one of the most beautiful sights in the world, for a runner, is making the turn on to Boylston. I can’t wait to do it again next year!

Hey congrats! Beating your goal time is SOLID!

Great job! nice report...Loved the tutu! Lynn B