Nice going Tramps. I hear a bit of disappointment in your RR.....sorry for that. But you live to run anothr day. Here's to many more to come!
Thanks for the RR. Quite inspiring to me. I learn from evryone of them.
Yeah - some of 'em are just like that. And you know what, we're going to do it again anyway.
I wish we could figure out what the real difference is between the really great race and the horror of the bonk. Beyond the obvious of bad weather or poor training, I'm afraid it's sometimes a very fine line and a mostly inexact science. If you ever figure it out, let me know.
It was great to see you and Mrs.Tramps at the various events. That part was really fun!
aka Mrs. WillRunForBeer, MD, USA Marathoning, the triumph of desire over reason
You did look ragged
Ah, real friends don't hide the truth.
Thanks very much everyone for your comments and support. Seeing folks in Boston and knowing there was a virtual corral here was great fun.
Aamos—yes, I was disappointed we didn’t get to meet. I thought of you several times over the weekend, though, as I heard those Red Sox scores. Ouch.
Wildchild—fuel was 4 GU’s, a banana, and most of a Kashi cereal bar; water only at stops + Endurolytes for electrolytes.
PBJ—your race photos are classic. I can’t imagine running in felt!
Steve—there would be advantages to being behind Valerie.
Walt—you’ve never BQ’d? But you’re way faster than me! What’s up with that?
Mike—no plans for a next marathon. I’ve got to get serious about a laundry list of house projects, which may make a Fall marathon unlikely.
Denise—I usually love bananas post-race but the bananas near me were bright green! I didn’t think that was a good idea. Never saw the chips; probably my fault. Also, I knew the “are you okay” thing was triage; it was just humbling to realize I was a candidate! Volunteers were great, btw. (Okay, with the exception of the one who misinformed me that there was no Z!) I thanked as many as I could along the way.
Karin—yes, I saw that typo! Very funny. What is it with your DH and Valerie?! I remember her from her TV days but she was always just a little too cute, if you know what I mean. It was sad to see her get so big so I’m glad she’s being active again.
lamerunner—yeah, you’d think water stop etiquette would be old hat to BQers, but apparently not. The more tired I got, the more it bugged me.
George—cool that you were at that game! Both the B’s and my Caps blew chances to wrap things up last night.
Jlynne—it was my brightest shirt to give DW a chance of spotting me. It’ll be a great shirt during hunting season.
Lou—thanks, buddy. Still tough to see you not be able to run it. Next year, you'll rock.
Be safe. Be kind.
King of PhotoShop
This was a great report and lots of learning in here. I sense your disappointment and I know what that feels like to be in trouble at the end. You just get so mad at everyone and everything. I remember many years ago being mad at the cobblestones late in the race at Boston!
But you are running just great and if you are not hurt now, you have a lot to be happy about. Boston is just a great experience, one that you have to see for yourself, as you did.
Nice going Tramps. Sorry for delay in writing this; just getting to all these RR's. Spareribs
Doug, runnin' cycling in Rochester, MI
"Think blue, count two, and look for a red shoe"
Hill Runner
Even though you were disappointed with your run, you still ran a very respectable race.
Some folks, myself included, need to experience & learn this course & how to run it.. I am certain that you will improve on it the next time.
I hope to meet you again either in Boston or another venue.
Upcoming Races:
Boston Marathon, Boston,MA 04/15/13Grandfather Mountain Marathon,Boone NC 07/14/13Thunder Road Marathon, Charlotte NC 11/13
Running out of mistakes!
I'm gad you got to enjoy seeing the sights while here and even meeting imaginary friends!
Congratulations, Tramps, for gutting through a tough run. I've never understood how a bonk can hit you like a ton of bricks one time, then sneak up on on ya another. Regardless, you finished and should be very proud of yourself.
Come out to California for Avenue of the Giants. It's a much smaller race, run among the beautiful redwoods.
Leslie Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain -------------
Trail Runner Nation
Sally McCrae-Choose Strong
Bare Performance
Great race and greta way to finish the race....
on ward soldier...the best is still ahead.
"Champions are everywhere; all you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard
Tramps as a local, Boston can be a tad overwhelming, but it also brings out the best in us - we are never so nice as on Marathon Day!
What a wonderful report - I enjoyed it each time I read it through. Your "bonk" is truly a success in my book.
Now I hear that (should you return) you might need a pre-race tofu fix in the future - that will be provided.
Kirsten
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
Groucho Marx
i'm glad I'm not the only one that reads these 3 times!
Tramps, thanks for writing this. It was well worth reading.
I'm glad you & your DW had fun meeting & playing with everyone.
Great accomplishment.... suppose that depends on how you define it. I'm sorry it didnt' turn out as you'd hoped. Even with the little I've done, I have an idea of what those last miles felt like. Awesome job. Congratulations!!!
And then to top it off you learned a lot & shared it with us!
happy to be one of your imaginary friends
Marathon Maniac #957
Second, in addition to lots of runners, there are lots of water stops. Every mile has two separate water stops, left and right. That means no worries about getting water but lots of jostling as people decide at the last moment to cut to the side for a cup or, in later miles, come to a dead stop once they grab their cup. And there are cups strewn everywhere that you need to watch out for. Sometimes it felt like I was up to my ankles in water cups.
Tramps – I agree about the water stops. Even if I had been running a PR pace, I would have lost a lot of time at those water stops, which were all of them just big, crowded, jostling sections, and for those of use closer to the back, the cups were slippery piles of debris to negotiate carefully.
And, having learned about the post-race snack from my first Boston, I had a banana and a bagel with cream cheese in my drop bag for after the race.
Sorry your last miles were so miserable. While I didn’t actually bonk the first time, that miserable side stitch I had made my first Boston not so great as well. Don’t give up on trying it again, if nothing else but for the great parties..... And I also enjoyed meeting YOU for the first time!
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."
#artbydmcbride
Runners run