Tell us about your first Boston Marathon, what do you remember most?
First of all it was hot, and they were still starting the race at noon back then. I had to sit around on this field for a long time working on my sun tan drinking Gatorade and snacking on powerbars. Then near lunchtime we were supposed to go run. Well, I'm running the course, it's stinking hot, I'm hungry, I've missed lunch and I keep smelling sausages and other stuff grilling on BBQ's along the course. Brutal I tell you.

So you pushed through the race despite wanting to stop for a sausage?
Oh yeah. There was beer too. I could see people enjoying a cold one or two, especially towards the end of the race. Thankfully some nice kids were offering up freeze pops so I had a few of those but I really wanted to stop for one of those sausages.

Sounds tough. So were you pleased with your finishing time?
Not really. Worst marathon time of all time for me. It would have made more sense to stop for some grilled sausage and beer.

What exactly went wrong?
Well, it was 85 degrees, I hadn't had a decent lunch, and I tried to run 26+ miles like it was just another marathon. I should have had a bigger breakfast that day.

So you contribute some of your issues to diet?
Well, my eating habits are legendary now, but back then I was still a novice.

So you bonked badly then?
Well, not really. But when I saw people walking at 8 miles I knew I was going to be toast soon. A couple miles later I just slowed the heck down and that's when I started noticing all the grilling smells along the course.

Everyone talks about Heartbreak Hill, what was your experience there?
Dang if I could figure out when I was there. People kept telling you were at Heartbreak, and there was all kinds of whacky writing on the road in chalk. Never really knew for sure when I was on the hill until I came back down the other side. Worst part was I had been going back and forth with this cute female runner and she started walking the hills and even running I could barely keep up with her. Geez. Thankfully I had a freeze pop in one of those hills and that helped my outlook.

So once over the hills, how did things go?
Not much better, but I was doing better than most. People were walking, collapsing, and spewing up strange stuff alongside of the road. I am wondering if they got a bad sausage or something. Anyway, I wasn't moving very fast but kept feeling like I had to dodge people in front of me. I could barely do it too. Seems I'd wait to the last second to shift around some slower runner or walker. I'm really lucky I didn't have a collision there. Plus the fans along the course here were yelling and cursing like crazy. I was afraid to stop for fear they'd kick my ass for not running The Boston Marathon to the best of my ability.

The turn down Boylston Street towards the finish is memorable to many marathoners, what was your take on it that day?
Oh, I was so happy to see the finish line but it looked unbelievably for away. I really thought it was quite the tease. I wanted to take it all in like I was suppose to but frankly I just wanted to be done, I was so frickin' hot and I'd been miserable for so long. Given the size of that road I did kind of feel alone out there all of a sudden. Very strange. Anyway, I get through the chute and to the food line and guess what, no grilled sausages!

Wow, that's some story, so did you go back again?
Yeah, and dang it if they weren't grilling sausages in Hopkinton at lunchtime again that year.