Notes
Discovered this BQ option and decided to run it instead of traveling to Iceland, having just come off a 2-week vacation and having additional time off at the end of this month; I simply could not take more time off and still get my work done.
This was a .355 mile loop which I did 74 times. Sounds monotonous, but it wasn't any different that a non-loop marathon in terms of monotony. On the contrary, there are real advantages to this type of a loop marathon: Music in the midfield (didn't use my headphones though I had them with me); personalized aid stations with volunteers to give you water, gatorade, gels, grapes, or anything else; support from the volunteers and others who get to know you as you pass by them 74 times; a flat steady course; and seeing others runners frequently who are either looping you or being looped. (BTW, I was looped by the lead runner 3 times before he crashed and burned, and by the second place runner once before he dropped out)
I would do this again either to PR or BQ if necessary. That was the reason this time, having failed to re-qualify by 17 seconds while running Boston earlier this year.
It was a small field, and I managed to finish second overall (seconds behind the first place overall finisher, whose average pace was 7:25 compared to mine (7:23) due to the shorter distance on his Garmin (26.2) compared to mine (26.3). There was some question whether he completed the 74th lap, according to the lap counters, but I was satisfied that he did based on his Garmin and his lack of doubt, and I did not want to disappoint him, nor did I care whether I got second or first in the circumstances.
I was happy to get my BQ-15. Still "Greg2" because I did not better Greg1's Boston time this year, 3:09. Nice job, Cremer. Your Boston splits were truly perfect; mine are ugly by comparison.