Notes
Found my Garmin in my shoe! Just in time for tomorrow's MCS 5k. Guess I put it there as I was changing after the race. Following is the log I wrote previously. Although my official time is the same as my Garmin time, 3:06:48, the distance per my Garmin is 26.5 instead of 26.2, so my Garmin average pace is 7:03, whereas my official average pace is 7:08. Heart rate appears unusually high, but I did not feel like it was racing. I wonder if it is inaccurate. Tomorrow should give me some indication. P.S. Just noticed that in deleting my manual entry, I lost the kind comments of Lance, Rob, Gadman, and others. Oops! Thanks anyway, guys. See you all soon.
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(Previous entry:)
Seem to have left my Garmin in the massage area, so no splits other than my official time every 5k. This was a day we will not forget. Fans, spectators, and runners alike.
Before the blasts, all was wonderful. Met up with my NYPD friend, http://athlinks.com/racer/results/126422324, about 15 minutes before the start, but lost him when I returned to the corrals. Saw him ahead of me within the first mile, and we hung together until about mile 19, when my pace slowed. Until then, we were cruising and passing people after a slow, conservative start. His plan was to get on pace after the first few miles, which was perfect for me. Allowed me to save my quads for the second half, although they could have used more fitness for the last 5 miles, which are mostly downhill. After the crest at mile 21, the Boston College crowd was really supportive, and I started flying downhill, but before long I felt like a heavy paid a price for this. I could not keep up with the pack during the last 5 miles, and I was eager to finish and rest. Turning on Hereford and then Boylston was like seeing an oasis. Looking at my Garmin, I could tell I had a Boston PR in the bag, so I did not have to sprint to the finish, and I don't know that I could have.
After resting for a minute or two, I felt really good. I had my Ipod shuffle going, and I cranked the volume to celebrate. I got water, nutrition, but not my medal. I realized this after I got my clothing from the baggage bus (which took longer than usual) and got in line for the free massage and chiropractic treatment. After both, I took my time changing in the men's lounge and bathroom, while taking in some nutrition. I exited the building and heard the news as I asked one of the volunteers where I could pick up my finisher's medal. As I walked back to Boylston, I could see the road wide open, no runners, and lots of volunteers just standing with nothing to do, as there were no finishers to greet. I could not see any of the carnage, but I did overhear and speak with a couple people who crossed the line only 20-30 seconds before the bombs went off. They and their families were obviously shook and relieved to connect.
I had no difficulty crossing Boyleston at Clarendon, which was barely a block from the finish. The authorities had not yet cordoned off the area. I heard rumors that a new finish line was set up on Commonweath Ave, so I walked over to it, and could see that this was not the case. There were no runners continuing past Massachusetts Ave and Hereford as far as I could tell. At this point, I saw a taxi, and he had no passengers, so I got in. Up to this point, in time, I was unable to reach Tina or our daughter Megan by cell phone because service had been shut down, apparently as a security measure to prevent the use of cell phones to detonate any further explosives. Fortunately, they did not go to the finish area after seeing me go by just after mile 25. I knew where they would be, which was on the left when the pack was more to the right, so I was easy to spot and was able to spot them easily.
I met up with them at Megan's apartment, where we met up with her roommate, who ran a 2:28. His family was there and we shared stories from the day and watched the news. It was nice to have a comfortable place to go to keep abreast of the news and unwind.
This is really a time to count our blessings, those of us who were not affected, that is. Their lives were changed forever, and we can only imagine the depth of their ordeal and grief. I'm sure that next year's Boston will be marked by security, just as our official shirts will have some memorial for those who were killed or injured. For each of them, there are many family members and friends whose lives have been forever changed.