Notes
Started the day by waking up at 2am. Just couldn't sleep and had to get going by 4:30 to catch the bus at the Winner's Circle. Gwen brought us down, along with Mike and Mike. We catch the bus along with other WC members and head into Athlete's Village in Hopkinton at 6am and arrive about 7:30. They announce that first wavers should head towards the start line at 9:05 to get into corral. I meet another WC'er that is only about 100 spots off my number so we head in together. Surprisingly it's quite a walk to get to the start line, likely more than a mile. Guys were getting last minute pisses in wherever they could but there were so many cops around it was difficult to do without getting scolded. A female officer went right the hell off on one group of tinklers and screamed, "what the hell is the matter with you, I'll take your damn bib!" "There's plenty of port-a potty's" right up there!" Ya right, no way you are going to make the start if you stand in one of those lines. Knowing that, I had a small Gatorade bottle with me to use in the corral. Unfortunately, it was not as crowded together as I anticipated and realized that this is difficult! Particularly with women all around, but I used a hand towel to cover the manhood and got 'er done. The anthem goes off and I'm getting Goosebumps (despite the warm temps). All of a sudden a loud roar approaches rapidly and I'm startled in light of past events. The F-15 jets fly over us quite low and I think that this is the coolest thing. The gun finally goes off and I tell myself to just take it easy and lose some time during the first few miles. I realize early on that I'm not going to make it without another pee. So I lose 10-15 seconds on the first mile but that's OK, I'll get it back later. Mile 1 goes off, 7:35. Mile 2 and I'm right where I want to be at this stage about 8-10 seconds slower than pace. By mile 3 I'm on pace early but that's OK, it's downhill after all. By mile 4, I'm heating up so rapidly that I start to consider taking it easy today. I run a pace mile and I feel my face beginning to melt. I want to get ahead of this so I decide to commit myself to running easy today, soaking in the granddaddy of this country's marathons and keep the competition for Sugarloaf. Just take it easy, don't look at your watch, maybe you can run sub 8s the whole way and it will feel pretty good. Nope. After mile 6 I am taking water and Gatorade at practically every stop. Eating oranges, rubbing ice all over me, dumping cold water on my head. NOTHING is cooling me down. Just keep moving, who cares what your time is just be able to say that you never walked. Nope. Mile 14 goes off and I am walking, It feels great, my quads are toasted and the sky is cloudless. I heard it was 77 at this point in Newton. I decide that I am going to walk about 2/10 and run the remainder of each mile until the end. This way I can at least break 4 hours, a streak I've had in all of my previous seven marathons. Once the hills come, I can't hold that duration any longer and every time I run just a little but and I stop, I get so dizzy and so nervous that I'm going to pass out and they won't let me finish the race. After all, I already bought the jacket and mounted the 26.2 sticker on my car this morning, so I better finish the race. It feels weird to just walk when so many people are passing me. I'm seeing people off the side of the road and some getting wheelchaired away but it's no consolation. I feel a little of both embarrassment and anger because I definitely did not want this to be my first and perhaps only Boston experience. I walk over Heartbreak hill and mostly walk until 24.5 where I see the Citgo sign. Man, that's bigger than I expected and it's pretty cool to be running down these streets that would normally be bustling with traffic and people. I know that Gwen is on the corner of Commonwealth and Hereford with Richard and I want to be sure that I am not walking when they see me. So I start running, thinking that they are coming anytime, It seems to take forever and I finally see that sign on the right for Hereford and Richard's infamous Orange cap. I get a quick hello, as she notices me just as I'm passing. Left on Boylston and there she is, the finish line I've been waiting for all day...and since I started running more than five years ago. How sweet it is and how I do respect this course now. Boston is known as a downhill course but I don't think it provides any advantage in that way. Perhaps on a cooler day it doesn't seem as tough. Or as Meb says, maybe it takes 3 or 4 tries to figure this beast out. Sure I'm disappointed posting my worst time ever but I'm glad I got a chance to realize this very difficult goal. Not sure if I'll be back here as a runner or not but if I do, I plan on settling the score.