Boston Marathon - RunMarathon

Life in the Back of the pack. The gun went off and we took two steps forward, then waited. Took 10:16 to cross the starting line. Once we got moving it was packed. It was hard with the big downhill but you are stuck trapped at the packs pace. I tried to hold backbut after a mile I started weaving and speeding up and slowing down. It was like that for the first 5 miles or so and i sure that hurt me. I got into a nice groove from 5-14, just floating along, still weaving but not as much just enjoying the crowds. If you ever do Boston, you have to put your name on your jersey cause you get about 100,000 people calling your name. Every little kid, I came across I high fived. It was packed the whole 26 miles. Just when you think it can't get any crazier, you hit Wellesley College and you meet the college girls, you could hear then for about 5 minute till you get there, then it was deafening. They just went nuts, screaming, signs, free kisses, wow that was an amazing stretch. Once past that I got back on track and flowed to mile 15 and got that last big downhill before the uphill stretch kicked in. I was holding back for this so now I started working my way up the hills, then crowd got even heavier in this stretch. People didhing out water, ice pops, oranges, and cheering you one even though runners have been streaming by for 2 hours. I felt good up thru the start of heartbreak, then I started feeling my left groin and hammy tighten. I kept chugging, but I knew that was a bad sign. I lost myself for a few minutes as I past the spot where I had watched this race in 6th grade. But Heartbreak just goes on and on, then there is a short downhill and another quick hill to the top. Ok I held back for 16 miles, so I could go after these last 5 miles, but when I asked my leg to go, the left hammy and groin, and right calf just twinged and made it clear that I wasn't going anywhere fast. After 21 miles of hills and a 5 mile uphill stretch, the cemetary downhill stretch just put my leg on strike. I fought on as fast as my legs would allow and it really hurt but I kept slogging and shuffling along. My pace dropped from the 8:30s to the 11:30s but I didn't come to Boston to walk. And the crowd knew it, they saw you struggling and they just did everything they could to keep you moving. They were great. I watched the Citgo Sign coming closer and closer, I made a pit stop at the med tend, porta potties at mile 23 and just kept moving along best I could. Finally it was over the bridge, past Fenway Park, under the freeway, a couple turn then a left on to Boylston Street in front of the Haynes Convention Center and you could see that Banner about 600 yards away. I tried to go faster but my legs reminded my I couldn't. I saw one guy whose calves were cramping up so bad he had to stop right there 100 yards from the end (I pretty sure he finished) and another guy on a medical cart on a stretcher with an oxygen mask on(pretty sure he didn't finish) just 200 yard from the end. The end was almost anticlimaxtic after seeing those to struggling worse than I was. I made it to the finish in my 2nd fastest marathon time in 6 tries, but this was Boston, I did it.

Qualify. The way they do the start is really cool but not having a qualifying time and starting out back, force me to waste alot of gas early weaving in out and around, speeding up then jamming on the brakes. If you qualify you are up further and surrounded by folks who run your pace. I had gatorade/water every stop and had 2 Gus just before and one at 5, 11, and 18 miles so m nutrition was good, just my legs weren't ready for the pounding of those hills (especially the downhills) But this was Boston and I helped someone else reach there dreams along the way so it was all good

Once I stopped and walked after the line, my legs didn't know what to do, I shuffled to the space blankets, got my chip removed, got my medal, kept moving got a bag of food and found a table to plop down, get my feet off the ground and had an apple. Felt better,shuffled to the baggage busses, (only advange of being #25988 was my stuff was in the 2nd bus you came to. Moved to the changing tent (which ended up being a unisex changing area so I kept my shorts on put on my sweat and ditched to jersey and then exited the tent and hit the MBTA station (Got to ride free, even though I had bought a Charle Card the previous day, so now I have $2.00 for the next time I return to Boston to ride the train.) Rode the Green line to Park Street and got on the red line and got to sit down. Then actually walked better than several other runners going up the stairs and out to the car, and stated the long ride home (tried to avoid NYC at Rush hour, still got home very late) and went straight to bed.


Messed up at the start by spending too much energy weaving through traffic and aid for it at the end and I guess I need more hills. Still don't understand how i can go 4:50 in a Ironman marathon and felt good the whole way and can't go sub 4 in a standone and not feel terrible at the end.


This race was everything you imagined and more. The oranginzer, the expo, the police, the volunteers, the crowd, and the other runners were so awesome. It was a privledge to be there and part of an event with 500,000 screaming fans and 250 media outlets. It was awesome. Another dream down!!