Boston Marathon - RunMarathon

the timing was so perfect that the start happened as soon as i got into my corral and we were on our way. i dumped the garbage bag immediately and then dumped the poncho shortly after. the rain had eased up and in a pack of 20,000 the wind wasn't hitting you directly. i was wearing a lot of clothes:
top: winter hat, 1 thin short sleeve layer, 3 thin long sleeve layers
bottom: tri shorts, tights, cargo shorts to carry stuff.
and i began to overheat quickly. i took off the hat and gloves and started to settle in.

the start (and much of the course) is downhill, so i started fast, but was not pushing it. my goal was to go as fast as i could without causing much damage. i knew i couldn't set a pr and with a half-ironman coming 5 days after, i just wanted to cruise. on the other hand, i wanted a decent time (3:30-4:00) and to finish early enough to get on the road to make our flight out that evening.

i followed the pack and concentrated on my form. i could immediately tell that this wasn't your typical race. i ran the first 4 miles ~7:30/mile and was getting passed as much as i was passing people. everyone there was a strong runner. i continued on slapping the hand of every kid that had his/her hand out on the sideline (100s of them!) and although i had no idea where they would be, i was really starting to look forward to seeing k and my friends.

i got a chance to stop and see them somewhere between miles 6&7. i was happy the rain had eased and they looked like they were having fun. i dumped my hat/gloves on them, got a kiss from k, and continued on.

i didn't memorize the course very well, so i never really knew what was coming. after doing lake placid last year, i wasn't afraid of any of the hills, but i had heard a few stories and there were a few spots to look forward to. wellesley college was one of them and it certainly lived up to it's reputation. it started with an eery screeching sound in the distance that you could hear from 3/4 mile away. it got louder and louder as you went until you expected 1000's of screaming girls to come running at you from over the next hill indiana jones style. even in the cold rainy weather, there seemed to be 1000's of women out to cheer on the race. they were going nuts. dozens of them had "kiss me" signs and guys would run across the road to stop and give them a kiss. it was insane. that mile alone was worth whatever it took to get there.

i have to say it was kind of downhill from there. the entire race seemed downhill and my quads were already a mess. my hr, feet, energy, etc. were all great, but my quads were ready to quit and there was a ton of running left to do. unfortunately slowing down didn't ease the pain at all. i just had to concentrate on better form and reducing the pounding.

i made it to see everyone again ~mile 15 and that lifted my spirits for a little while. i was careful about eating and took some tylenol. the pounding was still relentless, but it didn't get much worse. the newton hills and heartbreak hill were actually a relief. they were harder, but energy wasn't an issue and running uphill gave my quads a break. i struggled through miles 19-24, but as the crowds got thicker, the pain faded and the finish line seemed closer and closer.

the final two turns were mobbed with people and the finishing straight was was on the only street i recognized. it was a welcome sight. eventually, the finish line was within sight and i still had a sprint in me. it felt great to be done and although tempered a little by the weather, you could tell coming down that street was an honor. it was like you were running 'the' marathon instead of 'a' marathon. they are all 26.2 miles, but you could tell there was a little something extra behind peoples smiles as we congratulated each other after crossing the line. really cool. don't tell my quads, but cool enough to do it again next year.

nothing.

walked the 4-5 blocks out of the finishing chute and waited to meet up with k and my friends. ate some food on the way to the airport and jumped on a plane.


no need to go faster.


awesome. great expo. great fans. great aid stations (although could use more food). tough, but cool course. "if you have the means, i highly recommend it"