I had read about the course and determined that I would take the advice of the experienced Boston Marathoners and start off nice and easy. For the first 5 miles (which are mostly downhill), I stayed with the crowd and didn't push the pace. I was immediately impressed with the crowds that come out and line the race course, and that continued the entire way through the marathon! That first 5 miles I averaged around 8 minutes/mile, which is right about where I wanted to be, and I knew I had to keep some reserve for the hills that were coming.

After mile 5, things level out somewhat; and it was time to just keep up a good, steady race pace. I was running a little under 8 minute miles at that point, and feeling pretty good. At each town along the way, it seemed like half the town would be out there cheering us on, giving us high fives, etc.; and that would always make me smile and give me a boost of energy. Just after mile 12, I started hearing the "Wellesley scream tunnel"; where the girls from Wellesley college line the street and cheer so loudly that you can literally hear them from about a mile away. Running through it was a little deafening, but it's also a nice boost to get you through the halfway point.

At the 13.1 mile midpoint, I was at 1:45, which meant I had a good shot at breaking 3 1/2 hours; which was my goal for the race. The Newton hills would be coming up just before mile 16, but I felt strong so I picked up the pace just slightly as I got closer. There is a big downhill after mile 15, and then you start into the Newton hills section, ending with the infamous Heartbreak Hill that crests around mile 21. Going up the first of the hills, my legs felt strong and I started passing by quite a few people, and I knew right away that following the conservative strategy was going to pay off. I kept running through the rest of that section, and actually got through it at just under an 8 minute mile pace; felt great to not have to give up any ground :)

After that, the race became more downhill again, and I was excited to get back into Boston and see that finish line. I kept running faster as I got closer, since I felt great and didn't want to leave anything on the course. The last couple of miles, with all the excitement and the crowds, I got under 7:30 min/mile, and ended up crossing the finish line in 3:28:00; which was a new personal best for me :) I beat my time at the 2008 Austin Marathon (which was my Boston qualifier) by 45 seconds, and was pretty happy about doing that in Boston!