I trained very consistently this spring, and followed a Pfitzinger plan (70 mile per week) to the letter. I think I had a realistic shot at going under 3:10, if not coming close to 3 hours. Then the weather changed, and I decided to just go for it and give it what I could on this particular day.

I started out at what felt like an easy pace, and hit the first four miles right about 7:00 per mile. However, after that initial downhill start, things started to slow down, and by mile 8 I recognized that today was not a day to try to be a hero. I had decided beforehand that I would see what the day would bring, but if it was not to be, then I would make it a "long training day" to get ready for the Sugarloaf Marathon in May. So I eased back on my pace, and hit the halfway mark with a 7:30 average pace.

By mile 16, I started doing some scheduled walk breaks, and set it in my mind to just finish and be glad for that. There were tons of people walking, even some of the really fit guys with low bib numbers. There were also a lot of people going down on the side of the road, or even in the middle of the road.

I don't know exactly what the temps were throughout the course, but in Brookline I saw a thermometer showing 88 in the shade. Pretty warm for this northern boy :). I believed I was drinking plenty of water and gatorade, and was even getting a little sloshy feeling in my gut. I had salt pills, but ended up not taking as many as I planned, as I dropped about half of them at one point.

While I did take scheduled walk breaks, I also ran the entire length of the hill sections in Newton, including all of heartbreak, so I feel good about that.

I saw my wife and daughters on Hereford Street (about 3/4 mile from the finish), gave them a kiss, and then busted it down Boylston to the finish. Amazing crowd support throughout the race today, and it was absolutely deafening down the final stretch to the finish.

I crossed the finish line, and kept walking for a block or so. I was given some water and my medal, and then things started getting fuzzy. I became increasingly dizzy, and finally stopped and put my hands on my knees. A medical volunteer saw me and asked if I was ok, and when I responded "I don't know," he put me in a chair and took me to the med tent. I was initially taken to the general area, and was given some broth, but when they stood me up to walk me out of the tent I became diaphoretic and my vision blacked out. They then took me to the EMTs and found that my blood pressure was 80/50, my pulse was 40, and my temperature was 94. The EMT told me that my lips were blue and I was extremely pale. I was given an IV bag of saline, and felt much better after that. I was able to walk out to meet my family, and we walked another mile or so back to the hotel.

So I finished in 3:51, which surprisingly gave me a much higher placement than I would have thought. I'm glad I did it, and I'm surprised how ok I am feeling about my time. I'll PR another day :).