Executive Summary: 3:15:24 gun time. 3:12:52 chip time. Overall place - 3164. Slow & crowded start for first few miles; met up with Team Conley at mile 5; high fived family at mile 13; found new spirit at top of Heartbreak; fought off grizzly bear in final few miles; strong finish.
Pre-race: Attended the Expo with my daughter, 9 year old Kelly Ann, who will be running with the Falmouth Striders beginning this week. She was excited to see all the booths and activity. I was a proud papa and bought her first pair of New Balance trainers. Chatted with Hal Higdon & Tom Derderian; took photo of Frank Shorter. Resisted the urge to purchase the $30 tshirts.
Race Day. The always unpredictable New England weather threatened rain. The precipitation held off but the chilly wind kicked up in gusts. Sweats and Hefty Bags were the uniform of the day. Kudos to Powerbar for bright yellow throwaway ponchos - nice touch. As usual, the BAA's equipment buses and corral setup were flawless. Most folks stripped down to a singlet and shorts by the noontime start and proceeded to fill the side of the road with discarded intentional throwaway clothes.
Miles 1-5
VERY slow start, even more so than the '96 race. Not sure what caused the delay other than the chilly weather. I was in decent marathon shape; felt very closed in and anxious to bust out of the crowd. Amazingly there were very few elbows, no knockdowns and lots of 'excuse me' whispers. the crowd snailed on towards Boston.
Miles 6-10
Team Conley. Jerry Conley and his brother Dick noticed my bright red "Portland Fire Dept." singlet and ran beside me through Heartbreak Hill. Seeing someone you know at Boston is not so unusual - its truly a small running world - but *staying* with them throughout is a major hassle. Water stops, crowds that measure 50 runners wide and the up&down swells of running strides are sure to divide any group. Team Conley pulled me through some rough spots, particularly up the notorious hills of Newton.
Miles 11-15
Three for three. Three Boston races and three family high fives. Kath and the kids were waiting in front of the Newton library. Always a huge thrill and pick me up. Half way mark at 1:38. It was going to be a tough day to meet my pre-race goal of sub 3:10 but a sub 3:20 (automatic qualifier for next year's Boston) was well within reach. On on.
Miles 16-20
So Far So Good. With the help of Team Conley, particularly up Heartbreak, I experienced a surge of power as we crested the final hill. So, I went with the feeling knowing full well I'd eventually pay the price. Never before have I felt such so well so far into a marathon. Hot damn, the long winter training sure paid off!
Miles 21-finish
The grizzly bear leapt upon my back at mile 22 whereupon all thoughts of a sub 3:10 ceased. Death march or strong finish? You decide. Ruth Vomund's words came into my head, "No one is going to care how many miles you run the next day." Give it all you got. Eyes fixed on the pavement; vague echoes of cheering crowds; passing those who could run no longer; remembering that each second of time faster means passing about ten runners; cranking up the pace for a final mile of 7:18. Did it - automatic qualifier for next year.
Post race.
Exquisite pain. Good pain. Numbness. Sudden cold. Long walk to the chip removal, medal pickup, equipment bus and family meeting area. It was 4:15 PM when I boarded the train for the ride back to meet Hans Brandes, my running mate, at the Riverside Station. Boston television replay began at 7PM and I was asleep for the night at 7:45PM.
Overall.
Close to a PR (chip time) on the hallowed streets of Boston. It left me satisfied that I'd left nothing on the roads, yet could've run faster with a less crowded start. Both are good signs. Let the racing season begin.
Post script.
Exquisite pain turned to laughter as we visited Washington, DC for the remainder of the week. The family watched in amusement as I walked backwards down endless flights of monument stairs. P.S. If you're in DC, visit the Korean War memorial. Stunning & eerie.
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