Hi everyone- Short version: I ran a 3:26:05 chip time, which was almost three minutes faster than my time in 2000. I ran almost even splits (chip time, that is). My fastest mile was mile 26 & I finished strong.
Longer version: I arrived late on Saturday due to various "situations" that arose. Thus, I missed the dinner, which frustrated me to no end. I had really been looking forward to meeting up with all of the deads. In any event, I hit the expo Sunday morning & spent way too much money.
Race morning I woke up before my alarm went off. I got dressed in shorts & a singlet, as the weather forecast was for very hot conditions. However, I remembered all too well the freezing cold I experienced in 2000 at Boston...so I threw on sweats & a long-sleeved shirt, jacket, gloves, etc. When I got to the athlete's village, I was very happy that I had opted to dress for cold weather! I hung out, met lots of nice people, ate a power bar & a bagel, etc., hit the port-a-potties & then took off the baggage busses & my corral. It seemed like a really long walk to find corral 8. I thought I might end up being late for the start. But, I got there just in time & we took off.
This time it took me "only" five minutes to get to the start. I've had a list of injuries a mile long since I ran Boston in 2000. The first 5 miles or so were rather ugly, as my back & ITB were really, really hurting along the way. I popped some Advil and narcosis & eventually that pain started to subside. Along the course of the race, I had to deal with a nagging hip flexor pull that acts up every once in a while just to make me nervous...and a swollen WRIST. It is still very swollen and sore. This was actually VERY distracting for me during the last 10K. How does that happen? I don't recall doing any of Boston on my hands!!
I cruised along and hit the half somewhere around 1:43. I was not liking that time, as I figured I would slow down over the hills. I really wanted to break 3:30 at the very least, and I was afraid I would not do that at this point. Anyway, I kept plodding along, doing what I could. I felt strong on the hills, and passed a lot of people. That is about when the sun came out. I definitely could feel the heat starting to affect me. However, I knew once I got to the top of that last hill that the remainder of the course was mostly downhill. I pushed the pace as much as I could from there on and ended up finishing in 3:26:05. I was definitely tired and my legs were hurting at the finish, but I felt better than I did after 2000, when I swore I had hypothermia and I could barely walk.
I was pleased with my time. My PR is 3:24:59, which I set in Tucson this past December. So, while this race was not a PR, I was only off by a minute on a tougher course. I can't complain about that.
Overall, I had a great time in Boston, but I don't think I will go back to run it again next year. I really enjoy going to different places to run new races, so I think I will continue along that path for a while. The atmosphere in Boston is wonderful; I can't think of a race I have been to where so many people have just been so damned happy just to be there. That said, I definitely am looking forward to discovering other new racing adventures.