Prologue

On Monday 17th April 1995 I ran my first Boston marathon in 3h19.36, slower than I expected but a great experience. I definitely wanted to come back and run it properly. 3 years later in 1998 I returned and after some hard training, great pace judgement and a downhill course with a tailwind I had a great run finishing in my 3rd fastest marathon ever of 3h09.27 :-) Even though I was qualified for 1999 a bad injury scuppered any chance of a return that year. Ever since then I have been trying to requalify for Boston.

Last year on 13th October I ran the Manchester marathon. After lots more hard training, great pace judgement, a cold windless day, a downhill course and five extra "geezer minutes" thanks to my upcoming 40th birthday I requalified for Boston with a 3h19.44 :-)

It took a long time to recover from Manchester, then I got ill in January/February so I only managed about 2 months of decent training to prepare for Boston 2003. Still I was also qualified for 2004 so the plan was to come to Boston and just enjoy the experience, try and qualify again next year.

For my two previous Boston marathons I had stayed in city centre accommodation arranged by Coach George and the Buffalo Chips. For this year's Boston our DRS/Buffalo Chips friend Cary Craig very kindly arranged for us to stay with her mother who lives 5 blocks from Boston Common.

4 days to go. I was in York for a scientific conference, I gave my talk on mercury sulphides for (hopefully) the last time in the morning. In the afternoon back to Cambridge and the beautiful Shelley by train.

3 days to go. Up for a very easy 2 mile run, some breakfast then off into Cambridge by taxi to the bus station. Bus to Heathrow Airport, after the usual trips to "lineland" we eventually got to the gate for our flight to Boston. We were guessing which of our fellow passengers were also flying over for the marathon. After a much shorter than usual crossing of the atlantic, 6 hours to Boston is a lot shorter than 11 hours to California we touched down at Boston airport. More trips to "lineland" to get through US customs and when we emerged there was Cary :-) Cary helped us navigate the T to her mother's apartment in the Beacon Hill area of Boston. She lives a couple of blocks of the Charles river, very close to her work in Cambridge at MIT. So after 14 hours of travelling from our home just outside Cambridge we had arrived just outside Cambridge!

2 days to go. We awoke rather early due to the 5 hour time difference between the two Cambridges. In the morning off to the expo with Shelley and Cary to get my race number, timer chip and t-shirt. We had a look round the expo, it was huge and incredibly crowded. I bought some suitably garish running shorts and Shelley bought a new running jacket. We also met up with the famous Connie Chan, I had my picture taken with Connie next to her picture at the Nike stand. I was thinking of getting some more running shoes but it was getting even more crowded in there we decided to get out whilst we still could!

On our way back from the expo as we walked down Boylston St. we bumped into David Bedford. DB was the world record holder for 10000m in the early 70s, he was famous for running along with long black hair and a droopy moustache. The hair is grey now but apart from that he still looks the same. DB now works for the London marathon and was presumably in town on marathon business. This year's London marathon also incorporated the 1000 mile challenge, 6 brave/stupid people were selected to try and repeat the challenge done 200 years ago by Captain Barclay of running 1000 miles in a 1000 hours. Should you think that only means 24 miles of running a day and that shouldn't be too hard for an experienced distance runner a 1000 miles in a 1000 hours means that you have to run 1 mile every hour for 1000 hours, sleep is taken between runs! Of the 4 men and 2 women who started the challenge, which went round and round the LM course, only one dropped out before the 1000 hours were up. The 1000 mile challenge was scheduled to finish at 8.00am on the morning of the London marathon, all of the survivors of the challenge then had to run the LM to decide the final winner. DB had made a bet that none of the women would win the challenge, if they did he would agree to shave off his moustache. Needless to say one of the women was the first of the 1000 mile challengers to finish and she crossed the finish line carrying a razor for removal of a certain person's facial hair. I asked DB when he was going to lose the moustache, his answer was somewhat noncommital! Shame on you Mr Bedford :-)

After lunch we headed over to MIT to run at the track, a very impressive looking institution. As we arrived a track meet was just finishing, nobody stopped us from running round the track. The beautiful Shelley is getting ready for the start of her track season next weekend so she needed to do a track session today. So whilst Shelley did 12 x 200m I jogged in the outside lanes with Cary. Cary is just getting back into running after a foot injury and consquently only did 30 minutes, I did 20 minutes with her whilst my wife zoomed round the track.

In the evening off to the DRS dinner at Big City. We weren't quite sure where we had to get off the Green Line trolley car but as the appropriate stop approached a runner in a DRS shirt and a penguin brigade hat appeared, the good Doctor Harriet Kang to the rescue :-) We had a great time at the dinner, lots of good food and great company. There were so many deads there I didn't get to meet everyone. The famous Connie was there as was dinner organiser Robin Cain. Great to meet Allan and Susan Rube again as well as Ken Cotton, Ken Myers, Doug Dodds, Mike Sheldon, Josh and Maryanne Knight who I had also met at previous DRS encounters. My compatriot Jeremy Worthing was there en route from Austria to Tokyo the long way. Ann Ferguson was there, like me she is English born and married to an American, great to meet up with her and husband Richard. I also had the pleasure of meeting local deads Nangel Lindberg, Joe Bator and Julia Kim for the first time. It was also super to meet up with my namesake Tony Phillippi from Washington. Sorry I didn't get a chance to say hello to everyone, only as I saw a young man leave with a fast looking young lady did I realise that this was the great Parker Morse of Runners World fame. At 8.00pm we joined in with deads all over the USA in a toast to the memory of Ken Olsen :-(

Back into Boston on the Green Line with Allan and Susan, Allan took a picture of me with my beautiful wife which will no doubt appear soon on his excellent web page.

1 day to go. Off to the other Cambridge again for the "day before the marathon" run, met up with some more deads on Cambridge Common and off we went along the Charles River, I had the great pleasure of running with Tracey "alphabet" Grzegorczyk as I jogged along the river through Cambridge and Boston before finishing up through Harvard Yard, a nice easy run of 3 miles or so. It was a lovely morning for a run, cool and sunny without too much wind. Afterwards we dead runners repaired to a nearby graveyard to take some pictures. Two policemen rode past on bicycles but didn't bother us. After the run off on the subway to the Bagel Brunch chez Joe and Julia. More fun, food and great encounters with some of the same deads who we had met the night before whilst we watched a tape of the 2000 Boston marathon. Great to meet up with local masters track star Mary Harada, we had met Mary at masters track events either side of the pond. Thanks to Joe and Julia for organising the brunch and their diving expedition to the bottom of Boston Harbour to get me some tea :-)

Back to Cary's mother's home in the afternoon, I relaxed to prepare for the marathon the next day. Cary and Shelley did something far more strenuous than marathon running by returning to the expo for more shopping. Cary's mother made us a very nice dinner before we went to bed before the big event in the morning.

Race day. After a night of only intermittent sleep I awoke at 6.00am for some breakfast with Cary. Then on with the race gear and some throwaway clothes, I told my beautiful wife I was going out for a run and would see her later in the afternoon. Off to Boston Common to join the queue of runners lining up for the school buses taking the runners out to Hopkinton. I was sat on the bus with a lady from Virginia, this was her first Boston. We chatted away about running and things and I told her about my vast experience of running this event twice in the past. Eventually we arrived at Hopkinton High School, this was it and I was going to run the Boston marathon. All I had to do now was wait until 12.00 and then run back. I tried to rest up as much as possible before the race, on arrival it was cold but sunny, I found a spot in the shade and lay down on the grass periodically getting up to join the long long queues at the portapotties. Just before 11.00am I got up to put my bag on the baggage bus. It seemed to be an awful long way to the start from the baggage buses, when I got there it was another long way out to corral 7, I was starting a lot further back than last time. About 11.30 I arrived in my corral, it was getting a bit warmer and I had soon discarded my throwaway sweatshirt and tracksters. Next I took great pleasure in throwing away a t-shirt from Oxford. About 15 minutes before the start I met a fellow british runner in my corral. I was pretty nervous by now, all of the patriotic songs being sung at the start were starting to get a bit annoying for a representative of the losing side in the events that led to Patriots Day. I agreed with my fellow countryman that there were no hard feelings and that the colonials would be welcome back any time :-) Just before the start I threw away a hat, I was now dressed in my white Spectrum Striders vest, shorts, socks, Nike Pegasus, a headband and (ominously) sunglasses.

Bang and nothing happened, slowly started to walk forward, over the start line in 4.15 and I finally started running the Boston marathon. I got moving reasonably well once I crossed the start line and started on the initial downhill miles, great crowd support from the start. Fellow british dead Jerry Worthing came past in the first half-mile but I didn't have a chance to talk to him. I reached mile 1 in 12.08/7.53 from the start, so far so good but it was quite steep downhill here, my legs felt a bit stiff. Mile 2 in 19.39/7.31, on the right pace but still a long way to go. Mile 3 in 27.03/7.24, still wonderful crowd support but by now the initial euphoria was wearing off, legs still a bit weary, when was I going to get going? Mile 4 in 34.27/7.24, by now I had passed a runner limping along, he must have pulled a muscle and looked to be in trouble. Still going downhill and on the planned pace but by mile 5 42.07/7.40 I was starting to have some doubts about how the race was going to go, I shouldn't be feeling this tired so early. The drinks stations were a bit of a mess due to the huge number of runners around, it was difficult to get a drink without running into someone, I had never seen it this crowded in Boston before. Mile 6 in 49.49/7.41, I was still passing as many as were passing me, a few more walkers around by now including a lady with an elite number! Mile 7 in 57.27/7.38, now I wasn't passing quite so many as before and a few more were passing me, now I was having a few more doubts about the wisdom of spending hundreds of pounds to come and run a marathon without the proper training background. Mile 8 in 1h05.05/7.39, mile 9 in 1h12.47/7.42, starting to feel a bit more tired. Mile 10 reached in 1h20.44/7.57, I was still on pace for my pre-race target of 3h30 but my stomach was starting to complain a bit, I could sense that a LONG DAY was ahead of me :-(

By now I was trying to run alongside the right hand side of the road to try and get whatever shade there was, feeling a bit warm and it seemed to be a head or cross wind from all of the flags flying. I saw a spectator with an English flag which was nice. The crowd were wonderfully loud and supportive, I was getting a lot of cheers for Spectrum Striders, I half regretted not putting my name on my vest. The drinks stations were still very crowded but spectators were also giving out drinks which was a great help. 11 miles in 1h28.53/8.09, ominously slower than 8.00 pace, 12 miles in 1h36.57/8.04. Still after 12 miles I knew what was coming, Wellesley :-) The young ladies were wonderfully supportive and twice as loud as the rest of the course :-) As a happily married man I regretfully had to turn down their kind offers to kiss them as I ran past, it would have been very nice if the whole college could have continued alongside the rest of the course all the way to the finish :-) After a couple of very pleasant minutes back to reality and the long slog to Boston continued. 13 miles in 1h45.18/8.21 and halfway in 1h46.12. Still just about on 3h30 pace but I didn't think that was very realistic at this point.

As the second half started the runners I was passing were a comparitive trickle compared to the flood of runners coming past. I knew that the Newton hills were coming soon and that I had to try and save something to get me up them. 14 miles in 1h53.40/8.22, 15 miles in 2h02.23/8.43, last bit of downhill in Newton. 16 miles in 2h10.47/8.24 and then time for the HILLS. SLOG, Slog, slog and up we went, periodic relief on the downhills, 17 miles in 2h19.54/9.07, 18 miles in 2h29.14/9.20, 19 miles in 2h38.24/9.10. By now I was thinking about dropping out, unfortunately we were scheduled to fly home in the evening and I knew that the quickest way to the finish was to keep moving forward. 20 miles in 2h47.51/9.27 as I started the final climb up Heartbreak Hill. Finally over the top and I had had enough. Beam me up Scotty. 21 miles in 2h57.36, at least the hills were behind me. By 35 km I had slowed to a walk like many others around me, I briefly thought of trying to racewalk it in to the end but that idea lasted about 3 strides. 22 miles in 3h08.22/10.47, 23 miles in 3h18.24/10.02 and 24 miles in 3h30.12/11.48, I was walking and running up to 40km when my pride and the support of the good people of Boston got me running again. 25 miles in 3h42.23/12.11 and past the Citgo sign. I saw the british runner I had met at the start in one of the medical tents at 25 miles :-( 1 mile to go reached in 3h44.37, looking out for the right turn. Finally right and then left into Boylston St, there seemingly miles away was the finish. 26 miles reached in 3h52.16/9.39, kept slogging on and finally over the line in 3h54.18.

No real sense of triumph in finishing my 21st marathon, just relief that it was all over at last. I joined the mass of exhausted marathoners in the finish area, Mile 27 as Cary referred to it. I got some water and fruit drink, good to have some more fluid but my stomach wasn't too keen on taking in too much at once. I removed my timer chip and they gave me a medal, a bit more drink and some fruit as I plodded on in search of the baggage buses, finally got my bag back. It was hard work even getting my bag open but I eventually untied the string and took off my striders vest. On with my new Boston marathon 2003 t-shirt, if I hadn't completed the race I wouldn't have been able to wear it. On with my jacket and I staggered off to the family meeting area, I bumped into Mike Sheldon on the way out, he looked pretty tired as well.

Cary was there in the reunion area, she had been following my race by text messages to her mobile phone. She had had a busy day, she had cycled out to Hopkinton to see the start before riding back to watch some of the race at Heartbreak Hill. Shelley had also been to Heartbreak Hill but neither of the ladies had been able to spot me in the crowd. Cary and her bike led me back to her mother's apartment, Shelley joined us on the way back as we reached the end of mile 27.

I quickly got myself cleaned up, by now my stomach was really complaining about the effects of the race. Last minute packing before taking a taxi to the airport, I had a bite of a bagel but that's all I could manage, normally after a run like that I would be eating bagels by the packet. We quickly said goodbye to our wonderfully kind and generous hostess and her daughter, it was a shame that we couldn't say goodbye properly.

Mile 28 started as the taxi took us to the airport, into the queue to check in for our flight home. By now I was feeling extremely thirsty, as soon as we made it to the gate Shelley got us something to drink and a bite to eat. There were a few other tired looking bodies walking around dressed in Boston marathon t-shirts and jackets. One of the flights (not ours) allowed Boston marathon finishers to board early :-) Onto the plane back to London, soon after take off they started to serve drinks. After a sip of orange juice my stomach finally gave up and I made a dash for the toilets, I didn't quite make it :-( The cabin crew on the flight were very supportive and helped me get cleaned up, they got me some clean clothes from my carry on baggage. The first part of my in-flight meal was some rehydration powder and lots of water. Clearly something that I had eaten on my trip over the pond had disagreed with me and the efforts of running a warm weather marathon were too much for my stomach to (literally) digest. I must have been running on empty for most of the race, no wonder I felt so tired from the start.

We landed at Heathrow with my stomach feeling a lot better, bus back home and finally a chance to get some sleep. Still feeling sore and stiff 2 days on after a marathon but nothing like as bad as after earlier marathons.

That was the story of my 3rd Boston marathon, a bit of an anticlimax after such anticipation. The main lesson I have learned from the race is "don't get sick on marathon day". I wonder if it will be worth coming back to Boston next year, I don't think that Boston can fit too many more runners on the course. I was a lot closer to the middle of the pack than I have been before and coupled with all the extra runners it was a lot more crowded out there than in my two previous runs. Still it was a great weekend apart from Monday afternoon and we really enjoyed meeting all of the deads. I still have a qualifying time for Boston 2004, I may wait until I see what sort of shape I am in by January 2004 before entering Boston, I'm not sure if I want to run another Boston when I am not really in shape to run a decent time,

According to the BAA website my official time was 3h54.19 (gross) and 3h50.09 (chip), not my slowest time ever but my slowest time since 1985.

tony....


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