was at the Boston Expo...there he was....LONG LINE...forget it, i thought....
later, waiting outside for my ride...there he was just walking down the sidewalk (with a couple of New Balance reps). no one knew who he was....
so, i say, 'mr khanouchie.'
and he looks up and says, 'hey...how are ya'...
and i say, 'good'...
and i smile and he smiles...and there's an uncomfortable pause....and i nod my head, and he smiles again and goes on his way to catch up with his new balance people...
alsa met greta waitz (sp?) in the expo...there were only two people in line to see her. damn, she's beautiful. got an autographed picture.
marathon...oh, yeah...it was warm...i had fun, took lots of pictures, let the kids spray me with hoses....net time was 4:31...considering i lined up at 11:25 and didn't cross the starting line 'til after 21 minutes into the race, i spent 46 minutes on the hot pavement before i even got to run...was 83 at the start in the shade...wonder how hot it was in the sun on the black top...
but i had fun...from the splits i saw that sutah and i crossed paths at least a couple of times...there were so many beautiful women out on the course, though, i didn't know which one was her...
well, i guess i can't really complain about having to start in the back and
taking over 21 minutes to reach the start. if i'd train and actually try
and qualify for Boston, i wouldn't be back there with all the charity
runner/time waived folks. but, it is kinda scary when after lining up in
the corral at 11:35, race starting at 12:00, getting to the starting line
just before 12:22, all this time being on black top in the sun, and when i
start to run, my legs feel like spaghetti.
in the second mile i was actually wondering if i'd have to call it a DNF if
I quit there. it would seem like quitting in the second mile really should
count as a DNS. of course, my soul wouldn't let me do that.
so, i kept my forward progress going occasionally passing someone being
rolled off the course on a gurney with an IV in them. several times we had
to pull over to one side of the course to let an ambulance pass.. this was
my first marathon with no sub nine minute miles. even at pikes peak, that
last mile in the city(actually, from the last marker at pikes peak it's only
.9 miles), i run at a sub 9 pace. but i was having fun, taking pictures
(which got fogged by the xray machine at the airport, but i'll still scan
and post 'em), letting people spray me with hoses, and talking to charity
runners who had names or pictures of folks that they were running for and
asking them about them....
to me, marathoning isn't a race, it's a social event, and i'll bug folks
along the way as long as they let me. some appreciate the distraction, as
others will slow down or speed up, and i get the hint.
can't say i ever saw the citgo sign...don't know how i missed it since it's
supposed to be a landmark. i did see alot of smiling faces in the crowds as
well as alot of spaghetti string tops, and halter tops and tube tops and
bikini tops...i guess i can't totally complain about the heat.
in the last few miles, i bantered with the crowd, thanking them for waiting
so long for me and apologizing about my tardiness.
my 8th 5K split was faster than my 7th which was faster than my 6th. That's
a rarity for me, but i guess common with Boston with those downhills in the
end.
Thanks to Marc Frommer for arranging a dinner the night before hand...it was
good to see him and Dennis and Gaye as well as meet some new people...
I'm sorry I missed some of the other festivities of the weekend, but I
decided to spend time with family in NYC as part of the trip, and take the
train to Boston (here in STL, taking the train is a rarity, so I decided it
would be neat to travel by train), on Sunday morning and head back to NYC
Monday night. That allowed me enough time to take Boston friends (thanks,
Shannon) up on their hospitality without out staying my welcome.
anyways...Boston was cool...I wouldln't recommend it for running a good
time, but it's certainly a good race for HAVING a great time...
MarkO...back in STL after a train ride back to NYC late last night and a plane ride home this afternoon.