Many thanks to the dead hosts of the dinner, the sunday am run, and the
bagel brunch. My second boston marathon & my first dead runners
encounter was an excellent experience. I'm lucky to meet such a nice
bunch of people.
My marathon experience began a few years back when my younger brother
Chris first ran Boston, 1972 I think. At the time I was working at
Shipley Co right at mile 16 mixing up chemicals to put the metal on
circuit boards. At lunch I waited for Chris to come by & then hopped on
my bicycle & rode into town with him, not a problem back then.
Well nowadays Chris lives up in Ripton VT, just a mile or two from
Middlebury College's Breadloaf campus. And I was just delighted when
Chris drove down on Sunday to check out the marathon. I had always
admired him for running marathons back then so it meant a lot to me that
he came. He and his wife Jes have recently adopted two brothers from
Ethiopia, Yared and Yibikal, who are 9 and 11. Chris offered to drive
me to Hopkinton & pick me up in Boston after the race.
So off we went Monday at 9:30 AM with 3 boys in the back seat, around
through the back roads of Holliston and down Ash Street until the road
block. Unfortunately, by now my son Gordon is melting down, Yared &
Yibekal are pissed off & I'm maybe just a little nervous. Not feeling
so good. And by 11:55 or so the situation is not any better, I feel
guilty leaving Chris with this problem but off I go into corral #6 where
all the runners are pressing forward from behind, eager to go. The sun
is hot as we walk & then stop .. & then walk & then trot over the
starting line.
The first mile is about 8:15 or so with the runners packed pretty
tightly so I just roll with it. I'm having some stomach cramps, I just
focus inward and run easy not paying much attention to the crowds,
hoping I'll feel better.
My Mom & Dad & sister Beth & friend Millard & nieces Rachel & Emily are
at mile 11. I stop & hug my Mom & say "I'm not doing so good", tie my
shoe too tight (a minute) and hit the street. Later I have to stop &
loosen my shoe (another minute).
But I'm doing OK timewise (for me) basically running 7:50s, trying to
stay in the shade. I'm also starting to feel a little better, and then
comes Wellesley College! The girls are going completely nuts and how
can you not smile with enthusiasm like that? This is where the day
turned for me, the cramps died off & I started running a smooth
comfortable pace. Slapping hands with the kids along the roadside &
smiling inside if not outside.
The training runs I did on the course this year really helped, I knew
just what to expect from the hills. And the crowds were the greatest,
pulling me up the hills in Newton. I wasn't faked out this year
thinking that the level spot by Bobby's New York Deli was the top :-)
As I rolled on past the cemetary a cool breeze picked up and I realized
if I could pick it up I just might make 3:30! I was just groovin' the
last 4 or 5 miles, feeling the pain but passing people and shooting for
the 3:30 mark. Finally turned the corner and could see the finish, but
for some reason I thought that last stretch was shorter? Did they add
another 1/4 mile this year? After what seemed like an eternity the mats
came into view under my feet, it was just over 3:30 by my watch. Oh
does it feel good to stop. A smiling volunteer draped me in space
blanket and taped it tidily around my neck and then I heard a shout
"Dad!" My son and his two new cousins & brother Chris, all with big
smiles, were waiting there on the other side of the barriers.