Greetings! Let me re-introduce myself, I am Dead Runner Alix McLauchlan from Peace River, Alberta Canada, I have been on the Dead and Tri-Dead list for some years previous to this but have not written anything for a long while since probably around 1998 when I ran New York with one very special Dead runner, Per Axelson and also met many Dead Runners for dinner (I still remember that Tiramisu!!!!) . Since then I have been away from Marathons for some years, as George would say, "I had been living on the Dark Side.doing Triathlons". A ski injury somehow brought me back to remembering the pleasure of simply running. I found as I began to get back into my training mode that triathloning took away from the time I could be running. I resented having to get back on to my bike or swim laps when I could be running in the hills. So last Fall when triathlon season ended I hung up my bike and I started back doing what I really enjoyed, running almost everyday. I entered the Seattle marathon in November 2005 and qualified for Boston with a 3:48. I had always wanted to run Boston.preferably with Per from Sweden but since he was busy xcountry skiing, I decided to do it alone (with a wonderful support crew which was my husband Ben). My training for Boston went very well until the last month. The hills in Peace River are a runners haven or hell, depending on your conditioning. The hills are 7% grade and are 5-7 kms in length. They were great training for both the uphills and the downhills until,,,,,,,,,,that fall of mine in Jasper.
Experiencing Boston for the first time:
Meeting Dead runners Mike, Cilla & Sid, George & Christine, Doug & his delightful wife, Julia & Joe, Robin the Triathlete and all others at the Big City Pool Hall & Emporium was a wonderful way to begin my (our) initiation to Boston. The advice I received from the experienced Boston runners helped me run a very sane and enjoyable race. To be truthful I almost pulled out. I had, once again injured my left knee in a ski accident four weeks earlier and was getting physio/acupuncture and chiro treats everyday until we left for Boston. I had a hard time deciding if I was being insane running Boston with an injured knee or that I was just fearful of the thought of having to deal with the consequences of having to drop out of Boston because my knee was too painful (MY husband will attest to this with my display of upset the night before). I decided in the end to face my fears, to bandage up my knee and to use the help of all my nearby angels and most of all to use my mind to overcome the frailties of my body...I decided to do the downhills very slowly..and to enjoy the uphills. Someone wrote that the first 14 miles of Boston are fun, the next 7 miles are sweat and then the last 4 are hell. I decided to have fun in those first 14 miles. I put my body into autopilot and became the observer rather than the participant. What an awesome crowd it was! I have never seen such great audience participation as in Boston. I felt that they projected such a positive aura that it made me float, grin from ear to ear, and to give many high fives to the children and ladies of Wellesley. The hilly miles 15-21 made it exciting for me and I started to get pumped. I knew my knee was going to hold and I started to motor up the hills (still cautious on the downhills). Heartbreak Hill seemed too easy.but then I had been taking it easy all the way ..Miles 22-26 are supposed to be hell..but I found it exhilarating to be able to increase my speed (and past people by). I fought a calf cramp on the last mile but was able to sprint it in at 3:58. The clock said some ridiculous time making me have no idea what I had really done, but I knew by my heartrate I had run a fair race and hey I finished Boston and qualified for next year!!!!!!!! We had a wonderful last few days absorbing the great city Boston is . We had wonderful seafood and Thai meals, observed historical sites and listen to good music with the performance from Steve Howe from YES. We are back in Peace River now, I didn't run today (quads still sore) but took a lovely walk in the hills and thinking if I don't run tomorrow I just might get my bike out so I can be one with the wind and the trees. We really enjoyed meeting everyone and hope to do it again somewhere soon!