The 111th Running of the Boston Marathon !

Despite the wind and the rain pounding the house - I was able to get a good night's sleep. When I walked out of the house at 6:45am there were tree branches strewn across the neighborhood from the high winds but it was relatively warm (upper 40's) and a light rain falling. The newscaster on the radio said this type of storm this late in the year is a once in 25 year occurrence. Great......

My sister dropped me off in Hopkinton at the house of a fellow Greater FoodBank runner. It was nice to have warm place to hang out for the 3 hours waiting for our race time. At the peak there were probably 40 other runners that the house. My pre-race food intake consisted of a bagel, half a blueberry muffin, banana, Powerbar and 6 oreos.

I generally do not struggle with wardrobe decisions but the odd weather was causing angst among most runners. The wind was continuing to abate and the rain was now on and off. Some people were deciding to wear shorts and others looked like they were headed for the slopes. I wore shorts under a rain proof shell and a short sleeve shirt under a rain proof jacket.

We were part of the second wave of runners that started at 10:30 am. I was pretty far back and crossed the start line at 10:35. The start in Hopkinton is along a relatively narrow stretch of road - so you are shoulder to shoulder with other runners for the first few miles. The first few miles were relatively rain free and many people began shedding their outer layers and discarding them on the roadside.

My sister and her family were waiting for me at mile 4 in Ashland. They had some gatorade and goo for me and the pack was thinning just a little so there was more running room. Just past mile 5 it started to rain and the wind kicked up a bit and I was glad that I still had my waterproof layer on through Framingham. This was a relatively tough stretch mentally as the initial euphoria has worn off and the reality that I still had to go 21 more miles (my longest run to that point in my life) left in the race.

Luckily I had my family and a great cheering squad in Natick at mile 8 to lift my spirits and push me on. My brother gave me some candy swedish fish for an energy boost. However I think he bought them in 1983 because they were hard as a rock and it took me the next mile to try and chew the three fish and then extract them from my teeth.

The crowds were good through Natick heading into Wellesley - although people have said they were less than half of a 'normal' marathon. Wellesley College scream tunnel did not disappoint and was another needed lift around mile 11. My Dad, Nancy and sister Dede were waiting at mile in Wellesley with gatorade, goo and a change of clothes and shoes. My gear had kept me relatively dry and I had avoided the major puddles - so my feet were pretty dry - so I pushed on towards Boston.

This was another tough mental stretch through Newton Lower Falls. It was encouraging to be 16 miles into the course but I could feel my legs getting tired and wondered if I could survive the hills coming up starting at mile 17.

I was determined to make it up through the series of hills in Newton without walking. It was a struggle but I powered through and made up Heartbreak Hill. At the top of Heartbreak hill is where the majority of Boston College students are and the combination of their cheering and the elation of making it over the last major hill provided a huge boost as I crossed mile 21.

Just about mile 22 you make a left turn towards Boston. I was at the 3 hour mark and with just over 4 miles to go - I felt in pretty good shape to hit my 3:41 goal. Soon after making the turn I 'hit the wall' physically and mentally. You can see the building and sign landmarks in Boston but they seem very far away and 4 miles seems like 40. Your brain is telling you that you have gone far enough and your body is not going to make it the rest of the way. A couple times over the next 3 miles I slowed to a walk. I would count to 20 and then start jogging again - because if I let my body stop running for any longer - I would never start again.

When I reached Kenmore Square at the 25 mile mark - I got my final 'burst' of energy and was able to pick up the pace a little as I headed to the finish line. At this point I was at the 3:34 mark and knew it was going to be tough to meet my 3:41 goal with 1.2 miles to go....

I turned the corner onto the home stretch and spotted my brother up in a tree. About 500 yards from the finish I felt my quad tighten up and feared that I may have to limp into the finish line but the muscle relaxed and I was able to triumphantly cross the finish line at 3:43.

I would describe the feeling of crossing the finish line at 40% elation, 40% relief and 20% disappointment for not hitting my goal. I nearly toppled over trying to get the timing chip off my shoes but never felt in danger of needing a wheelchair plus I never saw a cute girl pushing one.

I was a bit amazed at the consistency of my 5K splits when I got home (25 minutes on the first half and 28 minutes on the second half). I guessed that my first 5K (due to the crowds) and the last 5K (due to fatigue) would have been dramatically different.

I am pretty sore this morning and glad it is raining again - so I can cancel soccer practice this evening.

Some random observations from the race:

• There was a gusty head wind at times and some brief periods of rain but I would say weather was a non-factor for most of the race. Although the winner finished about 7 minutes behind last years pace.
  
• I was surprised how some people were unprepared for the weather (wearing garbage bags, etc.). We have only been hearing about this storm for a week !
• As I noted in my blog entry on the training race - I am amazed at the amount of people (of both genders) needing to jet into the woods during the first mile to relieve themselves. And literally they are going about 5 feet into the woods.
  
• At mile 19 there was an old lady holding out a tray of fresh baked brownies...
• At mile 20 there was a guy standing next to a garbage bin holding a sign that said 'ICE".

I have been told that people catch the 'marathoning bug' after running their first marathon. I must have a strong immune system because the day after - I still do not feel the like I have caught the bug. I am certainly glad I did it and it was a great experience but I will be pretty content next year sitting in my lawn chair watching the runners go by.....

I would like to thank my family and friends for all their support and encouragement and especially my wife who was the backbone of this effort.

I will post some pictures in the next few days......