| The weather forecasters were predicting another warm
Marathon Monday. After last year's death march,
I was rather nervous about the heat. Leslie's father
["Mr.
T"] and I rode the subway down to Boston Commons
and then took the bus out to the start in Hopkinton
together. Mr. T was relatively calm about
the race despite the fact that it was his first Boston and he would be running
on an injured Achilles. I think I was quite a bit more nervous about the
race than he was. In Hopkinton we tried to relax, took
in some fluids, and stretched
in the hours before the start. Soon enough it was time to line up. Mr. T
and I wished each other luck and then headed for our
corrals.
On the way to my
starting corral, I crossed paths with Paul Hines. He stated
that he had the fitness to go under three hours, but planned to back off
of his pace quite
a bit because of the heat. This served as a good reminder not go out too
hard.
In the starting corral I could feel the hot sun
and it caused me to become very concerned. Soon enough the race was under
way. I held back in the first
mile
which is a steep downhill. Everyone goes out of the gate flying in Boston.
It is very hard to not get caught up in the excitement. I picked up the
pace in
the second and third miles and then worked on settling in to a pace that
was comfortable given the heat. Boston is a tricky course to run. The first half marathon
is relatively flat with a few up and down hills mixed in. The second half features
four long hills.
On one hand you want to take advantage of the easier part of the course and
run a strong first half. On the other hand you don't
want to go out too hard
because you will pay dearly in the hills.
The early miles went by without too
much trouble. Between the 12 and 13 mile marks the
course passes Wellesly College where there are huge
screaming crowds. It is a great way to end the first half of the
race and good send-off to
the
more difficult portion of the course. My split at halfway was 1:25:04. Even
in cooler temperatures I wouldn't have wanted to go out much faster.
I was
looking forward to the seventeen mile marker where
Leslie along with my parents were waiting to cheer
me on. I felt relatively
good on the hill
beginning
around the 16.5 mile point. My legs were a bit tight (particularly my right
hamstring) and I could feel the heat, but I was happy that my body was
responding well to
the warm temperatures. My pace remained consistent. Seeing Leslie and my
parents provided a big boost to me for the Newton Hills which begin around
the 17.5
mile mark.
I took the first two hills pretty well and managed to pass some
people.
The heat was a bit more noticeable in Newton (the weather forecast predicted
that the warmest part of the day would be around the time that the runners
would hit the hills). I would like to say that I powered through the
third and most
famous Newton Hill, Heartbreak Hill, but this was not the case. I have
new respect for this hill. All at once I could feel
the energy being drawn out
of my legs
and the sun sucking me dry. I couldn't wait to get to the steep downhill
on the other side. I made it to the downhill and tried to regain my faculties.
I knew I could finish in a good time as long as I
held on and ran a steady pace.
Starting in Newton,
the crowds are much larger. By the time you hit the
downhill after Heartbreak, the streets are
lined shoulder to shoulder with
spectators.
With a couple miles to go, I could see the giant Citgo billboard (outside
of Fenway Park) that happens to be situated at the one mile to go point.
I focused
on getting myself to that point. My energy was fading fast, but my
pace remained steady. I hit Kenmore Square, passed by the Citgo
sign, and
tried to pick
people off in the last mile. I headed down Beacon Street, took the
right onto Hereford
Street, and then the quick left onto Boyleston. The finish line was
in view. I made a push for the finish and tried to pass as many
people as
possible.
I crossed the finish with a chip time of 2:51:51 (310th place
overall) - my best
Boston Marathon time and my second best time ever. I was thrilled.
In the chute
after the finish I spotted Leslie along with my parents. I am grateful for
their support and I was glad that they saw me run a good race.
I took advantage
of the free post-race massage (which was fantastic) and then met up with Leslie
and my parents at the family meeting area. I'll be back for sure next year.
Paul Hines finished the course in 3:30:17.
Mr.
T struggled with his Achilles injury, but managed to finish (albeit in severe
pain). He is determined to get healthy and have another go at the fabled course
next year.
Matt after finishing
|
