Boston 2010

Ran the Boston Marathon again this year. This was my fourth consecutive Boston and my ninth marathon in 5 years. I started running marathons in 2005 and have a vision of running my 70th marathon on my 70th birthday. If I run two marathons a year, and perhaps an extra here or there for good luck, I can see that vision come to fruition.

Boston this year had all the makings of a PR race (that's personal record). There was a tail wind, a slight cloud cover, good temperature, and an excellent support crowd.

The day started out with the standards - fun visiting with fellow runners at runners village, chit-chat on the bus heading into Hopkinton, nice warm-up walk to the start line, and excellent weather. The forecast called for rain early in the day but that did not happen.

For the first 10 miles, I ran with a first-time marathoner who was targeting a pace near mine. We chatted and cheered each other on. Around mile 7, my neighbours cheered and shouted and after I was about 30 yards passed them, I noticed. Just in time to look back and give them a big wave and smile. Not long after, I passed between a few runners and a person on the left ran in front of me at the same time. This pushed my into to one of the people I just passed and they stepped on my shoe. Flat tire. Fortunately, I was able jam my foot back into my shoe without breaking stride. This felt like a huge accomplishment, one for which I rewarded myself by running another 16 miles.

The next three miles were run alone, no particular running partner at this point and it was time to start looking for Robyn and the girls. They were waiting for me near mile 13 in Wellesley. When I found them they took my jacket - way too warm for a coat - and gave me a snack. They had fun banners and posters and "go Bill", "you can do it Dad!" signs. Very cool. If I didn't have 13 miles to go, I would have ridden home with them. Not a good sign for marathon pace so I pushed passed the temptation.

Around mile 14 I met my friend Helen who called my name as I ran passed her. We ran together for a short bit then I resumed my normal pace. Also around this time I started feeling my toenails. They began to hurt. I also had lost some of the excited spark that I usually carry well into the last 3 or so miles. This I attributed to two things: 1) ibuprofen before the race; and 2) recovery drink before the race. It's not clear how either of these contributed but I figure each has the job of shutting things down so you can heal and that's the opposite of what you need to run fast.

Miles 15 through 21 are the approach to and cresting of heartbreak hill. This is the 2nd year in a row that I faced heartbreak hill and the approach with a steady and strong pace. Crossing the top of the last hill near mile 21 I shouted "you just finished heartbreak hill" to all the folks around me and gave a big cheer.

Now the last 6 miles of any marathon are frequently thought of as the second marathon. Boston is definitely that way too. The 5.2 miles from the top of heartbreak to the finish line are some of the hardest miles to endure. For my particular race, my toes were in a very bad way and had lots of unpleasant things to say about me. Were I in a better frame of mind, I would have stopped and taken off my socks to give my toes some room. I did not.

As I ran through the colleges, there was lots of cheering. Lots of whooping and "you can do it" and a few too many drunk college students stepping into the road. It is very hard to change course - even just a few inches - after running for so long.

The finish line was a easy crossing this time. I had paced myself well and although I was hopeful of a PR, the extended time getting to the start line and the slow pace for the first 6 miles put a dent in the pace that I could not knock back. Also, what later proved to be 6 bruised toenails did not bring any extra speed to the show either. So the finish line crossing, although easy, was not a record breaker. 3 hours, 46 minutes.

Most likely, this is not my last marathon. Most likely, I'll run another 61 marathons in the next 30 years. Most likely, I'll feel the thrill of running another marathon this fall. It's in my blood. And there will be no pre-race ibuprofen, pre-race recovery drink, or extra thick socks.