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| CIM Finish line - Dec 2014 - 3:09 BQ |
Fast forward to the night before the race. Caroline, my Mom and I ate an early dinner at our hotel. After dinner I went up to the room and got everything laid out and ready for the next morning. I got in bed around 8pm and then proceeded to toss and turn for hours. The last I remember looking at the clock was 12:30am. So much for an early bed time. 4:45am alarm came and it was time to get moving. I dressed quickly and went down to lobby for breakfast. I ate a bowl of oatmeal, cup of yogurt and half of a bagel with almond butter. Grabbed a banana for the road and left hotel to walk to buses. Along the way I dropped my post-race bag at the appropriate spot and then walked over to the Commons to load on buses. I arrived at the buses at 6am and was loaded onto the first round of buses. I got the very last seat on the bus all the way in the back which was a single seat and it meant I had a ton of leg room. On the ride out to Hopkinton I was able to sleep for a bit which was exactly what I needed. We arrived at the Village and I grabbed a cup of coffee and found a nice spot on the grass to lay down. I hit the toilets a few times and at 8:30 began a long stretching routine in an effort to warm up my calf. I also had a few heating pads that I put on my legs in an attempt to warm up the legs and get them ready for a long day. Before long it was time to go to the corral loading area. First we were loaded into corrals to walk to the start and after a short wait we headed out on the long walk to the start line. I waited until the last runners had began walking and then found a good open spot in the crowd. I tried to get as much room as possible in order to have the space to get my dynamic stretches in. Once at the starting area, I found some room to do some strides, I quickly hit the toilet one more time, grabbed a sip of water and headed to corral. They played the Star Spangled Banner, there was a flyover by 2 Blackhawk helicopters and then the gun went off. It took about 6 minutes for my Corral, 8 of 8, to cross the start line. On the walk up to the line I was in a dream world, I couldn’t believe after everything it took to get here I was finally running the race. I must have completely spaced out because as we were crossing the start line a guy looked at me and said, “You might want to start your watch!” Then in a blink I was running the Boston Marathon.
Due to a recent training injury my plans had changed a bit. I was going to take it easy at the start and ease into a pace that was comfortable for my calf. This was slightly difficult because the energy and emotions were at about a 15 on a scale from 1 – 10 and the first few miles are on a steep downhill. I started out with a 7:26 pace for mile one and was feeling great. I picked it up a bit in mile two and did a 6:57 second mile. It was at this point that I did an assessment of my calf and decided I was going for it. Operation Sub 3 Boston Marathon was on. My plan was to find a rhythm for the first 8 miles and settle in. Which is exactly what I did. I took water and Gatorade with ease and ate my first Gu at 40 mins. I breezed through the first 8 miles and was on pace. I had a wristband with splits, I used the mile pace as a general guide and mostly ran the by feel, I was more focused on keeping my overall time splits within a minute of the goal for the first half of the race. I really enjoyed going through each city, they were all similar but different at the same time. The crowds were amazing and I high 5’d lots of kids and really enjoyed the openness of the course. I assumed there were barricades for 26.2 miles but that is not the case. The biggest surprise and a huge drain on the body, mentally and physically, was how crowded the course was for the first 10 miles or so. You are mostly in small towns on the main road which is only a two lane road. On the descents you could look forward over the heads of runners in front of you and all you'd see was wall to wall runners. I used up a ton of energy passing runners, trying not to trip people and not getting tripped, literally elbow to elbow a points. The course did not space itself out until about mile 10.
The second part of the race plan consisted of miles 8-16. These miles were going to flatten out a bit and my plan was to be settled in my pace by this point and continue to click off the miles. Before the race, one of the things Gerardo told me was not to get sucked into the chaos at Wellesley University. I didn’t know exactly where that was along the course and before I knew it I was in the middle of the screaming girls. It was actually pretty cool, one of the unique experiences you get at Boston. I maintained my composure during the long line of girls until I didn't, I decided maybe I would grab a quick kiss from one of the girls. I mean, when was I going to be hunted like that again. So I scanned the crowd, found my target and went in for a peck on the check, when she turn to me and landed one right on the lips HAHA!! That was cool, had a good laugh and as I settled back into my pace two guys congratulated me. It was a fun moment and a cool memory. I passed the half way point and was feeling great. It was then I began to think I might actually pull this off. At 13.1 miles my projected finish time was 2:58. I was right on schedule. At Mile 15 I had some family members there waiting to cheer me on. They made some very cool signs and gave me a nice welcome. It was really special to see them there and they will forever be a part of my first Boston. I am grateful they took the time to do that. I slowed down a bit at that point to say hi and give them a hug. My 15th mile was a 7:27 and then I picked it up a bit for a 7:10 at mile 16 but that would be the end of my race. Because lurking right around the corner were a serious bout of cramps I never saw coming.
Due to a recent training injury my plans had changed a bit. I was going to take it easy at the start and ease into a pace that was comfortable for my calf. This was slightly difficult because the energy and emotions were at about a 15 on a scale from 1 – 10 and the first few miles are on a steep downhill. I started out with a 7:26 pace for mile one and was feeling great. I picked it up a bit in mile two and did a 6:57 second mile. It was at this point that I did an assessment of my calf and decided I was going for it. Operation Sub 3 Boston Marathon was on. My plan was to find a rhythm for the first 8 miles and settle in. Which is exactly what I did. I took water and Gatorade with ease and ate my first Gu at 40 mins. I breezed through the first 8 miles and was on pace. I had a wristband with splits, I used the mile pace as a general guide and mostly ran the by feel, I was more focused on keeping my overall time splits within a minute of the goal for the first half of the race. I really enjoyed going through each city, they were all similar but different at the same time. The crowds were amazing and I high 5’d lots of kids and really enjoyed the openness of the course. I assumed there were barricades for 26.2 miles but that is not the case. The biggest surprise and a huge drain on the body, mentally and physically, was how crowded the course was for the first 10 miles or so. You are mostly in small towns on the main road which is only a two lane road. On the descents you could look forward over the heads of runners in front of you and all you'd see was wall to wall runners. I used up a ton of energy passing runners, trying not to trip people and not getting tripped, literally elbow to elbow a points. The course did not space itself out until about mile 10.
The second part of the race plan consisted of miles 8-16. These miles were going to flatten out a bit and my plan was to be settled in my pace by this point and continue to click off the miles. Before the race, one of the things Gerardo told me was not to get sucked into the chaos at Wellesley University. I didn’t know exactly where that was along the course and before I knew it I was in the middle of the screaming girls. It was actually pretty cool, one of the unique experiences you get at Boston. I maintained my composure during the long line of girls until I didn't, I decided maybe I would grab a quick kiss from one of the girls. I mean, when was I going to be hunted like that again. So I scanned the crowd, found my target and went in for a peck on the check, when she turn to me and landed one right on the lips HAHA!! That was cool, had a good laugh and as I settled back into my pace two guys congratulated me. It was a fun moment and a cool memory. I passed the half way point and was feeling great. It was then I began to think I might actually pull this off. At 13.1 miles my projected finish time was 2:58. I was right on schedule. At Mile 15 I had some family members there waiting to cheer me on. They made some very cool signs and gave me a nice welcome. It was really special to see them there and they will forever be a part of my first Boston. I am grateful they took the time to do that. I slowed down a bit at that point to say hi and give them a hug. My 15th mile was a 7:27 and then I picked it up a bit for a 7:10 at mile 16 but that would be the end of my race. Because lurking right around the corner were a serious bout of cramps I never saw coming.
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| Houston we have a problem! |
The third portion of my race was miles 16-21. This was going to be the most challenging of the day as they made up the majority of the hills I would see. There were three climbs followed by the dreaded Heartbreak Hill. In my mind I was not too concerned about them as we have much bigger hills around here and I was trained to get over them. I got over the first hill but I was going slowly. As I passed mile marker 17 I was stopped dead in my tracks with a hamstring cramp I pulled over to the side and worked it out. I don’t remember how long I was there but soon I was walking and running again. The next 8/9 miles were more of the same.
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| Oh man, walking sucks!! |
I came to a complete stop two more times and then spent the rest of the time mixed between walking and running. Deep down I was disappointed but that really didn’t last long. I was running the Boston FREAKING Marathon and at the end of the day this really is fun for me. The cramps were painful but soaking in the experience and enjoying the moment was much easier when I was going slow. Beacon Street was a mad house and added a little zip to my step but all I wanted was Boylston Street. I knew Caroline was there and based on tracking data I knew she’d be extremely worried about my slow progress. When I finally made it to Boylston I began looking for her. She was just past the convention center and I ran over and gave her a huge hug. It was like a energy boost for me. We hugged and then she pushed me away and said, “Go finish!!” I’ll never forget that moment. The next 200 yards it felt like I was floating. The crowds were going crazy and I lifted my arms in triumph.
I failed to break 3 hours, heck I failed to even run the whole way but I was a Boston Finisher and no one can take that. I was proud as I crossed the line and held my head high. I was now a different person in the running community and was honored to be in the fraternity. I got my medal, hugged the women who gave it to me and then the pain set in. Wow my hamstrings ached. It was a long walk to the bag pick up, about 3 blocks and I was not moving fast at all. I stopped a few times to try to stretch out but little helped…I really just wanted to sit down. When I made it to the bag drop area someone was standing up from the only chair in site. I plopped down and a nice lady brought me my stuff. I texted Caroline and made plans to meet back at hotel. I texted Gerardo to let him know about the cramps as I am sure he thought I re-injured my calf. I changed my clothes and then it all came out. I was completely overcome with emotion. I had been carrying this weight of Boston with me for 16 months and it felt good to just relax and be done. What I mean by weight is the entire Boston experience for me was long and emotional. It probably seems silly to hear for someone who has not gone through this but after training to qualify, qualifying, making plans, changing plans, then training for race, traveling to race, checking in, getting on buses and the entire journey to finally get to the start line you can lose site of the fact that you actually have a marathon to run. To finally cross the line and get the medal and be done was a huge release of pressure and it just felt right to exhale. After I got myself straight I began the process of walking back to hotel, made all the more difficult with the road closures and security. My hotel was one block from the finish line but it was a full 8 blocks of walking to get back. I was so grateful that my hotel had 1-gallon size freezer bags filled with ice as you boarded the elevator. I grab 4 bags and went to my room. Once inside I crashed onto the bed, Caroline took off my shoes and I iced my hamstrings and quads for 20 minutes while I re-lived the entire race to Caroline and my Mom. The topper was when I asked for a hamburger. I don't eat burgers at all anymore but I wanted one so bad. Room service brought me my $40 burger and I was good. 
Looking back I am so happy with how everything went down. I did not break 3 hours but that's not the point here, there will be another day for that. I finished Boston, 20 months cancer free, and joined a impressive list of runners who have qualified for and finished the most prestigious marathon in the world. There are many less fortunate then I am who are fighting more serious battles everyday. I can't speak for them but I can say that when you face a scare like I did it lights a fire inside of you that wasn't there before. This fire drives me to be a better husband, father, son and friend. It also pushes me to explore and break through boundaries that I did not have the courage to in the past. I can't wait to see where it takes me next.
