Summary:

• Ran a steady race in better than expected weather. Fifth and fastest Boston on-plan at 3:42:53.

Breakfast:

• Whole-wheat bagel and OJ at 5AM.
• Banana and a Cliff bar while waiting at the start area. Lots of water and Gatorade.

Fashion Report:

• Race Ready shorts.
• Wright socks and Brooks Adrenaline GTS VII’s covered in plastic bags with rubber bands around the ankles.
• Long sleeve poly-pro top under Club running jacket under disposable sweat shirt under plastic garbage bag.
• Poly cap and cotton running gloves.

The Long Story:

Crawled out of my warm bed, leaving my warm wife snuggling with the M-Dawg at 4:45 AM. Toasted a bagel, drank some juice, got it all together and rolled out of the garage at 5:30. It was sheets of rain blowing across the road. As I drove to the T station, I was thinking, “why am I doing this?”

Train connections worked well and I was at Park Street station by 6:15, quickly into a school bus, and rolling to Hopkinton not long thereafter. In the first lucky event of the day, I got one of the few single seats on the bus and dropped my wet gear on the other half. I closed my eyes and sought calmness for the ride through the rain.

The second stroke of luck came when I apparently arrived at Hopkinton just at the right time because, as I did, they were directing ~3,000 people into the “field house” - the High School gymnasium. So, instead of sitting in cold wind on wet grass and mud, I had a dry, warm gym floor to spend the next couple of hours on. I made a few friends from Buffalo, Toronto, and Seattle before a 9:15 call to head to the start.

I changed my mind on clothing about 6 times, bagged my gear, found the baggage bus and headed down to the start protected by a trusty garbage bag in moderate rain. It was about 9:35 when I got the corral (I heard the elite women’s start) and, since I didn’t really care about being in the front of the corral, looked around for some respite from the rain. I spotted a bank with a small overhang across the intersection and headed for it. Shortly after arriving, a couple exited the ATM machine and, through the next stroke of luck, we wedged a foot in the door! About 15 of us entered the ATM lobby for a warm, dry, wind-free respite. I could see the corrals through the windows and waited there until things were starting to move.

At the last moment, I escaped the fogging lobby and trotted across the intersection to my corral. I tossed the plastic bags covering my shoes and began the walk to the start line. I dropped my garbage bag as we crossed the line – and as, miraculously, the rains seemed to stop on queue.

The goal for the day was 8:30’s. A course record and – I thought –within capability. If the weather went totally South, I’d back off to “fun run” pace and try to enjoy the experience.

We were quickly to full pace. Mile one is steeply down hill and is so easy to go too fast on – I had time to pee in the woods and still be at target pace. I tossed my sweatshirt and found the Dirtbag at the Mile 1 marker and we cranked an adrenaline-stoked mile 2. We’d soon settle into target pace – just below 8:30’s, and run those for some time.

For the record, Iron Boy is a Dirtbag. But, he’s also my good friend and extremely entertaining and supportive to run with. He catered to my pace and made the miles tick off like carnival patrons on July 4th. I’m eternally grateful for his company and encouragement – just wish he’d have broken an empathetic sweat or breathed hard for at least one mile.

By mile 6 or 7, I’d removed my jacket and tied it around my waist – I was feeling overdressed. I felt secure having the jacket with me though, for as we plugged on along the course, we kept waiting for the projected wind and rain. In the final stroke of luck, they seemed to never come. There were a few gusts and maybe a drizzle – but nothing like predicted. The weather was on our side.

At Mile 17, we start the hills – and the real work. Mile 19, I found my pal Kjartan on the sideline and got a charge. At Heartbreak Hill, it was the Pro from Dover with a hug for a friend down the line. The Diesel was at 23 – other friends at 16 and 21. It’s great having a hometown crowd!

Yah, I had a stomach issue on Heartbreak – that was my slowest mile. And yah, there were twinges in the calves at 23 and again at 25 that slowed me a bit. But for the most part, I was in control and ready to run and was able to hold a pretty steady pace.

As we worked our way down the final miles on Beacon street through the increasing crowds, Dirtbag is chugging beers he’s picked up on the sideline and winding up the crowd. (He’s a fookin’ nut!) I kept head down and tried to stay steady.

At this finish, I was SMACK on goal and it was my fastest of five Bostons - a Personal Course Record by 3:25. I’ll take it.

After getting a mylar blanket and some food, retrieving my bag, and changing on the club bus, it was off to the subway and home. Except for a few minor quad cramps waiting at the baggage busses and one blackened toenail, the damage was minimal and I made the trip home comfortably pleased and elated that the day had been much better than expected in so many ways!

Splits, for the record…

1 - 8:44 (warm-up)
2 – 8:03 (Friendly adrenaline)
3 – 8:22
4 – 8:22
5 – 8:24
6 – 8:25
7 – 8:25
8 – 8:24
9 – 8:25
10 – 8:23
11 – 8:26
12 – 8:17 (Wellesley adrenaline – man, those girls are loud!)
13 – 8:13
14 – 8:20
15 – 8:23
16 – 8:08
17 – 8:32 (Hill 1)
18 – 8:35 (Hill 2)
19 – 8:26
20 – 9:10 (Hill 3 – Heartbreak)
21 – 8:44
22 – 8:17
23 – 8:54 (Calf twitches)
24 – 8:29
25 – 8:49 (Calf twitches)
26.2 – 11:02 (8:50) Pace

Total: 3:42:52 – 8:30 Pace - as planned :)