First and foremost, thank you to everyone that reached out to wish me good luck and/or offer me congratulations for completing the 2017 Boston Marathon.
While it did not go exactly as I had planned, I walk away from this past marathon with more motivation to return to another marathon stronger, better prepared, and hopefully in better overall conditions ready to achieve my goal. I had planned on going for a strong PR, and everything looked on paper as if that was going to happen. Sometimes life gets in the way and makes you choose a different goal. April 17, 2017 I went from "definite PR" to "I WILL FINISH NO MATTER WHAT".
Race Details (3:18:52 for 26.6 miles)
- Warm day, apparently it was the SECOND hottest marathon for Boston in over a decade. The Black Bulb Index reading must have been off the charts. Wait, I don't think Boston factors that in, or at least they don't share that information.
- Slight cross breeze occasionally, but for the most part, there was little to no wind pushing me forward or more importantly COOLING me off. (Side note: After leaving the Finish chute area, a cold front came through and made it cold, that completely figures)
- Miles 1-3 were very easy, had to hold back. But inside I knew something was going to be way off today.
- After Mile 4 I adjusted, slowing down around 10-15 seconds per mile.
- Miles 5-12 were progressively slower, although consistent. Sub 3 was still obtainable
- Little did I know that after crossing the half in a "slow" 1:28:38 according to my watch that nearly 2.4 miles later I would reach the end of my race day.
THE GUY IN THE GREEN PLAID SHIRT
Anyone who has run Boston knows that right before the 25K mark, you start FLYING downhill. You fly whether you want to or not. It's a very steep decline. There's really no good way to hold back, other than to just let yourself drift down. Even then, you'll overclock and drop your fastest mile of the marathon without much effort. Well, at just about the 25.1K mark, someone decided that they would try to cross the street frogger style. My thoughts in that moment went something like this:
There's no good gap, what's this idiot thinking? Oh wait, he's slowing down to hi-five someone in a jogger, that's cool, hope he knows them, OH WAIT! That was a VERY QUICK hi-five! WHY are you turning AWAY from all the runners and heading back towards the curb? Why are you in front of me when I'm at near top speed? Why are you stopping? BRACE FOR IMPACT!!!! THIS IS GOING TO HURT
It was at this very moment that his right knee made swift and solid contact with my right leg, effectively sending one of the worst charlie-horse spasms through my quad I've ever had, Then we collide and he goes down like a tractor trailer tipped over the Mighty Mac, His face makes first contact with the asphalt. I bounce off him and something of his, perhaps his heel catches my right hamstring. Yet another spasm. One second later you can see blood on his face. One more second three runners from behind pick me up and yell at me to stay positive as they push me to worry about myself, to leave him be and worry about the race.
My watch tells me that I ended up with 11 more miles after that incident. I won't cry about it for long. It was a long battle of walk/run/walk/shuffle jog the rest of the way through. I didn't care anymore. The pain in the quad never left (hasn't left two days later) and I did all that I could to finish the race. While I completed the course, and I know that I "finished" Boston in 2017, I can't necessarily hold my head up high saying that I raced all the way through.
I find myself more determined to train harder, and to get back out there and crush another marathon. I know I was ready. I know I will be ready. There will be another time.
Thank you all for your support and well wishes.
