Boston 2013 Pics

                                           Picking up the Bib

                                          Team Hoyt and WRFB

                                              Three Amigos in Boston

                                   Five York runners, four from WRFB
  

 

Empty Start line at 6:30 am

                                                             Hopkinton

                                                      Elite line-up.  Notice anything wrong?

                                           David starting the marathon

                   Finished the marathon and with my son Dylan and wife Sharon

                                          I did it!  Boston 2013  3:31:15

Boston 2013 Marathon Story (8th)

Sit down and grab a beer.  This is a long story.   This was a bittersweet day, but I decided to regale you with another marathon tale as I have done with my previous 7 marathons.  I was apprehensive in sharing my joy, in light of the circumstances, but we must persevere and overcome the events of the day.

This was my first time to Boston.  It took me 4 marathons to qualify for Boston and then they changed the qualifying times and registration process.  I knew I would need faster times to get in.  I ran faster my next marathon and used that to qualify and get into the 2012 Boston Marathon.  4 weeks prior to the 2012 marathon I was diagnosed with 2 DVTs (blood clots) in my left leg.  Boston would not happen in 2012.  I continued to push my training and PR’d my next 2 marathons and registered for the 2013 Boston marathon and made it in.  I was almost 4 minutes under my qualifying time.  Today was redemption time.

April 15 2013.  It actually happened this year.  No injuries, blood clots, or any other ailments to keep from this years event.  I was a bundle of nerves 2 days prior to the race.  My wife was about to strangle me in my sleep.  The day finally arrived.

We arrived early in Hopkinton, so we walked to the start area.  It was an amazing site.  The crews were still setting up the corals, TV crews were setting up cameras, and vendors getting stands ready.  I even saw Dave McGillivray at the start line.  I was hard to believe that in a few hours the elite athletes would be standing just where I was standing.  Cars were still driving past the start are, as the roads were not yet closed.  In just a few hours I would stand here and traverse the same path as the elite runners of the world.

We were fortunate enough to spend time at the home of a friend, so we did not need to hang out in the runners village.  Before every marathon I watch the movie “Spirit of the Marathon.”  I did not get to watch last evening so I watched it as we waited for the race to start.  Start time was approaching so we headed to the start area.

We took some pictures and headed to our specified start corals.  I was wave 2, coral 1.  I did not realize that only one wave is processed at a time.  When the entire wave 1 was out on the course then then send in Wave 2.  Having ascertained this information ahead of time I perched myself at the gate for coral 1.  When  wave 1 was clear, I was lined up on the front row to the right.  I could see my family and they had an opportunity for some good pics.

You could feel the energy in the air.  I talked to the runners near me and the volunteers.  The announcer asked who was a first timer and I raised my hands and hooped and hollered.  There were TV crews filming it all.  The start crew moved out of the way and we advanced to the start line.  I felt like an elite toeing the line for a big race.  The gun fired and I sprinted 100 yards to remain in front so my wife or son could snap some good pics.  I never thought I would find them at the start.  This was a good thing because I would not see them until the end of the race.

My strategy was to start slow to warm up.  Then pick up the pace a little.  Then push after Heartbreak Hill.  Sounded like a good plan, too bad I could not execute.  On to plan B.  As I flew through the first 5k I realized it was too fast.  I was trying to hold back, but everyone was flying by me.  These runners were going at a sub 3:15 pace.  I tried to slow down for the next 5k and managed to slow a little but I needed to slow even more.  

The crowd support was amazing.  This combined with a downhill run was the reason for the fast pace.  The 5k point marked the Ashland area.  The 10k point entered Framingham.  Each town was densely populated with cheering fans.  Between towns there was still fan support,  just a little more thinned out.  There would never be any point along the course were there would not be someone cheering on the runners.

I finally got my pace under control, but realized I had expended more energy than I wanted to at this point in the race.  By 15k I was on the pace I wanted from the start.  The course was mostly with small rolling hills.  We approached Natick where we had a slight climb and a slight downhill.  The next stop would be Wellesley college.  These girls are loud and proud.  You can hear the roar before you can see them.  They all held signs like, “Kiss my I’m Texan” or “Kiss me I’m horny”.  I definitely slowed through this area.  I think I slapped ever outstretched hand and stopped to kiss 7 girls.  I had my WRFB shirt on so I hear  comments like “Kiss me beer man”  “Hey beer man I want a kiss”.  This definitely gets the heart  pumping on a 49 year old man.  This marked the halfway point of the marathon and I was way ahead of pace.  It was time to slow things down before the Newtons.

I have wore the WRFB shirt in every marathon I have completed.  It is never a disappointment.  “Hey beer man there is beer at the end.”  “Hey beer man I got a beer for you. “ “Go beer man.”  “Like your shirt beer man.”  “yeah beer man.”  These were many of the quotes I would hear many times throughout the day.  My favorite was “Hey beer man I’ll run with you any day.”

Just past the Wellesley girls I crossed the halfway point.  I was still way ahead of pace.  I slowed the pace as we cruised through mostly flat straight streets for the next 4 miles.   The crowd support was amazing as we passed through these small towns.  People had grills fired up and were eating, drinking and cheering the runners.  It was hard to absorb all that was happening around me.  Mile 15 saw a steep drop.  Everyone just let’r roll down the hill.  We now approached the first of four hills.  The first hill was short and not much of a challenge.  I cruised up the hill and passed several runners.  We leveled off and made the first 90 degree turn to the right.  We approached the second hill next.  This was a little steeper but shorter followed by a downhill run.  The third of the hills provided to be longer but not too steep.  there was a short level spot then it continued up.  I thought this hill was the most challenging.  Three hills down one to go, Heartbreak hill.  I was hoping to find family in this area so I slowed my pace and scanned the crowds the entire way up the hill.  I did not spot the them so I kept the pace slow on the down side scanning the sides of the road for family, but to no avail.

At some point in these  miles I passed Dick Hoyt.  What a truly amazing man.  If you have not heard of Team Hoyt or seen any of he or his sons videos, it is well worth a server on Google.  This man inspires me to be a better father, husband, friend and human being.  I almost asked if he needed a hand but I knew the answer to that question.  It was quite cool to have met him at the expo center.  Bob, John and I got our picture take with him.  What an honor to meet such an outstanding human being.

We continued down for the next 3 miles.  It was somewhere around mile 22-23 that I realized this was soon going to end.  I did not want this to end.  This was a journey that was about to arrive at its destination.  I was starting to feel the beginnings of leg cramps as the course flattened out around mile 24.  I was not racing today so there was no need to sprint to the finish line.  I slowed the pace and just took in all the sights and sounds.  The crowd support was amazing.  The streets in Boston were overflowing with spectators.  “Beer at the end”, this WRFB shirt was amazing, it is very recognizable.

Several times on the course I heard people say they saw me on TV.  This happened again on the straight shot into Boston.  “Hey beer man I saw you on TV.”  I slowed and looked at him while I asked “Really.”  He responded that I was in fact on the TV.  It must have been the local TV stations set up at the start.  As the beer comments continued I continued to look people in the eye and give them a smile and thumbs up.  I could see the Citgo sign which is one mile from the finish line.  I continued to enjoy the day as the final miles passed by.  I finally would accomplish my goal after a year delay.  I turned the last corner and could see the finish line roughly a half mile away.  I was slap hands, lifting my arms in the air and screaming with join.  The blue gates at the finish line approached and I had completed another leg of my running journey.  I was so excited I never stopped my watch and had no idea what my finish time was.  The runners were now moved through drink stations, wrapped in blankets, feed bananas and power bars and given a goody bag.  

That was it.  My first Boston and a wonderful experience.  I turned off on a side road and headed toward “Bobs Tree” to connect with my family.  My son and his buddy were there to great.  I was getting cold and really needed my warm gear.  My wife returned after find a bathroom.  We talked and then headed out of town just before the incident occurred.  We were in the car when we heard the news.  The whole day had just taken a 180 degree turn.  My wife was actually in the area were the explosions occurred trying to find a bathroom, about 30 minutes before.  My sons friend was in college in Boston and stopped by the finish line to watch the race.  It was his first Boston marathon and he wanted to watch.  Thank God he was far enough away.  He made it out of the area and is safe and well.

It was a bittersweet day and and the emotions swung far and wide in both directions.  One second all is well and joyous the next you are trying to wrap your head around what has happened.  Great idea Rocco for making the donations a reality and so quickly.  Thanks to all the WRFB for your donations to this cause and thanks for all your support and well wishes.  I could not ask for a better group of friends.

“Beer is proof the God loves us and wants us to be happy”  falsely attributed to Benjamin Franklin