Since I have not been in shape to run a good marathon since running 2:36 in 2015, I was back in the 7th corral, which I actually didn't mind because I never had any ambitions to run fast at this years race. I basically signed up because I knew we had a good group going and it felt like a good year to do it. I was hoping I would be in better shape by the time the race rolled around, but I was never able to get anything going...the lingering pain in my hip and weekly PT sessions left me less than excited about my daily runs. With that said I had some glimmers of hope. A few solid longish runs and a decent Foxboro 10 Mile race.
The week leading to the race was filled with a group message we have along with wetaherman extraordinaire Fred Campagna. He kept giving us updates and also provided links to his newest venture, www.runweather.com. Check it out!
Race day was down pouring and thunderstorms while waiting to head up to Hopkinton, all ended up clearing by the time we got to thew athletes village and so the wait in the portajohn line began. 30 or so mins later and it was time to head down to the start.
Zak decided to come back to the 7th coral and run with me. Since we were both going to suck, we figured we would do it together! Interesting note with Zak. He has now signed up for Boston 4 times and this was the first time he was able to race it, between 2 stress fractures and a baby, the Boston marathon curse was real for Zak (why did I agree to run with him?) The Jinxed Unicorn tried to get him in the morning too, on his way to meet us a branch flew into his car knocking his windshield wiper off and then our bus from Hopkinton to....HOPKINTON, got LOST.
Anyway....the race.
The 7th corral has some tight running. The other 3 times I ran Boston I was in the first corral and although there are a lot of people there, it opens up way quicker then the 7th...the 7th corral you are continuously passing people or being passed. There are far less people to pass up front, so it opens up into clear running room quicker and stays that way.
So, basically we were running on top of people at least through 9 miles, then there was a bit more running room. Zak and I stayed together through 14 or so, he seemed to be having a rough patch and as I found out later, he stopped to use a portajohn.
From 14 to 25 miles the race was pretty uneventful, I was getting slow and feeling like shit.....this feeling started early and just kinda got slightly worse the rest of the race. Right around 25ish I saw Mike Daniels near the side of the road, hands on hammy, never a good sign. Finally the ol' right. left and the roar of the crowd on Boylston. I was happy to be done, happy to run easy on the slight downhill to the finish....and then....I feel someone go by me sprinting....it was Zak. He had finally caught back and was moving pretty well. It took me a second to comprehend that it was him, then I gave chase....swearing the whole way. How dare he make me run hard at the end of this race and hurt more. I caught up to him and passed his ass.....then slowed down and we went over the line together. It was pretty funny...it was the two of us sprinting down the final stretch swerving in and out of people like 2 little kids in a crowd.
After that we met up with everyone, found out Dave finally broke 2:40...yay....got the hell out of Boston and got to eating and drinking. Although there were a few mins in the race that I thought "man I would rather be at work" in the grand scheme of things, it was still a good day. My race sucked, Boston will never be a race I like....but I was out there running with a bunch of people and got in some miles for the day.
Onto the next...
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