Yesterday I ran (walked, stumbled and crawled) the 114th Boston Marathon; and for the record (although possibly not the official record) I finished.
I knew I was in trouble by the time I passed the mile 4 marker. My stomach began to lurch in a way not unlike its state four years before when I vomited my way to Boston
“This going to be bad” I thought to myself as I climbed that short hill crossing over into Framingham
When I’m asked, in future years, about why I suffered so badly in the 114th Boston Marathon, I’ll give my biographers two major, possibly related reasons: dehydration and stomach cramps.
It didn’t help that I was suffering from adductor muscle pain, or that my right ankle became inflamed in the late miles of the race. It didn’t help that muscle cramps in my legs and especially the area of my talofibular ligament (the bend where my feet connect to my legs) were cramping and throbbing…I could run through all that; but the dehydration and stomach cramps are really what did me in.
I have some theories as to why I suffered thusly, which I’ll reveal on my next podcast episode (Fdip232: The 114th Boston Marathon). I’m not holding back on the WHY at this point, I just need to sit down and reconstruct the events leading up to, as well as during the race.
See, this was a very bad day for me. I crossed the finish line moments before they pulled up the timing mats, so I may never have an official finishing time. I was one step ahead of the official BAA “spotter car” which marked the end of the official timing. It was a horrible, sinking feeling to know that I had suffered so much to finish this thing, and now I would not be given an official finishing time.
But I know what my time was, and it’s worth noting that the BAA ends the race at exactly 6 hours and 30 minutes after the starting gun of the second wave of runners.
And that was my time.
I was out there, running (crawling) the 114th Boston Marathon for exactly 6 hours and 30 minutes (and, let’s call it 20 seconds…because they were just pulling up the timing mats when I arrived).
But, there were some shining moments for the day. John Ellis, friend, marathon advisor and run-net-community star (well deserved) met me at about 21.75 miles, running towards me in the opposite direction and did me the honor of running with me to the finish line.
On a day where I was starting to feel very alone out there and about to give up, having a friend run me to the finish line was a special thing indeed. I may not have an official time in this race; but I experienced a victorious finish as I somehow found the energy to run with a friend with all the power I had left in me, to the finish line.
Thank you to everyone who sent Tweets (on Twitter); posted messages on my Facebook page; visited my Intervals blogpage, viewed the QIK videos and listened to the iPadio audio phlogs that I recorded. It means a lot to me that you took the time to follow me yesterday, and that you wrote such kind and caring things.
When I’m asked about “my audience” for Phedippidations, I always make the point to correct the questioner. I don’t have an audience; I have a group of fellow runners who inspire me to run with passion, perseverance and an indomitable spirit.
With that said, I couldn’t have finished Boston
Run long and taper.
- Steve
