Money to date: $7,587
Yesterday was the 115th running of the Boston Marathon, this is my story:
I got to MGH at about five minutes of 6 and they bussed us out to Hopkinton, so we got there around 6:40 or so. There was an awful lot of waiting around. The awesome thing was that MGH/Spaulding Rehab/Bruins foundation had our own staging area, so they gave us a huge tent, food/drinks, DJ and our own porta-johns. We started heading over to the start around 10ish and didn't have to wait long once we were there. However, there was a lot of time to kill in the in between. Most people decorated jerseys or slept.
The start was a little anticlimactic, as the elite runners had left 40 minutes before us and there were so many corrals. That being said it was organized really well and I crossed the start line five minutes after my wave started, despite being in corral 7 of 9. It was incredible to just see the sea of people stretching out in front of you on the streets. There was not too much of a logjam and it flowed really well.
The crowd support was unreal for the entirety of the race. Starting in Hopkinton there were people lining every inch of the course being incredibly supportive. Some highlights include the Biker bar in Ashland where hundreds of giant, burly leather clad men and women lined the left side of the course and cheered like crazy. There was also the Santa Claus that's in Ashland every year and the drag queens in Natick.
Framingham and Natick were a little boring, the crowds were good, but there was not a whole lot going on. Overall, Framingham was the most boring town, especially because there is just not much to see around there. In Natick the town center was cool with lots of music blaring and tons of people.
One of the coolest aspects of the race was the Wellesley tunnel. You could hear it from about 3/4 of a mile away and as you got closer the ground was actually shaking. There were hundreds and hundreds of girls lining the course screaming at the top of their lungs and screaming for kisses from the runners, it was awesome (I abstained from the kissing).
Coming out of Wellesley I spent a lot of time mentally preparing for the Newton hills. As you guys know, I loathe the hill going over 95 up towards Newton/Wellesley hospital but I was able to handle that one in stride. I shortened up my steps and stared at the ground and it went by alright. Turning on to Comm Ave by the firehouse is really daunting but I used the same approach on the Newton hills and handled the first three great. After the third hill I saw my Dad who was there on his bike and then the MGH support team. There were so many MGH supporters lined up, including all of the patient partners, it was incredible to see. More than that, it was a good reminder of why I was doing this. Knowing that what I was going through was really nothing compared to the fights so many of these children were facing.
At this point I should probably mention that I was running the entire race with this girl named Lisa who I had met once or twice before who was also on the MGH team. We did a really good job of pacing each other and keeping our times around 10:00 miles. She was a phenomenal supporter and did so much for me mentally along the way.
All of that being said, the next portion was Heartbreak Hill. Lisa and I got a little separated at the MGH stop when she stopped to hug her family and I made it about halfway up the hill before I broke. I gave in and walked for the first time there. Shortly after, I saw Lisa and resumed running with her, but that was the beginning of the end, once I begin to walk, it's tough to keep it together to continue running.
We made it through the BC mile (awesome) where everyone was shattered and kept going down Comm. Ave., at which point I told Lisa to go ahead without me. Thus began the decline. I made my second walk stop for about 2/10 of a mile and then resumed. The turn from Comm. onto Chestnut Hill and again onto Beacon was really cool, with BC students going nuts the entire way. Beacon street was a bit of a blur, as I was in a lot of pain at that point, there was a whole lot of walking/running/walking going on. That's a really hilly portion of the race and I was really struggling. The crowd was great, but at the same time, I also felt like so many of them were so very drunk and a lot of the college students could be a bit patronizing. This is not to paint everyone that way, probably 90% of the support was very positive.
Coming through Fenway was awesome, just before you get there, on the hill/bridge going over the pike is the 25 mile marker, so mentally you're doing well, and the crowd there was unreal with people 5 or 6 deep on both sides of the course after the Sox game. Coming out of Fenway, it was a quick dip under Mass Ave and then I saw Meghan, my mother and a lot of other supports on the left hand side which was a huge pick-up.
Turning onto Hereford there is an unexpected little hill, which normally would not be worth mentioning, except for the fact that you're at mile 25.6 or so and are on the verge of death. Turning the corner onto Boylston was incredible. The crowds are nuts and seeing the finish line really does make you feel awesome. The only problem is that you can see the finish for almost 1/2 a mile, so despite it being so close, it's still really far.
So that's my tale of the Boston Marathon. It was hands down the coolest running event I have ever been a part of. Thank you all for your support and encouragement.
