Hi everyone. Thanks for your support. I posted this on the Phoenix site. Here goes again.mercury1
Ultramarathoner
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 92
Location: Lachine
Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:00 am Post subject: Heartbreak?
I CAN'T FEEL MY HANDS! That was the only thing I could think of as I approached Nattick. Thoroughly drenched fron standing on the start line for 15 minutes at the 10:00 am start time, it was disconcerting that the rain was intensifying. The cloth gloves with handwarmers ($$store) were already soaked, but that was the only downside of the race. Like Michelle related, layers was the key, particulary when boarding the bus at 6:00 am in a driving rain which is when the early corrals were advised to shoe up.
Upon arriving at the village we found our way to an overcrowded tent wher I laid claim to a piece of turf and promptly went to sleep. Awakened some 30 minutes later by someone stepping on my hand, I made my way to the rent-a-potty for what I hoped would be the last time. NOT!
Race start was uneventful. Never did hear a gunshot as in the past, but from the front of the 3rd corral, it took 2 minutes to walk to the start anyway! I tried hard to hold back the pace for the first half, successfully. more or less on pace for a hoped for 3:05 finish, which as it turned out, was a bit unrealistic. I had no business expecting to arrive in that time given the lack of winter training I had done, but we can all dream, can't we?
I think I was around 1:31 at the half or thereabouts which was satisfying, but I think I worked too hard for the third 10K, particularly on the downhills. The hope was to gain a bit of time before hitting the hilly section on Beacon St., but in the end, that was a dumb strategy. As Mikey mentined, the hills are not that bad, it's just where they are situated........at the point where you would normally be "hitting the wall" and struggling anyway, you are now facing a whole series of hills. It's not like I haven't done the course before, but I continued to use the dumb strategy of accelerating on the downhills. The result of it all was that by the time I hit Brookline, the Quads and hip fexors were screaming in agony. I really struggled from that point on!
Weather - wise, putting aside the driving rain at the start, it was a pleasant running temperature and I threw away clothing along the way. There was a point or two where the wind was very strong, once before the Banshee's of Wellesley at later at Nattick. In the latter, a wicked wind almost blew me off my feet, but I tucked myself behind a guy taller than Bill for a bit, until I blew my cover and my wind-shield moved to his left when he saw what I was up too, giving me a dirty look in the process!
What a relief to see the CITCO sign with 3 miles to go! Don't know how I made it down Boylston to the finish but there wasn't anything left in the tank. My time was mediocre but acceptable given the conditions. I was talking to some runners from Trinidad after the race. who related that was accepted by the so-called" experts on TV, that the times for the lead group were off by some 8 minutes, and a bit more the further back in the pack you were. I would like to think that was true, as it would have brought me in a bit closer to my hoped for goal, but I am not so sure about that assessment!
One thing for sure, you can't have success at Boston - or any other for that matter- on speed work alone, but since I want to focus on the Half and 10K this year, I am not overly concerned with the result. I actually had fun this time, not so focused that I didn't get a chance to site-see and drink in the crowd.
Actually, that could be my swan song for the marathon, as it has become painfully obvious that my body cannot handle that distance any more, without surgery. My hamstring was killing me from one hour onwards and at the 20K mark, the neuroma that has been hounding me for the last two years was like walking on glass, increadable burning pain like a searing hot knife being inserted into the ball of the foot. Enough!
At the finish line, I was wobbling all over the place like a drunken sailer and was surrounded by first aid support who insisted that I needed medical attention! I held my ground though and convincd them that I was just an old geezer who, afterall, had just finished a marathon and was tired. The fact that I couldn't lift my feet forward for five minutes justified her having to grab me by the arm to keep me from being crushed by oncoming finishers. Who ever you were......THANK-YOU!
As a final observation, I implore the directors to add MONTREAL in big letter on our uniform. While it was great to be acknowledged by the crowd so often, I hate it that they thought I was from Arizona!
Great work everyone. Great times by everyone!
