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To say that I was happy with the result would be an outright lie. However there are many positives that I can take away from this year's event. I got to share the experience with 7 first timers from my running club, and I was truly able to enjoy it vicariously through them. I ran some really solid miles, and take from that the knowledge that my times will come down. I overcame some extra challenges to get to the finish line that I can use to rationalize falling short of my goal.
My Boston story starts about 2 weeks out from the event when I made the charitable, but unwise, decision to donate blood 2 weeks out from the race. The following week I am coughing non-stop to the point that I thought I was going to pull an abdominal muscle. I hit the doc Friday before leaving for Boston and he confirms my worst suspicions that I have a case of Bronchitis. He gives me some antibiotics that are "fast acting" it's 3 doses of 2 pills that I will finish taking on Sunday morning...should clear it right up he says. (After I got back and it wasn't cleared up he tells me that the medication stays in your system working for 5 days after the last dosage). I've taken 2 swings, and I haven't even stepped up to the plate yet.
During the early going in the race things felt good, I was hammerin' the pace and felt like I was breathing smoothly. Around the 8 mile mark I had the worst stomach cramps I've had on a run in a long time. I hit the port-o-john at the 12 mile mark and "released the hounds" as it were. I had been a little ahead of pace, so when I returned on course, I was still right around where I needed to be. I was able to hold the pace until about the 15 mile mark, and then made the decision that I knew I couldn't hold on to it for another 11 miles. I cut it back to about an 8 minute mile pace to close it out on my chip time of 3:13.
They say we learn the most from our mistakes, and I think in this case it is true. I took a great deal away from this marathon in the way of experience that I can use to prepare myself for those to come. This was not my last Boston, but I think I'll hold off on coming again until I know I can do something special out on the course that warrants a trip back to Boston.
Sorry for the long post, but it really helped to close that chapter putting it down in black and white.
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