T- Minus less than 4 weeks!!!!!But lets recap on what was an amazing yet emotionally and physically challenging, and dangerous, weekend. The 2012 Boston Marathon. Or as the BAA referred to it, The Boston Experience.I arrived in Boston’s South Station after 10pm on Saturday night. My teammate and my host Jeff was there to pick me up and from there we went to his parent’s house in Newton. Right on the course actually, across from the famous Newton Firehouse where the Hills began. If you recall Jeff helped me run last year until I was slowing him up to much. This year we were both in Boston on untrained legs.
I received numerous emails from the BAA on Friday and Saturday, but like most emails, I just ignore them. Sunday am Jeff drove me to the expo that was in a new location this year near the seaport as opposed to being at the Hynes Convention Center. I wasn’t a big fan of the new location being so far away from anything and no real public transportation to and from.I picked up my bib number and this year I was in the back of the pack. For the last 2 years because of my qualifying time, which has since expired, I was in Wave 1. This year I was with the most of my teammates in Wave 3. Huge difference. The expo was a mob scene. The only thing I did was watch the course video that has become an annual tradition.
I was on a bit of a time crunch still having to register with Dana Farber back at the Marriott Copley and than getting to Fenway for the 1:30pm game and than Pasta Dinner at 3:30.
There was a buzz about the marathon this year. Little did I know those emails, which I ignored were threatening warnings from the BAA in preparations for what was about to turn into the hottest Boston Marathon since 1976. The emails were stern and to the point and a bit scary actually. They were discouraging all first timers, anyone injured or sick, if you haven’t been acclimated to the weather for 10 days and in the worse of the emails it even came to the point where if you were not a qualifier they didn’t want you to run at all.
Registering with Dana Farber went smoothly. This year I picked up some extra goodies; a sweet mug for being with Dana Farber for 5 years! I saw my great friend Laurie and her 4 month old new born. After that, off to the T for Fenway Park. I truly love going to Fenway. I always make a point to sit on 3rd base side so I can see the Boston skyline. Beautiful day. Sunday itself was in the 70’s and the weather for Monday kept climbing…84,86,88,90…
Watching some of the game I found out one of my favorite outfields is now a Sox; Cody Ross formerly of the Giants slammed a 3 run home run right over the Green Monsta. Glorious!!!Right around 3pm I headed out to return to the Marriott for what was going to be an emotionally draining evening at our annual Pasta Party. A Pasta Dinner that had a record 1500 guests.
Last year I was seated with two families whose children had lost their battle with cancer. This year I was seated at a table with numerous fellow 5-year runners. Turns out Jeff and I were at the same table. There were a total of 19 of us, which were 5-year runners. Where did the years go?There was no secret, the weather was on everyone’s mind and so was safety. At this point we were looking at 90 degrees. We went through our normal speeches and recognitions. But you can never get through the “In memory of” part of the program without a tear and this year was no different. This year there was a very moving story about one of our fellow runners. His name is Dennis Moran. If memory serves me right, Dennis ran with Dana Farber for 11 years in memory of his wife who lost her battle. A few years ago, Dennis suffered from a brain tumor. The end results were what seemed to be a severe stroke. Many of Dennis’s motor skills were diminished. His speech was very tough to understand when he did choose to talk, a cane supported his balance, and his mere effort to clap was a heroic attempt. Dennis would never run again that was obvious but he wanted to continue to fight, for himself and his wife. This year Dennis was part of the Marathon in the wheelchair division. His story is a true story of never giving up and making the best of the hand that is dealt to you.Please do view this clip about Dennis:
http://youtu.be/b4dXLxf8wUU
Our coach and advisor, 1976 Boston Marathon winner Jack Fultz always closes the dinner with his weather report. Usually very optimistic, Jack went off the cuff this year. There was no kidding aside; we were all in for a dangerous day.
And the night wasn’t over; Jeff and I headed back to Newton and ate some more. But with the draining day and the emotional draining evening sleep was not hard to come by Sunday night. And I slept like a baby….
http://youtu.be/RukUetw0hAM
5:15am Marathon Monday!!!!Jeff and I were up and ready to roll. We meet the usual crew of teammates near the Park Street T stop before we boarded our buses to Hopkinton. The mood and tone this year was different. There were a few teammates with injuries and a few with goals that were simply not going to be met today. The bus was loud, it was carefree, but there was the pink elephant on the bus, the heat.By the time we wound up in Hopkinton it was already I would have to say in the high 60s or low 70s. Once we arrived at the church, Dana Farber’s camp, we all started our pre marathon rituals.I escaped for a little jog as I always do, but this year was more of a reality check. Within in minutes of wearing warm up pants and a Henley shirt I was sweating. This was not good. The temperature jumped rather quickly and by 9am it was definitely in the low 80’s.
I started this year in the back at 10:40 am. I had no game plan, no real time to beat. This was just a training run for IRONMAN. Ideally I should have been able to run a comfortable 3:10-3:15 but I would have been happy with a 3:20. For some reason this year I did not wear a watch. And starting in the back, the clock was useless because it was off.The first 6-8 miles were fine. I was running a comfortable 7:30-8 minute mile pace. I was watching so many runners getting doused in water and splashing themselves and getting hosed. I was trying to stay as dry as I could. It was hot, real hot. I have run in hotter don’t get me wrong but not in April and not 26.2 miles. Around miles 8-10 I started to feel the heat. I slowed my pace and started splashing my head with water. It was so hot I couldn’t fully open my lungs to breath. Every breath was short. The heat was just sitting on you. I was splashing my chest to release the pressure on my lungs but nothing worked. Every water stop was 2 cups of water, one for me, one for my head. My hair would even be dry by the time I got to the next water stop. At 3 points of the course, they had these awesome “human car washes” set up. Imagine a tent you run through and you were hit with a heavy mist. Amazing!!The crowd was there to help every part of the way. By the time mile 15-16 came I was looking for Dana Farber cheering sections so I could walk for a second or so. I wasn’t sure if my deterioration was from the heat or lack of training. And for the second year in a row, the Newton Hills were my demise. I struggled up the 4 hills. It was a death march out there. Every medic tent was filled; every open curb had someone down. The cups near the water stations were pilling up so high. I was concerned for the slower runners that there would not be enough water for them. The crowd cheered for “Go Dana”, “Go Dana Farber”, “Thank you Dana Farber”, “ Do it for Dana Farber”. Wearing that cape on Marathon Monday truly does make you feel like a hero.
What drove me the last 6 miles was Mile 25. As a Dana Farber runner, our “finish” is Mile 25. Not far from Fenway Park our “Partner Program” patients were waiting for us and this was where the bulk of Dana Farber supporters. This year with nothing in the tank I made sure to slap every little child’s hand. I even missed one and went back. And at the point I actually stopped and gave a news interview to someone.
The body was feeling ok and the energy was ok throughout the day. Whenever I felt a muscle start to tweak I stopped and walked. This was a training day and I had to accept that. I crossed the finish line. It was a parking lot of wheel chairs with bodies. There was shouting for wheel chairs and lines of them outside medic areas. What a war zone. Marathon #10 was in the books. 10 Marathons…unreal. And I cannot wait to see where the next 10 take me. I know the next two. I believe the final temperature on the day hit 88.
In the recovery zone there were not many stories of personal accomplishments just survival. Two of my teammates had to have their bodies submerged in ice baths after collapsing; one of them was done after mile 10. The other made it to 100 yards of the finish line. Jeff and I stayed until most of our friends came in. Tyler, Matt, and Jeff ran decent races. Lauren and Lindsey finished, though hurting. Laurie ran a 5-hour marathon, just 4 months after giving birth with her sister, together. Big Mike finished his first marathon since injuries last year. Amanda qualified by 2 minutes while being carried across the finish line, and the stories go on.
We didn’t get to the after party until close to 10pm but the party goes on. Most of my teammates in our “group” were all there. Beers and shots were to be had, but not much dancing this year. It was a solemn celebration. The news coverage was brutal. The race was broadcasted exactly as it was. A tough hot day on the streets of Massachusetts.
As for me, I keep going. T-Minus less than 4 weeks until IRONMAN. And after IRONMAN I am on a quest. A quest to qualify for Boston again. I want to insure myself that I can be part of the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge every year. Jeff and I want to start a Newton tradition. Boston Marathon weekend in Newton.But the focus now shifts back to IRONMAN Texas. I ran 26.2 miles in 88-degree weather to support our Mission. Now I am going to race 140.6 miles in Texas in 4 weeks to sacrifice all I have.
I am just asking you to donate so that one day there are no more patients waiting for us at Mile 25, one day the “In Memory of” part of our dinner doesn’t get any longer, and one day YOU will never lose anyone to cancer.Mission Possible: A World Without Cancer
Well back to training…
www.JohnnyMarathon.com
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