Running to The Walking City
Well, now I know why the Boston Marathon is such a big deal. It truly is special. There are runners who have tried for five years to qualify and finally did. And there are others who love the city and the race so much they have been there for the last 20 years. But no matter what, every runner is more excited to be at Boston. I feel lucky to have been a part of it all.
And I feel extremely lucky that we had ideal weather for the spectators and runners.
Here are the nuts and bolts of the race: I ran a 2:55, good for a PR.
I ran the (mostly downhill) first half of the marathon in 1:29 and I followed that up with a 1:26 second half. Somewhere between the 35k mark and the finish (42k), I must have thrown in an 18:00 5k.
So basically I sandbagged my way to a PR. I sat in the weeds for 16 miles. Halfway up the first Newton hill, I decided to start pushing it. Maybe not the gutsiest way to run a race, but it has to be the only comfortable way to run that course.
Now, onto the pictures, taken by Emily around mile 24.
Fancy Kirk, on his way to a 2:55 of his own. We had two very different races. Two guys who run a 2:55 in a marathon can have as much in common with their race as two golfers who both shoot an 85 in 18 holes of golf. Bottom line is, Mr. Fancy "schooled me" by 18 seconds, good for 5th fastest among Twin City marathoners.
Emily said I looked really happy when I passed her. This picture offers photographic proof to the contrary.
Duel of the Bald Guys.
What a race. The crowd really is unique in Boston. There is a connection we the runners have with the spectators that you can find nowhere else. From the families handing out sponges and water in the early towns, to the drunk college kids in Boston, and the rabid marathon lovers as we head into downtown, you really felt the crowd. They were just as much a part of the race as we were. They weren't just there to cheer on their friends and family. Instead they were there to cheer on the entire field.
No Handle Chad and and Tall Colin both did an excellent job of capturing what the Boston crowd is like.
And it was awesome to be a part of it. Here's to Boston 2009.
6 comments:
Nice job and Congrads!!
Very nice finish Mike, I was tracking you guys online and you really cranked them last miles.
Nice work Mike! Congratulations on the new PR.
Is "Duel of the Bald Guys" the sequel to "Duel in the Sun"?
Nice job and congrats on the PR.
@ Nick and Nathan: I had the easy job. I got to run with awesome crowds in awesome weather. You guys had to run with no crowds and lousy weather in todays' Get In Gear.
@ Austin: Thanks for checkingi n. I hope you'll be at Grandma's again.
@ Chad: I went back and forth using the Duel In The Sun reference, but went for it. I hestated because well, since I beat the other bald guy, that makes me Salazar and him Beardsley. And now I'm jixing myself because Salazar never was the same runner again after his duel at Boston.
We were totally rocking it up here for you, Mike! Byron was all, "Wow. Nawrocki actually did negative splits." Then we drank a lot in your honor.
I think we might drink a lot (um, in your honor) every night.
Great job, maestro.
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