Still Chasing Boston

The rain just could not make up its mind. Unlike the humidity, which was constant and relatively high throughout the race, the rain was quite fickle and sporadic. At the starting line it greeted me with a light drizzle, then turned into a cool, soft mist several miles into the race, and reverted back to a drizzle before meeting me at the finish line with a downpour! Conditions such as these definitely make for a memorable run - especially when the shower sends a stinging reminder from every nook, cranny, and crevice that chafing (I mean, running) builds . . . character. The chafed nipples, though, do not build character so much as stir within an appreciation for those mothers who breastfeed a teething child!

Yes, I love running! The feeling of crossing the finish line after a long, hard-fought race is exquisite! The pain, the cramping, the exhaustion is all eclipsed by a deep sense of achievement, having just overcome the odds and all of the negative self-talk that slowly seeped into my awareness with each passing mile! My counter and source of motivation -- in fact, the very thought that pulled me through to the end -- was the image of April giving her ALL in laboring to bring our last child, Elias, into the world almost three months ago! The effect it had on me was real: the more I saw myself cheering her on and rallying around her for another successful delivery at home, the faster my pace became! In fact, it was this very image of seeing her squatting, pushing, being propped up with arms wrapped under hers -- me on one side and a good friend, Linda Martin, on the other . . . it was this image that my mind grabbed hold of, keeping me tethered to and focused on the finish line when everything in me screamed "I can't". In short, it was the force that propelled me through the impermeable "wall" at mile 24 and across the finish line in a record 3:41:32.

Though my time set a PR, it did not qualify me for Boston. In fact, I need to shave off 26 min before making the trip to the oldest and most prestigious marathon in the world. (The qualifying time for men 35-39 y/o is 3:15:59.) What that translates into is this: I need to run faster -- 1 min per mile faster, to be exact. It is doable, I think. I am hopeful in the fact that I have already brought down my time considerably. Note the following:

7 May 2006, Potomac River Run Marathon - 4:24:27
29 Oct 2006, Marine Corps Marathon - 4:08:31
21 April 2007, Salt Lake City Marathon - 4:00:14
19 April 2009, Go! St Louis Marathon - 3:41:32

It has not even been ten days since the race and the feeling of euphoria has outlived the muscle soreness. The excitement and challenge of chasing Boston has been rekindled; and after taking several days off to recover, I have now resumed my training. Regardless of which marathon I run next, one thing that I look forward to as I run (and train for) another 26.2 miles is the rediscovery of the source of my motivation -- my wife!