Boston Marathon 2014

It has been a solid few months. In January, we returned for the annual, "Jack Daniels"/Welkom Meilie Marathon.  A pounding effort on both fronts.  While my race went well for the first half, around 23K I felt a pull, and by 25K my leg (calf) was prominently stinging.  Then we hit the dirt.  For 5K I limped and leaped over washboard dirt road trying to keep pace with Kirsten who decided to speed up and attack here. Once off the dirt, I stopped, walked, and tried to stretch.  When the knot didn't go away, I waved Kirsten on.  But soon I was running again, solo, and managed a solid pace.  It never really got worse.  Kirsten chirped a few people and we finished a minute apart, with my 2:53 flat good for 14th place (2:55 for 7th the year before, thank you very much prize money increase). While taking the mandatory anesthetic of JD, I learned my leg hurt, bad. I did not run for four days.

Since Christmas, I am injury free, not counting the minor post-Welkom setback. No problems there.  My weekly Thursday efforts from January to March posted in at 16+ miles each time.  I logged about 8 marathons in the past 3 months and have kept a relatively decent mileage, for me anyway. Things were on track.  Then Murphy's Law.

My car died, my grandfather died, stress at work, stress at home, stress with the new job requirements and I got sick.  A nasty, punishing head cold and chest infection that kicked my arse.  Then, just as I started to beat that, my nastiest, most painful bout of stomach cramps yet.  I immediately hit the Flagyl, that horrible, death pill, and after 5 days found my stomach abating, only to see my cold linger (what wipes out the bad wipes out the good).  With deep depression on the way, I resolved that my somewhat arbitrary goal of 2:45 at Boston was no more.  It would have taken a perfect day.  While my miles were good, I had been sick, done no speedwork, and who knows what 20 hours of travel and Boston weather would do to the race day effort?  Rather, I resolved to go in, shoot for a PR, and see what happened.

Faced with the option of laying around all day or getting out and being active, I followed up a run through the park with a trip to the delightful Sam Adams brewery. This lively and sarcastic tour gives history to the revolutionary revitalization of craft beer in America. A lunch, nap, and killing time before an evening movie and rest.

Jet lag had me up at 2:30 a.m. where I kill the next few hours till daylight. The waiting is the hardest part.

There is so much hype here it is hard not to get over-excited. The memorial outside of Marathon Sports near the finish line and along the church is reminiscent of visiting ground zero. While only 3 people died in the bombings here, for some reason - maybe because it's supposed to be a fun event - people take this like it's a rally cry for freedom. If there's one patriotic thing you can do aside from being a part of our armed forces, it is to come run the 2014 Boston Marathon on Patriots Day. 

The rest of the story is captured here in an article done in my hometown:

The Citizen Article

I enjoyed Boston more than any other race I have done.  But now it is time for Comrades.

Taken from baa.org

PEOPLE 36,000 Official Entrants 80,000 People attending the Expo 10,000 Volunteers 1,900 Medical Personnel 3,500 Security Personnel 68 Race Officials 250 Ham Radio Operators 1,500 Boston Police Officers 3,500 Total Uniform Police Officers 450 State Police 600 Members of the National Guard 250 people in the Multi-Agency Coordination Center at MEMA 61 agencies and organizations in the Multi-Agency Coordination Center at MEMA COURSE 36 Course Clocks 11 Participant Timing Locations 26 Red Cross Stations 24 Hydration Stations 80 Volunteers at each Water Station 8 Elite Athlete Water Stations 640 Elite Fluid Bottles EQUIPMENT 265 Two-way Radios 66 Frequencies 21 Repeaters 6 Cross Band Repeaters 63,360 Feet of Rope 30,000 Feet of Fencing 65,000 Feet of Electrical Cable 10,000 Trash Bags 50,000 Cable Ties 1,765KW of Electrical Power 1,200KW of Electrical Power for Media 9 Million BTU's Temporary Heat 2,000 Tables 9,000 Barricades 200 x 2 Inch Tape/Rolls of Caution Tape 10 Fork Lifts 25 Scissors Lifts 790 Port-o-Johns at start 202 Port-o-Johns along course  SUPPLIES 350 Rakes and Shovels 600 Trash Barrels 400 Rolls of Paper Towels 108,000 Safety Pins 75 Shuttle Buses in Hopkinton 730 B.A.A. Official Buses 140 National Anthems and Countries' Flags 39,575 mylar blankets (heatsheets) 25,000 Feet of Ribbon 5 Command Posts 220,000 Sponsor Brochures 36,000 Participants' Tee-Shirts 36,000 Participants' Bags/Packets 36,000 Finishers' Medals 400 packets of Handi-Wipes 1.4 Million Paper Cups 140,000 Sponsors' Samples 35 Golf Carts 50,000 Drywall Screws 600 Sheets of Plywood 1,000 Pairs of Work Gloves 4 electronic finish line cameras MEDICAL 500 Bags of Ice 800 Cots 1,500 Blankets 500 Tongue Depressors 500 Sick Bags 4000 band aids 175 Ace Bandages 1,500 Gauze Pads 2,000 Adhesive Bandages 250 Rolls of Moleskin 500 Tubes of Petroleum Jelly 400 Towels 900 Intravenous Bags 26 Oxygen Tanks 25 EKG Machines 40 Defibrillators 150 Blood Pressure Cuffs & Stethoscopes 80 Thermometers 10,000 Pairs of Medical Gloves 200 Bottles of Antiseptic Handwash 5000 Emesis Basins 2,000 Tubes of Antibiotic Ointment 30 Ice immersion tubs COLLATERAL MATERIAL 76,000 Envelopes 36,000 Welcome Brochures 36,000 Adidas Brochures 36,000 Runner Passports 41,000 Confirmation Acceptance Cards 144,000 Safety Pins 33,000 Lanyards 18,000 Credentials 1,500 Vehicle Placards 4,750 Sign, Banners, Flags B.A.A. CHARITY PROGRAM 30 Official B.A.A. Charities 1395 Total BAA Charity Runners Fundraising to exceed $12 million ECONOMIC IMPACT Boston Marathon generates an estimated $142 million for the local economy VEHICLES 31 Bicycles 31 State Police escort vehicles 12 Boston Police escort vehicles 26 State Police escort motorcycles 11 Transit Police escort motorcycles 10 Quincy Police escort motorcycles 12 State Police Cruisers & security vans 2- BMW sponsor vehicles 2 TV motorcycles 2 TV trucks 110 Course Vehicles 18 Vans 3 B.A.A. motorcycles 1 BAA Motor Scooter 815 Buses 34 Medical Buses 5 Lifeguard Stands 60 Delivery Trucks FOOD 11,300 Pounds of Pasta 2,825 Quarts of Tomato Sauce 3,400 Pounds of Fresh Vegetables 100 Pounds of Ground Black Pepper 35,300 Powerbars 34.656 Packets of PowerGel 17,000 Cups of Coffee/Tea 5,250 Gallons of Boiling Water 5,225 Hours of Preparation & Cooking Time 400 Waiters/Waitresses Including Chefs 35,000 Gallons of Poland Spring Water 2,500 Wellesley College students have served pasta to the runners over the years at City Hall 15,000 chocolate Easter bunnies for dessert 97,200 Hershey’s Kisses MEDIA Over 300 Outlets Receiving Credentials More than 1800 Media Credentials Issued Over 100 Print Publications Receiving Credentials Over 100 Television Stations Receiving Credentials Over 30 Radio Stations Receiving Credentials 10 News Agencies Receiving Credentials AWARDS 107 Awards 27 Hours to pack all the awards for shipment 200 Pounds of glass melted to produce awards 91 Trophies 8 Unique Designs 325 Pounds of Glass 140 Hours to Produce 9 Days to Create Stencil and Etch Awards RED CROSS ALONG COURSE 325 medical / admin volunteers 2,000 combined volunteer hours 120 ham radio operators for course medical communications 1,000-2,000 runners, spectators assisted every year along the course 31 bottles Antiseptic hand gel 104 boxes Gloves 52 bottles Sunblock 31 boxes Antibiotic Ointment 5,000 Bandaids 1,500 Gauze Pads 250 Ice Packs 52 Heat Packs 400 pads Moleskin 52 tubes Sports Cream 150 pounds Petroleum Jelly 52 rolls Paper Towels 52 boxes Tissues 52 Trash Bags