My first marathon....the start of something special.......

I've decided that this stuff needs to be kept on paper.  Running has given me some amazing experiences and I want to keep them logged in for reference in the future.  I'm starting with a little history here, I wrote this a couple days after my first marathon and I still read it periodically to keep me remembering why I do what I do.  This first post is the start of something I hope turns into a great story I can keep adding to for many, many years.  

Marathon #1

What an experience!!   The race was amazing and the outpouring of support was something I've never experienced.  

We were right on the grounds of the race so we could walk 5 min to start line, which was awesome.   Weather was about 40's or so and I somehow was in the first wave of runners.   I found myself standing ON the start line with my friend Nick.   Under the huge TV screen and start clock watching the police motorcade pull up in front of us, lights flashing and ppl cheering, waiting for the start.   I couldn't believe what I was about to experience, I've never been that close to the start.   The Kenyans and other "elites" eventually showed up to take their spots in front of us, which I expected, but just being around them was cool too.  

Then, tragedy struck......my Garmin watch wouldn't turn on....at all!!! It was plugged in all night, but for decided to crap out just minutes from the start!!   How could this happen, how would I know my pace, my distance, my, my, EVERYTHING!?   I held together and Nick and I calmly laid out my 5, 10, 15, and 20 mile split times and that's all I could do now, I couldn't go all "onions on my hamburger!!!??" now, it wasn't worth it.   I needed to harness all my training, trust my body and my mind and do this.  

 

I started off way too fast, as I expected....mile 1, 7:08!!   YIKES!!   I got to the beach around mile 4, still too fast, about a 7:10 or so and didn't know what to do.   Eventually a pace team came up on me, it was the 3:10 pace group.   I made an executive decision: stay with them as long as I could.   3:10 was Boston qualifying which I knew, but didn't want to recognize for fear of letting that become a new goal and a sure let down if I couldn't last.   My fastest 10 mile run was only a 7:19 pace, no way I could do 26.2 faster than that!!   The sun was coming up while we ran on the packed sand, a beautiful morning for sure!   The miles started ticking away.   5....6.....9.....10....I still felt good!!   Every time I ran over a timing strip I thought about the automatic posts and ppl sitting at home wondering why I was going so fast and I was then determined to stick this out as long as I could.   So many ppl outside their homes cheering and with signs "save the ta-ta's, I'm a survivor, thank you!" it was impossible not to stay motivated.   Ppl go through pain 1000 times worse than I would ever feel today and that's why I was there, so suck it up!!   "Pain is temporary, pride is forever" I kept telling myself.   Eventually, the group that was 12-15 was me, one other guy, and the pacer.   Every time I heard "wow, that's the 3:10 group, that's Boston time" from a spectator, I got more pumped, but knew it was too soon to accept it as a potential reality.   Mile 22 we started up a series of hills back up and over the water.......my body was a mess.   The pace group was getting away from me, maybe 20 secs ahead.   I could see mile 25 ahead, which two large hills stood between it and me, and my spirits started to fade.   Pace dropped but I made it up the final hill.   I saw my friends that had finished the half, they weren't expecting me, and when they saw the 3:10 sign, and then me, they went wild and started yelling "BOSTON" and I got my stride back!!   Coming up over the hill I caught the pace group and made it down the hill and rounded the final corner.   I could see the finish line....I could read the clock, it was 3:08!   I yelled "I WANT BOSTON, I CAN SMELL THE CREAM PIES NOW" and the three of us actually picked up the pace down the stretch absorbing every cheer I could........I couldn't believe this was ACTUALLY happening!! I crossed the finish line, hands pointing to the skies shouting "ANDO's GOING TO BOSTON!!" my hammies immediately tightened up and a trainer gave me an ice bag to cool them off.   A volunteer brought me my medal and put in around my neck and that's when I started sobbing like a fool.   All the emotion of the day I had to put on the back burner to focus came out in one eruption.   I looked around, taking it all in, tears rolling down, seeing the time above......it was totally surreal.   I'm so proud of myself.   I came wanting to finish and leave it all out there on the field and I got way more than I bargained for.   Boston 2012, here I come!!