Boston Marathon Race Report

 On friday I got into Boston around 2pm and went straight to the expo just to pick up my package.

Carried my expo stuff and walked to fenway to see the Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays! Yea I went alone and it was cold! :P

 That same friday I walked to South Boston to have some Broadway Pizza and purchased a running shirt at the Running Emporium NO Stopping Monday Shirt!

I went to sleep around 11 and woke up on Saturday @ 10:00 am decided to do a little sight seeing on. I took a couple pictures at Cheers and the finish line I was HUMBLED!

ON Saturday evening I ordered from Salvatores chicken alfredo and ate it in my room. I waited for David Rodriguez at 1:30 a.m. and called it a night.

On Sunday I woke up at 10:00 a.m. and went for a 2 mile shake out and bought some pizza from AK Pizza in South Boston.

 I went with Ruben to a church in South Boston for palm sunday. On Sunday evening I ate a Ceasar Salad and tried to call it a night at 8:30 but I was tossing and turning, so I decided to write down my splits for a 2:28:30 from that excel sheet that's in runner's world by Greg Mclain

 let me tell ya i followed it to the T until mile 12

Woke up at 4:30 a.m. got my gear....

Took a van shuttle to the start at 5:30 a.m. hopped on a bus to Hopkinton  at 6:00 a.m. we got there at 7:30 a.m. layed down by some classrooms in the village and waited till 9:00. We dropped off our bags in our bus and jogged to the starting line. Saw the women take off and then did a couple of stretches at 9:50 a.m. got into the corral. HERE WE GO!

First mile 5:45 I ran conservatively it was way too crowded.

Second mile  5:36 I saw my split guide and I decided to get after it.

Third mile 5:33 I was surprised how well this excel sheet was panning out.

Fourth mile 5:35 I said ok time to find someone to run with. I hooked up with 6 guys that were running the exact times as my split indicator. I was excited and Running with a smiling face at all times. I tried not to tighten  up.

Fifth Mile 5:36 we are rolling downhill and with a nice tailwind I was just keeping my head down and my center of gravity in check.

Sixth mile 5:36 I saw the 10k split and said this is too easy and  I just felt it was gonna be a good day.

seventh mile 5:34 David Rodriguez (2:27:36) caught up to me and said we are in sub 2:26 pace and all I did was waved my hand to him..

eighth mile 5:40

ninth mile 5:33

tenth mile  5:36 I said dang that's all done an easy 16 miler at 5:40 will be cake!

eleventh 5:38

twelve mile 5:28 saw David Rodriguez go and decided to say screw i gotta go with David it's do or die loudest cheers came from this area! It was unbelievable!

thirteenth 5:31 crossed the half at 1:13:40 right on track to sub 2:28:30

fourteenth 5:27 played yo yo with david paased him up on the down hills and he would pass me up on the up hills

fifteenth 5:35 drilling and still on pace

sixteenth 5:19 major downhill and this is the spot when I said it's time to dance 16-21 are mine

seventeenth mile 5:39 david passed me up and then on

eighteenth 5:38 I passed David again

nineteenth 5:28

twenty 5:41

twenty one 5:52 David made a surge on heartbreak hill and opened a lead on me

twenty two 5:22 was all down hill and i was cruising a 5:22 and over took david rodriguez

twenty three 5:34 I was still leading dave and I was starting to feel knots on my hamstrings

twenty four 5:35 David surged and left me behind, I was tightening up and since we were going downhill i couldnt risk going any faster because i was afraid of getting injured, I already had sub 2:30 in the bag but now it was a matter of containing a hamstring

twenty fifth mile 5:43 there were steps that hurt and I didnt want to fail on my quest of a Sub 2:30 I was real worried that i might not fnish the race because the hamstring was acting up weird!

twenty sixth mile 6:11 I slowed down only 6 min mile in the race but I had too if not I wouldn't have made it to the finish line my hamstring was on a verge of giving out!

As I approached the finish line with .2 to go All I did was celebrate and waved to the crowd I felt the Boston Crowd! I finally ran a sub 2:30 marathon! It was a great day to race! I always said if I ran a SUB 2:30 I would retire from running, but now my thoughts go what if I aim for SUB 2:25 am I asking too much?? or am I better off doing other things in my life? Who knows? I gotta think of many things! This was an experience I'll definetly never forget!

Post Marathon I waved and thanked all volunteers for doing a great job! Went back to the hotel with Ruben and David. hugged them and left to the airport! Flying at 3:30 to Dallas and 7:30 to San Antonio I should be home by 11:00 pm! Thank you LORD for giving me the strength to run a great race!