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| (mile 17) |
My usual post would have gone something like this: I would describe how I felt going into the race, then tell you about the race itself, and finish with the details of my post-race celebration. This telling of the 2013 Boston Marathon does not seem so important now. Instead, I will tell a similar narrative but with a very different ending. The Boston Marathon has been referred to as the 'Super Bowl' of marathons. It is the dream race for so many in the running community to compete in. If you tell someone you run marathons, the follow up question is often times, "Have you done Boston?" For me, Marathon Monday was supposed to be very special. I marked it on my calendar the day I achieved my qualifying time in the early fall of 2012. I felt proud to have reached this goal and knew I had earned my way to the starting line in Hopkinton. In my last marathon (before Boston), I ran 2:54 in Philadelphia. This was back in November. Since, I have trained harder and faster than ever before. I entered Boston believing a 2:40 time was a real possibility. On Monday, however, my body and mind were never in the race. My legs felt heavy from the start and I simply never settled into race pace. I tried to relax and enjoy the crowds when I knew it was not going to be my day. The support was unbelievable on the course. I ran through the Wellesley scream tunnel and the girls there deafened me with their cheers. I ran past my family at mile 17.
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| (mile 25) |
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| ("I finished Boston.") |
It was a great moment. I gave them a wave and carried on my journey through the Newton Hills. While the hills were doing their best to slow me down even more, I saw more family members at mile 19. They yelled to me and I waved back. They gave me a nice boost. Although I was struggling and could not figure out why, I knew I would be able to finish the race. I then made it to the top of Heartbreak Hill. My time goal was gone and my day was long over. Every step was a struggle. The BC students did their best to pick me up as I made my way to mile 22. I then entered Boston and the crowds grew from there. They were 5-10 people deep at times, with everyone urging on the runners to the finish. My family was again at mile 25 to cheer me on but I did not see them this time. I was in survival mode. They told me I looked focused and in the zone. I felt depleted and hopeless. Finally, I reached the most famous two turns in all of running. I made the historic right turn onto Hereford Street. The crowds were going crazy, I was so close to the finish. I climbed Mt. Hereford and made the final turn of the course, a left onto Boylston. I was inside a half mile of crossing the finish line and could see it at this point. I pushed on and finished in 2:56:55. This is not a PR. I did not have a race that I am happy with. My day was over early and it was a struggle to the very end. I ran the closing miles of the race slower than many of my 'easy' training days. I did, however, finish Boston. I did not stop. I did not quit. I would be lying if I told you these thoughts were not in my head very early in the race. There are three little words that not everyone can say and that now I can: I finished Boston. While I did not have the race of my life that I envisioned for weeks before the race, I can still say these words. I am a Boston Marathon finisher. I received my medal and I can wear my jacket with pride. This is the point in my retelling of the race where I say I am determined to do better. This was not my best effort and I will be back. While this is all true, there are other events that need to be told and thoughts that still need to sink in.
12:57 P.M.- This is the approximate time that I crossed the finish line at. I was exhausted, disappointed with my time but happy that I finished. I would be able to proudly wear my medal and jacket. I would be able to have a nice celebration with my family in Boston. I walked through the finish line area and made it to the family meeting area. Because of all of the people at the race, it took my parents and the rest of my family until about 2:00 P.M. to finally find me. When they did, I was cold and shivering. I was wrapped in my solar blanket and my lips were turning blue. It was not a pleasant feeling to say the least. We moved inside a building so I could warm up a little bit. While there, a man came up to me and shook my hand. He told me what an accomplishment it was that I finished Boston and that I was a champion. I did not feel like much of a champion but this was one of the nicest exchanges I had ever had after a race. This man cheered me up and I felt a little better about my race. After all, I had just crossed the finish line of the greatest marathon in the world. I started to begin to feel a little better and started to focus my attention on where my next meal would be coming from. We left the family meeting area around 2:30 and went to Maggiano's Little Italy a few blocks away. I was with several of my family members: my parents, sister, two uncles, an aunt and one of my little cousins. We sat down around our table and started to relax. I thanked everyone for supporting me throughout the day. It meant a lot. They toasted my efforts from the day and congratulated me on my run. It was great being with my family, enjoying each other's company. At 2:50 P.M., we were being served our main courses. The mood at the table was light. All of a sudden, a woman exclaimed at a nearby table that bombs had gone off at the finish line. There was immediately talk that this was a terrorist attack, with the implication that it was foreign. The finish line that I had crossed two hours ago? It could not be true. I then started to receive an influx of text messages asking my whereabouts and if I was alive! We finished eating very quickly, paid our bill, and left the restaurant for our car to go home. When I walked outside the restaurant, the scene was something close to panic. There were people walking the streets, in all directions, with nobody seeming to give much notice to the next person. It was a scary sight. We were able to leave Boston quickly and we listened to the radio. We listened as descriptions were given for what was happening at the finish line. I got home and took a long shower. I was drained from the day. I made my way back to school and fell asleep not long after. When I woke up, the events of the previous day began to sink in. It could have been me; it could have been my family. At any point in the race, the bombs could have gone off. When we were still in the finish area at 2:30 P.M., we were close to where the second bomb went off. It is scary to think about how close we all were to danger. My heart goes out to the victims and their families. Whoever is responsible for this attack should know that the running community is the wrong group of people to mess with. I watched on the news how race volunteers and doctors were among the first responders. They put their lives at risk and ran towards the fire as opposed to running away. I saw that many runners ran to the hospitals to donate their blood right after the incident. I have already seen countless running clubs and organizations plan group runs or events in honor of those affected. The running community has stayed strong over the last couple of days. My heart goes out to all of the runners who were not able to make the right on Hereford and left onto Boylston. This was supposed to be something for all runners to experience and now there are many who are scarred to come back to Boston. We still do not know who is responsible for this attack. Right when the event happened, however, I immediately heard people call it a foreign terrorist attack. I just ask for people to keep an open mind until federal and state authorities conduct their investigations and find the people or group responsible. It could very well have been the work of a domestic terrorist group. There is no need to fear what we do not know and put blame on people who were not involved. This was a tragedy but speculating on what we do not know will not help us recover from what we experienced. The Boston Marathon was supposed to be a race for both runners and fans to enjoy. This did not happen. I can tell you that I will be back in 2014, or at least that I want to be back in 2014. I am qualified for the race again and will not hesitate to sign up. I want to again express my thoughts and concerns for everyone affected by the events from this past Monday and hope that the running community continues to stay united as one in this difficult time.
David
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