There are hundreds of interesting experiences and stories within the Boston Marathon. Several PRC members contributed to the annual folklore. First, there is Willie "negative splits" Williams who most recall seeing on one long run - two weeks before the Marathon - and one big meal at Vinny Testa's . Willie not only gets the most out of his training but actually increases his pace during the marathon - his last mile at 7:30 was probably his fastest and is a pace most of us could only dream of at that time.
Stephen P. did not disappoint us with his own accurate prediction of his finishing time. Both he and Ray Gonzalez crossed the line at about the same qualifying time. Stephen has actually run two 2:49 marathons when qualifying requirements were 2:50 or less. True to form, he qualified by about a minute again this year.
Ricardo started training in February and proved once again that he never falls out of shape - someday when his training time allows, he will run under three hours. Ricardo, who has 3:04 and a 3:02 marathons to his credit, is able to run respectable times even when he has to compress training.
John D. was not surprised by his time but many of the rest of us were. Somehow he's consistently consistent on race days. Given his injury- and travel-interrupted training and so on, he proved once again that he is a worthy marathon lottery winner.
Speaking of number runners, Jon C. was seen at the finish line, punctuating his 60 odd years of marathon training.
Stacey made the 26 mile trek by bus from Boston to Hopkinton. After asking for our blood (is she from Team in Draining?), she was back on the bus and heading back to Boston - more charitable and sensible than the rest of us on this day.
Bill finished again but ran into the same leg cramps that slowed him at the end of the race last year. He handicapped himself further in the latter part of the Marathon by trying to run and swallow jelly beans at the same time. After having a couple lodged in his throat, Bill figured a few more jelly beans would be just the thing to dislodge the blockage. Maybe this is why a life insurance company co-sponsors the Marathon. Though Bill has not been around for many runs since, reports are that he is well, resting comfortably and will be conducting next year's marathon by conference call.
Rob K. again met his principal goal of finishing while still knowing his name. Upon seeing Rob's stride at 26 miles, even spectators correctly identified him as the Iron man.
Jean and Mike combined for two more successful finishes. Jean qualified and Mike slayed another marathon monster, setting the stage for another year of Marathon training. It hurts just thinking about all the combined years of training.
Keith is a man on a mission - he finished at 3:16 but is already prepping for the next marathon where he will definitely qualify. If not, he may go on strike until his time is renegotiated.
Jim put his scientific readings into practice by walking for about 20 seconds at every water stop. According to Jim, this is not cheating, worked great and helped his recovery. Eventually, we'll all be walking and running only after we've had water.
Naturally, I have my own "marathon" story. For me, Marathon Monday was the day to realize a goal of my intense training strategy - my plan was to go out and prove it was possible for a PRCer to properly over-train, taper and still lose the Boston Marathon. Having come dangerously close to winning the 2000 Boston Marathon and being seeded ahead of eleven thousand more entrants, the odds of winning this year were stacked in my favor. How could I lose?
That's the question that had most everyone perplexed immediately after the stunning results of Boston Marathon 2001. I can only tell you that something inside convinced me - even prior to the race - that I could not only lose but do so in style by finishing far off world record pace. Though it was tempting to prove this simply by starting off slowly and falling impossibly far enough behind, I knew this would not be fair to the other world-class runners. In the brotherhood of the elite, you rely on each other to push the pace. There is no glory in lollygagging your way to a losing time; one must make an honest effort from line to line.
I drew inspiration from hearing a current PRCer lost exactly ten years earlier. To be sure, I needed a small miracle to secure a marathon loss and I got it. Early on in the race, mother nature started to call me in the worst way. Of course, stopping was too easy a way out of contention so I ignored this impending doom and pushed the pace instead.
At about mile six I sensed victory would not be mine, but still had about twenty miles to prove it. Police motorcycles and helicopters buzzed by - would I be an also ran or not? At about this time, I picked up a cup of water that contained a ladybug. This unexpected surprise resulted in some postponed water intake and was a reassuring omen that luck would be with me on this day. Sure enough, my pace soon dropped far from contention. I was faltering but still left with the unenviable task of convincing the Kenyans, now hemming me in, that I was a not the man to beat. I urged them to go ahead with tired words of warning: "You men better get going or that guy from Seoul just might win" and "I don't feel too good, my insides are hurting." Not surprisingly, they ignored my pleas and skillfully held me at bay, tactics that were underreported and surely lead to their unusually poor results. My plans and dreams, on the other hand, were fulfilled at the final mat on Boylston Street - a hard earned loss and proof that no matter how much effort you put into something, it is not always enough. As the newest Marathon winners were celebrating, the medical volunteers and I had time to joke in the recovery tent about the slowness of intravenous drips and the curious aftereffects of overexertion. But don't just believe me, give it a try - I'll be watching for you on TV next year.