My brother arrived on Saturday morning from San Francisco eagerly anticipating his first Boston Marathon. As he carefully unpacked and showed me his gear, we conversed at length over what to wear, considering the severe weather alert on the forecast. We even made a special trip in the hard rain to Marathon Sports to consult with one of the salespeople. It turned out that he brought everything that he needed to run a smart race. Preparation is key!
At 48, my remarkable brother mangaged to qualify for and run an impressive Boston debut at an 8:14 pace in 3:35.40. This is quite an amazing accomplishment considering that all of his training was in California. He had run 5 marathons in California, none could quite compare with Boston.
My sister took her post at Heartbreak Hill to cheer him on and I took mine at Beacon St. before Coolidge Corner. The crowds were thin so we secured a perfect location and quickly spotted him out of a crowd of runners. He stood out from the pack. He looked so calm and refreshed as if this was a usual training run not a marathon under harsh weather related conditions. In a flash, he was gone, quickly making his way to the finish line.
Despite the weather, he kept his spirits and wits. He ran an inspiring debut! (I had a wonderful vicarious experience supporting and cheering him.) I know that being a marathoner, he’ll be back next year for another go. Hopefully the weather will be better, that’s a chance that he’ll have to take.
I applaud all of you runners out there who completed the marathon yesterday. Kudos to you all!
Keep on Running!
Beth
