Boston Strong, and the Road Ahead

The good news is that I made it back to the Boston Marathon this year. The bad news is that it didn't quite turn out the way that I had hoped. In spite of better training and a more focused pre-race taper, stomach issues got the better of me, and derailed what was, for about 18 miles, shaping up to be a PR effort. 

Still, it was an awesome experience to be a part of. In the now 9 times that I've run the Boston Marathon, I've never heard the crowds cheering any louder at the finish line, or along the course, for that matter. Coming around the final turn, the roar of the crowd was downright deafening. Congratulations are in order for all of the runners, volunteers, organizers, friends, families, and fans who pulled together to make this year's Boston Marathon an unforgettable event.

For me, the positive energy at the marathon lessened the sting of walking away knowing that I had a 2:45-2:50 performance in me that day, but failing to put up the finishing time to prove it. That same energy that the city of Boston rebounded with after last year's tragedy has, in spite of my performance, left me energized for the challenges ahead.

Next up is 3 Days at the Fair https://sites.google.com/site/njtrailseries/fair). Provided that I stay healthy, I think that this race gives me a great opportunity to better my 24-hour mileage PR of 134 miles, set at 24 the Hard Way this past October.

The other race that I'm particularly excited about is the 20in24 in Philadelphia, put on by Back on My Feet (http://philadelphia.in24race.com/). I competed in the inaugural running of this race in 2008, and, on a brutally hot July day, set a 24-hour mileage PR of 111 miles, finishing second. The support staff and the fans made the race an amazing, unforgettable experience. Since that year, I've wanted to run the 20in24 again, but until now, other commitments (most notably Badwater for the past four years) have made that impossible. So I'm excited to have the opportunity to once again slug it out in the heat for 24 hours, and test my limits on that course.

If you're interested in being a part of the 20in24, the good people at Back on My Feet have given me one race bib to give away, to either the Midnight Madness 8.4 -Mile Race, or the Finale 5K. All you have to do is "like" their page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/in24Philadelphia), and then email me to let me know that you liked their page, and why you want the bib. I'll pick a winner this Friday. Good luck!