Returning to the Boston Marathon

The winner of the marathon, Meb Keflezighi

Returning to Boston in 2014 was a given and something both Nikki and I would have done I think even if she hadn't been granted a spot on the start line.  There was unfinished business that needed completion, an itch that needed scratching, a solitary mile that needed running, a finish line that needed crossing. With the BAA granting all those a spot at this years event who didn't cross the finish line but who had made it halfway, we had even more reason to return to Hopkinton, MA for the Easter weekend.

We arrived late on the Thursday evening, having left the UK on the last flight out so as to reduce holiday usage to a bare minimum of 1 day. On Friday we both enjoyed a little trail run around a local state park before heading in to Boston to collect Nikki's bib number and then watch the Red Sox play in the evening.  This year the weather was inexplicably cold, which we hadn't packed for, to which I can attest as Nikki had my coat on having not thought to bring hers.  We left the game early due to the cold weather and the fact that Boston were getting whooped.

Saturday morning we were up early and back in Boston for me to run my marathon....ok so it was only 5km but it felt like a marathon to me.  This was my way of getting involved having been so close to the bombs last year and as they'd specifically prevented bandits from running this year it was my only avenue knowing I'll never run a Boston qualifying time.

Saturday evening was emotional as we attended the Respite Center BBQ hosted at EMC headquarters. Seeing Mary and Sharon again and the familiar faces of Mikey, Amanda and Amir as well as others brought back the memories.  Sharon remembered standing near me when the first blast went off, hearing this and everybody else's accounts reminded me how close we came to meeting our maker that day. We have a lot to thank the Respite Center for, especially Sharon and Mary who got us those passes, that moved us from harms way.  I will never forget!

Sunday was a lazy day, with Nikki relaxing with some light shopping and an early Italian dinner with Amir, Amanda and Fabio, everybody was keen to get their heads down in preparation for the big day.  

Monday morning I dropped Nikki at the Respite Center near the start line early doors, due to heightened security I had to get the car out of the area before the roads closed at 7am. This provided me with plenty of time to get into Boston and get parked up on Clarendon street before those roads closed at 8am.  Nikki would have the luxury of avoiding the athletes village and could relax with the other EMC and Respite Center team runners before heading through yet more security to the starting corrals around 11am.

The finish line in 2013 before the bombs went off

Prior to the wheelchair athletes starting there was a moments silence held at 0845 in both Hopkinton and in Copley square.  The silence in Boston, in memory of those who lost their lives or were injured last year was, metaphorically, the noisiest and most powerful retort the running world could lay down in the face of terrorism. To say emotions were running high would be an understatement, as all eyes watched how the running community would respond.

And respond they did, with the start of the race underway, the people lined the streets cheering and shouting at every runner who came past them, from the elites to those less able, from old to young, they all received the love and admiration of the people of Boston.  To have the privilege of seeing and hearing these people all along the course help and encourage complete strangers, all standing shoulder to shoulder against terrorism, was inspirational and restores your belief in human kindness.

As the day drew on, the temperature increased to probably just above what I would consider comfortable, especially as most people would have trained through winter, they were going to suffer slightly more than anticipated.  This was true for Nikki, who also had the misfortune of throwing what she thought was a cup of water over her head but turned out to be a sticky Gatorade energy drink.  This reminded me of Fabio's story of 2013 when he grabbed what he thought was food on a stick and popped it in his mouth at the same time as the guy shouted "don't eat it, it's Vaseline".  At mile 20 your brain doesn't always process things in the correct way.

Walking around the finish area and seeing the tears (of joy I hope), the smiles and the general good spirits it was clear to me that Boston had responded in the best possible way, by putting on a bigger marathon event than ever before (36k runners) and showing the world that it is possible to protect 26.2 miles of streets.  This was likely the safest place in the world, with a heavy Police, Army and I'm sure FBI, CIA, etc presence along the route with numerous helicopters flying backwards and forwards and security checks for everybody getting near the course.  I hope that this isn't a sign of how these events have to be organised in future and some "normality" can return next year.  It is heart warming to know that it can be done as it would have been easier and cheaper for sure to cancel the event but that would have sent completely the wrong message to the world for sure!

Nikki completed her journey crossing the finish line 1 year 4 hours and 30 minutes after it started in 2013. She ran an amazing race and although she had some stomach issues and the heat to deal with (it's apparently harder for gingers), it was always about the journey rather than position or time. I can't say if we'll be back to run Boston again but we will certainly return as it's a great city and I feel I have a connection with the people as the memories of 2013 and 2014 marathons will be permanently ingrained in me forever.  Boston is Strong and long may it remain so!

My Boston 2014 winner!

Race Report : Boston 5km

Today's race was my way of supporting the Boston Strong community, having witnessed last years Boston Marathon bombing first hand but unable to gain entry officially or even unofficially in to the 2014 race, the 5km race around the city was the next best thing.  This years field was extended to 10k runners to accommodate everybody who wanted to come along and show their support.

The event was really well organised, with parking nearby and swift bib collection and even t-shirt pickup before the race, the only negative was the bitter wind blowing across the common making the 1 hour wait for the start a little more interesting.  That said, the sun soon came up and started to warm us all up, prompting me to don my sunglasses in preparation for the off.

The start was a little bit of a mess, with runners asked to self seed themselves, there appeared to be half the field in between the 6 and 7 minute mile markers.  Either everybody was aiming for a 21 minute 5km or they perhaps had all forgotten their reading glasses, either way, me being me, I kept my mouth shut and tried not to judge them. I failed at this miserably and so just muttered to myself about how this would never happen if I'd been organising things. 

With the race underway, I spent the first half a mile pushing through and navigating around people who perhaps should have been slightly further back but once this was over with the journey down Commonwealth Ave was quite nice.  At the 1 mile marker they were handing out water, not sure why for a 5km but they were.  I hit this marker around 6 mins 35 seconds in and could start to feel the burn in my lungs as we headed downhill to the turnaround point.

After turning around and heading back up Commonwealth, we were treated to the infamous "Right on Hereford, left on Boylston" directions as we joined the final stretch of the marathon route.  As we turned on Boylston (and another water station), we hit the two mile marker with my watch clocking me a 6 min 37 second mile.  At this point I thought if I could keep this up I may just duck under the 21 minute marker, which would be fantastic and unexpected.

That wasn't to be though as the tank was almost on empty as I ran down what seemed like the never ending Boylston street, across the finish line and down towards Boston Common. The crowds were now out cheering us on and this helped me push on towards the final turn on to Charles Street.  With the finish line in view, a quick glance at my watch saw the 21 minute marker approaching quickly but so too was the finish line...

I crossed in 21 minutes exactly (chip time and 21.03 on my watch), just narrowly missing out [again] but setting a PB all the same which I'm very happy with.   Great to have Nikki on the sidelines cheering me on and getting a few shots of me near the finishing post.  My lungs and legs were on fire for a few minutes after the race, so I know I had nothing left in reserve and gave it my all.

Now just a small matter of supporting Nikki around the course on Monday, shouldn't cause me too much bother.  Good luck darling #BostonStrong!

MovesCount entry

Official Results

2014 Race Calendar (so far)

As 2013 draws to a close, it's time to look to the new year and the challenges we have ahead of us. While 2013 was an excellent year for me, I have some lofty goals for 2013 and a busy schedule (that is only getting more busy)

• Disney Dopey Challenge - (5k, 10k, half and full marathon) - 9th-12th January
• Winter Fan Dance - (14 mile trail) - 18th January
• The Chill Swim - (60m swim) - 1st Feb
• Cotswold Way - (50km trail) - 8th Feb
• Brecon Beacons Trail Weekend - (~35 mile trail) - 21st -23rd Feb (sign up here)
• Lanzarote Training Week - 6th-13th March
• South Downs Way 50 - (50 mile trail) - 5th April
• Boston Marathon - (26.2 miles) - 21st April
• Brecon Beacons Trail Weekend - (~35 mile trail) - 9th-11th May (TBC)
• 70.3 Ironman UK - 15th June
• Chew Valley - (10km) - 22nd June
• Lakeland 50 - (50 mile trail) - 26th July
• Ride London - 10th August (entry permitted)
• UTMB CCC - (50 mile trail) - 30th August (entry permitted)

Happy New Year everyone!

A good luck message

This is a clip of the Signing Group from the Michael Lisnow Respite Center at the EMC BBQ prior to the Boston Marathon 2013.  There wasn't a dry eye in the house, it was very moving and a great way to wish the runners luck for their upcoming journey.

Bastards in Boston

The 15th of April should have been a day of joyous celebration for the runners and their families as they completed the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston. Instead it became something out of a Hollywood war movie, I still can’t quite believe it!

Our day started out like most people running the race, leaving the hotel very early and heading to the start line to avoid queues of traffic and road closures. Rather than heading for the athletes village, we enjoyed the hospitality of the family run Michael Lisnow Respite Center.

The team at the centre were excellent, laying on breakfast and anything a runner could need before escorting them to the start line moments before the gun went off. You wouldn’t want it any other way and the waiting time flew by. The team provided my family and me VIP passes in to the bleachers stands at the start and finish line, little did I know at the time how these pieces of insignificant cardboard would potentially save our lives!

The start line in Hopkinton

After watching Nikki cross the start line, we drove to the centre of Boston and parked under Boston Common, just a few blocks from the finish area. We navigated our way around the road closures, grabbed some lunch and headed to the bleachers area around 2pm. Nikki was tracking for a 1445–1455 finish time based upon her current pace.

The sea of red Michael’s Miracle jackets in the bleachers was our heading and we were welcomed like long lost family members by the group. The whole team from the Respite Center and EMC have been nothing short of extraordinary, making us feel wonderful and happy about the teams achievements this weekend.

At 1449 (or thereabouts) an explosion rocked our world and that of those all around us. Almost directly opposite the area we were in an explosion went off, throwing clouds of smoke and pieces of debris in to the air. The explosion was like that of a flash bang, something I’ve heard a few times whilst in the cadet force years ago, the pressure wave hitting my ears and then…….silence.

There was an eerie silence that arrived so quickly. Time standing still almost. I put my arm around John & Janie (my Uncle & Aunt) as we moved diagonally up the bleachers. I scanned the scene in front of me, smoke, glass, blood, people lying on the ground, people running in every direction.

My brain was processing what was going on, or trying to. I thought it was some kind of firework that had exploded ahead of schedule or perhaps an electrical fire. Anything other than a bomb…then 1–2 seconds after the blast the smell hit me, cordite.

The sound came back almost as quickly as it had gone. The silence was broken and the noise was incredible. Screaming, shouting, whistling, crying and the scene was now awash with first responders. While most of the people with us were processing what had happened, the police, army, BAA volunteers and countless others ran towards the explosion to help those less fortunate.

Moments before the first blast

10 seconds later, BANG! Another explosion slightly further down the street. John screamed at us to get down. We hit the deck, still on the bleachers. Janie dropped her bag, as John assessed if we could drop down under the seats and get out quicker underneath the bleachers. I grabbed the bag, threw it over my head and grabbed hold of John, the drop was too great in my mind.

We were on our feet quickly, everybody was being ushered out of the bleachers. I turned to make sure Marathon Mike was with us, a client of the Respite Center, he was being bundled out of the area by the wonderful staff who were once again thinking of their clients even in the face of such adversity.

30–40 seconds after the first explosion have passed by now and yet I’ve processed more data in the last few seconds, that it feels like hours have ticked by. I realised at this time I had an iPhone in my hand, ready to capture what should have been a celebration of Nikki crossing the line in her first marathon.

I stopped briefly and pushed the shutter button 6 or 7 times to capture the mayhem around me. Janie was shouting at me I think or it could have been other people, everybody trying to get out of the area.

The blast directly across the street

Panic! Nobody knows what’s happening…the race has been stopped. We’re now a block or so away and feeling pretty shaken after seeing two explosions within 100 feet of us. Where is Nikki? How close to the line was she? Had anybody seen her in sight of the finish? I tried both my phones and John’s but no luck, it was ringing, then lines went dead, then it rang again but no answer.

For some time the network was busy, probably because of the volume of people trying to contact loved ones but mainly due to the anti-terrorist process put in place to shutdown the networks to prevent any further detonations occurring.

About 20 minutes or so after the explosions went off I got through to Nikki and discovered she was fine. The race organisers (BAA) had shown wonderful planning and skills and shutdown the course within moments of incident, preventing anybody from running in to the area. It took 1.5 hours or so before we met up as a group due to the street closures but when we eventually did it was quite an emotional moment.

We got to the car and got out of the city as quickly as we could.

We passed countless Police and other emergency people, all heading in the opposite direction, not knowing what they were going to see or the danger they were potentially running towards.

Today I feel lucky to be alive, I have a feeling it’s going to be quite emotional but our thoughts must go out to those families who weren’t as lucky as us. As well as to the first responders, who no doubt have much worse images ingrained on their memories than I do and whom I can’t thank enough for dealing with the incident so swiftly.

The Michael Lisnow Respite Center may well have saved our lives yesterday. I hadn’t appreciated it until John & Janie pointed out that if they hadn’t given us the VIP passes, we would have been standing by the finish line on the opposite side of the road. Possibly too close, possibly not and we’ll never know for sure.  If you can spare anything at all for this wonderful charity, please donate directly or via Nikki's Razoo page.

I will be back next year, running Boston in 2014, with an entry or as a bandit, I don’t care! I will be running to show those bastards they can’t win!  Ironically, the race director of Boston ran his first 2 Boston Marathons as a bandit, I hope they allow them next year too.

Peace and love