# Anybody here running the Boston Marathon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 28, 2014, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751 "2014-03-28T09:46:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751/21 "2014-04-01T01:38:44Z")
> [@DirtyHippy](#): > > I guess I’m a bit of a late bloomer. I started running at age 52 after a lifetime of being a couch potato, and ran my first road race the day before my 53rd birthday. This will be my 7th marathon. Yeah, my mother didn’t start running until her late forties, and she ran Boston last year. Thank God she was fighting an injury-- her goal pace was 4:00:00, almost exactly when the bombs went off. As it was, she was on a 4:15:00 pace and still a mile away or more when the organizers shut the race down. She’s running again this year, though! ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751/22 "2014-04-01T15:19:45Z")
Congrats, DirtyHippy, that’s quite an accomplishment. This will be a very emotional year, both celebratory and incredibly sad. ---
**Author:** ![delsina363](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@delsina363](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delsina363)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751/23 "2014-04-01T15:30:42Z")
I live in Boston, and would love to run the Boston Marathon. If only I was not so lazy and out of shape :o I also work at a hospital, and they never give us the day off. I work in Pathology Administration, but they do not give us that day as a holiday. Good luck to all you fit runners taking part in the Marathon. I hope we have good weather for it. ---
**Author:** ![DirtyHippy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtyhippy/32/107_2.png) [@DirtyHippy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirtyHippy)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751/24 "2014-04-02T00:55:17Z")
> [@delsina363](#): > > Good luck to all you fit runners taking part in the Marathon. I hope we have good weather for it. I don’t obsess about the weather at all. No sir, not me. Runner’s World magazine has posted a page with daily updates for the forecast for April 21. I’ve bookmarked it. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751/25 "2014-04-22T12:20:35Z")
Alright then. You’ve caught your breath by now. How’d you do? We want times and colour commentary. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751/26 "2014-04-22T13:29:52Z")
lorene-What I meant, and thought was clear, was that their plans were unknown to ME. BTW, they did end up running. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751/27 "2014-04-22T14:26:14Z")
One of my friends was the top finishing non-elite woman! She rocked the course in 2:44 for a 10 minute PR. The starting line was great - if any of you were in corral 8 I was the guy checking your bibs as you walked in. ---
**Author:** ![DirtyHippy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtyhippy/32/107_2.png) [@DirtyHippy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirtyHippy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751/28 "2014-04-23T11:01:25Z")
Thanks for volunteering. All the volunteers were great, as was the crowd. There was never a spot along the course that had no spectators. It just kept getting more crowded and louder with every mile. I didn’t kiss any of the Wellesley girls, but I did slap a lot of hands there, grinning from ear to ear. I was in wave 3, corral 2, so I didn’t start until just a little after 11. The first few miles I did very well, holding back just a little. I saw a couple of people I knew along the way, which was great. By the time I got to Newton, and the hills, I was definitely slowing down. It was getting warm, I sweat a lot, and it was affecting me. Going up the last hill, Heartbreak Hill, both of my legs cramped at the same time. I couldn’t run, but I kept walking. I pretty much walked the rest of the course, with some occasional “run” breaks. In a lot of pain, I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from finishing. The last couple of blocks on Boylston Street, I ran. I needed to be running when I crossed the finish line. When I got my medal, I started sobbing. Walking away from that, one of the medical workers came over, put her arm around me, and asked if I was OK. I was, just very emotional. My finish time was 4:32:23. I was shooting for 3:30:00. I felt like I did everything right as far as hydration goes, but still dehydrated pretty badly. I also take salt caps, which usually helps with the cramps. I need to either sweat less, or absorb water better. And probably take it a little easier at the beginning, especially when it’s warmer. When my wife and I walked back to my car, a lot of people were congratulating me. I thanked them all, and felt like a superstar! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751/29 "2014-04-23T11:50:09Z")
> [@DirtyHippy](#): > > When my wife and I walked back to my car, a lot of people were congratulating me. I thanked them all, and felt like a superstar! You are! ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751/30 "2014-04-23T16:03:31Z")
> [@DirtyHippy](#): > > When I got my medal, I started sobbing. I know eh. You can’t help it. > [@DirtyHippy](#): > > My finish time was 4:32:23. That is still FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC. What was your qualifying time? > [@DirtyHippy](#): > > When my wife and I walked back to my car, a lot of people were congratulating me. I thanked them all, and felt like a superstar! You are!! Boston is the Holy Grail for runners and YOU DID IT!!! ---
**Author:** ![DirtyHippy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtyhippy/32/107_2.png) [@DirtyHippy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirtyHippy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751/31 "2014-04-23T16:10:56Z")
My qualifying time was 3:37:15. My previous worst time was about 3 hours 53 minutes. I have one DNF (did not finish), another warm day, in Vermont of all places. Got pulled off for dehydration. I was determined not to get pulled out this time, even though I was seriously close to actually passing out at one point. The crowds and my determination are what got me though. Thanks, everyone. I’ll go out for a nice easy run this evening. Then back to work tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751/32 "2014-04-23T16:55:07Z")
> [@DirtyHippy](#): > > Thanks, everyone. I’ll go out for a nice easy run this evening. Then back to work tomorrow. I think I waited until Friday 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-here-running-the-boston-marathon/684751.md?page=1)