My ex-Boston Marathon 2010

After a months of anticipation and quick trip to Health Expo, that night before the race i was ready. Desperately trying to find the best driving route to the race i didnt go to bed untill midnight. For those not living in Arizona we like to build. Streets, freeways, highways, and houses. Then we change our mind, and build again. So getting anywhere here is a challenge. They close some freeway every weekend. MY 6 months old GPS was too confused to even calculate how to get there.

4 A.M., sunday morning. I have to be nuts to get up this early. Wife soundly asleep, as kids sneaked into our bed during the night. Ok, where is my polar, hmmm, socks, did i charge my iPod. March mornings are still cold in this Sonoran desert, so i had to wear layers upon layers. Thankfully adidas, Adistar, orange was last year color so ebay was full of those. 

Driving in my car, i went throw my checklist, reminding myself that negative splits are not in my agenda, yet. Start slow, finish. Just finish. Never run 10k under one hour, so i dont hope for more then 2:30 to finish half. It is my first after all. Just finish.

Ok according to the signs, and GPS i was there. Few police cars pointing me to the dark parking lot of the shooting area in state park. And they call hunting sport?. Quickly, take off all the layers, connect all the appliances and gadgets, and get in the line for the bus. Big yellow school bus. I didnt see the inside of one of those since Senior year field trip. 

Damn, bathroom, why do i always drink this much water. Huh, look at the line, maybe i should do it behind the bush. Hmm, no, all the bushes are cacti, too pointy for my taste. AS always national anthem got me in the line. “..and the land of the…” good, my turn. 

Quickly to the 9-10 pace starting line. Honestly didnt expect that much people around 800. Damn i will be the last. How humiliating. Gun, there is the guy with the gun. Go. Slowly.

First 5k was straight and flat. 7AM, as the sun was slowly rising over the red sky, so was the excitement. I didnt care about cameras, about pace, just for a moment, enjoyed the race, enjoyed the moment. Second 5k, got me at uphill, around some $1mil plus houses being built. Soon i realized with such price comes the attitude. Yes you can beep as much as you want, and no i will not stop so your benz can take you to your round of golf. That uphill kept going and going. Without any hill training, i kept going slow but steady. Soon first downhill, and out to mayor road. Thanks for real estate tour, i need to work on my hill training and my diverse portfolio.
10k, almost half. That clock must be wrong, only 57min? and another downhill? walk, time for drink. Someone, somehow put too much powder into that getorade mix. But then i dont like grape anyhow. I will get just water at 8mil. Almost 2 mile long straight. Something i never realized before, and i was about to, is that going downhill, your feet slide. They slide enough to get some scary looking blisters. 9mil, brutal uphill. ok, i see water at the top. almost done. Or should i just become pessimist? more then 5k left. 

Then it all just came together. The road, heart rate, mood, sunshine, legs. I was just there. On the road. With 800 other happy people. Some of them in front of me, some behind me. I didnt need advice from the book, didnt need magic powder in my imaginary pouch, i didnt need to visualize the runner in front of me, if he is murdered what weapon would he use, or how does her/his face looks during an orgasm. I just enjoyed the race, the pain, the time.

And soon it was almost over. I see the finish line. I see photographers, should i smile? it doesnt matter, again they dont have polarizer and they are pointing almost straight into the sunlight. It is time of glory. All those months, all those alone moments, all the crazy drivers. It all comes to this. Sprint. Run. Pass one or two more. 2:10, and that is gun time. Shortly, my daydreaming of glory was interrupted by someone in yellow shirt passing me the medal, throwing me to another person in same bright yellow shirt, who took off timing chip.

I realized. This is runners high. Sitting here, on the side of the road, next to the garbage cans, holding that cheap piece of metal. I did it. I am half marathoner.

And at that moment, Boson appeared just a step closer.