Boston Strong

[Dean Simon]

My road to the Boston Marathon



I was undertrained. I did not run smart. No one to blame except me for the pitiful "race" I was running. But I was resolved going into it that I would run PB pace for as long as I could, hang on to re-qualifying if possible, and if nothing else cross that line and enjoy the spectacle.



Prelude



Since qualifying in Fredericton, in May 2012, there was a lull. I didn't train much over the summer, but I went to training camp with the cross country team at St. F.X. Over the next 10 weeks, I lost 22 pounds, and shattered my 5km and 10km PBs in training runs, and reached my pinnacle physical fitness to date in my life. I didn't make the top 12 travel team but alternate roster was an accomplishment, and I did get to race at home (St.F.X.) where I placed 60/85 among Atlantic Canadian university athletes, for the most part in their late teens and early twenties..



Leading up to exams in December, I was slacking off of my running, in the name of extra study, but I really wasn't studying anymore. I was heading into a funk. I pulled things together enough to reach my minimum academic goals, but the funk continued through Christmas break.



When I got back to school I was picking up some steam, but still missing important runs. The teachers strike did not help. Then spring break. There was just no continuity to the term. But ... I had an airline ticket to Boston, I was registered for the "Big One", and felt good about my performance overall in my first year back in university in 18 years.



About 2 weeks before departure, I selected my accommodations, a private home, with a wonderful couple and their 8 year old daughter.



All my exams had to be rescheduled for a second time, after the semester was extended.



Travel



I packed the last of my bags into my truck and hit the highway for the two hour drive to a friends house near the Halifax airport. I visited an old friend in Pictou for thirty minutes and proceeded to take a wrong turn when leaving town. I was nearly in Tetamagouche, going in the completely wrong direction. I asked a local who gave me direction to take a back-road, to head towards Truro. My truck is not in ideal operating condition, so I was very nervous about this. Cell phone reception was off and on, but I managed to get back to a secondary paved highway, with signage to my destination. After a one hour detour, I was back on course.



I went out for a short run when I arrived and turned out the lights at about 12:30 am for a 4:30 am wakeup. The nap passed quickly and we were off for the airport. I boarded the plane for Toronto. The weather was calling for freezing rain, on April 13th ... what were the chances? Fortunately, the forecast was wrong and there was just a fine mist.



I arrived in Toronto and started the hour long process that is customs and security.

The flight to Boston, took no time and like a dream, I landed at Logan airport and called my host from a payphone. Within 15 minutes my ride arrived and we were off to the suburb of Lynn. As soon as I arrived I started to look for directions to get down town to the expo for kit pickup. The Mister, volunteered to drive me.



We took a few wrong turns and ended up at the Hynes Convention Centre on Boylston Street. Mister W dropped me off at the front doors, and left to find parking. Despite the huge crowds, I had my kit, and t-shirt in no time. I bought my jacket and headed out to find Mr. W within 20 minutes. It would take another 90 minutes to find Mr. W. Ironically I used a pay phone in the JFK library to make contact.



Sunday was very uneventfully. I rested and did a little bit of study. In the afternoon, I laid out all my race day necessities and went through the checklist. I was asleep by 11 pm for my 4am wake up.



Pre Race



My host dropped me off near North Station to catch the subway to Boston Common for bus boarding to the start-line in Hopkinton. I waited inline for a portapotie and then boarded a bus. It took over an hour to drive there. How is it that the winners would run it in a little over 2 hours? I spoke to a young lawyer from DC who worked for the immigration department. We had a great chat about the road to qualifying.



When we arrived at the athletes village, everyone headed immediately towards the woods for relief, despite the repetitive advice to the contrary in all the printed material. From there we proceeded in double file, into the fenced area. I had coffee, a bagel, and got some body writing done. The volunteer wrote N-E-W-F down both of my biceps, not really knowing what it meant.



My start time was 10:20am and we got the call at about 9:30am, to start working toward the start-line about a half mile away. Met a guy from London, England in the portapotie line. He was hurting so I talked a few people ahead of me to let him go ahead. After he finished he waited for me and we warmed up together heading towards the start. We arrived just in time for the elite start. It was very exciting to see some of the fastest distance runners in the world 30 feet away, in the exact sport where I would lineup in 20 minutes.



After the gun went, and the 9 corals of wave 1 passed, we all rushed into the corals to get a good spot. Myself and Brian lined up about 5 rows back. The gun went and we were off and running the Boston Marathon.





The Race



Mile 1 - 7:18

... So exciting, not pushing at all. Really downhill



Mile 2 - 7:13 TT 14:31AP 7:15

... Some guy has a sign, "You are practically there!"



Mile 3 - 7:10 TT 21:41AP 7:13

... Feels great, still effortless.



Mile 4 - 7:16TT 28:57AP 7:15

... What a way to start a marathon!



Mile 5 - 7:37TT 36:35AP 7:18

... Few rollers, but still feeling great.



Mile 6 - 7:34TT 44:09AP 7:20

... first calf twinge.



Mile 7 - 7:42 TT 51:51AP 7:26

... I am going to cramp sometime. If I can just get over Heart Break on qualifying pace...



Mile 8 - 7:42TT 59:34AP 7:28

... Crazy 20 year old girls everywhere offering kisses. Too creepy ... keep moving Dean lol. Topless girls behind placards.



Mile 9 - 7:44TT 1:07:18AP 7:29

... Alright ... getting pretty tight in both calves.



Mile10- 7:58TT 1:15:17AP 7:30

... I should have put the breaks on in Hopkinton.



Mile11- 8:08TT 1:23:25AP 7:33

... There will be no PB. Salt is not saving me this time. Tylenol not helping either. Breathing and heart rate fine. Lots of energy. Legs are going to fail. I'm 15 pounds over qualifying weight.



Mile12- 8:10TT 1:31:36AP 7:35

... How long before I have to stop and stretch???



Mile13- 9:26TT 1:41:02AP 7:46Off PB pace

... I shouldn't feel this way at halfway... Oh well... hang on as long as possible.



Mile14-10:12TT 1:51:15AP 7:56Off Re-qualifying pace

... Where are those Newton Hills? Please be soon.

Mile15-10:47TT 2:02:02

... Painfully Downhill...



Mile16- 9:47TT 2:11:49

... Wow this hurts.



Mile17-14:19TT 2:26:09

... OMG ... Newton Hills Begin... they're not that big, but I ran way too hard at start, and damm those meal hall dinners...



Mile18-28:35TT 2:54:44

.... Trip, Fall, Cramp ... Some guy cuts right in front of me at a water stop. I stumbled, trying to keep my balance for at least 5 or six more steps. Probably looked like slow motion going down. Went into a full lower body cramp, screaming "OWWW, OWWW, OWWW". Don't know how I didn't get stomped on. Bum shuffled to the curb and sat there for what seemed like 10 minutes before the cramps subsided and I got to my feet. My "Race" was over but I was going to cross that line and have some fun.



Mile19-16:36TT 3:11:20

... Heartbreak Starts ... The crowds were unbelievable. I jogged all the uphills and stretched on the flats.



Mile20-14:19TT 3:25:39

... So this is it eh? Lol so painful.



Mile21-17:29TT 3:43:09

... Beer with students, top of heartbreak



Mile22-13:48TT 3:56:58

... Random chats ....Fun ...



Mile23-11:49TT 4:08:48

... So much Fun....



Mile24-12:01TT 4:20:49

... I can't believe how much fun I'm having!



Mile25-11:13TT 4:32:03

... ( Explosions at 4:30 into my run 2:50pm)



Mile25.829:59TT 4:42:02( Runners stopped, 2 turns from Boylston St.)



I had just taken out my Newfoundland flag, and I was holding it above my head when I noticed the runners ahead stopping. Within a minute or two we were getting reports from the finish line. Bombs??? People began to wale and scream. Those without phones were frantically trying to borrow phones, to check on their loved ones at the finish line.

There was definitely panic starting as some tried to break through the crowd and run towards the finish, before being held back by race officials and police. We were on a wide divided boulevard, with parallel side streets. A Boston Police Department car, with lights blazing came from the direction of the finish line, traveling I swear, 100 miles an hour up the small side street.



People were shivering from the sudden stop and perspiration. All I could do to help was make my way through the crowd trying to identify those who were worst off. Hypothermia was a real possibility. One older lady was shaking violently, likely a response to both the rapid cooling and the shock of a terrorism act. Some residents began bringing blankets, food and drink, out into the streets and we got a thick comforter and wrapped the lady up tightly. I got a couple of younger girls to huddle with her.



There were a couple of other people who were close and looked like they wanted to help. I told them to spread out and keep looking for the worst of the worst and to get them covered up as soon as possible. The reflective blankets were supposed to be on route but never arrived. An ambulance arrived and we carried a few people to the vehicle. Some garbage bags were being distributed. There was a couple of big male runners who snagged bags, before I told them to give their heads a shake and find someone who needed them more. This was the only negativity I encountered.



After 45 minutes, we were directed to walk down Commonwealth Avenue, two blocks north of Boylston, and head for Boston Common Park, where they were trying to reunite runners with supporters. My cell phone battery was running out from continuous attempts to reach my host and my family in Newfoundland. The walk down Common Wealth Avenue was like a scene out of a Zombie Apocalypse movie. Runners were seizing up, whimpering after the original emotional impact.



In the park there were joyful reunions, and people looking very lost, not sure what to do next. Finally, we came across organisers handing out reflective blankets. I finally got a call through to my host who was a couple of blocks away. We met and embraced. She had parked in Cambridge, and the subway was shut down so we started the 2 km walk over the bridge out of Boston. It was a painful walk.



When we got in the car, my host lent me her phone and I started trying to get a call out to home. When my mother answered the phone she was very distraught. My aunts and uncles, some cousins, family friends, were gathered to support mom and dad. They were tracking me online and saw me cross 40km mat, and heard the reports coming out about 10 minutes later. They knew I was close and were expecting the worst. As awful as I was feeling, I know that this must have been the longest two hours of my family's lives.



The aftermath



We arrived back in Lynn and I went for a soak in the tub. I have been through rough spots in my life but this was different. I wasn't sad about having a bad race. All I could think of was WHY? A numbness set into me that still has not relented. I had two days left to do some sight seeing but I had no drive to do so. I settled into a large bottle of wine, and played songs on guitar for my hosts for about two hours before bed time came for the wee one.



In the morning, I got up a dressed for a little walk/jog. The massive blister on my left foot make it very painful to move but I got a very slow 5 k done and went back to the apartment. I cleaned up and decided to take the train and subway downtown. I felt guilty about it, but I eventually made my way to the check bag pickup location. They had a mock finish line set up in the doorway of the hotel conference room, for those of us who did not get to cross. I thought that was very thoughtful. I presented my race bib and was presented my medallion. I was not up for sightseeing so I dragged my sorry but back to the suburbs.



Next morning, I got up and headed for downtown again. I walked around the closed perimeter, all along shaking my head and asking myself WHY? WHY? WHY? I took a few pictures and stopped at the famous CHEERS pub for some lunch. I walked up Beacon Hill and then sat in the high end of Boston Common for an hour. Quincy Market, Harvard, MIT ... it wasn't happening. I went back to Lynn and started packing.



This was supposed to be a glorious time. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself Dean". So many people with lost limbs ... 3 dead ... how can I feel bad? I finished the race in all reality. I got my blue jacket and medallion. How can I feel happy?



I said goodbye to my host family in the morning as they made their way to work and school. They are such a great little unit. They were such gracious hosts. I had five hours to make my way to the airport. As I made my way back to the city Motorcycle Drive by, by Third Eye Blind played on my iphone. A lyric played "Here I am in Chelsea", just as I passed the CHELSEA city limits sign. I youtube the video and found a picture of the Boston skyline from exactly the same angle I was seeing out the window. Unrelated but sooo random.



The airport was very intense. It was hard to find a smile anywhere. I worked my way through security and found my gate before sitting down to some lunch. A pilot walked near my table looking for seating, and I invited him to join me. He was the pilot for my flight to Toronto. After introducing ourselves and settling into a little more detailed conversation, he suggested I write a book about my business experience at Pine Tree. This has been on my radar for several years. I think I will start soon.



Flight to Toronto and Halifax was uneventful. One thing was for sure. I was getting very tired of talking about the bombing. Coming down the stairs at arrivals in Halifax, it was so nice to see the face of Ruby and her husband, my hosts for the night. I was going to have to go through the whole story again. We had a beer back at the house and I went to bed. In the morning, I drove back to my residence at university, never having felt so empty in my life. I was due to write an exam the next day but knew immediately, that was not going to happen. I contacted my professor and rescheduled.



Monday morning came and I didn't open a book for my Monday exam. I got up at 5am and read my notes once before going to the exam room. I still don't know how I am not expecting much. I contacted the Dean of Science and told him that I was struggling for focus and motivation. His office informed me I could write my exams anytime before May 17th.



I still have not written another exam. I go to bed each night telling myself tomorrow will be a good day, only to open my eyes, sad. I turn CNN on immediately for the latest details. I am struggling so much to get started again. WHY? WHY? WHY?



So its two weeks to the moment at 1:50pm Atlantic time today. I am going for a long run hoping to feel even marginally better afterwards. Finishing this little recap, I am hoping, will provide me with some closure. I hope we (non finishers) are invited back next year. It is going to be one massive celebration I expect.

[Ironboy]

Wow. What a roller coaster ride.

It's so easy for me to say focus on the good parts, but that's all I have.

I really enjoyed reading how much fun you had in the second half (beer at the top of heart break? Brilliant!).

Hope you feel better.

It really sucks to have something you invested so much of yourself in end so horribly. But that is outside your control .

Happier times ahead.

[Tori]

Definitely a roller coaster of emotion and very raw! I think you did a great job of expressing and describing what so many runners felt that day at the race.

I hope getting your story out in words provides a level of closure you need.

[Kelodie]

I'm very sorry you went through this and that it drained you so much.

I hope your run this afternoon will bring you some peace. Hang in there...

[Ken B]

As another of the "stopped" runners, I found your description of that situation so true and complete. Thank you.

[Jo-Jo]

Thank you for sharing your story with us.
I don't know what else to say...can't even imagine what you're going through to process this.

[barebuns1]

Thank you for sharing your story.

[scrumhalfgirl]

Thanks for sharing this. Thinking of you as you work through this.

[purdy65]

Thanks for your story. I knew one or two other people in similar positions.

[AjaxRunner]

Thanks for sharing Dean. I hope you get to complete this story next year!

Now go study and ace your exams.

[Robinandamelia]

Thanks for sharing that Dean. I can imagine why it's so hard for you to focus, makes sense. I hope that you can write your exams and find some peace. Hang in there.

[chunkymonkeymelonhed]

Wow.
Thanks for sharing Dean. I hope you find some closure and a measure of peace after putting it all down in writing.

[Jwolf]

Thanks for sharing this here Dean.
Keep looking forward- you'll get through this.

(Hugs)

[danielb]

I heard some of your story here on the local news in St. John's, but its much better hearing it in your words. Very well written and moving summary.

All the best getting back on track with your exams.

[La]

Wow, that's quite the story. Thanks for sharing.

[erinmcd]

Dean- thanks for that. You really captured the emotions well. I hope you can work through all this.

[drghfx]

Hey Dean!

Thanks for the report! From Facebook it sounds like your exams are going well. Good luck!