Boston Marathon Bullets and Photos

• I ran the first 5 or 6 miles with my friend Verdo until stomach troubles forced him to make a few stops. This was my first marathon running with others that I knew. It made it very peaceful.
• During the first few miles of downhill we passed Lance Armstrong like he was standing still. He had a huge crew of runners around him and I had a feeling it might have been a good move to slow down and run at his pace.
• The women of Welsley College are incredible, although I wish I would have been running slower like my friend Phlip so I could have enjoyed them even more. There is a picture of Phlip below that was printed in one of the Boston newspapers.
• As I covered the route I kept hearing updates that Lance was farther behind me. At one point it seemed he was 3 or 4 minutes behind.
• As I began to slow in the hills I could hear a growing roar behind me. On the middle of heartbreak hill Lance came right by me. He stood shoulder to shoulder with me and passed me with a strong, ungraceful yet powerful stride. Having watched Lance ride on so many famous hills in the tour for many years it seemed fitting to watch him blow by me here. Although I must admit that I never dreamed I'd be racing with him in any capacity. It was one of those moments that I kept telling myself to remember for the rest of my life. You may be able to see it here.
• I slowed a bit over the last few miles and could feel my muscles cramp once in a while, but luckily nothing ever shut down. This race is, as many have said, the perfect set-up. The beginning makes you feel so fresh, but the ups and downs at the end thrash your legs by the time you are anywhere near the Citgo sign.
• Seeing Paul and Claudia near the finish line cheering for me really pumped me up. Especially the day after watching Claudia run a great race at the olympic trials.
• Staying with Brian and Laura in Cambridge was great. Harvard is a beautiful place and I'm glad Boston is not on a grid.
• There is a reason I don't drink very often. I think Monday night proved that pretty well. I had a blast with Phlip, Arik, Cari, Tiffany, Mike, and Carolyn anyway.
• I hope to do this race many times again in the future.
• Even with my significant pace drop at the end I still managed to run a 2:55 and I can be happy with that. But, here's hoping I'll be much faster in the near future.
• When I arrived home and was taking the el from midway I found a copy of the Tribune sports section. To my surprise, my name was listed as one of the top Illinois finishers in the Boston Marathon.
• My image appeared in both the Herald and Globe. I'm in the upper left under the large 21,963.
• My pointer toe on my right foot had a nice little berry on it when I was done.