Boston
The Road To Boston (Written & Published Spring 1993)
Boston Marathon
November 1990 – the cancer was in remission, daily walks had become jogs; the physiological effects of seven months of chemotherapy were being overcome. Prior to my illness, I had never jogged more than a couple of miles. All of a sudden I found myself dreaming of running the Boston Marathon. The year 1993 seemed like a reachable target and would just happen to coincide with my reaching the age 50.
March 1991 found me entered in my first ever sanctioned foot race, a 10k jaunt that made 49 minutes seem like eternity. There was a realization that Boston ’93 would take more effort to achieve. What had been 10 or 15 miles of jogging weekly grew into 10 mile runs and 50 mile weeks.
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Smokey Mountain Marathon 1992
July 24th 1992 found Ileen and I in Salt Lake City. Twenty-six miles, 285 yards, and the Wasatch Mountain Range later, my first marathon was complete. The time of 3:42 was 18 minutes shy of the Boston qualification requirement for a 49 year old male (3:25), but was considered respectable for a first marathon.
Back on training regiment preparation for the final assault on qualifying was made The effort was to take place at the Chicago Marathon in November 1992. Unfortunately, it was not to be. A bout with the Ohio River Valley Crude (flu) forced a last minute withdrawal.
It was beginning to look doubtful that the goal would be reached. There remained only two reasonable possibilities to qualify prior to the 1993 Boston Marathon – these being the Las Vegas Marathon or the Smoky Mountain Marathon. Both of which were scheduled for February 1993.
Smoky Mountain was chosen more for out of pocket costs than any other reason. Race day found 28 degrees and no wind. It was a marathon runner’s dream. 3:25 later, the dream was a reality. I had qualified in the last possible race prior to the Boston Marathon. Instead of qualifying with seconds to spare, the qualification time turned out to give a five minute cushion. I hadn’t realized that by turning 50 the previous December, my required time to qualify had been adjusted to 3:30.
On April 19th what was the fantasy of 1990 became the reality of 1993. Over 9,000 runners, each with individual triumphs to qualify, departed the hallowed ground of the starting line. Some 26 miles and change later, the road to Boston was complete.
Boston Marathon 1993
Thanks to legions of IPA members that supported my efforts along the way. A special thanks to my wife Ileen who supported me every inch of the way and gathered me up at more than one finish line.
Also helpful were Captain Charlie Kidd, who inspired me in the early going, and Captain Tim Bryan, who ran me around Iroquois Park countless times.
The last person I wish to remember is Brandon Scot Finch. As I ran the 26 miles from Hopington, MA to Boston, Brandon was recovering from his latest round of chemotherapy. It was to Brandon that I dedicated my ’93 Boston Effort.
Pdazzler
