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2006 Boston Marathon
race report
Awesome. Mind-blowing. Satisfying. I've never had so much fun at a race.

Training didn't go as planned, so I chose to run Boston as a training run for the Sugarloaf/USA Marathon in May. I just wanted to run the first 20 miles at 9:00 pace, keeping my heart rate down, and if I felt good enough, up the speed in the last 6 miles. Since I was going to be running at a training pace, I set myself up at the very back of the first wave of runners. This wave started a half hour earlier than the first. I looked to my right and saw a small Citgo sign, thinking I would see a much larger one when I got to Boston. The Star Spangled Banner was played, two Navy jets flew overhead, and  the gun went off. After crossing the starting line, I was immediately left in the dust by the entire wave, except for a few other stragglers. This made for a nice comfortable running experience. I would remain in the gap between the two waves until the Newton Hills. Who said Boston is a crowded marathon?

Since I didn't taper for the race, and had just run two 70 mile weeks, my legs felt a bit heavy and tired. I wondered if this would end up being slower than I planned. I even wondered if I'd finish. I shut those thoughts off and decided to enjoy the festivities. As I ran, little kids held out their hands so you could slap them five. I immediately thought "Jim, you have no idea where those hands have been"--then proceeded to slap as many hands as I could along the way. Advice to future 1st-timers: do not slap the hands of men holding beers--they'll rip your arm off.  Stick to the women and children. The crowds were nonstop, and very loud in some sections. When I got to the famous Wellesley College party at mile 13, some of the girls looked at me, pointed to their cheek, and said "Kiss me." I instantly realized it was a tradition--and sometimes tradition is good. So, I planted one on the cheek of the one to whom I felt most psychically connected, and ran on to my glory. My legs no longer felt tired.

At about mile 17 or so, you enter Newton and its famous hills. They were long, but if you've trained on hills, weren't so bad. Somewhere near Boston College, I heard someone yell "Brunelle" and it was some RIRR's! That was a nice boost. After that it was a gradual descent into Boston. I had a lot in the tank, so I picked up the speed to 8:20's. When I saw the large Citgo sign near Fenway Park, I got chills. I picked up the speed and finished the last 1.2 miles at 8:06 pace for a negatively split 3:52 (8:53 pace). I never felt even a smidgeon of a wall. So, in terms of fat burning vs. glycogen burning, I came out on the fat-burning side.

After crossing the finish line, there was Jeanne Bolduc and Dave Hawkins! Jeanne gave me a big hug and congratulated me. Good to see them.

The Boston Marathon is truly one of the great races. It is the epitome of a well organized event. The crowds are the biggest and most supportive you'll ever see. The course is interesting and challenging. The downhill grade to the course, mixed with a handful of challenging hills, makes for some sore quads the following day. I have nothing but kudos leaking from my being. Qualifying for this marathon was a dream come true, and the experience of it was a slice of heaven on earth.

by Jimmy Brunelle
    3:52:53