Monumental Weekend

And if you feel that you can't go on.
And your will's sinkin' low
Just believe and you can't go wrong.
In the light you will find the road.
You will find the road.

"In the light, light, light..." Robert Plant sings with passion in his distinctive voice. Those words coupled with all kinds of prayers and mind games kept me going on Saturday during the Monumental Marathon. It was an amazing experience, a spiritual journey.

I went up Friday and had a late lunch with Lester at the Spaghetti Factory. We then made our way over to the Marathon Expo to pick up my packet. The expo didn't have that much to offer, so we left and went to Lester's place. I had a wonderful nap. Later on Kedra, Rebecca, and Ben arrived. More spaghetti for supper. Carbo-loading is kinda fun, but it gets a little old on the second day.

Off to bed early, and surprisingly I slept well. Saturday morning was cold, but I had figured out what I was going to wear and I stuck with it: shorts, long sleeve shirt, nylon vest, hat. Lester took me downtown. Waiting for the start is never easy, especially when it's cold.

I lined up with the 3.30 pace team. My race strategy was to run 20 miles at an 8 minute mile pace. This would put plenty of minutes in the bank for the inevitable slow-down of the latter miles. I had to run about an 8.12 overall pace to qualify for Boston. The race started in the twilight of what would become a beautiful, sunny day. "In the light, light, light..."

The miles came and they went. There were times when I felt great, and I thanked God for those. There were times when I felt pretty bad and wondered if I was going to make it, and I asked God for help. My right hamstring started hollering at me about 10 miles in, and I asked for mercy and healing. I had all the usual pains and doubts associated with distance running, but nothing extreme. I felt the presence of God during the entire journey. "In the light, light, light..." Run in the light. Led Zeppelin's words reached far beyond their original meaning and expectations. I "practiced the presence" for 26.2 miles.

At 22 miles I was only slightly off the 8 minute pace team. I was closer than I had planned to be. This was good. As I passed my wonderful, supportive family,(they been following me around to see me at various points on the course) Kedra shouted, "You're going to Boston!!"

Just got to hang on! "In the light, light, light..."

When I hit 23 miles I thought I was in trouble. I felt that a collapse was coming. Your body can take over and dash your dreams pretty quickly in a race like this. Many have been on pace and then lose it all in the last 2-3 miles. I prayed intensely and pushed to keep a respectable pace. The monument on the circle looked so far away! I just keep pushing. "In the light, light, light..."

When I hit the 25 mile mark I looked at my watch and realized that I had just cranked out about an 8 minute mile. I knew, barring a complete collapse, I was going to make it. I slowed down some to avoid any kind of cramping and simply cruised in to finish. I had to have 3.35.59 to qualify and finished in 3.31.47. [They added a minute to my time on Sunday. Their computer was messed up on Saturday. Weird.]

This is getting long; sorry. I'll just say that it feels simply amazing to have been blessed to do this. It has been a dream of mine for 30 years. It is has only been in the last couple of years that I have really pursued it. I could not done it without all the support/encouragement that comes from my running partners in Bedford. They are an amazing group of people. Kedra, while not a runner, is an amazing supporter and encourager; my children too. It was great to have her and 4/5 of my children there to share in this moment of victory. Luke was in the south, but he was following my progress via phone.

I appreciate many of you who were praying for me on Saturday. I felt your prayers.

Here is a link to an album I put on Facebook: photos