Join us this week as we unpack the incredible journey our kidney donor athlete underwent to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Through a tough path, he went looking for the light at the the end of the tunnel at the Tunnel Light Marathon.

The Long and Short of it

“Great moments are born from great opportunities.”

– Herb Brooks

The Short Version:

Did the work. Believed. Crushed the goal.

The Long Version:

Although the short version sums up what happened, I hope you’ll take the time to read this. So many feelings and emotions about the buildup and this race that I’m not sure I have the words to adequately convey what happened but I’m certainly going to give it a try.

The Build Up

The Impact of Long COVID

As many of you know, Long COVID has been impacting running and my life for the last couple of years. It’s kept me from doing many of the things that I want to do, especially the last 14 months. I’ve wanted to give up running many times but my stubbornness just wouldn’t allow it because I still had goals and things that I wanted to accomplish.

I woke up every day not knowing what my body would allow me to do but laced up my shoes and did what I could. There was frustration and tears along the way. Most days I was forced to run an “easy pace”. It never felt easy and it was often much slower than what I was used to running. I didn’t like it. I didn’t enjoy it. But I refused to quit so I just kept showing up.

After finally getting some answers from the doctors about what was going on with my heart and breathing, I started a regimen of medicine. I also made a commitment to give up alcohol and caffeine as both were magnifying the challenges. I didn’t notice an immediate change but I was determined to do whatever was in my power to keep chasing my dreams.

Race Day (-2 Months)

About two month ago I shared that I had no clue what I would be able to accomplish on race day. I was finally starting to have some good workouts but they would be followed with several days of discouraging runs. Trying to maintain an even keel, I tried to not get too up when I had a good day or too down when I had a bad day.

Shortly after this I noticed that I was starting to have many more good days than bad. I was able to put in the effort I wanted to during my workouts and my easy efforts were finally starting to feel easy. This got me to thinking that I just might be able to hit my goal and requalify for Boston for 2025.

Trial Run at Shawshank

Jill and I were signed up to run the Shawshank Hustle one month out from my goal race. Since it was only a 4.6 mile race I decided I was going to just go for it and see what happened. I ended up running hard and surpassed my expectations for the day. It was after this race that I finally had the belief that I could do what I set out to do. I adopted the mantra “I can, I will, I must” and repeated it to myself often during my runs over the last month of training.

Race Day (-1 Month)

The last four weeks of training were the best that I had in years. Every day, every run, my belief continued to grow and I was becoming more certain that I would do what was necessary and once again be able to line up in Hopkinton for my seventh consecutive Boston Marathon. I knew from previous races that although the physical training was important, believing I could do it was what most often determined if I would hit my goal.

Race Day (-1 Week)

I thoroughly enjoyed the taper the last week before the race. I focused on getting my body and mind where they needed to be. I got plenty of solid sleep, fed my body what was necessary and most importantly fed my mind exactly what it needed.

Since I knew it was going be warm on race day, I focused on making sure that in addition to taking in additional carbs, I also made sure to up my water and electrolyte intake. My mind was filled with reading Brain Training For Runners by Matt Fitzgerald and watching inspirational movies including Miracle, Hoosiers, and 26.2 To Life.

The Goal

Aging up to 55 for next year’s Boston Marathon meant that I needed to run under 3:35 to qualify. In order to get into the race though I would probably need to run under 3:25 to guarantee entry. So the goal was set, 3:24:59, a pace of 7:49 per mile.

The Travel

Although traveling west screws with my sleep schedule, I was able to maintain a somewhat normal routine over the weekend. I had a good shakeout run the morning before the race and finished up the day watching Vision Quest before bed. I woke up on race day feeling rested and full of hope!!

The Race

Strategy

It was warm and humid on race morning with pretty crappy air quality. My fueling strategy for the race was to take a Maurten gel at miles 4, 8, 12, and 16 and then sip my handheld filled with Maurten 320 mix for the last ten miles. Knowing it was going to get even hotter during the race I committed to walking thru each water station, making sure that I got two cups of water each time.

The Start

Lining up for the race I saw that there was a 3:00 and a 3:15 pace group. I lined up behind the 3:15 pace group thinking I would run with them for as much of the race as I could. I heard the pacers talking and they said their strategy was to go out at an 8:00 pace for the first few miles. This was a little slower than what I planned to go out and since we would be running thru a narrow tunnel after the first half mile I made a last minute decision to move in front of the pace group. I didn’t know it at the time but it changed my race completely.

The last thing I told myself before the race started was to Be Brave. I wanted to run a race I could be proud of, making sure I gave everything I could to hit my goal.

When the gun went off at 8 am I hit start on my Garmin in addition to the start button on my headphones. I had a marathon play list of songs with a cadence of 180 bpm to keep me on track throughout the race. The gravel path was somewhat narrow and there was quite a bit of jostling that first half mile as we headed to the 2.25 mile long Snoqualmie Tunnel. I had forgotten how much loose gravel there was on the trail and was glad that I made the decision to wear gaiters for the race.

The Tunnel

As we entered the tunnel, things thinned out a bit. Everyone was trying to run in the center since the trail was quite cambered so for the most part it became a single file line. Just about all the runners were wearing headlamps so the tunnel was plenty illuminated which was a good thing as there were many pot holes throughout. I was locked in between runners in the tunnel so I was just going at whatever pace the line was. I hit the first mile marker at a 7:40 pace. I wanted to be under 7:45 each mile so I was right on target. Mile two was a bit faster coming in at 7:31. Coming out of the tunnel, there were drop boxes for headlamps (which we would retrieve after the race).

Miles 2.25 – 5

The next few miles I hit paces of 7:27, 7:16, and 7:13. I was moving faster than what I had planned but I was feeling good so I just went with it. The views along the Iron Horse Trail were magnificent and for the first time in as long as I could remember I made sure to look around and appreciate the beauty of my surroundings whilst I raced.

Miles 6 – 10

Miles 6 thru 10 saw me hitting paces of 7:17, 7:15, 7:18, 7:23, and 7:14. Still felt really good. Hit two aid stations during this stretch, making sure to walk thru and get two cups of water each time. The trail is open to the public so it wasn’t uncommon to have cyclists passing going the other way. Trying to run the tangents meant dodging them from time to time. Runners had spread out pretty good for the most part by this time and I found myself running alone thru this part of the course.

Here Comes the Sun – Mile 10

Shortly after mile 10 I felt the sun for the first time. The morning haze had started to burn off and for the first time I felt things heating up. My splits for miles 11-15 came in at 7:21, 7:18, 7:20, 7:18, and 7:17. It was around this time that I started doing mental math. As long as the wheels didn’t fall off completely I could slow down a little and still hit my goal of 3:24:59. Usually by the time I take my third gel in a race my stomach is starting to rebel. No issues today though. Passed two more aid stations during this time and stuck with the plan.

One of the highlights of the trail is running over several trestle bridges. I don’t recall when I ran over each of them but the one between mile 15 and 16 had incredible views and it felt a little like running on air. I managed to clock miles of 7:17, 7:17, 7:20, 7:18, and 7:19. As I hit mile 20 I thought to myself that this is where the race truly begins. Up to this point I haven’t had to work too hard. My breathing was good, heart rate was in check, and the legs felt strong. I decided at this point that running anything less than a 3:15 would be selling myself short.

Mile 21 and the Turn

Shortly after mile 21 we made a right hand turn, the first real turn of the race, onto the Snoqualmie Valley Trail which we would remain on for the remainder of the race. The surface went from being a hard gravel trail to a much softer surface that the legs really appreciated. Splits for miles 21 thru 25 were 7:17, 7:40, 7:44, 7:37, and 7:26. Although the pace had fallen off slightly I was still digging deep and focusing on reeling in the runners in front of me. I could tell it was a hot day as there were many, many runners either walking by this time or stopping to stretch. I finished off my Maurten 320 bottle around mile 23, knowing that I had more than enough fuel to get me to the finish line.

The Last Bridge

Shortly before mile 26, a 7:43 pace, I crossed over one last bridge that spanned the South Fork Snoqualmie River. The finish line was in sight and I clicked off my headphones so I could take in the sounds of the crowd as I approached the end. I picked it up as much as I could to finish strong, dropping down to a 7:19 pace.

The Finish

Stopping my watch at 3:13:41, the realization of what I had done set in. As the finisher’s medal was placed around my neck and Jill came rushing out of the crowd to see me, I felt a huge sense of relief. Her support and encouragement along the way were the only things that kept me going a lot of the time and I was thankful that I was able to finish in a way that would make her proud of me.

I stayed the course when things were hard. I kept showing up even when I didn’t want to and when things looked bleak. I made a commitment to Be Brave and I ran with courage. This was probably the most satisfying marathon I’ve ever run, all things considered.

My official time came in at 3:13:42. This result qualifies me for Boston for 2025 and 2026 but more importantly, it shows what can be accomplished if you keep showing up and truly believe. Thanks for joining me on this journey.

And remember…

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