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| A smile for Kristen 400m from the finish line at the Boston Marathon |
In summary, I crossed the line in 3:14:10 - a personal worst by almost 30 minutes. Today was a brutal day for everyone. Congrats to everyone who finished. I was tempted to walk off the course at 30K. However, I had Krissy and my father at the finish line expecting me to finish in what I predicted around 3 hours. The last eight miles were a blur. I checked the results and saw names that I recognize, and had no idea they passed me. Calf and hamstring cramps cropped up earlier than ever for me in a marathon. I hit up each water stop for Gatorade or water. I saw a temperature reading of 85 degrees just outside Cleveland Circle. Good times, eh? I took four GU's (one handed off by Kevin Gorman at 19), a Gel from the Gatorade stop at 17, and a half banana from a spectator (I tossed the other half right back to her to share with another desperate runner). In the end, I was grateful to reach the finish line, no matter how much time it took. I had some serious doubts that I would reach it today.
