Marathon 2014

Ken Poole and Grandson Eric

Boston Marathon 2014

A Ken Poole Summary

What a day. Once upon a time it was easy to get from Milford to the start in Hopkinton....not any more. We usually boarded a school bus from the EMC lot for a ride to the center, but now you must go through airport screening before boarding the bus, then taken directly to the Hopkinton High School, known as the Runner’s Village. It’s about a 3/4 mile from the HS to the starting line and very controlled...it use to be chaos.

The weather was good although we didn’t start until 11:30 and it warmed up quickly. The start was very crowded. It took the next six miles before you found room enough to run your pace. I have not seen crowds of spectators this intense throughout the entire course all the way to Boston, even though we were in the last wave and it took us five hours to get there, the spectators stayed throughout, filling every vantage point.

Tremendous crowds in Natick. Great to see Al and Joanna in at their usual spot. Eric enjoyed the reception at Wellesley College from the ladies. I told him if I were 19 again, this is as far as I would get. No point in going any further....call it the Wellesley College Half Marathon. We made it past the halfway-point and on to the turn at the Firehouse in Newton. I tried to plant our bottles of tonic water here the day before, but the firemen said there were so many FBI agents walking around that it was almost impossible. At every marathon we plant tonic water somewhere along the course. It contains copious amounts of quinine that helps with muscle cramps. This time it didn’t help. We both had leg cramps from the start of the hills to the finish line. The last mile was painful coming through Kenmore Sq. to the point where we were stopped last year. We pushed past it and onto Hereford St. and the Hynes. The noise level was deafening.

Then around the last corner onto Boylston and seeing the finish line was an indescribable feeling of joy, pain, relief and satisfaction that one more time for me and the first time for Eric. We now have Generations of the family who have crossed the finish line since 1902. I feel like Forest Gump when he said ‘I’m tired of running’. Maybe it’s time to hang up the shoes and find another hobby.

All things considered, it was a good day.

KP