Hall of Fame:
· The Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon came only 6 days after Boston. As an advisory committee member, I ‘had to’ run this race! The question was – half or full? In either case, racing was not going to be in the cards, with the shape my quads were in after Boston. Jim Chaney explained that I could make the decision to switch to the half right up to where the half course split and from the full. I ran with a friend who was trying to get a good half marathon time – maybe even a PR. I’d settled into an 8:30-ish pace, my daughter joined us for a mile, and I took some pictures along the way (including mile 11). As we approached the half split-off point, I knew the friend I had paced was going to PR. 3 other friends around the same pace were talking about getting their Boston Qualifying times. I made a call – sure, why not. What is another 13.1 miles among friends?

I settled in at their pace, asking them what they needed to BQ – about 8:25 from that point on. In fact, from moment they said 8:25, we never got closer than around an 8:20, and a bunch of the miles came in under 8:15. All 3 friends made their BQ time, and the youngest of the 3 by only 39 seconds. At mile 23, I assured her that “you’re fine as long as you don’t blow up in the last 3 miles” (the power of positive thinking, right?). I didn’t consider that if she started earlier than me, the cushion was smaller than I realized!

Anyways, the finish time of 3:39 and change was a bonus knowing that there was a PR and 3 BQ’s that I was able to experience (yep, I am blessed). It was a great inaugural Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon – the first of many. Well done to all who ran, organized, sponsored, and supported!