Running the Boston Marathon on April 20 was an amazing experience.
Truth be told, I was expecting this to be like any other race, except this included an arduous, long trip.
I’m relatively inexperienced in running marathons, having only run two before this. One of them I messed up and walked to the finish.
So being the rookie I am, I had no idea how fortunate I was to participate in the Boston Marathon. It wasn’t until I landed that realized why this event is world-renowned.
The Boston Marathon is one of the most prestigious and energetic events in the world. The amount of enthusiasm coming from runners and spectators is beyond overwhelming.
Everyone in the city treated the runners like VIPs. Subway riders gave their seats to anyone wearing the Boston Marathon jackets. Restaurants, shops, bars, any and every establishment welcomed Boston Marathoners with a smile and discounts. Random strangers stop and congratulate you like you just conquered the world.
Going into the race, I was ranked 934 according to my bib. Boston orders their runners by entry times and I was seeded at 2 hours, 47 minutes, 21 seconds from the 2014 Eugene Marathon.
This was my first time traveling to the other side of the country for a marathon. I wish I knew ahead of time that I should’ve arrived a few days earlier before the race to fully rest and prepare.
Flying in Sunday afternoon, I got so exhausted from the lack of sleep and my legs were in pain from the loads of walking due to the rush to get my race number at the expo. Not only was I drained, I had to wake up at 4 a.m. the next day so I could eat breakfast and make it to the shuttles to the start line/athlete village area.
It was such a rushed weekend leading up to the race that I thought I was going to run terrible; I almost gave up before it even started. I thought to myself, “I was stupid to fly in so late. I screwed my entire race now!”
At the time, the only light at the end of the tunnel was the two friends I came to Boston with. They kept my head straight and stayed positive. Their company reminded me of all the hard work each runner here, not just me, had to endure to get to Boston.
Quitting now would be like spitting on all the hard work of not only all the participants here, but to everyone in the world who wished they could be here. The turning point was when I lined up at the start line. The rush of being there with the world’s best runners gave me such an adrenaline rush that it numbed out all my stress and exhaustion.
When the race started, so many runners sprinted out to the lead. A horde of people passed me like a river. Meanwhile, I ran slower in the beginning on purpose to conserve my energy. My first mile was around 6:15 and my 5K was 18:33 (5:59 pace). It was at this point I realized I can run a decent race and finish under my goal sub-2:40.
Spectators lined up along the course the entire way, so much so that I always heard cheering and never heard silence. I was hoping for a few moments of peace and quiet to calm down but at my pace, it was impossible to make a gap of spectators last long enough. By the 10K mark, I decided to start picking off runners by jumping from group to group.
This strategy most likely saved me lots of energy because drafting behind a pack of racers blocked most of the headwind from hitting me.
Around the half mark, my split was 1:18:53 (6:00 pace). I started calculating and estimated I should finish in around 2:39, accounting for the forthcoming rolling uphills that the Boston course is infamous for. I sped up the pace and picked off individuals one by one, since packs of runners were non-existent at this point.
As I made my way through each of the hills, I still felt great and passed numerous runners. Heartbreak Hill was so short to me that I wondered if I even passed it yet. The realization came only when I saw spectator signs and posters that stated I finished the hill. My body is probably made for this course since my quads were still not sore (my calves were, though).
After Heartbreak Hill, it was all cruising to the finish. The cheering became louder and louder as I approached each mile mark. The defining moment came at Mile 24, where my watch showed 2:26:16. With 2.2 miles left, I estimated I would finish in 2:39:50 if I maintain my pace. That was too risky for me so I went all out.
This was the most exhilarating part of the race for me. According to the timing mats, my pace clocked in 5:40 per mile for my last 2K split. It certainly felt that fast as I was bolting past runners left and right, passing around 50 or so in the last quarter-mile. As I crossed the finish line, I looked at my watch — 2:38:59.
Most people who know me may say I am extremely humble or modest, so it is rare to see me be proud and celebrate ostentatiously.
It’s hard not to do because I accomplished my goal and was overjoyed to achieve it in one of the world’s best marathons. All the trouble to get there was completely forgotten. All my hard work relayed in my mind and I was thankful for everything that went well. A torrent of thoughts started filling my head. I felt grateful to have such a wonderful and supportive wife. I felt lucky to be where I am today because of running.
All this happened in my head in a split second, and then suddenly I realized I couldn’t move my legs.
My calves were so sore I could barely move, only able to inch across bit by bit. As I kept trudging along, I started shivering from the cold temperatures in the 40s. Better safe than sorry; I opted to sit on a wheelchair and asked the medical staff to send me to the medical tent so I could stay warm and recover a little movement in my legs.
While I was recovering in the tent, I had more epiphanies. I now understood how fortunate I am to be able to qualify and to run this race.
My race has finally finished and this journey has finally come to an end.
I will not forget this experience for years to come.
Johnson Lee, 29, of Vancouver was among 25 Clark County runners to finish the 2015 Boston Marathon. He finished 230th out of more than 26,000 runners.
