ENGLISH
What a race!!!
Exciting, crowed of supporters from Hopkinton to Boylston St., challenging, hilly and tough!!! I will also add “a little bit hot”!
This was the main difference between 2007 race and 2008 race. For me the 2008 temperature was too hot. Well, a certain Robert Cheruiyot won in 2:07:46, but he lives in Africa!
I started fast, probably too fast (half marathon in 1:26:53), but it was mainly downhill, so I let my legs go. The first 9 miles were clearly downhill, then, in Natick, the road started to go up until mile 11, then mainly down again until mile 16. At that point of the race, when my legs started to feel tired because of the up and down, when my glycogen reserves were almost ended up, the real Boston Marathon began. And I could say I was not ready.
I had cramps in my legs, I stopped 2 times to prevent them but in vain. I ran my last 8 miles at a 7’31’’/mile pace!!! I can’t rememeber anything about the last part of the race. I was completely exhausted. My target, finishing in less than 3 hours, vanished after mile 18, even before the famous Heartbreak Hill. I’m sure that the Boston Marathon is a tricky one. As the huge Cheruiyot said, you have to know this race before trying to win it. I will probably come back in 2009 and use my 2008 experience as a warm up. Anyway, I finished in 3:02:54, improving my Milan City Marathon PR (3:05:10). So I’m half happy about my performance.
The Boston Marathon experience remain unique and exclusive. If you can go there, go. Memories will last forever.
If you are looking for participants marathon photos click here http://www.marathonfoto.com/
If you are looking for winner marathon photos click here: www.bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon/2008RaceWeekPhotoAlbum.asp
If you are looking for participants marathon DVD click here: http://www.mymarathondvd.com/
Here below the race results and a slide show with few photos of the pre race pasta party, the race day (no camera during the race, obviously) and the post race party.
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