WhatGoesAroundComesAround_DavisRob

R.D. Story Number Three (Marathon)
There is no getting around the fact that there is a certain degree of
lunacy involved in the preparation and running of an official, 26.2 mile
marathon. While I have repeatedly denied the relevance of that
observation to myself personally, what can one say after completing
fourteen of them, except to acknowledge that, “If the shoe fits...” For
the uninitiated, however, it is important to point out that there are
redeeming qualities to this seemingly crazed activity, and as soon as I
can think of one, I will gladly point it out!
Regardless, in the summer of 1991, I decided to try for the Holy Grail
for most marathon runners, qualifying for the Boston Marathon, clearly
the granddaddy and most prestigious marathon in the world. It is
distinguished by the tradition of the race, the beauty of the course, the
dreaded three tier Heartbreak Hill, and the spirit of the crowds lining it
from beginning to end. Also, unlike every other marathon which can be
entered by anyone having the nerve and who completes the application
process, to run in Boston one needs to have completed an officially
sanctioned marathon during the previous calendar year, in an age group
qualifying time.
“So what?” you might say. “What’s the big deal?” Well, the big deal is
that those qualifying times are challenging, to say the least. Most
people who run a marathon, do so with the hope of breaking four hours.
To qualify for Boston, however, a man of 50 has to break three hours
and twenty-five minutes. A man of 25 or less needs to break three hours.
In the case of the former, that means averaging faster than 8 minute
miles for the entire 26.2 miles. That is really moving. In 1991, at the
age of 46 years old, my qualifying time to allow me the privilege of